A bomber jacket is one of those things I'm often buying with my personal shopping clients. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll also have heard me say before that I find it's a gap in lots of guys wardrobes - something in between the purely practical rainproof jacket and the more dressed up blazer.

These sit right in the middle of the smart casual bracket making them really useful to wear for going out for dinner in the evenings or for meetings in the daytime, when you don't need to wear a smart blazer.

Which would you pick? 

I've bought this jacket with various clients over the years, as it's one of Sandro's staples, and they do it every year. And with good reason.......it's navy (which nearly all guys will default to), it's mid-weight (so perfect for this time of year) and it has minimal, sleek styling (great for a classic look).

You can wear it with tailored trousers and a shirt for a smart casual look, or jeans and a lightweight sweater for weekends. And in case you're wondering about wearing a collarless style with a shirt - have a look at this post I put up over on Instagram.

Navy zip up varsity jacket - Sandro - £499

Here's another great jacket I bought with a client in Harvey Nichols recently. Again, it's really versatile - I styled it for him (on the app I use for putting together outfits after we've been shopping) with:

- a cream long sleeved top, dark wash jeans & some tan brogue boots for a casual look
- a pale blue shirt, the same dark wash jeans & brown suede Chukka boots for a smarter look
- a navy knitted polo top, navy chinos & the suede Chukka boots for a smart casual tonal look
- a denim shirt, the same navy chinos & navy slip on trainers for another smart casual look
- the cream long sleeved top, beige pleat front chinos, & smart navy trainers for a Spring look (with a woven belt that brought all the colours together)
- a white t-shirt, pale blue linen trousers, & the navy trainers for another Spring look 

You see, pretty versatile eh?

Tan suede jacket - Boss at Harvey Nichols - £490

I adore the colour of this one, so if you're already well covered with basics in your wardrobe, then this could be something new. It's a lovely neat fit and has a double ended zip which looks good if you want to leave it a bit open at the bottom so it doesn't bunch up.

It's also made using a technical wool cloth from Loro Piana (hence the price!) and treated with Green Storm System® for a waterproof and wind-resistant finish. Woohoo....practical as well as super stylish!

Wear it with neutrals or go tonal with something like the Sunspel sea green sweater I put in my last blog post

Green wool bomber jacket - Paul Smith at Harvey Nichols - £850

Inspired by the flight jackets designed for the US Army Air Corps, this one is great for those of you that get hot and only need a lighter jacket for the Autumn/Winter months (and if you get colder, go for the thicker version at Trunk Clothiers).

A great colour to go with olive greens, creams and chocolate browns as well as being perfect with denim. The button detailing and patch pockets give this one more of a vintage feel....in fact you could easily imagine James Dean wearing this!

'Valstarino' cotton blend bomber jacket - Valstar at Mr Porter - £505

This jacket also has a bit of a vintage vibe to it with the shorter cropped length and boxier cut. I tried it with a client who was 6'2" and it looked great though it was a little short on him, so if you don't quite stretch to that height, then give it a go.

It comes in this dark navy and also a soft beige, and is made from a water repellent cavalry twill......I'm spoiling you with practical options in this blog post aren't I?!

Navy blue cavalry twill jacket with pockets - De Fursac - £495

Do you struggle to know where to start when it comes to shopping? You know you need to update things, and you'd like to change your style a bit, but you don't know where to go or how to change, without looking silly. So you just go back to the default things you normally buy, and the same old shops and nothing changes.

But.......it doesn't have to be like that!

Come out shopping with me and I can introduce you to brand new shops....ones you may have passed many times but never considered going in to.  We'll try out fresh new looks to modernise, and upgrade your wardrobe subtly but effectively - never looking too OTT.

All you need to do is click the button below and book in, and I'll be in touch within a day to arrange a date and time. And hurry up, because prices will be going up next week! 

Did you like this post? Check these ones out too:

Great men's sweaters for Autumn Winter 2024

3 x looks to easily upgrade your casual outfits