17 Jackets For Your Early-Fall Styling Needs

Welcome to the First Fake Fall, also known as Fool’s Summer, where simply reading the temperature in the morning to gauge how to dress almost never works. 76 degrees can mean balmy and stifling or breezy and require more layers than you’re mentally ready for. It’s that in-between weather that gets you shivering at 10 a.m. and sweating by 1 p.m., so to prepare you for it, we took cues from the runways and new-arrivals sections on our favorite websites to provide a smattering of outerwear that is light and can also be thrown over your shoulder if a packed party gets your body heat going.

The Fall/Winter 2025 runways had lots of great jackets in this vein; the vibe was either cropped, short, and sweet, or billowing and drop-waisted. The preppy energy in the air has barn and Harrington jackets surging, while Saint Laurent is keeping the blouson, draped leather jacket vibe going over ballgowns. Everyone from Chloé to Alaïa also showed itty-bitty boleros for a more ladylike feel, and there was not a ton of color — a pop of red, naturally, is the way to go. We also picked up cues this week on the streets and in corners of crowded cocktails, from people like Alex Consani, Paloma Elsesser, and JT. Pair a jacket with jeans, throw it over a sheer top and maxi skirt, or a skin-tight midi dress with boots underneath. Below, our favorite options for when a 16-hour day requires stylistic flexibility.