Collection: Jackets & Coats

Discover our carefully curated selection of vintage jackets and coats: tailored blazers, leather jackets, wool coats, trench coats, shearlings and rare archive outerwear from the world's most celebrated houses. Every piece is hand-evaluated by our team on avenue Louise and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Because a great coat or jacket is fashion's most enduring investment — the piece that defines a silhouette for decades.

Outerwear in fashion history: the coat and jacket as statement

No category of clothing carries more immediate expressive weight than outerwear. The coat is the garment the world sees first — the one that establishes the silhouette before any other design element, that must function across the full range of daily life while simultaneously making a complete visual statement. This dual demand — practical protection and complete aesthetic expression — has made the coat and jacket the site of some of fashion history's most ambitious design achievements.

Cristóbal Balenciaga's cocoon coat of the 1950s redefined the relationship between garment and body, lifting the fabric away from the spine in a revolutionary act of spatial invention. Yves Saint Laurent's safari jacket of 1968 translated the masculine utility garment into an emblem of a new kind of female confidence. The Chanel tweed jacket, created in 1925 and continuously reinvented across a century of collections, remains one of fashion's most debated and most beloved garments — a piece of such profound simplicity that it has absorbed every interpretation. Rick Owens's draped leather jackets, The Row's double-faced cashmere coats and Lemaire's precisely proportioned wool outerwear define contemporary possibilities within this richest of categories.

At Les Enfants d'Édouard, our vintage jacket and coat selection spans this entire history: from Chanel tweed jackets and Dior Bar jackets to Rick Owens leather, from Balenciaga couture outerwear to Acne Studios wool coats, from Loewe's leather craftsmanship to the precise minimalism of Jil Sander and Celine. Every piece is evaluated for construction quality, material, condition and design significance.

Our jackets and coats categories

Tailored blazers and jackets

The tailored blazer and jacket — from the classic single-breasted silhouette to the more architecturally complex constructions of the avant-garde — represents the most technically demanding tier of our outerwear selection. Chanel tweed jackets, Yves Saint Laurent smoking jackets, Alexander McQueen sculptural tailoring and the precise, clean blazers of Jil Sander and The Row are among the pieces that define this category.

Leather jackets

From Rick Owens's dramatically proportioned draped leather to Ann Demeulemeester's asymmetric constructions, from the classic biker in fine lambskin to the architectural leather jacket of the Belgian and Parisian avant-garde, leather outerwear represents one of the most consistently collected categories in vintage fashion. Construction quality, leather quality and condition are our primary evaluation criteria.

Wool and cashmere coats

The great wool and cashmere coat — from The Row's double-faced cashmere to Lemaire's precisely cut outerwear, from Dries Van Noten's richly printed coats to the Acne Studios Max coat in boiled wool — represents the most practically useful and often most emotionally significant piece in a serious wardrobe. Archive pieces in discontinued colourways or exceptional materials are among our most prized offerings.

Trench coats and technical outerwear

The trench coat's history spans from Burberry's 1901 original through Yves Saint Laurent's 1960s reinterpretations to the deconstructed versions of the Japanese and Belgian avant-garde. Technical outerwear — nylon, technical fabric, the functional and the deliberately dysfunctional — represents another significant strand of contemporary vintage collecting.

Shearling and fur

Vintage shearling and fur pieces — from the great Italian and French ateliers to the more challenging and subversive treatments of avant-garde designers — represent the most luxurious tier of our outerwear selection, requiring particular expertise in authentication and condition assessment.

How to evaluate a vintage jacket or coat

Evaluating a vintage jacket or coat requires attention to several combined criteria. Here are the 7 checkpoints we systematically apply at avenue Louise.

1. The label and attribution

Every piece carries a verified attribution, with label design cross-referenced against our database for the specific house and era of production.

2. The fabric and material quality

Fabric quality is the primary differentiator in outerwear: the weight of the wool, the softness and density of cashmere, the suppleness and grain of leather, the structure of a technical fabric. We assess by hand and eye at every stage of evaluation.

3. The tailoring construction

In tailored outerwear, construction reveals the ambition and skill behind the piece: the structure of the shoulder, the set of the sleeve, the internal construction of the chest and lapels, the quality of the lining. These are the details that separate a couture jacket from a quality ready-to-wear piece.

4. The silhouette and proportion

Each designer's outerwear has specific, considered proportions that define its design identity. We assess whether each piece maintains its intended silhouette and whether the proportions are coherent with the specific house's vocabulary for that era.

5. The lining and interior

The lining of a tailored jacket or coat tells as much about its quality as the exterior: the fabric, the cut, the finishing of interior seams and the quality of interior pockets are all revealing indicators.

6. The condition

We assess specific points of wear in outerwear: cuff and collar condition (common deterioration points), lining condition, any moth damage in wool pieces, the condition of any hardware or buttons.

7. Design significance

We assess each piece's broader design significance — its connection to the house's most important creative moments, its demonstration of key technical or aesthetic achievements, and its continuing relevance within a contemporary wardrobe.

Our method: at Les Enfants d'Édouard, every jacket and coat undergoes a three-stage examination — visual inspection, technical verification and design assessment. Every authenticated piece comes with our certificate of authenticity.

Size guide for vintage jackets and coats

Vintage jackets and coats size conversion guide

FR/EU	IT	UK	US	Chest (cm)	Shoulder (cm)
34	38	6	2	80–83	37–38
36	40	8	4	84–87	38–39
38	42	10	6	88–91	39–40
40	44	12	8	92–95	40–41
42	46	14	10	96–99	41–42
44	48	16	12	100–104	42–44

Sizing notes

Outerwear sizing in vintage fashion requires careful attention to shoulder width — the most difficult measurement to alter — as well as chest, sleeve length and overall length. Many vintage coats and jackets were cut with specific layering allowances or deliberately oversized proportions; always assess actual measurements rather than relying on label size.

Why invest in a vintage jacket or coat

A great vintage coat or jacket represents one of the most compelling investment propositions in the secondary luxury market. A Chanel tweed jacket, a Rick Owens leather jacket, a The Row double-faced cashmere coat in excellent condition: each of these pieces combines material quality that is exceptionally difficult to find in current production, design significance that increases rather than diminishes with time, and practical wearability that ensures they earn their place in a working wardrobe rather than simply a storage rack.

For those wishing to sell a vintage jacket or coat, we offer an expert consignment service.

Our jackets and coats selection in Brussels, avenue Louise

Our boutique Les Enfants d'Édouard, 175 avenue Louise, 1050 Brussels, carries a curated selection of vintage jackets and coats, sourced from European collectors and private consignors. We welcome you Tuesday to Saturday and offer private appointments outside regular opening hours.

Care and maintenance of vintage jackets and coats

For tailored jackets, dry clean at a specialist in structured tailoring. Store on wide, padded hangers that support the shoulder line without distorting it. Brush with a clothes brush after each wear to remove surface dust and lint.

For leather jackets, store on a padded hanger away from direct sunlight and heat. Condition periodically with a colourless leather cream. Avoid prolonged rain exposure, particularly for untreated leather.

For wool and cashmere coats, dry clean at a specialist. Store in breathable cotton covers with natural moth repellents. Hang on wide, padded hangers to preserve the shoulder line.

For shearling, store in a cool, dry environment away from heat sources, which can dry and crack the leather backing. Professional cleaning by a specialist in shearling and fur is essential.

Frequently asked questions about vintage jackets and coats

Which vintage jackets and coats are most sought-after?

Chanel tweed jackets (Lagerfeld era, pre-2000 collections), Rick Owens archive leather jackets in distressed lambskin, The Row double-faced cashmere coats, Ann Demeulemeester asymmetric leather constructions, Acne Studios Max wool coats in archive colourways, Lemaire precisely cut outerwear, and Alexander McQueen sculptural tailoring from his own design era.

Can vintage coats be altered?

Yes — shortening, taking in side seams and replacing lining are all standard alterations for vintage coats. The shoulder line, which determines much of the coat's silhouette, is significantly more complex to alter and should only be attempted by an experienced specialist. Our team can recommend trusted alterations specialists in Brussels on request.

What warranty do you offer on vintage jackets and coats?

Every piece sold by Les Enfants d'Édouard is guaranteed as described, with a certificate of authenticity for signed pieces and 14 days to return (return shipping costs excluded).

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Looking for a vintage jacket or coat? 

Browse our full jackets and coats selection or book an appointment with our team for a private viewing on avenue Louise.

• ✓ Guaranteed authentication: every piece verified
• ✓ Secure delivery: Belgium, France, Europe
• ✓ 14-day returns: satisfaction guaranteed
• ✓ Boutique at 175 Avenue Louise: 1050 Brussels