Why heritage, craftsmanship and functional-but-fashionable outerwear are here to stay

The chances of a warm and wet autumn are two times higher than would normally be expected in 2026, according to the Met Office. This could explain why searches for ‘lightweight autumn jacket’ are experiencing a 5,000% breakout vs preceding year on Google Trends. 

But it’s not just the weather driving our focus back to outerwear. Heritage, craftsmanship and functional-but-fashionable outerwear are resonating more than ever in AW26, according to fashion experts at Jack Murphy. 

The Rise of Transeasonal Dressing and Heritage Craftsmanship

Luxury shoppers’ main priority is now craftsmanship, according to new data from the McKinsey’s The State of Fashion 2026 Report, with 52% of high-net-worth consumers saying higher product quality and craftsmanship would encourage them to buy more from luxury brands. McKinsey’s Report explains “brands are reducing their reliance on price-led growth and refocusing on creativity and craftsmanship to rebuild client trust.” 

We’re less preoccupied with the present moment - ordering seasonal trends for next-day delivery or the occasion we’re attending tomorrow - consumers are more proactive than ever, Jack Murphy’s internal sales data revealed. The transeasonal wardrobe entered the chat; even despite those heatwaves, more people purchased heritage outerwear in summer than ever before, with wax being a particularly popular summer spend.

Matthew Murphy, fashion trend expert at Jack Murphy, explains consumers are wanting their wardrobes to work a little smarter and harder this AW26: “Investing in pieces that can work transeasonally is the main overarching trope for AW26 fashion. We’re less likely to order hastily for a particular season or occasion, but instead look ahead and purchase timeless, quality garments that actually have longevity - bonus points if they’re interchangeable with other pieces in our capsule wardrobe. 

“The luxury shopper is looking to classic heritage fabrics like wax cotton, tweed and wool, which naturally lend themselves to this because they bring together craftsmanship, functionality and a sense of timelessness, but also they’re contemporary. People still want to look fashionable, but increasingly they want their clothes to weather well - literally - in every season.”

Here’s the AW26 trends we can expect to see…

The craft behind the autumn/winter jacket

Key Outerwear Trends Defining the Season

The chances of a warm and wet autumn are two times higher than would normally be expected in 2026, according to the Met Office. This comes as fashion turns its attention back to outerwear, with AW26 trends placing renewed emphasis on practical jackets, heritage fabrics, checks, texture and timeless pieces. 

Jack Murphy’s sales data shows the strength of these categories, with waterproof outerwear accounting for 44% of combined August-December category sales, compared with 39% for tweed - meaning waterproof led tweed by approximately 14%.

People are investing in heritage materials with longevity as well as their ‘future wardrobes’. Jack Murphy’s internal sales data reveals a 58% Q2 YoY increase in overall orders - with men’s jackets and coats experiencing a 174% surge in revenue - signalling consumers are steering towards slower fashion and buying with intention. 

Elegance, but make it wearable 

According to Vogue, ‘ladylike’ has had a new spin, evidenced by Johnathan Anderson’s new interpretations of the historic Dior Bar jacket and Matthieu Blazy’s takes on the Chanel skirt suit. Elegance underpins the classic silhouettes paired with contemporary, casual jeans. The way we’re emulating elegance is through a nonchalant twist on structured jackets, pairing them with functional clothing for a contemporary, functional feel.

Not only for ladies though; it’s giving Season 2 of The Gentlemen - preppy Cockney vibes - a well-structured blazer or trench coat with a good pair of jeans, you can’t go wrong. AW26 is all about fashion but function no matter your gender. 

We’re taking traditionally polished pieces and making them more wearable, more relaxed and more relevant to everyday life. It’s the juxtaposition of structured and casual, heritage and contemporary, that makes this trend feel so relevant for AW26.

Beating the algorithm with transitional pieces

When you’ve got the office at 5pm and dinner at 6pm, consumers are opting for versatility in their wardrobes with transformational outfits. It’s about making your wardrobe work smarter and harder, investing in a genuinely interchangeable capsule wardrobe where pieces fit around your lifestyle, rather than fitting your lifestyle around your fashion choices - because who really has time for all that?

Vogue notes the connection between algorithm dressing and people ending up dressing the same, suggesting the best way to beat the algorithm is with a wardrobe full of well-loved, versatile pieces rather than buying something for the occasion.

Green is the new black 

Green is the new black for AW26; green is bringing us back down to earth, it’s sophisticated and timeless, the ultimate ‘confident neutral’ anchor shade. Green Tartan is particularly grounding and transeasonal, making it a popular choice for AW26. Green tartan tweed takes its colour from the deeper end of the Irish landscape, with moss, pine and bracken worked into a heritage check, with enough depth of colour to sit against navy, camel or black in a working wardrobe. 

Olive is another colour expected to dominate AW26. It’s the autumn palette personified, and olive wax jackets are up 300% year-on-year, with navy up 79%. Consumers are leaning into those earthy, classic tones influenced by heritage, the landscape and nature for AW26. 

Craftsmanship - heritage materials 

Jack Murphy's sales data shows a strong consumer appetite for practical outerwear, with waterproof styles accounting for approximately 77% of the combined waterproof and tweed units sold in the data. Within tweed, heritage patterns including herringbone and checks are among the strongest performers.

Jack Murphy’s internal sales data reveals a huge 79% year-on-year increase in wax cotton sales; the data shows particularly strong momentum in menswear, where waxed garments surged 99%, while womenswear continues to lead overall revenue, growing by 69% year-on-year.

Experts at Jack Murphy attribute the surge in wax cotton, tweed and other heritage materials down to a wider movement towards capsule wardrobes, investment dressing, and focus on material provenance underpinned by the slow fashion movement.

Tweed, it’s IN

Tweed is everywhere. On our screens in The Gentlemen 2, Peaky Blinders, and in our homes with the rising Mid-Century Modern aesthetic. We’re texturemaxxing, ultimately. 

Jack Murphy’s year-on-year internal Donegal tweed sales show increasing appetite for tweed, rising 40% between 2024 and 2025, with men’s tweed sales rising by 335%. 

Heritage materials like tweed, wool, and wax are AW26 staples, and we can expect to see the embodiment of dark academia with tweed jackets and blazers, corduroy, oversized, layered knits, and a desire for fashion that is practical and wearable, with romantic detailing and emotional depth. 

Check Mate

Who What Wear noted Check Mate as a defining AW26 trend, and Jack Murphy’s experts weigh in on exactly why it’s trending - and, we think, here to stay.

Jack Murphy’s new launch of two new checks - Ocean Check and Autumn Check - weave the qualities they look for in every tweed - texture and depth. Dimensional check is in for AW26, we should say. Rather than a flat, uniform surface, the priorities for check with character and structure. Autumn Check is right on brand, drawing its palette from the turn of the season with rust, chestnut, and burnt amber running through a classic check weave. Chef’s kiss. No notes. Totally chic. 

We’re increasingly influenced by the landscape. In an AI-crazy digital world, we’re looking to garments that tell a story, and feel familiar, comforting and nostalgic. Ocean Check takes its colour from the ocean with teal and blue running through moss and olive, with a rich, multi-layered check. Wearable and fashionable is what we’re going for in AW26; it’s chic to dress for your lifestyle.

Tailored mini skirts, so chic

St Trinian’s, eat your heart out. Tailored mini skirts are all the rage this AW26. Inspired somewhat by Poetcore and Dark Academia, a predicted defining trend of 2026 according to Pinterest Predicts trends, as ‘the poet aesthetic’ surged 175% in 2025.

Modern, playful a-line tweed miniskirts, we can expect to see them all over our feeds. A chic staple that’s functional, too, in grounding, autumn/winter colours perfectly transitional through the seasons. From a contemporary navy and blue on a traditional herringbone weave, to Caramel check, a buttery toned tweed, and Soft Fern Check with a soft green tone contrasting aqua blue and warm brown weave check.