Dua Lipa Signals the Return of the Military Jacket

Allow Dua Lipa to demonstrate how to pull off the military jacket trend, without it looking heavy-handed. During a recent work trip to Cape Town, South Africa, the pop star styled the resurgent trend, which featured heavily across the recent spring 2026 runways, with a casual cool twist.

Dua based her look around a striking red cropped coat. Designed with metal buttons, epaulets, and yellow contrast piping along the cuffs, the piece had all the hallmarks of the Indie Sleaze era, back when martial jackets were really en vogue among the fashion set. The jacket hails from Ann Demeulemeester’s spring 2026 collection from Paris Fashion Week.

From there, Dua slipped on a pair of loose denim shorts, with distressing at the hem and a studded belt at the waist, and a pair of workman boots. She finished the look with a Chanel handbag designed by Matthieu Blazy, a bulky silver link bracelet, and rounded glasses.

The way she styled the jacket with cut-up Daisy Dukes, was reminiscent of something Kate Moss would have worn to Glastonbury in 2007. But as with any cyclical trend revival, the outerwear style is already poised for a return to the fashion lexicon come spring.

In the fall, top brands reinterpreted the nostalgic style for the modern wardrobe. In addition to Dua’s Demeulemeester coat, there were cropped iterations with metallic frogging at McQueen—nodding to Lee McQueen’s early aughts collections—layered Napolenonic coats at Dior by Jonathan Anderson, and denim Hussar jackets at Vaquera.

Dua, of course, has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to trend forecasting. Her latest look only reinforces that instinct, with our full attention.