If You Only Buy One Investment Piece For Autumn, Make It A Suede Jacket
Strange as it may seem to be thinking about autumn clothing when the sun has only just decided to come out (and barely, at that), the tail-end of summer is actually the best time to start getting organised for the season ahead. Not only are there a number of sales on right now filled with cut-price cold-weather essentials, but after weeks (okay, days) of wearing as little as acceptably possible, the idea of actually styling something of substance feels particularly appealing. Plus, there's the fact that the British weather has a tendency to turn dramatically from one day to the next, so who knows how much longer we really have left...
If that sounds a little dramatic, cast your mind back to just a few weeks ago when we were all stomping around town in knee-high leather boots, knitted dresses, jeans and cashmere cardis plucked straight from our autumn/winter wardrobes – in July. One good thing that has come of enduring such a wet and chilly summer, however, is that a few key trends for the season ahead have already started to reveal themselves.
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Chief among them? The humble suede jacket, and it's set to be one of the must-have items for autumn/winter 2024. For those who keep a close eye on the catwalks, this should come as little surprise: the luxurious leather fabric has featured repeatedly in recent designer collections.
The jacket was seen in its most classic, chocolate brown form at Ralph Lauren, and with a Western twist as part of Pharrell Williams' AW24 menswear show for Louis Vuitton, while Bottega Veneta and Jacquemus gave the staple a modern update in bright hues of yellow and green. There were multiple iterations at Gucci's latest Resort show, too – think playful short-sleeved, cropped, monogrammed and cape styles.
But as ever, it was Miu Miu that truly cemented the trend, elevating the suede jacket to cult status with embossed logos and luxurious embroidery at its AW24 show – and despite the elevated price-tag, a number of the brand's takes on the staple have already sold out online.
Naturally, the street style set was quick to take note, and a number of show-goers at Copenhagen Fashion Week were spotted layering suede outerwear with summer dresses, oversized shirts and sheer skirts, or atop a white vest-top and jeans combo. The piece's versatility is key to its appeal, providing an extra bit of warmth on chilly days but also serving to smarten up laid-back looks – particularly if you opt for a more structured blazer-esque iteration.
The recent re-emergence of the boho aesthetic has certainly played its part in the suede jacket's return, too. For full Sienna Miller vibes, style a light brown fringed design with a floaty lace dress and Chloé wedges or boots. You can also lean into a more Western bohemian aesthetic à la Bella Hadid, who recently shared an off-duty photo of herself wearing a looser style with a cotton shirt and jeans.
Given its leather formulation, a suede jacket can be quite the investment buy, but there are also plenty of more affordable versions that are no less chic. Look to COS' black embroidered design for elegant Miu Miu vibes at a lower price-point, Massimo Dutti for Loewe-esque bombers, while vintage is the way to go for a jacket with an authentic, lived-in feel (and you'll find some serious pre-loved designer treasures on the likes of Vestiaire and eBay too). Don't overlook the menswear section if you're after more oversized, boxy styles, either.
Whichever you choose, one thing is certain: this is one wardrobe staple that you'll reach for time and time again, whether in the summer, autumn, winter, spring, or during that tricky between-seasons period too – so if we're talking cost-per-wear, it comes out to practically zero. That's what we're telling ourselves to justify the price of that epic embroidered Miu Miu suede jacket, at least...
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