- Jul 2
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 3
Why does this jacket make you feel like a superstar?
I tried on a jacket the other day.
I actually walked into Zara specifically because I'd been targeted by an ad a few days earlier featuring a model wearing this kind of jacket. I'd also spotted it on fashion creators I follow: @paulinecharbit, @izzwoods and @mariegaguech.
Then another thought crossed my mind: I've seen this jacket before, mostly on stage, no? Freddie Mercury, Mylène Farmer, Michael Jackson... It also looked like something between a military uniform, a royal guard's jacket and definitely something Napoleon would have worn to conquer half of Europe.
Anyway, I tried it on. And... bruh. I immediately felt special in it. It was actually insane. It's giving power. It's giving main character. It's giving sold-out world tour. It's giving armor, but make it hot.
In a sec, I was completely obsessed, so I went down a full research rabbit hole to get to know her and tell you everything here. Because at that stage, I didn't even know her name. So let's start with that.
.What’s her name?
Let's start at the beginning. The first thing I did was track down the exact jacket I'd tried on Zara's website. This specific one was called Blazer Brandebourgs on the French site.
A quick Google search later, and I discovered that brandebourgs refers to those decorative braided fastenings running across the front of the jacket. In English, they're called frogging or frog fastenings.
So technically, what I tried on was a frogged jacket or a military-style jacket decorated with frogging.
But the deeper I went into the rabbit hole, the more I noticed another name popping up: the Napoleon jacket. It's a fashion-industry catch-all used to describe a family of cropped, fitted military-inspired jackets, often featuring ornate braiding and structured shoulders. And let's be honest, it sounds infinitely more dramatic.
.Where is she coming from?
Spoiler: Napoleon isn't the one who invented this jacket.
Decorative braided fastenings similar to what we now call frogging actually originated in China during the Ming dynasty (14th–17th century). Used on garments featuring mandarin collars, they served as a fastening system beyond their decorative aspect.
By the 17th century, similar braided closures were appearing on the uniforms of Hungarian Hussars, the elite light cavalry regiments of Central Europe. As the style spread across Western Europe, gold, silver and brass braiding turned frogging into a symbol of prestige and rank more than a fastening technique.
And then came Napoleon. And of course, this ambitious man, never short of ego, loved the look. While he didn't invent the style, his military campaigns left such a mark on Europe that the image of the decorated military jacket became closely associated with his era.
By the 19th century, the style had escaped the battlefield altogether. Telegraph boys, postal workers and hotel pages adopted frogged uniforms of their own, borrowing a bit of military prestige for everyday professions. If you've seen The Grand Budapest Hotel, you already know the vibe.
.Why does it look like this?
Originally created for military use, the jacket had to be visible, recognizable and easy to read from a distance. That's why it relies on strong symmetry, straight lines and repetition. She's cropped, fitted and structured to create posture. The broad shoulders and high stand collar project authority. The braiding, buttons and decorative details signal rank and prestige.
In short, she's charisma with buttons.
.Why are the biggest superstars wearing it?
The Rocks Stars
The first people to bring military jackets onto the stage were British rock stars in the 1960s. A big part of the story starts with I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet, a London boutique that sold antique military uniforms during the Swinging London era. Old military jackets weren't costumes anymore; they were fashion. Artists like John Lennon, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix would personally shop there before wearing military jackets on stage.
Beyond the Napoleon jacket itself, I found it interesting to understand the link between 1960s rock music and military clothing. So I tried to dig into why these musicians were so attracted to military garments.
Part of it was political. The Vietnam War was raging, and military clothing carried a strong symbolic charge. Part of it was irony. Wearing a uniform—a symbol of discipline, order and authority—to perform rebellious rock music was a form of transgression in itself. And part of it was pure stage presence. They fell for the same thing everyone else would later fall for: the ridiculous level of charisma this jacket carries.
In the 2000s and beyond
And then fashion people looked at a bunch of rock stars in military jackets and thought: "Wait, that's hot."
They fell for the same thing everyone else did: that ridiculous level of charisma. Designers and luxury houses embraced the look: Dior Homme under Hedi Slimane, Balmain, Alexander McQueen and many more.
The Napoleon jacket found a home in different aesthetics: military punk, imperial rock and (my personal favourite) indie sleaze. Kate Moss. Pete Doherty. Alexa Chung. The Kooples campaigns. Skinny jeans. Messy eyeliner. A cigarette somewhere. I still remember tearing pages out of fashion magazines and pinning Alexa Chung looks behind my teenage bedroom door.
.Let’s find second-hand ones style it!
Indie Sleaze Moment
Straight out of a 2010 The Kooples campaign. Dishevelled, effortlessly cool and a bit dark. The textured military-inspired jacket is a vintage The Kooples, accessorized with a Zadig skull scarf (OMG). The lace over the jeans makes it 2026.
Brand: The Kooples
Second-hand platform: Vinted
Price: €95
La Bouche Uniform
An eclectic mix of strong pieces, because I neeeeed to have fun when I get dressed. The jacket, by Spanish label La Condesa, is beautifully theatrical: red cord embroidery, gold-tone buttons and a crazy pink lining. To break its costume-y side, I paired it with pieces that have absolutely nothing to do with it.
Brand: La Condesa
Second-hand platform: Vestiaire Collective
Price: €315
Dusty Whimsy
A festival-inspired look. Sensual, a little fairy-like and ready to dance.
For the jacket, I wanted a washed khaki shade with subtle detailing. The suede cut-out boots are second-hand too. Another forgotten obsession unlocked.
Brand: La Redoute*
Second-hand platform: Vinted
Price: €53
*La Redoute instantly brings back memories. Growing up in France, the catalogue was practically a household object: a giant book arriving in the mailbox, followed by a phone call to place an order.
.Sources:
ELLE — Histoire d'une pièce : La veste Brandebourg — 3 March 2026.
Who What Wear — The Frog-Closure Jacket Trend That's Winning Spring 2026 (also syndicated as Not Blazers, Barn Coats, or Windbreakers—Suddenly, Chic Women Prefer This Elegant Jacket Trend) — Anna LaPlaca — 2 March 2026.
Hypebeast — Pankou/Frog Chinese Button Trend: History and Cultural Context — Author and date to verify from article page. — Nico Gavino — 6 February 2026.
Wikipedia — Frog (fastening)
Fashion History Timeline (FIT Museum) — Frogging — Joseph Pollard — 15 March 2019.
Wonderland Magazine — Why Everyone's Suddenly Wearing Napoleon Jackets — Moira González — 16 December 2025.
Glamour UK — How to Style the Napoleon Military Jacket for Spring/Summer 2026 — Aroa Medina (translated and adapted by Dino Bonacic) — 5 May 2026.
FORM — The Napoleon Jacket.
Luxus Plus Magazine — Fashion Trend: The Military Jacket in Napoleonic Style Makes Its Comeback in Wardrobes — Pauline Duvieu — 19 November 2025.
Wikipedia — I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet.
Yeehawt — Napoleon Bonaparte Called, He Wants His Jacket Back — Jade Mackinley — 30 October 2025.
Vogue Arabia — Napoleon Jackets Are Back — Ruman Baig — 4 February 2026.
Vogue UK — Kate Moss, Topshop and the Indie Sleaze Military Blazer Revival — Daniel Rodgers — 23 May 2024.
Academia.edu — Rock Military Style: Motivations Behind the Military Look of 1960s Rock Musicians — Michael A. Langkjaer — 2012, Nordic Fashion Studies.
Vogue France — Indie Sleaze : la tendance mode des années 2010 — Marie Courtois — 21 February 2024.
Nostalgia Central — I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet.
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