It’s time to face facts: the barn jacket has become the clothing equivalent of avocado on toast; both exactly what you want, and very overexposed. I’m not suggesting you bin the barn—far from it—but it might be the moment to give it a sabbatical, shelving it for a season or two until the noise has died down.
This isn’t a helpful status update when the weather’s becoming more transitional by the day, making bare arms a no-go. Luckily, another trend is making the rounds that’s a twist on a classic autumn cover-up: the funnel neck jacket. The beauty of a collar that encases that particular area is that a) it’s brilliant for sheltering from the elements, and b) you can slip your hair inside for that tucked-yet-untucked vibe that always seems to work for the French.
The high street has a wealth of funnel necks on offer, while the category of jacket itself ranges from trenches to bombers to parkas, meaning there’s something for every preference. Influencer Lovisa Worge has been wearing a sporty windbreaker style from SourceUnknown (St Agnihas a taffeta parka that delivers a similarly athletic silhouette).
Perhaps a trench has always been your autumn safety net, in which case there’s a funnel-neck trench with your name on it. Annabel Rosendahl’s exact hip-length version is by The Row, but you can also find more affordable options. COS’s A-line trench can be styled with the collar down or up, with a flap that can be fastened on either side to provide its funnel neck with extra stability.
Marilyn Nwawulor-Kazemaks, a track runner by day and style influencer (also by day), spotlighted the funnel neck in a recent Instagram Reel. The bombers were particularly tempting, making use of the jacket’s cool-girl credentials with added practicality via the collar. It’s a cover-up proving so popular that it’s already selling out on the high street (Massimo Dutti’s is out of stock in tomato red). Arket has several versions that cut the mustard, however, including a baby pink beauty made of nylon that you could pair with patent leather skirts or balloon-leg trousers.
Another shop worth stopping by on your search for the perfect funnel neck is Uniqlo, whose £49.90 windbreaker, with a distinct funnel neck, was a sell-out last season. This autumn, it’s backing another funnel-neck blouson, this time one that’s coated to resemble leather. Soeur’s real-leather version, meanwhile, is slouchily oversized with plenty of attitude but an investment at £800.
At this rate you’ll be glad of a gusty forecast so you can break out your funnel neck...
The Best Funnel Neck Jackets To Shop
