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Denim jackets are a fashion favorite for a reason. Whether you wear yours with jeans, paper-bag pants, or a dress, your outfit will almost certainly look complete when topped off with a denim jacket. Dress yours up with a few accessories — heels and a minaudière — or go the casual route with crisp sneakers. For spring 2022, oversize silhouettes are in favor, mostly in light, acid-wash finishes inspired by the extravagance of the ’80s. On the other end of the jean-jacket spectrum, you’ll find cropped and fitted designs that will complement a ’90s-inspired miniskirt and platform loafers. “We have definitely seen denim jackets evolving to fit into the modern woman’s wardrobe,” Liane Wiggins, head of womenswear at MatchesFashion, tells POPSUGAR. “Right now, denim is not just about jeans, and our customer is connecting with a wider variety of jacket silhouettes. Alexander McQueen’s peplums and leather layering speak to a more dressed appeal, and Saint Laurent’s denim blazer and Rejina Pyo’s belted styles are a great way to take denim to the next level with a more formal aesthetic we know our customers love.”
Casual denim has also stepped up a level with leather patches from Loewe, playful pastels from Ganni, and geometric patterns from Ahluwalia. Five other fashion insiders also shared their latest denim-jacket favorites, including Net-a-Porter Senior Market Editor Libby Page, Shopbop Fashion Director Caroline Maguire, Madewell Senior Vice President of Denim Design Mary Pierson, Farfetch Fashion Market Editor Iman Alem, and Revolve Chief Merchandising Officer Lauren Yerkes. They all named inventive and asymmetrical shapes, logos, and varsity treatments as popular looks for this season. Alem confirmed that Farfetch has seen a 212 percent uptick in sales on denim since January 2022, demonstrating that shoppers are doubling up on denim-jacket trends — take this cropped Miu Miu piece, for example. With its boxy, frayed edge and appliquéd insignia, this item exemplifies the best a denim jacket has to offer. Ahead, learn how to style this outerwear staple so you can effectively channel all of 2022’s biggest fashion trends.