Eugénie Trochu is a Who What Wear editor in residence known for her transformative work at Vogue France and her Substack newsletter, where she documents and shares new trends, her no-nonsense approach to fashion and style, plus other musings. She’s also working on her upcoming first book that explores fashion as a space of memory, projection, and reinvention.
Spring is finally here. We already feel like slipping into dresses, pretending the air is warm, throwing the windows wide open. But it’s still a little too soon. Mornings remain crisp, evenings decidedly uncertain. So rather than stubbornly shivering with conviction, it makes sense to turn to the piece that rescues every seasonal transition: the mid-season jacket. I’ve broken them down here by silhouette, for a more personal—and above all more realistic—approach.
If You’re Petite
When you don’t have many centimeters to spare, the risk is a jacket that tells a completely different story than you do. Too long, too oversize, too conceptual and suddenly you disappear inside it, like in a very chic tent. Short or slightly cropped jackets are usually the safest choice. They reveal the waist and give rhythm to the silhouette. A soft leather jacket, a fitted polka-dot blazer, a clean, almost graphic denim jacket. Nothing too heavy, nothing too wide. The point isn’t to stand out but to remain legible. A short jacket structures everything else.
Uniqlo
Utility Short Jacket
Massimo Dutti
Short Suede Leather Jacket
DESTREE
Aloise Embellished Polka-Dot Cotton-Faille Blazer
MANGO
Denim Jacket With Pockets
Loewe
Cotton and Silk Blouson Jacket in White – Loewe
If You’re Tall
Good news: You can get away with almost any length. The only challenge is sometimes resisting the temptation to make it dramatic. Long, fluid jackets are particularly beautiful on a tall frame: a supple trench, a lightweight coat, a masculine blazer worn open. You can play with volume, layering, vertical lines. An oversize shirt-jacket style, a slightly bohemian suede piece, a very simple straight blouson—almost everything works, as long as a certain nonchalance remains.
MANGO
Denim Trench Coat With Belt
Gerard Darel
Long Trench Coat
ZARA
Waxed Jacket With Corduroy Collar Zw Collection
Saint Laurent
Cropped Leather Biker Jacket in Black
If You’re Slim
Here the issue is less about length than about severity. A jacket that is too strict can create an almost adolescent look or, conversely, one that feels overly severe. It helps to choose fabrics that bring presence: lightweight tweed, worn-in leather, thick cotton, suede. Slightly oversize jackets, soft bombers, blazers with subtly broadened shoulders immediately create a more embodied silhouette. The goal isn’t to add volume to correct anything. Simply to give the outfit room to breathe.
LOULOU DE SAISON
Jiha Double-Breasted Satin-Trimmed Woven Blazer
Sandro
Denim and Suede Jacket
THE KOOPLES
Black Cotton Embroidered Jacket
Claudie Pierlot
Double-Breasted Tailored Jacket
If You Have Curves
The instinct is often to hide. Yet the right jacket does the opposite: It highlights without confining. Straight, gently structured cuts work beautifully. An open belted trench, a fluid blazer, a modernized kimono jacket that follows the body’s movement without restricting it. Avoid fabrics that are too stiff or cuts that are too short and interrupt the line in the wrong place.
Gap
Oversized Denim Car Coat
MANGO
Faux-Leather Jacket With Maxi Lapels
COS
Wrap-Over Wool-Twill Trench Coat
The Frankie Shop
Trevose Padded Utility Jacket
Bottega Veneta
Wool and Linen-Blend Blazer