The must have to counter the UK’s cruel summer? Meet the barn jacket
We might be enjoying a moment of relative balm, but it surely won’t last long if recent weather forecasts for the UK are anything to go by. Take Glastonbury next week: night-time temperatures are expected to fall as low as 11C. With that in mind, your shorts choice is less important. Instead, this is shaping up to be the summer of the jacket, and one in particular is leading the pack: the barn jacket.
Versatile and hardy, the boxy big-pocketed design – which has its roots in French workwear, with brands including Carhartt giving them an American spin from the 1920s onwards – it is the perfect outerwear for a summer that can’t make up its mind.
Carhartt’s Detroit jacket – a classic of the genre that dates back to 1954 – was the fifth Hottest Product of the first quarter of 2024, according to trend analysts Lyst, with searches up 410%. Searches for barn jackets are also up 18% on Depop, since Prada put a barn jacket on the catwalk in February. Other brands including Fendi (pictured above) and Loewe have made versions too, and there are more affordable options from Everlane and Other Stories. The endorsement of celebrities including Kaia Gerber, Katie Holmes and Hailey Bieber no doubt boosts its chances to become the jacket of the summer.
There are other factors in its favour. The barn jacket, as an American classic, could be seen as part of a wider trend that has also seen items like boat shoes and polo shirts become popular. “They’re loved for their comfort, functionality and durability, and also align with recent trends that we’ve seen on the rise, such as preppy attire and the workwear trend,” says Agus Panzoni, a trend specialist at Depop.
The barn jacket’s all-purpose adaptability means it hits the sweet spot for younger consumers, who like to experiment with different looks. It also ticks the heritage box, and its very ordinariness means it is ripe for a re-assessment by those who are more aesthetically inclined. “Originally worn by farmers for their weatherproof and functional design, [barn jackets] have recently evolved into a high fashion staple,” agrees Panzoni.
Fashion writer Erika Velunik is a long-term fan but has only recently seen the design beyond their traditional environment. “I grew up in the midwest, so I always associate farm chores with barn jackets,” she says. “They’ve mostly been utilitarian in my mind until I started to see them for the fashionable option they are.” She featured barn jackets in her popular secondhand-focused newsletter Long Live recently, recommending wearing them “over a frilly white cotton maxi shirt and a roll neck sweater.”
Best bought secondhand, vintage designs from classic preppy brands like LL Bean, Lands’ End and J.Crew are highly prized and reasonably priced – about £65 for LL Bean on Vinted, or £35 for Lands’ End on Depop. “They’re way cooler vintage and look lived-in,” she says. “That isn’t crucial for every piece, but for utilitarian pieces, it’s always my preference.”
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