A great deal of modern menswear comes from the crucible of conflict. Over the centuries, soliders' garments have been created and updated due to the necessities of war, from flight jackets made of thick shearling to keep pilots warm at altitude to Melton wool pea coats that kept sailors warm and dry on deck. For autumn/winter 2025, we've channelled this heritage with a stellar line-up of outerwear that doffs it cap to the military originals, blending function with modern finesse.
Autumn Outerwear With A Military Heritage
First among these pieces is the bomber jacket, that cockpit-confidante of World War II airmen. Designed by the U.S. Army Air Forces in the 1940s, its cropped silhouette and ribbed cuffs locked in warmth against stratospheric drafts, while sheepskin linings warded off frostbite at 30,000 feet. Our version is called the Arlington bomber jacket, boasting a sleek and minimalist shape that you can pair with tailored trousers for a Friday pivot from office to bar. We've crafted it in a handful of beautifully textural wools, as well as a more technical water-repellent cloth.
Then there's the trench coat, the Great War's gift to gabardine. Thomas Burberry dreamed it up in 1914 for British officers hunkered in Flanders mud, its raglan sleeves easing rifle swings, epaulettes securing binoculars, and storm flaps repelling the deluge. Our iterations in the form of our Big Coats and Grandpa coats have been crafted in stunning wools and recycled wools, each coming belted for a sharp miliary silhouette. They are the ultimate winter multitaskers: over a suit for city skirmishes or over chunky knitwear for a march around the countryside.
Another classic military silhouette is the pea coat, a 19th-century Royal Navy staple for Baltic patrols. Its double-breasted front and anchor-stitched buttons - originally for gloveless hands - trapped heat in chilly fogs, while the hip-length cut in heavy Melton wool did a great job keeping its wearer dry. Our pea coat is called the Albion coat and is a much lighter version than the original, thanks to a composition of pure wool and recycled wool. It can be worn over a navy blue suit for the working week, but also transitions perfectly into the weekend layered over a classic cable knit jumper and selvedge denim jeans.
The safari jacket traces to British colonial hunts in the early 1900s, its bellows pockets devouring cartridges and its mesh-lined vents banishing equatorial sweat. While they were originally designed for hot climates, we've created a cotton corduroy version in the shape of our Shawcross jacket, available in both beige and dark navy. They also both come with matching trousers, allowing you to create a rugged pseudo suit, perfect for off-duty weekend looks. Finally we have our leather Norton jacket, inspired by the styles worn by WWII dispatch riders who needed supple hides to hug their bikes at 80 mph. Our version is super polished and with a minimalist aesthetic so that you can wear it with smart black trousers for a rugged yet sophisticated ensemble.