Finding the perfect jacket for fall

Plus, asking a few industry friends about what light jackets they are wearing this season.

Travelling in the fall is always fun, especially when you get a chance to hit some of your favorite stores along the way. Sometimes you even end up finding an unexpected grail just sitting there, ripe for the taking. That’s exactly what happened to me when I walked into Dover Street Market during my recent 1-day visit to Paris. If you haven’t been to the new DSM in Paris I highly suggest you do so, but get ready to weave between corridors to find what feels like secret rooms filled with heat I will say, that the layout for the store is interesting and it’s easy to miss a section if you don’t go down the right path, so make sure you check every corner not to miss anything — hot tip, take the elevator to the basement for the good stuff.

I was just about to leave the store after giving my initial browse but remembered there’s a section tucked away on the 2nd floor behind this curved wall that feels like a section for employees. To my luck, I ended up finding one denim jacket from Kiko Kostadinov x Levi’s in my size.

I originally slept on this collab for whatever reason and regretted it because it sold out instantly. Originally, I was more into the jeans from the collection but then all of that had changed the moment I put on this jacket. I instantly fell in love with it and I just knew I wasn’t going to walk away from this one. I’ve only had it for a little bit but I already received so much enjoyment out of it that I can definitely see myself wearing this as my daily for the rest of the season.

The point I’m trying to make here is, go and try different stuff in person. If you can at least. Shopping in person is a much more enjoyable experience where you can hopefully be more open to trying new things. You never know what exactly you might like and your opinion might shift once you see how a particular piece fits you. At least that’s what happened to me. I came in not expecting much but then ended up walking away with a jacket that I'm obsessed over.

After finding my perfect fall jacket, I wanted to know what the people working in the industry were planning to wear this fall season. So I hit a few of them up and this is what they had to say:

LAWRENCE SCHLOSSMAN OF THROWING FITS

The only collab that matters, which was surprisingly easy to cop back in 2020 probably because nobody under the age of 30 gives a shit about Barbour. It’s become my go-to fall staple.

KEITH HENRY OF HENRY’S

P44 jacket in a perfectly faded olive HBT. I love the individuality of these jackets: mine is in a rare larger size, it’s missing a bunch of buttons, has oil stains and I cut the gas flap out for more functionality. It’s lived a life already so I don’t need to be precious with it.

ANDREW CHEN OF 3SIXTEEN

It’s usually too hot to wear this vintage satin Starter jacket to regular season games and let’s face it, my beloved Mets typically aren’t playing meaningful baseball come September. But this season could be different - I’m breaking it out again this fall with extremely cautious optimism.

JAKE WOOLF

I love this jacket from 11:11 (which I bought at &Son) because it is unlike anything else in my arsenal. Most of my jacket rotation is pretty neutral, but this jacket is hand-dyed in this gorgeous maroon color (which means it has already lightly stained my jeans, but oh well) and features a super cool but easy to wear pattern. Every time I’ve worn it multiple people have asked me about it, which is great for my ego but also a sign that it’s a true standout.

IAIN GRAINGER OF ADVANCED RESEARCH

F/CE. Pigment Dye Utility Blouson. Perfect go-to jacket, light enough for autumn but also a very comfortable fabric and perfect for travelling. Received it earlier this year from the lovely Satoshi and Asami at F/CE.