A spring in your step
An apt analogy of our recent weather is doing the rounds, De-Icing your car in the morning, Applying suncream in the afternoon and switching your heating on at nighttime, sound about right? I keep catching myself saying “its cold in the shade” and it is, but you can’t reach for your winter coat after Easter, can you?
You’ll inevitably choose your spring coat on the merits of its aesthetic so let me help you out with some of the practicalities. If you enjoy looking at Influencers on
Instagram they will usually say the answer is a trench or this season a suede jacket. I love a trench, specifically a vintage trench, but there are several reasons why its not a practical option, trench coats are usually thin, making them great for layering, but they’re often not enough for mornings when the dew hasn’t dried yet. The classic colour for trench coats is beige, which makes them prone to getting grubby fast and despite masquerading as a raincoat, most trenches are in fact not waterproof, if you like the look of a trench but maybe don’t want to swish so much fabric around look for a cropped version, & Other Stories have a great short brown version.
Suede Jackets on the other hand I don’t need to tell you the pit-falls of, suede is a thing of beauty, but even the most ferocious of protector sprays won’t save it from getting marked, so make peace with that before you buy one, or consider buying second hand, it will already be worn in.
For a while now the Barn jacket, inspired by a workwear garment originally made famous by American brand Carharrt and resurrected by Prada in 2024 has been touted as “the” jacket. Usually in cotton canvas with a corduroy collar but spotted on the high street in everything from denim to faux leather, the originals are dark beige and worn slightly oversized, it’s actually a very cool practical shape, Alexa Chung who designs a range for heritage brand Barbour, has one in her collection, M&S have a great option in Hunter green and its showerproof .
Bomber jackets, now before you imagine yourself as Rizzo in Grease hear me out, they don’t begin and end with varsity jackets, the modern bomber jacket has a funnel neck and longer, it sits half way down your bum, size up if necessary and I prefer a dropped waist, no elastic. Check out grown up bomber jackets at Cos.
Last but not least the leather jacket, now you may ask if leather in spring is a good idea, but this is when leather jackets are useful, and you don’t have to go near a biker if like me you look ridiculous in them, head for minimal 90s jackets, mid length straight leather coats or blazer styles, Leather and suede bombers are around inspired by Swedish designer brand Acne, but expect to pay top whack for these even on the high street.
Cheerio puffa coats, see you in September.
