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It's official: the bomber jacket is back, if recent fashion weeks and our go-to style muses are anything to go by. And while it might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to winter coats, the bomber has year-round appeal.
We spotted this iconic piece of outerwear on runways everywhere from Saint Laurent to Stella McCartney, but it’s actually the crowd outside the shows making the strongest case for the style. Who could forget Rosie Huntington-Whiteley strutting through the streets of Paris in The Row's coveted leather bomber? Or the likes of Donna Wallace, Alexandra Carl, Jourdan Dunn, and Elizabeth von der Goltz, all spotted lingering between appointments all in the jacket du jour.
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Of course, we have to hand it to the 2024 supers for reviving the trend first. They've been repping this off-duty staple for the best part of a decade.
The bomber’s biggest fan is without a doubt Gigi Hadid, who’s been spotted in classic khaki styles – worn over everything from gym kit to slip dresses – and around 10 different varsity designs over the years. Kendall Jenner is also a fan of the OG flight jacket, while Bella Hadid loves hers ultra-cropped or made from leather; and Hailey Bieber has been nailing oversized cuts of late, opting for thigh-grazing hems styled with nothing but bare legs and loafers.
Looking back, the original bomber, the MA1, was created for U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter pilots in 1948. It has been adopted by different menswear movements – the 1950s rockabillies and 1960s mods, 1980s punks and 21st Century streetwear heads – ever since.
This time around, though, this trend is not 'borrowed from the boys': women are really owning the bomber jacket in 2024. It's the nonchalance of the silhouette that sets it apart from other outerwear. While a trench or a blazer can feel cool with the right styling, this jacket is the finishing touch to any outfit. Girlish dresses, uptight tailoring, boring basics, done-to-death denim and anything that feels just a little too formal can be instantly fixed by throwing one of these jackets over the top.
Convinced? Shop our edit of the best green, black, leather, oversized and varsity bomber jackets for women to buy in 2024.
Best Green Bomber Jackets
The original MA1 bomber was made from khaki green and hazard-orange nylon so it could be reversed to call for help in emergencies. Modern-day reproductions like Sacai's are true to the original, albeit lighter and more wearable (if you want the real deal, you'll need to go vintage), which makes layering much easier. We also love Loewe's style for its cropped, puffed shape.
Best Black Bomber Jackets
The black bomber jacket may be less iconic than its khaki cousin, but it does have the added bonus of being instantly evening-appropriate. If you're looking for a forever investment, go for a Coperni design – the luxury fashion house is an expert at contemporary statement pieces. Still, we can't resist Isabel Marant Étoile's lightweight cotton style for warmer days.
Best Leather Bomber Jackets
The leather bomber jacket was one of the biggest players on the SS24 streetwear scene. Big contenders were Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner's favourite Loewe style (good luck getting your hands on that one!) and The Attico's distressed bomber (ditto – but Halfboy's is a good alternative). If you don't do animal-derived fabrics, Nanushka's faux leather take is just as luxurious as the real deal.
Best Varsity Bomber Jackets
The varsity bomber needn't make you think of 1950s Americana and high-school jocks. We spotted this old-school jacket with everything from cargo pants to denim maxi skirts outside the SS24 shows, proving that with the right styling anything can feel edgy. If you want more Varsity inspo, simply Google the Hadid sisters for their different takes on the trend.
Best Oversized Bomber Jackets
We thought we knew 'oversized' fits until we saw Hailey Bieber in her thigh-skimming bomber jackets, fastened to reveal only a flash of cycling shorts beneath. Agolde's metallic style is effortlessly louche and on just the right side of longline, which is why it is top of everyone's wishlist right now – but if you can't find the perfect look, head to the menswear department instead.
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Abigail Southan is our Senior Fashion Ecommerce Editor and has five years' experience as a writer and editor in the industry. Abigail has a BA in History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Fashion Journalism from Central Saint Martins. Abigail currently covers all things style and shopping across titles including Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Esquire and Red. On a daily basis, she helps readers buy better with how-to-wear guides, first-person product reviews and deep dives into the latest trends. Previously, Abigail has worked for The Sunday Times’ Style and Fabulous magazine as their first ecommerce writer and was a founding editor of Sun Selects. She has also written for Net-a-Porter, I-D, Man About Town, Wonderland and 1 Granary, and has interviewed the likes of Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa and Christopher Bailey. You can follow Abigail on Instagram at @abigailsouthan.
Kara is the Ecommerce Editor, Women’s Lifestyle at Hearst UK. Leading Cosmopolitan’s digital shopping strategy, she shares style advice for life’s big moments, reports on the latest fashion collaborations, and creates beauty reviews across skincare, makeup, and haircare.
Kara’s most popular guides include ‘Affordable Jewellery Brands to Shop’, ‘Ski Wear to Shop, According to an Editor’, and ‘The Best High Street Wedding Dress Brands’, while covering deals events such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. When she’s not behind a laptop screen, she’s hosting shopping videos and livestreams for Cosmo’s TikTok Shop. Kara also creates shopping content for Red and Prima, and was previously contributing Fashion and Beauty Ecommerce Editor at ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar.
Since starting her career as a journalist in 2018, she has held the role of Fashion Content Editor at NET-A-PORTER’s Porter Magazine, Associate Editor at PopSugar, and written for Refinery29 and LOVE Magazine, where she covered fashion and beauty news, trends, and features. An experienced interviewer, Kara has spoken to Zendaya, Alicia Keys, Simone Biles, and Tyla about life, work, and style. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Kara lived in Toronto, Canada before moving to London.
Follow Kara on Instagram @kara.kia
