I may have been born at the tail end of the '80s, but I still consider myself to be a '90s child. I wore floral leggings with oversize T-shirts, tied my hair with a rainbow of scrunchies, and donned my light-up trainers with pride. Of course, perhaps with the exception of the scrunchie, I would never wear such items now, but it seems there are a plethora of cool '90s trends I missed out on because of my age. And the most notable has to be the leather blazer.
Practically the uniform of the '90s A-list elite—think Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Cindy Crawford—the leather blazer was easily the coolest cover-up of the decade. Most commonly worn with slip dresses, vintage denim, or a pair of tiny rectangle sunglasses, it now appears the throw-on is making a comeback and is being styled much the same as it was in its heyday.
Arket was the first brand we registered as resurrecting the trend, with its perfectly slouchy leather blazer. Since then, it's won a legion of loyal fans and began featuring regularly in the sleekest outfits on our Instagram feed. Then that was it—we began spotting leather blazers left, right and centre, gracing new-in sections across both high-street and high-end shopping circuits.
Keep scrolling to see just how much outfit mileage it can give you. Then once you're sold (which we have a feeling you will be), proceed to shop our edit of the best leather blazers—be it vegan or the real thing.
Make like stylist Sylvie and wear yours over a slip dress and finish with mules for a complete '90s homage.
The leather blazer pairs perfectly with classic items, such as a stripe jumper and black trousers.
Cindy Crawford donned leather blazers from 1991, right the way through the decade.
Who said your leather blazer needs to be restricted to black?
The thickness of the leather makes this blazer the ideal cold-season cover-up.
Camille Charriere gives her leather blazer a downtime spin with white jeans and a baseball cap.
Gwyneth Paltrow pairs her leather blazer with on-point grey and white tones in 1995.
Shop the Best Leather Blazers
This has been on my wish list for so long—perhaps this winter I’ll finally invest in it.
Stories real-leather option is one of the best on the high-street.
This faux-leather blazer is a bestseller and now, it's an even better price.
A delicious shade of chocolate brown.
As classic as leather blazers come.
This dropped shoulder plus oversized fit oozes cool.
This leather blazer is buttery soft.
The mock croc effect gives this version a touch of glam.
This ecru iteration will look so good paired with black tailored trousers.
This faux style has a gorgeous glossy sheen.
We are in love with dark khaki shade, so chic.
Run don't walk at this price
The matching leather skirt is a nice touch.
The brand uses repurposed excess leather to create upcycled pieces. We love the worn-in feel of this blazer.
Double-breasted blazers always look so elevated.
Ideal if you're into lighter neutrals.
No need to size up—this is already perfectly oversized.
The lace-up detail makes this leather blazer feel all the more unique.
Another stellar Zara option.
Next Up, Spring/Summer 2023 Fashion Trends: The 21 Looks You Need to Know About
This post was originally published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
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