Despite the fact that I live part-time in Los Angeles, I have an unhealthy collection of fall jackets. In my defense, I also live part-time in NYC. I love cool fall days, and I’ll take any excuse to wear a cute fall jacket. Although I lean into a few trends each season, when it comes to outerwear, I generally prefer timeless pieces I can wear on repeat. If you’re looking to create a great fall wardrobe, here are the best fall jackets for women.
SHOP MY OUTFIT: RUST QUILTED JACKET (SIMILAR HERE) | PLAID SHIRT JACKET (SIMILAR HERE) | IVORY BEANIE | BLACK JEANS | BLACK CHELSEA BOOTS
Outerwear tends to be pricey, even with more affrodable brands. This is is a major reason why I prefer to invest in classic jackets instead of trendier ones. There are endless options of outerwear for fall. However, classic styles are the most versatile, allowing you to layer with many items in your closet year after year.
The Best Fall Jackets for Women
Leather Jacket
Whenever I feel like I have nothing to wear in the fall, I grab jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather moto jacket. Leather jackets have timeliness appeal. There are so many leather jacket outfits you can create, from jeans to dresses. A leather jacket instantly adds a little edge to any outfit, with little to no extra effort.
You can find leather jackets in many colors, but my personal favorite is classic black. If real leather isn’t your thing (or if you’re on a budget), you can always opt for a faux leather option.
Blazer
Blazers are great fall outerwear staples because they work for both the casual weekend and for the office. I love menswear-inspired pieces, and blazers are some of my favorite third pieces. Specific colors will go in and out of style, but you can’t go wrong with black, tan, or any neutral plaid for fall.
The obvious styling choice here is wearing a blazer with some jeans but for a night out try a faux leather blazer with a slip dress. If you live in a cooler climate, look for wool blazer, which will keep you warmer than cotton ones.
See more blazer outfit ideas here.
Nylon Quilted Jacket
Nylon quilted jackets have always been around, but over the past few years they’ve made a resurgence as a fall staple. Of all the fall jacket styles in this post, this is probably the trendiest. However, I still consider quilted jackets a classic.
Quilted jackets provide warmth and insulation. Wear a quilted jacket on its own, or as an extra liner layer under a larger coat. Nylon is water resistant, and since these jacket are easily packable, they’re an ideal outerwear option to pack for a fall getaway. These easy, throw on jackets a great casual toppers over leggings for a coffee run, a morning walk, and with jeans for the weekend.
Grab my tan quilted jacket, pictured above, here.
Denim Jacket
Denim jackets are casual, versatile, and they pretty much go with everything in your closet. A denim jacket is a great piece to throw on when it’s one of those weird in-between fall weather days.
Trench Coat
Trench coats are great for moderate fall days or if you live in a warmer climate. Also water resistant, a trench coat is a great piece to have on hand for unpredictable rainy weather in the fall and spring.
Personally, I prefer the most classic trench coat of all – the long khaki version – but there are a lot of style variations. Of course Burberry makes the iconic original, but you can also find high quality trench coats at J.Crew and Reformation.
Shirt Jacket or Shacket
For casual days, a shacket, or shirt jacket (whichever you prefer to call it), is the perfect topper.
A shacket provides the appearance of a button-down shirt, with the heft and warmth of a jacket.
Most shackets are made from wool or flannel, but you can also find them in leather, denim, shearling, and other fabrics. Shop my suede shacket here (it also comes in denim and other fabrics.)
Teddy Coat
I love throwing on a snuggly teddy coat in the fall. You can wear a teddy coat with leggings, but for an elevated casual option, try it with a sweater, some jeans, and boots so it’s not jsut your weekend coat.
Wool Coat
On cool fall days when temperature drop, grab a wool coat. This highly versatile outerwear piece will keep you looking polished regardless of what you have on under it. Seriously though, I’ve worn a wool coat over a sweat suit, and somehow, I looked put together. Plus, you’ll get use of it well into winter.
Wool coats not only work during the day, but they’re also THE outerwear for nighttime over a more formal outfit or party dress.
If you don’t already own a wool coat, I recommend picking up a black one and tan one first. However, wool coats also look fabulous in gray, brown, burgundy, and even dark green.
