Why You Should Care About Windbreakers Again

windbreaker-jackets-253896-1522775189032-image

(Image credit: @styleheroine)

I recently visited Paris and was surprised to find that windbreakers were one of the standout trends I spotted there. One morning, I popped over to Kiliwatch—a cool vintage concept store I always visit—to check out the pieces in the shop. And in the front, there was an entire section dedicated to windbreakers. They were mostly brightly colored ones from the ’80s and ’90s, and I remember thinking These are going to be everywhere.

Since then, windbreakers have proved to be one of the unexpected stars of spring. Last fall, they popped up on the runways of designers from Isabel Marant to Valentino, and they have now been spotted on celebs who are proving windbreakers are the new athleisure essential to wear.

If you want to tap into the cool streetwear vibes, style yours with vinyl pants and dad sneakers. Or take some cues from celebs. Gigi Hadid was spotted in NYC wearing a windbreaker with plaid trousers and boots, and Kaia Gerber was seen in Paris styling hers zipped over a turtleneck with jeans and white sneakers. Check out their outfits below and then go on to shop some of our favorite windbreakers. 

windbreaker-jackets-253896-1522777594646-image

(Image credit: AKM-GSI)

Kaia Gerber wearing her windbreaker with jeans and sneakers.

windbreaker-jackets-253896-1522777589951-image

(Image credit: AKM-GSI)

Gigi Hadid wearing her windbreaker with trousers and shiny boots.

Associate Director, Special Projects

Kristen Nichols is the Associate Director, Special Projects at Who What Wear with over a decade of experience in fashion, editorial, and publishing. She oversees luxury content and wedding features, and covers fashion within the luxury market, runway reporting, shopping features, trends, and interviews with leading industry experts. She also contributes to podcast recordings, social media, and branded content initiatives. Kristen has worked with brands including Prada, Chanel, MyTheresa, and Luisa Via Roma, and rising designers such as Refine and Tove, and her style has been featured in publications including Vogue.com, Vogue France, WWD, and the CFDA. Before Who What Wear, Kristen began her career at Rodarte, where she worked on assistant styling, photo shoots, and runway shows, and at Allure, where she moved into print and digital editorial. She graduated from the University of Southern California, where she studied art history and business, and currently lives in New York.