Winter dressing is all about balance, and most of us are failing the math. One layer too many and you’re sweating through your turtleneck by 11 am. One too few and you’re in denial, shivering like a wet cat by sunset. The middle ground? Smart coats that insulate and bring structure to your look, and jackets that layer without bulk.
Designers seem to agree. Outerwear trends for autumn/winter 2025-26 leaned toward statement maxi coats with defined silhouettes and plush faux fur jackets in everything from cropped bombers to cocoon shapes. The spring/summer 2026 runways felt like a cold-weather coup, as if everyone forgot which hemisphere they were designing for. Courrèges leaned into geometry with asymmetric coats. Saint Laurent, which topped the Q3 2025 Lyst Index, went full drama with broad-shouldered leather jackets that swallowed proportions whole. COS, never one to miss a technical challenge, pushed puffers into the realm of sculpture with modular quilting and near-weightless fills. Prada’s rain-slick nylons felt more than appropriate given our recent weather conditions.
Below, five ways to get through winter without looking like you’ve lost a fight with your wardrobe.
Sign up for the military jacket
The military jacket rarely leaves fashion’s radar, but this season it feels less rigid. The traditional markers of someone on duty are still there—structured shoulders, defined waists, neat rows of buttons—but softened for everyday wear. During the spring/summer 2026 shows, Dior and Alexander McQueen brought back epaulettes and officer cuts in clean wool, while Toteme’s shearling take borrowed from naval outerwear, complete with toggles. Nili Lotan’s version references 19th-century uniforms, tailored through the torso with a slight flare at the hip and easy to layer over knits, and Massimo Dutti’s belted trench jacket keeps all the classic details—storm flaps, epaulettes—but adds a fold-up collar for colder days.
