Attempting to keep up with outerwear trends these days is a dizzying affair. The proliferation of social media has accelerated the fashion cycle, and it often seems that no sooner has a coat or jacket begun to gain momentum than it’s cast onto the scrap heap in favour of something newer and shinier.

If you want to be well-dressed and current without looking like a fashion victim, you need to be able to separate the trends with staying power from the flash-in-the-pan fads. And we’re here to help.

Below you’ll find a carefully selected roundup of the outerwear trends that are actually worth knowing. These aren’t ill-judged hype pieces – they’re time-honoured classics that are experiencing a surge in popularity for one reason or another. From slouchy overcoats to puffed-up parkas, here are the styles to know right now.

Over The Top

Overcoats are nothing new. Despite their current boom, these heavy-duty outer layers have been swaddling city dwellers in inclement weather for centuries, which is all the more reason to ensure you have one.

They’re extremely versatile, suitable for three-season wear, and the current trending styles are some of the most comfortable and easy to wear. We’re talking big, relaxed, unstructured and flowing – the types of coats you can, quite literally, wrap yourself up in.

Opt for raglan sleeves for a classic laid-back look and throw it on over anything and everything.

From Runway To… Runway

Cromford Leather Company

Many of menswear’s biggest stars have their roots in the military, and the flight jacket is certainly no exception. Cut from buttery-soft leather with a thick shearling lining, these big-collared jackets were designed to be short in the body for comfort and freedom of movement in flight.

Created to be as warm as possible for high-altitude operations in the days before covered cockpits, flight jackets are a classic example of functional becoming fashionable, and they’re experiencing a bit of a revival of late.

To nail the look, stick to classic brown or black and wear it with similarly timeless pieces, such as straight-leg denim and a pair of lace-up work boots.

Born In A Barn

Velasca

A ‘barn coat’ is a type of outerwear that’s been around for a long time but has mostly flown under the radar in the fashion world. Until now. It’s a type of mid-length, collared coat designed for countryside wear and agricultural use, often featuring a cord collar, dual bellow pockets and a cotton or waxed cotton fabric. If you need a visual cue, think Barbour.

These coats have been around for ages, but a sudden uptick in popularity at the tail end of 2024 means now is the perfect time to take the leap and add one to your outerwear rotation. Needless to say, they’re extremely durable and surprisingly versatile, and they won’t be going out of style anytime soon.

Check Yourself

SIRPLUS

If you want to go patterned with your outerwear, a classic check is the way to do it this season.

Traditional patterns like gingham and Prince of Wales check are having a moment right now, and they look great on everything from overcoats to unstructured blazers.

Cropped Up

Abercrombie

Less of a specific style and more of an overarching trend that has infiltrated many corners of the outerwear world – if you’ve been paying attention, you might have noticed jackets getting a little shorter across the board.

Cropped outerwear has been trending for some time. And we’re here for it. We like how it plays with proportions, completely altering the feel of otherwise unassuming outfits.

It elongates the legs, creates interesting layering opportunities and looks great on many different body types.

Work It

Dickies

Staying on the cropped theme, mechanics jackets, like the Carhartt Detroit, have been peaking in popularity for a while now. They’re cut from heavy-duty canvas or cotton, with a zippered chest pocket and contrast collar. And for this particular trend, the more battered, busted and lived-in they look, the better.

These jackets hit right around waist height, which means they’re great for layering in cold weather or wearing as a standalone piece in the transitional months.

Pair them with other workwear staples like raw denim jeans and leather boots for an outfit that’ll really earn its keep.

Funtime Fleece

Wax London

Fleece shook off its connotations of stuffiness a few years back, but now things have gone even further. We’re seeing more and more fleece jackets from multiple brands featuring eye-catching all-over prints and patterns.

Of course, this is nothing new, but it’s a style that has been gaining momentum. Brands including Kapital and Patagonia have been doing it for years with their Damask and Synchilla fleeces, respectively. Still, it seems pretty much anyone who is anyone in the world of menswear is putting their own spin on the style now.

There are some great options out there, from Aimé Leon Dore to Wax London.

Puffed-Up Parkas

Woolrich

Football manager chic has arrived and is as warm as it looks. If you’re looking for a stylish solution to the biting cold this winter, this may well be it. Like a parka but puffier, these down-filled coats are designed to do one thing and one thing only: keep you toasty.

Much like classic puffer jackets, these longer versions still feature oversized, stitched-in ‘baffles’ filled with feather insulation. These baffles trap body heat and seal out the cold, and the extra length ensures your bottom half is shielded from the elements, too.