The Aviator Jacket Is the Coat Stylish Women Are Wearing This Spring

Remember the aviator jacket all the cool girls sported over winter? Cropped and lined with shearling? Well, they haven’t stopped wearing them for spring, just now in a slightly different silhouette.

It’s easy to reach for the styles we’re familiar with, the classic bomber jacket being a favorite for transitional seasons like spring and fall. Its appeal lies in the cropped hem and puffy sleeves that make it universally flattering on most people. Plus, it also happens to go very well over jeans and sneakers.

This season, however, we’ve been seeing a slightly new style emerge on our favorite A-listers and influencers: the aviator jacket, spring edition. Like its wintery cousin, this aviator jacket (so named for the jackets air force pilots would wear, Top Gun style) features a boxy, often oversized silhouette with padded shoulders that is sometimes adorned with flap pockets.

On the runway, it was a key player in some of the closing looks in the Saint Laurent fall-winter 2025 collection: The aviator jacket was styled with giant, puffball skirts for drama and pleated paisley skirts for a boho spin. In both interpretations, its effortless, cool appeal was instantly clear to all who bore witness.

It’s no wonder Kendall Jenner was then spotted pounding the pavement in NYC in a chocolate suede number paired with a cropped tank top and cream flared leggings. BlackPink’s Jennie got papped while rushing to catch her flight wearing her Leo Season number, a super-oversized jacket over a sheer skirt.

We all know suede jackets are a spring must-have, but the aviator style can also come in leather or gabardine, as seen on Hailey Bieber, who wore hers with hot pants and knee-high boots, or Emily Ratajkowski, who paired it with a leopard skirt and pointed boots.

The point is, celebrities are loving this jacket because of its ability to take you through these awkward months of seesawing temperatures while still looking effortlessly stylish. And let’s be honest, we’ve all been struggling to find a jacket that we could just throw on over our pretty spring dresses when the night falls.

Cropped ones are great, but we’re also a fan of the way some of these aviator jackets sit under the butt, creating a more exaggerated silhouette. Be sure to take a page out of these celebrities’ books and pair yours with slimmer or slinkier shapes for balance.

Ready to launch into spring with this season’s hottest jacket? Take a look at our picks.

A version of this article was previously published in Glamour UK.