It takes time for a fashion trend to trickle down into the mainstream, especially for more directional styles. My colleague Daniel Rodgers first called out the return of the military jacket – similar to those that became a uniform for Noughties indie sleaze devotees – in May 2024, when small-scale designers Laura Andraschko and Ans Dotsloevner were pushing their respective propositions. It’s taken until now for them to show up on the mass market.

Of course, it isn’t the first time that military jackets have hung on the rails of high-street flagships. In the 2010s, design teams were inspired by the vintage, Napoleonic-leaning styles that indie sleaze-ers were spilling beers on at gigs – and those championed by Christophe Decarnin for Balmain, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Hedi Slimane, and those worn by Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson – and offered them to a commercial customer. The iterations Topshop released alongside Kate Moss, which can still be found on eBay, have become collectables in their own right.

McQueen SS26.

GoRunway.com

Dior SS26.

GoRunway.com

The spring/summer and autumn/winter 2026 collections inspired a fresh batch of military jackets, accompanied by a range of epaulettes, embroideries, froggings and silhouettes. The gilded style Seán McGirr showed for McQueen was worn by Margot Robbie for a West End premiere, while Jonathan Anderson’s layered, powder-blue and cream version was modelled by Greta Lee on the cover of last November.

When such items arrive in a commercial capacity, they tend to shed their subcultural connotations and instead become something appreciated for their visual appeal – and can therefore be styled in a way that doesn’t look too “dress-up-box”. Keeping it simple is a sensible approach. Thus, low-rise trousers, jeans, and even miniskirts have proven popular accompaniments.

Read more: The Key Autumn/Winter 2026 Trends To Know Now

From the 1800s to the 2010s and now the 2020s, I predict the apex of the military jacket trend will soar in time for Glastonbury. Kate Moss wore hers with micro shorts in 2005, and unless the TikTok generation move onto another nostalgic archetype in time for the festival, then Worthy Farm could look like an AI-generated Napoleonic painting – with Hunter wellies and wraparound sunglasses thrown into the mix. As for how to incorporate them into your wardrobe and wear them for the office or the pub, rather than a field? Scroll on for military jacket outfit ideas.