Can You Wear a Bomber Jacket to the Office?

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Bomber jackets in sophisticated fabrics have been around for a year or two now — can you wear bomber jackets to the office? I’m excited to hear what you guys think, but I of course have a few ideas…

Can Bomber Jackets Replace a Blazer?

For the most part, I don’t think bomber jackets can replace a blazer — they inherently read as more casual. If you swear by the “third piece” rule for dressing, then yes they can absolutely be your third piece — but in my mind they’re more like a trendy cardigan or sweater jacket or other soft, structured layer.

Because it’s more relaxed, it is likely never going to be appropriate for the most conservative moments like court, formal presentations, or your first week at a job. Instead, it’s like a piece of clothing that we would have said was appropriate for dress-down Friday (back when that was a thing) or non-VIP days. Think internal meetings, travel days, conferences, business casual offices in general.

You can dress it up or down with your accessories and other pieces — add structure like tailored trousers or a crisp blouse to dress it up, and make it more casual with something like pants cut like denim (jeans, cords) or more flowy fabrics (linen, satin).

Are Bomber Jackets Outside Jackets or Inside Jackets?

It depends on the bomber jacket, honestly — I think you have to look at the materials. For example, this suede bomber jacket from Anthropologie with prominent hardware and thick ribbing looks more like an outside jacket to me, as does this canvas version from Aritzia. The knit versions are safe, but some of the leather ones (like this version from All Saints) could be worn inside as well, the way you might have worn a leather moto jacket a few years ago — know your office.

There are other differences between office-appropriate bomber jackets and weekend-only bomber jackets — if it’s nylon, oversized, has patches or is reminiscent of a varsity jacket — probably not for work. If, on the flip side, it’s wool, ponte, crepe, or suede or leather with minimal hardware — then it might be appropriate for work.

Work Outfit Ideas with Bomber Jackets

Bomber Jacket + Crisp Blouse + Wide Legged Trousers

This look from Quince is a great example of a work outfit idea — a crisp blouse adds some structure, as well as a nice collar/frame for your face. It hits at the right spot for wide legged pants, and in my opinion the neutral palette in varying shades looks fabulous here.

You can see a similar look at Ann Taylor.

Monotoned & Matchy

You might be saying, SURE, KAT — but where am I going to find matching pieces? But this is one of the trends — for example, Ann Taylor has matching floral knits below (you can also see it here), Aritzia has several options with matching pieces, and All Saints even has a lace bomber jacket.

Failing identical matching pieces, though, just go for the monotone look and match your colors.

Column of Color: Bottom & Top in Matching Colors + Contrasting Bomber Jacket

The column of color: always a trusty workwear outfit. Here it looks a bit more sporty because of the five-pocket jeans — if this won’t work for your office, swap it out for white trousers. You can also see it styled with a matching skirt and sweater tee (it’s the third picture here, or you can just see the image here).

You can also see the column of color look with this raspberry knit bomber jacket at Ann Taylor.

Wear it Like You Would a Cardigan

I mean, let’s not overcomplicate things, am I right? If you would have grabbed a cardigan in the past, this is an easy thing to grab to ward off the office A/C or the spring chill.