Like so many of us with the best intentions at the start of 2026, the leather jacket, too, has made a new year’s resolution. Because as well as being a trusted companion for a gig (the bomber) or a first date (the funnel-neck) or a crisp dog walk (the shearling-lined aviator), the leather jacket also has aspirations to be your workplace plus-one, with a new silhouette that’s significantly more office-appropriate than a biker.
As usual, Marks & Spencer is leading the charge on the high street, with a £70 faux-leather jacket that’s pretty much the definition of this new shape, with a rounded collar, single-breasted fastening and, most importantly, a boxy cut that makes it easy to pair with high-waisted wool trousers or, equally, a calf-length kilt that has some heft to its swish. An honourable mention also goes to Whistles, who has quietly been making a signature out of this very shape, with a clean bonded version that’s perfect if you prefer your leather jackets to be minimal in the ‘bells and whistles’ department.
Courrèges SS26.
Mithridate SS26.
Perhaps this shift has something to do with the ‘wiping the state clean’ mentality that comes with January. While other leather jackets will also be classics for a reason, this particular model comes with little to no baggage. In other words, it’s a blank canvas, which can only be a good thing in the first month of 2026. Do you want to project a certain seriousness at work, with cigarette-cut trousers and point-toed pumps as your weapons of choice? This leather jacket will pull it all together. Equally, are you looking for a cover-up that can make your rotation of jumpers and jeans, the only things you feel excited about in January, look instantly pulled-together? You already know the answer…
Some of these jackets, while boxy, would also fit under an oversized coat if you want to layer your look as temperatures stay cold. Massimo Dutti’s, whose nappa leather has a pleasingly lived-in look, is cropped yet boxy, teaming nicely with a trench or a wool coat. Arket’s, similarly, has a hip-length silhouette that means it would fit underneath a puffer or duffle with no-muss, no-fuss.
And when spring rears its head, finally, you’ll already have your new-season jacket sorted.
M&S Faux-Leather Lightweight Jacket
Whistles Clean Bonded Leather Jacket
Arket Double-Breasted Leather Jacket
Now 48% Off
& Other Stories Patch-Pocket Leather Jacket
Massimo Dutti Nappa Leather Jacket
Khaite Shelman Leather Bomber Jacket
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