Why the leather jacket is this season’s wardrobe hero
A capsule-closet essential; a timeless piece that gets better with age; a jacket that injects instant cool – there are many, many reasons to love leather jackets. Here, GILLIAN BRETT rounds up the coolest styles and ways to wear them now
Fashion month is in full swing, and there’s one trans-seasonal jacket that we’ve been spotting everywhere. Fall 2025 marks the welcome return of the leather jacket to cult status. The fall/winter ’25 runways of Saint Laurent, Khaite, Tod’s and many more, all showed luxe versions of this closet icon. The key shape this season blends a classic biker silhouette with utility details; and while black is always a good choice, designers also showcased beautiful browns – from deep chocolate hues to classic tan – as well as burgundy and olive-green.
The Frankie Shop’s ‘Viper’ jacket has it all. Inspired by bomber, biker and military styles, it features ribbed hems (a key detail this season) and cuffs, epaulettes and large (and therefore endlessly useful) pockets. It comes in a chic dark brown and has a slightly oversized shape, with sloped shoulders that will lend understated cool to any outfit. Balance its generous proportions with straight-leg jeans and a fitted long-sleeved T-shirt.
Leather is inherently a day-to-night material, and there is nothing cooler than a jacket worn with a slip dress. In fact, 2025’s hybrid biker-boho uniform (see Sienna Miller and Zoë Kravitz for inspiration) calls for a leather jacket, floaty dress and moto boots. Embrace this version by day, then slip on some slingback heels to head out for dinner. If you want something more structured, Khaite’s ‘Edith’ style has a sleek standing collar and an elegant belt that cinches the waist to create more shape. Leather-on-leather is something you’ll be seeing a lot of over the party season, and this piece will layer beautifully with leather pants or a leather maxi skirt.
Recently, fashion insiders have been turning to Parisian brand Nour Hammour, for which leather jackets are a signature. NET-A-PORTER’s content director Alice Casely-Hayford just snapped up the brand’s ‘Dalma’ style. “My Nour Hammour leather jacket is my new go-to as the days get shorter,” she says. “For the weekends, it’s an effortlessly chic way to complete an off-duty denim look; and for work, I’m throwing it over my favorite midi dresses and knee-high boots.”
We have an edit of exclusive Nour Hammour styles at NET-A-PORTER, ranging from the effortlessly cool ‘Ariste’ funnel-neck silhouette to the cult-favorite, ‘Drey’, in olive, black and a rich-plum shade that will pop against dark denim. With collections designed in Paris and produced between there and Istanbul, this female-led company is one to have firmly on your radar.
The people featured in this story are not associated with NET-A-PORTER and do not endorse it or the products shown