Brace yourself millennials - peacoats are back and better than ever

When it comes to fashion, few adages ring truer than ‘what goes around comes around’. This season, we’ve already witnessed the resurgence of familiar silhouettes, from military jackets to vintage-inspired dusters, proving that in fashion, nothing is ever truly bygone - it’s merely hibernating. 

Another design that's joining the nostalgic ranks and ready to cause millennials some major whiplash? Peacoats - the Gossip Girl-coded, double-breasted creation that ruled the school during the early 2010s. 

Championed on the spring/summer 2027 runway by longstanding advocate MaxMara, in addition to new fans Bottega Veneta and MM6, the peacoat has a particularly storied sartorial history that unfurled in the seas surrounding Europe’s fashion capitals. 

The double-breasted wool design was originally worn by European sailors from as early as the 18th century. Its name is often linked to the Dutch word pijjekker, referring to a jacket made from coarse woollen fabric. Designed to withstand biting winds and rough seas, its broad lapels, sturdy buttons and cropped silhouette have since earned it a place in civilian wardrobes - and not just any old civilians at that.

© Imaxtree

Noughties style icons including Gwyneth Paltrow, Karl Lagerfeld, Alex Chung, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lawrence, Katie Holmes and Jennifer Aniston were all papped while out and about in the heavyweight layer, giving the piece some cool-girl credentials. 

No matter, like all great relics of the Y2K era, the peacoat soon lost its steam, usurped by longer silhouettes such as the trench coat, the Afghan coat (which is still going strong among the West London crowd by the way), and the puffer jacket.

Given Gen Z’s penchant for rehashing past staples, it was only time before the peacoat bounced back with vigour. We actually saw a subset of the peacoat trend emerge last year - that of the blouse persuasion - which was defined by a distinctive, rounded Peter Pan collar, short puff sleeves and a double-breasted, babydoll buttoned fit.

But now, the OG peacoat is back on the block, ready to reinvigorate your winter-ready wardrobe with some millennial-flecked flair. Shop our favourites below. 

Peacoats to shop now:

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