The Return Of The Quilted Jacket

Autumn’s in full swing and we all know the sad fact that it’s only going to get colder from now on. But every cloud has a silver lining: outerwear is about to get far more interesting. Yes, summer has its bright colours, lightweight layers and garden parties. But so what? Winter has warm hues, textured fabrics and cosy nights by the fire in your favourite country pub.
What’s more, this winter will see the comeback of an old favourite. Yes, from heritage-inspired styles for walks in the country, to contemporary bombers that are designed to make a style statement in the city – AW14 is all about the return of the quilted jacket.

A Bit Of History

Before we look at ways to wear the quilted jacket this year, we thought we’d take a brief look back at where this time-honoured style of outerwear originated from. Although the quilting technique itself goes back far longer, the quilted jacket as we know it began its life in England in 1965, when it was invented by Steve Guylas and his wife Edna.
The first piece of quilted attire Guylas designed was a waterproof vest crafted from quilted polyester, which was created primarily for shooting. The silhouette quickly became popular with Guylas’ club colleagues, so he followed the design up with a quilted jacket. Originally only made in navy blue and olive green, growing demand led to many different styles and colours becoming available.
Once the Queen started wearing a quilted jacket with a brown corduroy collar for riding, several celebrities across Britain and Europe began to sport the design both for practical and fashion purposes. And the rest, as they say, is history.

On The Runways

Burberry Prorsum seemed to predict this trend by showing a range of quilted jackets in their SS14 collection. Proving that the silhouette can be utilised year-round, they were sent down the runway in block-colours such as green and teamed with clashing brights to create a bold, contemporary aesthetic.
At London Collections: Men AW14, British brands Kent and Curwen, Hackett and YMC adopted a more traditional approach, teaming quilted jackets in neutral hues with heritage-inspired pieces such as tweed suits, rugged boots and tailored separates for a refined and timeless aesthetic.
However, our favourite diamond quilt jacket this year actually came courtesy of Italian label Tod’s, who showed a luxurious burnt orange version made from premium suede. Teamed with a rich bottle green roll neck and brown trousers, the look was not only striking but the epitome of autumnal style:

Long Quilted Coats

It wasn’t just traditional field jackets that stamped their mark at the global fashion weeks this year though. Quilting was applied to a variety of outwear styles, with one particularly interesting development being the rise of the quilted coat.
Falling anywhere between mid-thigh and knee length, they came in both overcoat (Balenciaga, Burberry and Canali) and duffle (Christopher Raeburn and Opening Ceremony) form, and certainly made a statement.
Although unconventional, the neutral designs spotted at Balenciaga and Canali managed to retain a sense of refinement and would be ideal for protecting your suiting during the morning commute throughout winter: