I really hate to break it to you, but summer is over (sob). Take in a deep breath of crisp, cool air. Fall’s here, and honestly? It’s a season to look forward to. It’s time to swap sweat for sleeves. There’s something so satisfying about throwing on your first lightweight fall jacket. Layers are fun! Layers let you build an outfit brick by brick and leave room for a little attitude.
Fashion works six months ahead, so while Spring/Summer 2026 trends are just beginning to walk runways, we’re taking direct cues from the previous Fall/Winter 2025 shows. We’ve had some time to let the trends from this season settle in and take root. You might already be familiar with some of these fall jacket trends, but here we see fresh iterations. Like a classic trench, with a new, shorter cropped hem—so short it could even function as a dress. Or an aviation-style jacket made of leather or silk. A courtroom jacket with a neckline that means business. A sporty fashion track jacket, with or without the matching pants. A sexy suede jacket—the perfect concoction for transitional wear. Take note if you want something to complete your funky fresh fall wardrobe. The best five transitional fall jackets are only a scroll away!
Cropped Trenches
The trench got a trim! Out with the long, floor-sweeping hems and in with something short and sharp. The crop hits at the waist, maybe a little above. It’s a trench reimagined for the bodega run, not the storm.
Shop the Cropped Trenches Trend
Favorite Daughter Cropped Charles Trench
Short Trench Coat
Aviation Jackets
Originally for cockpits and pilots, the utilitarian aviation jacket is about structure: boxy shapes, big collars, heavy-duty pockets. You might think of the classic styles, but this season’s iteration comes in silk, shearling, or weathered leather.
Shop the Aviation Jackets Trend
On Khaki Varsity Bomber Jacket
Uniqlo Bomber Jacket
Babaton Croft Jacket Unreal Leather
Courtroom Jackets
This one’s got history. The silhouette nods to Dior’s original Bar jacket—a cinched waist, clean lines, and structure that reads as intentional, not stiff. The new courtroom jacket considers ladylike polish, sharp necklines, and a little bit of sweetness. Refined, not boring!
Shop the Courtroom Jackets Trend
Reformation Mabel Jacket
H&M Bouclé Jacket
Colleen Allen Black Cotton Bodice Shirt
Track Jackets
Once for warmups, now for going out, the track jacket has staying power this fall. It’s clean, easy, and has something unbothered about it. Styled with their matching pants, or broken up apart and worn on its own, this jacket hits a sweet spot between sporty and styled without trying too hard.
Shop the Track Jackets Trend
J.Crew Flight Jacket
Adidas Classic Firebird Loose Track Top
Puma T7 Short Track Jacket
Suede
Suede is tactile and values texture over flash. There’s a ‘70s softness about it. Consider all the previous jacket styles in suede to add a layer of palpability.
Shop the Suede Jackets Trend
Zara Suede Effect Bomber Jacket
Free People Annalise Suede Jacket
Short Suede Leather Shirt
St. Agni Utility Cocoon Jacket
Jessica (aka Jess) is a Senior Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan, working across both fashion market and styling for print stories, as well as digital fashion and commerce coverage. Prior to joining Cosmo, she worked in fashion at Vanity Fair. Jess lives in New York City and loves spotlighting emerging designers you might not have heard of yet—while also being an unabashedly devoted Love Island fan (dating back to Season 1 of Love Island UK, that’s how serious). See more of her work here, and follow her on Instagram if you love her.
