How to choose your bomber jacket for the upcoming season

The bomber jacket makes its first appearance in the 1940s, at the hands of Alpha Industries, with the name MA-1, a jacket with cuffs, knit collar, and polyester core. In the 1950s and 1960s military clothing took to the streets mingling with sub-cultures, and the bomber became the choice for British skin-heads and the LGBTQ community; in the early "big and bright" 80s hip hop music mixed bomber jackets and camo prints, over shapes and denim, but it was with the late 90s minimalism that the jacket arrived on the catwalks. First of all to use it is a young Raf Simons who included it in the Fall/Winter 2001 collection, "Riot Riot," followed closely by the conceptual Helmut Lang. In all the historical flows, there is no designer who hasn't redesigned, reconstructed, and transformed it. Confirming the bomber mania, the Lyst Index reports that in October, after the fashion week tour was over, there was a 72 % increase in search by users, and the thesis is also supported by the numbers reported by Tag Walk: in the SS23 shows there were 129 releases for women and 98 for men with bomber addicted looks. The utmost proof of the timeless appeal of this jacket comes from the last fashion month in which the bomber jacket, reinterpreted by designers, was one of the fixed presences on the catwalk.

A few examples

Total black nylon and a strategic hood are Demna's signature for Balenciaga, in fact, he leaves the bomber jacket free to go with a T-shirt, a check shirt, and oversized pants; Glenn Martens quilts a technical fabric-nonwoven and prints Diesel's maxi logo on the back, while the almost liquid green is worn with matching multi-pocket cargo pants; electric blue and black stripes for Dries Van Noten, which chooses full-length metal zippers and hidden pockets to define the cult garment to be worn with extra-long black pants and overfits. Coperni shrinks it down making it crop, outlines the pockets with a super sexy cut-out, adds the criss-cross zipper, and keeps the monochrome with low-rise pants and strategic lace; bright pink for Rick Owens who takes the line of the classic bomber jacket and plays with addition and subtraction, transparencies and overlays, defining it with an asymmetrical long dress and architecturally custards; Simone Rocha stretches it, shifts cuffs and bottoms, elaborates puff sleeves, embroidered gloves, and volume and sends it to the runway with worked overalls, pleated skirt, and sandals.

Shopping Suggestions 

Leaving the fast and ephemeral trends and aiming to build lasting and seasonless wardrobes-thanks to the essential layering-the bomber jacket is the piece to usher in 2023 and anticipate the new season. And if winter chose to keep leather and padding in equal measure, Spring Summer is letting go of quilting to keep ultra-high-impact leathers and choose off mono- or multi-color nylon. Focused shopping repositions the jacket that forgets and rediscovers the military look making patches, pockets and embroidery appear, or disappear, according to stylistic flair.

Brands to focus on

Among the most beloved pieces that remain at the top of the wish list, are Prada's Re-Nylon bomber jacket, The Attico's  Anja leather jacket, Acne Studios' olive green with contrasting cuffs, Stussy's dyed nylon with orange lining, and Givenchy's total black. To which are added, for the new season, sunlight-proof colors and materials, Loewe's two-tone leather and metallic logo, Saint Laurent's crisp red silk, Palm Angels' color-scaled sequins, Miu Miu's baby pink, and Gucci's bright green satin.