How to wear the Bomber Jacket

I wrote about the bomber jacket in my last blog post here and how we’ll be seeing it everywhere this spring. Well, it’s already here!

Not a week from returning from Europe where I spotted the trend, there it was staring me in the face from many of our high street stores.

So I thought it best that I share my top picks and give you some ideas on how to style it, should you be so inclined to give it a try.

What I actually like about the bomber jacket is the versatility to dress up and down. I’ve seen them styled over sparkly dresses and strappy heels for evenings or paired back with a simple white tee and jeans.

OLD SCHOOL BOMBER

Top Pick – Uniqlo $59.95

A nod to the traditional bomber, Uniqlo have a fabulously simple style in navy, khaki and black. Made from a synthetic, shiny nylon, it’s a classic style that will team nicely with many basics in your wardrobe.

How to Style:

Look #1: Mix up the solid colour by wearing over a striped tee or with a printed skirt or pant. The traditional style of this Uniqlo bomber means it can look a bit ‘military’ or ‘romper stomper’ if styled too severely. So my tip is to add some feminine elements like a floral, colour or a pretty skirt.

Look #2: Don’t be afraid to match the colour of your jacket with the rest of your outfit. A tone-on-tone look works wonders from head to toe and is a very stylish way to wear block colours. For example, I would style the navy Uniqlo bomber with denim jeans (a shade or two lighter) a navy tee or knit (or navy and white striped tee) and navy sneakers/ballet flats/sandals. You could also add a block colour navy scarf or a printed scarf where navy is the dominant colour.

Style tip: The key to wearing similar colours from head to toe is to mix up the fabrics and textures in each piece.

Sally’s fave: French Connection – pale pink bomber $129.95 (it’s pink of course!)

FLORAL BOMBER

Top pick – Zara from $59.95*

This feminine take on the classic bomber jacket is a great way to inject some print into your wardrobe of basics. Zara have a few floral styles that are both affordable and very on-trend.

*please note there is no Zara Australia website so specific items hard to find.. but trust me, they’re in store!

How to style:

Choose a jacket that includes a colour that will work with some of the most common colours in your existing wardrobe. For example, the bomber I bought in Berlin (below) has pink and green in the print – two colours I have a lot of. And the pink works perfectly with my current obsession with blush pink, including my new pink sneakers.

I love the floral bomber styled simply over a white tee, jeans and sneakers for an effortless casual look. This is a great way for the more ‘mature’ woman to rock a floral jacket – by keeping everything else simple and not trying too hard.

JAPANESE EMBROIDERED BOMBER

Top Pick – Bardot $179.95

I’m not going to lie, I have my eye on this one! But its quite expensive for Bardot I think. Featuring a silky finish with Japanese embroidery, this style has all the elements of bomber cool.

How to style: I like the idea of dressing this one up for a girls night or date night, over head to toe black. Think skinny black jeans, a black silk shirt and pointed pumps or a simple LBD. Let the jacket do the talking and be the hero piece of your outfit.

Cheap and cheerful option- boohoo $60.00 at ASOS

VARSITY BOMBER

How to style: I remember wearing my brothers bright purple and yellow satin LA Lakers bomber jacket in Uni (I thought I was SO cool) and I know for a fact that it remains somewhere in the family. I’m currently tracking it down!

I’m most likely to style this jacket exactly as pictured below – over cropped jeans and kitten heels or a white tee, skinnies and peep toe booties.

Style Tip: This bomber style is meant to be oversized, and therefore is quite shapeless. I would recommend petites ensure that other elements of your outfit are more fitted (i.e. opt for skinny jeans rather than relaxed boyfriend jeans) and try dressing up with a heel.

TOP PICKS – Asos $87.00

Adidas Originals approx $100 at Topshop

BOMBER UPDATE!

This is what happens when you need to do online research for your job… you end up purchasing said research! I couldn’t resist. Keep your eyes out on my Instagram for outfit updates.

Floral bomber from ASOS $97.00

** Bomber purchase update: Received below bomber from ASOS and it’s VERY GENEROUS – big sleeves, big across the shoulders and billowy in the body – so I’m returning it (FREE returns) and getting it 2 SIZES SMALLER!

I purchased mine from the TALL range (yeah thanks ASOS!) in a size 10 – the 8 was sold out when I first ordered – but I actually decided to go down to a size 6 for a neat fit.