Trend: Statement Jackets

The Fall/Winter 2010 shows were all about jackets as statement-making pieces that were practially works of art.

They were extravagant, light-reflecting, and color saturated. The upcoming season’s range of outerwear is not for the faint of heart.

Brands like Balmain, Wunderkind, and Burberry Prorsum all showcased the best of the best when it came to decadent outerwear.

Balmain has always been the reigning king of show-stopping separates, and this upcoming season, jackets are the number one indulgence.

Influences from the royal courts of the past can be found in the collection of jackets, which range from a metallic gold tuxedo blazer to a long-fitted brocade coat in the regal hues of green and plum.

Overall, the style was rock royalty with substance, and this is the aesthetic you should stick to when choosing a new fall jacket.

Wunkerkind experimented with fantasy and color with its latest collection of jackets that popped in hues of cotton candy pink and hot siren red. The juxtaposition of these playful colors with the military and Native American-influenced shapes and details, such as fringe and tough leather buckles, made for an out-of-this world effect.

Finally, when one thinks of outerwear, the name Burberry Prorsum is sure to come to mind. The brand’s classic trench coats were replaced with more utilitarian counterparts, such as leather aviator jackets, military overcoats, and even unique hybrids of the two. Lengths were cropped, collars were exaggerated and oversized, and linings were plush. Designer Christopher Bailey played with proportion, creating a masculine-meets-feminine look that is sure to be just as much of a hit as the immortalized Burberry trench coat.

Statement-making jackets like these are so strong that you won't have to put much effort into the rest of your outfit. Balmain may have caused a fashion spectacle with its head-to-toe metallic brocade jacket and trouser combinations, but it may be a bit too much for real life, unless it's your goal to look like King Louis XVI.

When wearing a jacket that has a life of its own in terms of style, design, print, and fabric, keep the rest of your outfit simple and clean. Just a pair of jeans and a chic blouse will do.

Published July 6, 2010 on The Fashion Spot