No Offense to Leather Jackets, But This French-Feeling Alt Is 10 Times More Elegant

There are certain fabrics that appear more elegant than others. There’s nothing wrong with the ones that don’t—I love a rugged leather jacket just as much as the next person—but if sophistication and glamour are what you’re striving for, you’ll want to look in some design directions more than others. Of all the materials out there, none scream elegance like heavy satin.

Jennifer Lawrence is well aware of this simple fashion fact. How do I know? Well, she just replaced her go-to leather blazer with a single-breasted, ivory-colored satin jacket, using it as a sleek top layer for a night out in Los Angeles at Zinqué, a French hot spot in West Hollywood. She wore the jacket—which featured a wide collar and compact and enlarged satin-covered buttons—on top of a simple white tee, styling the duo with black trousers, The Row moccasins, and gold wire-rim Celine sunglasses.

On Jennifer Lawrence: Celine Triomphe Oval Metal Sunglasses ($580); The Row Lucca Leather Moccasins ($1190)

The No Hard Feelings actress isn’t alone in her preference for satin outerwear. Heavy satin has been making the rounds on the runways for a few seasons now, showing up in Louis Vuitton’s S/S 24 show back in September of 2023 in the form of various padded satin jackets in butter yellow and black. A season later, brands such as Khaite and Eenk featured the luxurious fabric in the form of blazers in various colors styled with both skirts and trousers.

One of the reasons why satin outerwear has such an elegant reputation is because of lauded French fashion houses like Christian Dior and Balenciaga that used the fabric to make jackets, coats, and skirt suits. As such, these sleek top layers will always give off an air of chic Frenchness, whether you style them casually like Lawrence or in full black tie. The options truly are endless.