A Nutcracker Christmas: The Rise of the Military Jacket
The Military Jacket- or Hussar Jacket- is set to be the defining outerwear for Winter 2025, dominating social media, runway and high street fashion.
Military Jacket AW25 ‘How to Style’ Inspiration Board CREDIT: Isabel Vadillo
What is a ‘Hussar Jacket’?
Military jackets have been bubbling under the surface of fashion trends for a while and now they are truly coming out to play. These jackets are known for their distinct features like horizontal frogging, tight tailored fit, stand up collar and decorative cuffs, which has been seen time and time again on Christmas Nutcrackers. Anyone with TikTok or Instagram can see how viral this piece has become recently so here’s everything you need to know about 2025’s biggest winter trend…
The History
This major upcoming trend has drawn inspiration from cavalry traditions in Central Europe. The hussar jacket emerged in 15th century Hungary, transforming looks that originated from Balkan riding cultures to the countries formal cavalry uniform. Many European armies went on to copy this uniform as the jackets became more flamboyant with vibrant colours and metallic braiding.
In the 19th century ballet, The Nutcracker, the iconic toy soldiers and the Nutcracker himself are dressed in hussar-style jackets because the ballet borrows from the romanticised military fashion of Europe. The sharp silhouettes, glittering frogging, and bold contrasts ultimately made their way into the toy soldier design of the nutcrackers that we bring out every year for Christmas. This makes it the perfect piece for your winter wardrobe.
On the Runway
Military jackets officially made their comeback back in September. The SS26 runways were flooded with standout designs that moved unmistakably from one designer’s collection to the next. This takeover has cemented the jacket as high fashion’s next major trend. You can find looks in McQueen SS26, Dior Men SS26 and Ann Demeulemeester SS26 that incorporate this nutcracker dress code.
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Celebrity Looks
Recently entering her ‘Bite Me’ album era, Renee Rapp has been a huge force in bringing back the military jacket, especially during her recent tour. At first, the iconic singer revived Maison Margiela’s SS2005 marching vest for album cover art. This led to the hussar becoming a recurring addition to her tour wardrobe, and fans are all for it!
Another celebrity who is bringing light to the look is actress Jenna Ortega. The Wednesday star sported a sleeveless military piece by Dior to Anderson’s Dior womenswear debut, a look that so naturally matched her distinctive style.
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Where to Buy:
Do you think ‘nutcrackercore’ could be an upcoming addition to your wardrobe? Check below to see Fashion North’s top picks to buy into the huge trending piece…
Have you heard of the resurfacing military jacket for winter 2025? Could you see yourself adding one to your wardrobe? Let us know in the comments and on our socials @fashion_north
