Keep In Your Closet: Military -Style Napoleon Jacket & Other Clothing

 

The “military jacket” look is making a comeback with modern reinterpretations featuring cropped cuts, bold fabrics (like suede or velvet), and more fashion-forward tailoring. The article of clothing gives a regal feel and is the statement piece of the outfit, grabbing everyone's attention. Most of these jackets can be purchased at the thrift or consignment stores , as well as archive collections . One in particular worn by Stefon Diggs in the rare Roberto Cavalli Napoleon Jacket this weekend as he celebrated his 32nd birthday with family and friends in Miami. 

Military-style Napoleon jackets (also called Napoleonic jackets, military band jackets, or hussar jackets) have been popularized several different times throughout fashion history each by different cultural figures.

1. Napoleon Bonaparte – The Original Source

Napoleon’s 19th-century uniforms with ornate braid, gold trim, structured shoulders are the historical origin. Fashion designers repeatedly return to these silhouettes for inspiration.

2. Jimi Hendrix – 1960s Rock Revival

Hendrix is one of the FIRST major modern figures to revive the style. His influence heavily shaped how musicians used military fashion. He wore vintage military and hussar-style jackets on stage in the late 1960s, making them: psychedelic, rebellious and rock-fashion statements

3. Michael Jackson – 1980s Global Popularization

Michael Jackson is the person most widely credited with turning the style into a global pop-culture phenomenon. In the 1980s–1990s he made military jackets his signature look gold braiding, epaulettes, structured fit. This era cemented the jacket as a mainstream, high-fashion and performance staple.

4. Balmain & Christophe Decarnin – High Fashion Trend (2009–2012)

Balmain’s 2009–2012 collections reignited the trend in luxury fashion. This era made the jacket a wardrobe statement again, especially for women. Decarnin’s embellished, structured, shoulder-padded jackets influenced: celebrities, street style, fast fashion and Fall/Winter trend cycles.

Places You Can Find These Pieces