The weather has turned and it’s officially jacket season!
So here’s my guide to thrifting the mid-season jacket of your dreams: 7 classics, some of the heritage brands to search for, and a few of my favorite finds for each.
1. the trench
Let’s kick it off with a forever classic. Originally designed for army officers during World War I, it’s now a closet staple.
We all know and love Burberry. But it’s one of those brands that’s actually not so easy to thrift online. Is it a fake? Is it overpriced?
My suggestion? Go for lesser-known heritage brands. You’ll find more affordable options without compromising on style and quality.
For example…
Aquascutum
Aka the other inventor of the trench, around since 1851 (5 years before Burberry!), bankrupt twice since 2009, so hunt for older “Made in England" labels.
Bartsons
The Burberry of Belgium reportedly had half the Antwerp Six on the payroll before they got famous. Gone since 2000, so anything you find is the real deal.
Blizzand
The French imperméable of the Swinging Sixties, made by the same textile group behind Dior. I found some really fun colorful trenches, in light blue and red.
10 secondhand trenches for you
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2. the smock
Sailing aesthetic is 🤌 and the smock or vareuse is no exception.
It was designed so that no buttons or loose strings would get stuck in ropes or nets. Legend has it the first ones were made out of sails!
It can be worn as a shirt, it can be layered as a jacket. I mean, it’s quite literally perfect for this in-between weather.
Search for heritage brands from Bretagne, vareuse, or cornish smock, will get you far on any secondhand site. And don’t be afraid to browse the men’s sections.
Le Glazik
Created in 1928 and the first brand to make sailor smocks industrially. And they’re still selling the exact same model today. Love a good heritage brand!
Armor-Lux
Launched just 10 years after Le Glazik, in the same city in Bretagne. It’s famous for the stripes but their smock game is great too.
And fun fact, they design clothes for the French Navy and Postal service
10 thrifted sailor smocks for you
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3. the denim jacket
Needs no introduction. The perfect denim jacket is the right length, the right wash and will go with all your outfits.
I’ve worn mine maybe every day in the last month.
There are a lot of secondhand denim jackets out there. So it helps to narrow down with brand names and where it was made.
Levi’s, Wrangler, Lee, are all great ones to search for. But try these too:
Pepe Jeans
One of Europe’s biggest denim brands started in Portobello Market in London by 3 brothers in the 70s. It’s maintained iconic status to this day with it girls from Alexa Chung to Dua Lipa repping the brand.
Lois
This Spanish denim brand was huge in the 70s, dressing European icons like ABBA, Johan Cruyff and Rod Stewart. Plus, they wove their denim locally til the 2008.
Rifle
Created in 1958 in Italy after 2 brothers from Florence found a pair of jeans in a pile of secondhand American soldiers’ clothing. The brand grew fast, and was one of the only Western brands sold in the USSR, where Rifle denim was all the rage.
10 vintage denim jackets for you
pepe jeans, M, made in Spain, 1999, 35€ - same model as the one I own and love
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4. the leather jacket
I’ve actually written a piece about finding the right leather jacket, but it deserves a spot here too. It started as an aviator uniform, defined rock’n’roll style and is now timeless.
I’m personally more into leather blazers and 90s cuts you can wear with everything. Two under-the-radar brands to search:
Danier
A Canadian leather brand that dressed every office in Toronto from the 70s until it closed in 2016. The leather is buttery soft and the prices are low.
Bally
Known for shoes, but this Swiss house (around since 1851!) also made beautiful leather jackets in the 80s and 90s. And their 1980s ads by Bernard Villemot are so good!
10 vintage leather jackets for you
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5. the blazer
Women have been making blazers cool since the 1930s (thanks Katharine Hepburn).
But they really became street style in the 1970s (thanks Diane Keaton), and by the 1990s they were a staple.
Oh and Lindsay Sword from Fashion Soup wrote a great piece about all the ways to wear a blazer, loads of great inspo in there!
Donna Karan
The brand that defined the working style of women in the 1990s, and the blazer was the centerpiece. I love the minimalist, laid-back, cut of her blazers.
Mani by Giorgio Armani
Armani’s lesser-known, more affordable, line from 1979 and discontinued in the 2000s. Look for wool on the tag and you’ll get that slouchy 90s Armani blazer for a fraction of the price.
10 thrifted blazers from the 90s for you
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6. the quilted jacket
Something about a quilted jacket just reminds me of my mom in the 90s. It just gives warm, fall, cozy, feminine energy, don’t you think?
My 4-year-old niece wears a red quilted jacket and every time I see her in it I tell myself I need one too.
Husky
The OG! Invented in 1965 by an American ex-airman living in England and made popular by the Queen herself. In the 80s, it was also popular among Italian teenagers in Milan, and it’s been made in Italy since.
Aigle
Well, here are a few facts I didn’t know: the brand is from 1853 (!) and was founded by an American (again!!) who brought rubber boots to French farmers and named his brand after the American eagle.
Their quilted country jackets are a great find. Look for older “Made in France” labels.
10 vintage quilted jackets for you
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7. the windbreaker
I live in Amsterdam after all. And you know what they say: there’s no bad weather, only bad gear. Might as well make it cool.
We’ve got nylon to thank for this waterproof, foldable, fabric. And the 80s for sportswear as fashion.
K-Way
One rainy day in 1965, founder Léon-Claude Duhamel watched from a café terrace as Parisians got soaked, and thought: this ends now.
Fast-forward to today, French people call any windbreaker/rain jacket a “k-way”. That’s how iconic the brand is. Plus, it’s foldable and colorful, what’s not to love?
Nike’s Windrunner
The Windrunner came out in 1978 and has barely changed since. Did you know the chevron across the chest is set at exactly 26 degrees? Me neither!
Look for the 80s and 90s color-block ones, and don’t be afraid to browse the men’s section.
10 thrifted windbreakers for you
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There’s only so much one post can cover: I’ve left out so many iconic jackets (the wax jacket, the vest, barn jacket, vinyl raincoats…just to name a few).
But I hope this small collection inspired you if you’re on the hunt, or made you re-appreciate any of these classics you already own.
As always, thanks for reading :)
– Laure