There’s been a noticeable shift in outerwear lately. Technical jackets, once a purely functional item most likely spotted on wet and windy walks, have been reimagined with softer silhouettes and styled in unexpected ways. At the centre of this shift is the humble windbreaker, which remains a key transitional piece for 2026.
While luxury brands were the initiators of the retro-inspired jacket trend, it has since been fuelled by iterations from sportswear giants and high-street retailers – Cos being one of the earliest adopters. The high street brand’s lightweight technical windbreaker sold out rapidly last season, and for 2026, the piece is back in new trending colourways: a rich chocolate brown and a wine-tinged burgundy.
Defined by its parachute-like silhouette, oversized utilitarian pockets, generous hood and adjustable toggle ties at the waist, the now-viral windbreaker is set to be a hit as the warmer months approach.
In many ways, the resurgence of the windbreaker has been driven by a string of high-profile sightings. Hailey Bieber stepped out in Paris wearing a cinnamon-orange, colour-block windbreaker layered over lace-trimmed shorts while attending Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2026 runway show. Zoë Kravitz, meanwhile, leaned into contrast dressing, opting for a khaki funnel-neck version, pairing it with a silk slip-skirt and heeled sandals.
Then the windbreaker became a pop cultural phenomenon at the end of last year, when hundreds flocked outside a pop-up shop on Grand Street in New York for their chance to get their hands on a Timothée Chalamet-endorsed Marty Supreme windbreaker, which has since been seen on the Jenners and Biebers.
On the runway, the trend has been quietly gathering momentum over the past few seasons. Prada and Tod’s Spring collections last year reintroduced nylon shells as sophisticated layering pieces, while Miu Miu reworked the silhouette in glossy grey and navy, cropped just above the waist. Even Saint Laurent’s Paris runway looks nodded subtly to sport, with technical textures and elasticated cuffs breaking up otherwise pristine tailoring.
The affordable Cos version makes the perfect lightweight layering piece as spring/summer 2026 is on the horizon – further cementing the windbreaker’s place not just as a practical essential, but as a new wardrobe staple.
