Hands in Pockets!

The bomber jacket has always been fashion’s great equaliser, born for function, adopted by subcultures, endlessly reinterpreted by designers. It never really leaves sartorial consciousness, and right now it might just be the most perfect fashion jacket in rotation.

The bomber delivers a certain cool that other outerwear just can’t compete with. A blazer feels polite, a coat feels like a commitment, leather can tip into edgy. The bomber just shrugs onto your shoulders and somehow makes everything underneath look more intentional (in a kind of unintentional-intentional way!). We’ve been hunting for that casual-but-fashion jacket, off-duty, nonchalant, pulled together without looking engineered. The bomber solves it. 

Designers have spent years turning the silhouette into an icon. Acne Studios owns the modern version: washed finishes, glossy nylon, proportions street style never seems to tire of. It’s visual shorthand for knowing how to dress - effortless, functional, and well, cool! Cecilie Bahnsen recently softened the formula through her Alpha Industries collaboration, layering romance onto utility with laser-cut fabrics and botanical detailing (one model sold out instantly on her website!). Meanwhile, the high street is responding with equal personality. A standout is Damson Madder’s Joanie bomber, with detachable bows, off-centre fastening and playful linings, which feels designed to live in, not just fill a rail.

SS26 signaled a lighter, more expressive evolution of the bomber. At Fendi, sheer pastel bombers scattered with floral cut-outs floated past, airy enough to layer without swallowing a look. Fashion East’s Jacek Gleba closed with a sheer patchwork bomber slashed along the arms, for movement inspired by his days as a trained dancer. The message: the bomber is shedding weight. It’s becoming playful, sheer, built for layering and warm-weather wardrobes.

So we’ve done the only sensible thing and gone shopping. We’ve scoured rails, tabs and wishlists to pull together the bombers worth investing in now, the ones you’ll wear immediately, and still be reaching for when that lighter spring version rolls around.

FENDI SS26