Certain pieces continue to reinvent themselves throughout the years in order to remain relevant – cropped jackets and blazers are a great example.
The featured image shows (l-r) Valentino AW2023, Jacquemus SS2021, Stine Goya SS2024, Vivienne Westwood SS2018 Menswear. All runway and lookbook images are from Vogue Runway.
Seen in the New Look silhouette created by Christian Dior in the 1940s, cropped jackets and blazers have quite a long history, but they have evolved in many different ways, becoming bold and structured in the 1980s, then more minimalist in the 1990s.
Today, different versions exist, and the examples seen on the AW2023 catwalks tended to have oversized shoulders, with the waistline either being kept loose too (see Stella McCartney and Uma Wang) or being narrow (Valentino).
More tailored versions were shown also as seen at Alexander McQueen and Simkhai, and the oversized tailored blazer at Mark Kenly Domino Tan.
For a more youthful look, wrap-overs give a cutout effect at Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, and a mix of prints at Shuting Qiu keep the look fresh. At Stine Goya, a cropped jacket is paired with the current trend of low waisted wide leg trousers.
Cropped jackets and blazers are extremely versatile and can be worn in many different settings – paired with high waisted trousers and a smart shirt for work, or a tailored cropped jacket can be worn over a fitted dress for an evening look.
For more casual looks, a denim jacket can be worn over a t-shirt or crop top with low waisted trousers, or a bomber-style cropped jacket can be worn with cargo pants and chunky trainers for more of a Y2K vibe.
Denim
Tailored
Patterned
Leather and Biker
Texture
Bomber-style
Interesting Shapes and Fabrics
Casual
