Great Moments in Jacket History

Ignoring the fact that I got burned yesterday in some unseasonably extreme sun, it is actually, finally, fall. This is the time for everything great: apples, pumpkins, beverages made with and inspired by apples and pumpkins, Halloween, layered clothing, fairs, crisp breezes, and significantly less boob sweat. Autumn is quintessentially New England; it's the prize for enduring long, snowy winters (except it shows up six months later - pretty rude, no?). A major player in cold weather fashion, the jacket, is more important that you may think. Obviously they keep you from getting chilly on jaunts between heated cars and buildings, but they also signal your fashion attitude to the world. I mean, you wear it over your clothes. That's the article of clothing most people see you in every day for months on end (or less if you're spectacularly lucky in your palm tree wonderland) so it should probably be awesome, or at least very you.

In celebration of this herald of autumn, I give you: Great Moments in Jacket History.

1: Mary Richards in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 1970

Is there a person on the planet who does not recognize this infamous hat toss? Okay, maybe babies, but most people not only know this image, but also can't help muttering "you're gonna make it after alllllll!" under their breath when seeing it. Just me? This jacket, a tasteful pea coat with metallic buttons, is appropriate for both a lady trying to 'make it on her own' and Minnesota winters. She really can do it all! You know this jacket moment is important because it has its own Wikipedia page and commemorative statue. Most people never even get that.

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2: Adrian in Rocky, 1976

Picture this: a 13-year-old me, a junior high classroom, and a lazy teacher inexplicably forcing us to watch Rocky instead of doing the day's lesson plan. I was torn because any movie day is a good day, but I also didn't really care about Rocky. What I did care about was Adrian's amazing orange and cream jacket that was so deliciously 70s in its faux fur-trimmed glory. Still the #1 thing I remember from this movie. She's no slouch in the hat department, either. Well done, champ.

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3: Denise Huxtable in The Cosby Show, 1984

Denise Huxtable looked good in literally everything. She tried 80s waterfall bangs, wore dad sweatshirts and tied random scraps of fabric around her head and still managed to be the hottest person in the room, even in a family of seven. Impressive. Her denim jacket is so effortlessly cool, and the perfect complement to this autumnally shaded look. Denim can go so wrong, so easily but her general chicness just makes it work. Also, please note that skirt above. True genius.

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4: Carmen Sandiego in Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, 1991

Whether you loved her or loathed her (why was she always hiding from you?!), you must admit one thing: Carmen wore the hell outta that red trench coat. She's a woman who knows what she likes in her look and sticks with it, literally forever. I can give a tip of the ol' giant red hat to that.

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5: Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1992

I've mentioned this before, but the fashion in the Buffy movie simply blew my second-grade mind. So much so, that I can't even choose one best jacket moment from the film because there are three that stick with me. There's the dreamy butter yellow leather jacket Buffy finds at the mall, the tough black moto jacket she tosses over her girly prom dress (because why not?) and the classic varsity jacket she wears to her first graveyard gig. This is a girl who doesn't let aggressive violence get in the way of accessorizing. Simply, she slays. (Sorry!)

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6: Fran Fine in The Nanny, 1993

Go ahead, laugh. Maybe this furry leopard number is a bit over the top, and maybe you could do without the matching hat, but you can't argue that this character has one of the most memorable wardrobes in 90s sitcoms. I'm often drawn to things other people might refer to as "tacky" so I might be alone in this one, but I do think the 1993 version of you might have totally worn this jacket. Something about matching lapels and cuffs just gets me.

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7: Daria Morgendorffer in Daria, 1997

The 90s poster girl for all young misanthropes, Daria was barely ever seen without her trademark green jacket. Paired with her black pleated skirt and calf-high combat boots, her look was no nonsense and all attitude. I always enjoyed episodes in which she wore different clothing (even once a pink crop top!) but her large-collared jacket was always a welcome return. The best part is that her look lends itself to a very easy Halloween costume!

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8: Lindsay Weir in Freaks and Geeks, 1999

Lindsay was kind of like a real life Daria, or at least she probably would've been excited that I just called her that. She was finding herself and shedding her Mathlete image, facilitated largely by the addition of an oversized green army jacket. I like to imagine her picking it out and thinking, "Yes, this is just what a freak would wear!"

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9: Penny Lane in Almost Famous, 2000

You got me again, faux fur lapel and cuffs. This film was well loved for a number of reasons, not least of which was Penny Lane and her 70s cool girl wardrobe. All you need to know about the aesthetic of this movie can be ascertained from that crochet halter top and the bold mustache peeking in from the bottom right corner of the above image (hi, dude!). This jacket was perfect for the time, the look and the character; I desperately want to pet it.

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10: Britta Perry in Community, 2009

In more recent years, Britta has really picked up the reins in sitcom fashion (just like fellow study group-er Annie) and this girl loves a classic black leather jacket. Her style has that effortlessly cool look, even though she definitely spends significant time perfectly curling her hair like so. Her uniform of fitted pants and casual shirts would be pretty basic, though, if not for her collection of edgy jackets. This is the perfect mix of polished and thrown together - she totally "pulled a Britta" here!

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What are your favorite jacket moments in history? What does your favorite coat or jacket look like? Found any great jackets for fall or winter lately? 

Show and tell me, jacket lovers!

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