Hollywood stars go crazy for a leather jacket from an old TV series

How does a leather jacket worn by a British actor in a series about antiques from the 1980s become a must-have for Hollywood stars in 2025? This question comes up every time Kate Moss or Sophia Loren is seen walking the streets of London and Paris wearing a dark, broad-shouldered leather jacket that looks exactly like the one Ian McShane wore as Lovejoy, the charming and sly dealer who was supposed to be an antiques expert but mostly got into trouble. It turns out that his jacket is now the hottest “vintage” item of the year.

The phenomenon started when Anthony Vaccarello of Saint Laurent sent a series of dark, broad-shouldered leather jackets down his Paris runway in March this year, as a homage to the brand’s founder Yves Saint Laurent, who wore a similar design in the 1980s. But the Brits in the front row saw something completely different—they saw the classic Lovejoy jacket. Six months later, every fashion chain in the world is selling copies, with prices ranging from NIS 200 to NIS 20,000.

What’s interesting in this story is that the trend didn’t start from the runway down, but from the street up. Generation Z, spending time in secondhand shops due to tight budgets and environmental awareness, discovered these treasures—the abandoned jackets of older men—and wore them with such confidence and style that suddenly everyone wanted the jacket. When a whole generation of cool, stylish young people walks around in broad-shouldered leather jackets from the 1980s looking amazing, it grabs everyone’s attention.

You might want to leave the “Eli Ohana hairstyle” to them, and the washed-out blue jeans too—it’s too nostalgic and looks like a costume. Instead, this jacket works perfectly paired with a mid-length satin skirt, over dark blue jeans, or even elegant suit trousers. Just like McShane’s original was supposed to do—adding a touch of charming roguishness to any look. The jacket should be slightly oversized—or very oversized if you want to be extra fashionable—but most of the versions in stores are already cut wide following this idea.

Marks & Spencer sell their version for NIS 1,000 as part of the Autograph collection for the brand’s 25th anniversary—sources in the company say the jacket is selling like hotcakes despite the high price. Zara offers a dark brown real leather version for NIS 1,040—100% leather with a pure cotton lining—while their synthetic version costs NIS 240, but it’s 100% plastic. A gray suede version is a compromise at NIS 680 for real leather.

Reiss sells a brown leather jacket for NIS 2,000—more expensive but also higher quality, proven by the fact that it also quickly disappears from shelves. AllSaints offer a reddish-brown leather version with recycled polyester lining for NIS 1,920—it has more of a market-dealer vibe, which is a good thing.

A quick search on secondhand sites shows that there are still plenty of Lovejoy-style jackets waiting for new homes, all under NIS 400. You don’t need to be an antiques dealer to know which to grab and which to leave. The rules are simple: Choose one or two sizes up to get the right fit, avoid anything beige, and be wary of anything too cheap. If it says it’s real leather, ask for a picture of the label as proof.

True, the revival of this slightly tricky style doesn’t exactly scream “timeless chic.” But the forecast is that this look will have plenty of shelf life among women, precisely because it went out of fashion for that type of men who wore it back then. We’ve “borrowed” their stylish blazers and never returned them anyway. Now it’s the jackets’ turn.

The goal is to look effortlessly put-together but still perfect—exactly the message Lovejoy himself would have sent while strolling the streets in those dark leather jackets that have now become the fashion of the year. There’s something about that effortless, confident look that just works, and maybe that’s exactly what this year needs—a little less overthinking and a little more confidence.