If You Buy One Jacket This Spring, It Should Be This

If you are currently sweltering on a commute, bemoaning the fact that your winter coat is now overbearing, but conscious of the fact that going without is just asking for bad weather, then I bring you tidings of great joy. Lurking on the periphery of SS19’s biggest trends is the safari jacket – not a groundbreaking new invention, by any means, but an item that has revolutionary potential when it comes to everyday dressing.

I’m not even being hyperbolic – these jackets really can transform the most mundane of outfits. Jeans and a white T-shirt, for example, are elevated to new heights with a belted safari-style cover-up slung over the top, while they look equally chic layered over long sleeve midi dresses. I first really started to take note when I clapped eyes on & Other Stories’ lovely beige cotton number, which was to be quickly joined by Staud’s lilac jacket (I’ve barely thought of anything else since I spotted it on Net-a-Porter. Not even Brexit).

In fact, from ASOS to Acne, there’s a whole host of belted utility jackets to choose from, which will provide the perfect in-between coat – not too lightweight, not too heavy. Extra kudos if you’re pairing one with this season’s cow prints or tiger stripes; just don’t take the safari theme too literally.