Inside: Style tips on how to wear a bomber jacket with 11 outfit ideas for you to try on your own!
When the temperatures start to drop and the night starts getting a little chilly, it’s time to start adding layers of light jackets to our outfits.
And while sometimes adding that third piece can be exactly what the outfit needs to get that style edge on it. I personally, however, hate adding a jacket to an outfit that doesn’t need it, so I have to plan my outfit around the jacket to make sure it only makes the outfit better when I go to put it on.
Bomber jackets have been on the scene for a while, in 2016 they were the “it jacket” that you wore with everything. Now, they’re a little bit more stylized and work only with specific outfits that fit the aesthetic of a bomber jacket.
If you’re not exactly sure what that style is, and you want to break out your old faithful bomber or you want to change it up and try one out, here are some styling tips and 17 ideas for you.
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Are Bomber Jackets Still Stylish?
Bomber jackets and their stylish levels come and go, but they’re a really interesting piece in the fashion cycle.
Usually staples like kinds of denim or fits of shirts or something that’s more basic than a statement jacket are the styles that come and go often, but this bomber jacket trend is so specific and so particular that it’s interesting to me that it’s made its way back around.
Most 2016 styles haven’t made their way back through the chain yet, we’re simultaneously seeing Y2K still with a splash of 2014 indie grunge coming back, which is a really interesting pairing. That being said, we may see the styles that were bigger in the later 2010’s come back sooner than we had originally anticipated, but I think for now the street style lovers have picked back up the bomber jackets as their really cool third piece and are loving how it looks.
It’s relaxed, it’s edgy, it kind of has a vintage feel to it, so why wouldn’t we love the bomber jacket?
Sometimes niche pieces like this that come back and don’t even really have a certain style that they’re a part of don’t have to be styled a particular way. This helps them from becoming a niche piece again, when you can simply wear it with anything and it’s not a specific aesthetic piece.
Have fun with your bomber jacket and throw it on over anything that feels like it goes with the style of the jacket. It’s subjective this time around, and it’s cool to style it with some personal style and touches.
Is A Bomber Jacket Only For Winter?
This is a question that really doesn’t have one solid answer. Because ultimately, there’s only a certain temperature where a bomber jacket works, and some places in the US and even the world, that is their winter weather. But most places, bomber jackets are a little too light for the winter weather you’ll be receiving.
Unless you have an authentic and thick leather bomber jacket, they’re likely going to be better transitional pieces.
Transitional is the term used to refer to pieces that are better in the (no shocker) transitional seasons like spring and fall. In the spring while the winter is turning into summer and you still have some crisp evenings once the sun sets, you might need to throw a bomber jacket or similar on over your shoulders for a little light layering. And the same in those brisk fall mornings as you’re running out for coffee before work, you may not need the jacket all day but you surely will during the early hours.
In short, unless you live somewhere with decently warm temperatures year round, a bomber jacket isn’t a likely winter coat or jacket, but is that perfect transitional piece!
What To Wear Under A Bomber Jacket
As for what to wear under a bomber jacket, there’s a hundred cool options, and we’re going to look at 17 of them today later on in this post.
Overall, a bomber jacket is a more casual piece. While it can add something cool and interesting to an outfit, it’s not really elevating it in elegance or class just by being a bomber jacket. So think street style or something cool and edgy that just needs a little layering.
Vintage tees are everything right now with the coastal cowgirl trend taking over, so throwing a loose fitting bomber over one of these is the coolest look this season. Maybe even a simple tube top, tank, or any cute-casual top that’s decently fitted.
With the trend of baggy pieces on top of baggy pieces, you have to play the card masterfully. It has to be intentional and cool trendy pieces to work. So if it’s not the edgy vintage tee, it’s got to be a really cool piece that’s fitted and adds some interesting contrast to the shape of the jacket.
This is a really cool piece to wear with denim, especially a cool fashion denim like wide leg jeans and boyfriend fit denim shorts. These are new and edgy, and take the bomber jacket from 2016 skinny jeans style to 2023 cool streetwear style. The bomber is a cool street piece now, more than a polished look, so keep it edgy, keep it fashion forward, and play around with it with different styles. This is one of those pieces that can easily look dated, but if you pair it with things that are a little unexpected, then you’ve got something new and fresh that won’t give you a dated kind of look.
Get creative! It’s a statement jacket that can work with a ton of different outfits, so have fun with all of your options.
Bomber Jacket Outfit Ideas
1. Leather Bomber
2. Tall Boots
3. Racer
4. Oversized
5. Varsity
6. Relaxed Straight Leg Jean
7. Puffer
8. Mini Skirt
9. Maxi Skirt
10. Street Style
11. Dunks
Bomber jackets are such a specific piece that can be hard to style, but once you incorporate it into a specific side of your closet and figure out how to wear it stylishly, you’re going to love it and love having it as a part of your wardrobe.
A statement jacket is something you will always value, and having a few different styles allows you to mix it up while you keep your outfits interesting. While I do love to plan an outfit around the jacket, it’s also a great option to have a cool jacket to layer over a simple outfit to make it stand out. It’s the simplest way to make a chill outfit great.
As you’re planning your transitional outfits from summer to fall, keep these outfit ideas in mind and all the styling tips to see how you can apply them even to other statement jackets in your closet.
If you’re traveling to the West Coast this season, these are some great outfit ideas for you too! Here are some other ideas for what to wear in San Francisco.