The denim trucker jacket is back: How Rose, Stray Kids’ IN and Hudson Williams are wearing it now

Fashion’s latest comeback item might already be hanging in your wardrobe. Over the past few years, the denim trucker has been quietly reappearing on runways from New York to Milan, on the backs of models running errands, and as part of the airport rotation of some very well-dressed celebrities.

For many millennials, this revival may feel oddly familiar. The trucker jacket was a wardrobe workhorse throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, layered over sundresses, thrown on over leggings, paired with skinny jeans. Then, gradually, it faded into the background. The leather moto jacket and the bomber took its spot as the default cool-kid outerwear of the mid-2010s, and the trucker was retired to the back of the wardrobe.

Now, fashion is rediscovering its charm. Blackpink's Rose wore one at the Super Bowl. Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams walked the Dsquared2 runway in a distressed version. But the jacket hasn’t simply returned in its original form. Designers are reworking the familiar template in several directions, from oversized silhouettes and cropped Y2K cuts to deconstructed styles and heritage-inspired classics.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A TRUCKER JACKET?

To understand why the trucker jacket keeps coming back, it helps to know where it started.

Levi's introduced the first denim jacket – the Type I – in 1905, featuring a single chest pocket, a cinch-back waist adjuster, and a relatively boxy construction. The Type II followed in 1953 with two chest pockets, swapped the cinch-back for side adjuster tabs, and a roomier fit (Kendrick Lamar nodded to this template at the 2025 Grammys, wearing a Maison Margiela denim jacket based on the Type II silhouette).

It was the Type III, launched in 1967, that became the blueprint the fashion world has been borrowing from ever since: A slightly tapered waist, front V-seams, two buttoned chest pockets, metal buttons down the front, buttoned cuffs and a banded hem that gives the jacket its neat, structured shape. Side pockets arrived in the 1980s, roughly the same decade Japanese denim collectors settled on the name that stuck: the trucker.

The Type I and II are beloved by collectors for their vintage character, but the Type III is the one that crossed over from workwear into culture. Judd Nelson wore one over flannel in The Breakfast Club in 1985. Jackie Chan made it a fixture of his action-hero wardrobe throughout the 1980s and 1990s. By the early 2000s, it had become just as common off the runway as on it, worn casually by models such as Kate Moss and Gisele Bundchen, typically with low-rise denim and a simple tank, in that particular brand of effortlessness that defined the era.

WHAT’S BEHIND ITS RESURGENCE?

Unlike many fashion comebacks, the trucker jacket didn’t return through a single viral moment. Its revival has been more gradual – the result of designers, brands and stylish celebrities all rediscovering the same piece at roughly the same time.

Part of the explanation is nostalgia. The 1990s minimalism revival and Y2K-era styling have created a renewed appetite for pieces that feel worn-in, familiar and slightly undone. The trucker jacket ticks all those boxes (great news for those who held on to their faded Levi’s).

The other part is simpler: It fits the current mood. After several seasons of sharp tailoring and conspicuous outerwear, fashion has settled into something looser and less effortful – utilitarian details, relaxed silhouettes, easy layers. The trucker jacket was designed for exactly that kind of dressing, decades before it became a trend.

WHO’S BEEN WEARING IT?

Celebrities and style stars have played no small role in the jacket’s quiet return, though the way they wear it varies widely.

Some lean into the classic formula. Rose, who was recently named a global ambassador for Levi’s, has been spotted wearing a traditional trucker in light-wash denim. Styled simply with casual separates, it underscores the jacket’s enduring appeal as an easy, everyday layer.

A similarly timeless take comes from actress Paige Chua, who wore a dark-wash trucker to a concert, pairing it with an all-black ensemble. The denim layered over sleek monochrome mirrors her casual yet polished style – and shows how the jacket can add just enough structure to elevate a simple outfit.

Stray Kids’ IN demonstrated a slightly more refined spin on the jacket, pairing a sleek black version with coordinated denim and understated accessories. His look transformed the rugged workwear piece into something more sophisticated – proof that the jacket can read as suave rather than purely casual.

Others have pushed further. Hudson Williams walked the runway for Dsquared2 in a distressed trucker jacket that leaned into the label’s rebellious, rock-inflected aesthetic, while singer PinkPantheress has been spotted in an oversized Louis Vuitton jacket rendered in the house’s signature checkered pattern – a look that sits neatly at the intersection of Y2K nostalgia and contemporary street cool.

Danish model and influencer Emilia Silberg offered a more directional take still, wearing a fringed Rabanne denim jacket with a matching fringed midi skirt – an edgy denim-on-denim moment that reads as runway-inspired rather than retro.

HOW BRANDS ARE REINTERPRETING IT

What makes this resurgence interesting is that the trucker jacket hasn’t returned in a single dominant form. Designers are exploring several different silhouettes at once, each emphasising a different aspect of the jacket’s character.

1. OVERSIZED

The most prevalent direction on recent runways is the oversized trucker, reflecting fashion's broader shift toward looser, less structured dressing. At Sportmax’s Spring 2026 show, denim jackets appeared with roomier cuts and softer construction – dropped shoulders, wider sleeves and longer hems that give the jacket a streetwear-inflected feel while preserving its essential proportions.

Try: Uniqlo Denim Trucker Jacket, S$59.90 

Available at Uniqlo.

2. CROPPED AND Y2K-CODED

Coach’s Spring 2026 New York runway went in the opposite direction, presenting fitted, cropped trucker jackets styled with loose skirts – a pairing that nodded directly to early-2000s dressing.

The proportions will feel familiar to anyone who, like me, spent their teenage years throwing a cropped denim jacket over a slip dress. The difference now is that the styling feels more deliberate – the shorter jacket acts as a counterpoint to wider trousers or oversized skirts, rather than just an easy default layer.

Try: Jean Paul Gaultier cropped printed denim jacket, US$710/S$913 

Available at Net-a-porter.

3. DISTRESSED AND DECONSTRUCTED

Diesel leaned into the trucker jacket’s rougher edges for Spring 2026, presenting heavily distressed and reconstructed versions – unusual washes, shredded textures, patchwork detailing – that retained the shape’s silhouette while pushing its character toward something more rebellious.

Maison Mihara Yasuhiro took an even more conceptual approach, presenting jackets that were hybridised with other garments or exaggerated into something that questions the original template as much as it celebrates it. Both approaches tap into fashion’s ongoing fascination with upcycling and vintage reworking, where familiar garments become canvases for experimentation.

Try: Acne Studios distressed denim jacket, S$1,250 

Available at Acne Studios.

4. HERITAGE AMERICANA

A handful of labels have returned the jacket to its roots. Polo Ralph Lauren continues to present the trucker as part of a broader heritage-inflected Americana wardrobe – classic washes, rugged textures – the emphasis firmly on craftsmanship and longevity.

Meanwhile, Calvin Klein approaches the same design through the lens of 1990s minimalism, offering clean-lined versions with slightly relaxed fits that strip the jacket back to its essentials.

Try: Levi’s men’s relaxed Type 3 trucker jacket, S$114.90

Available at Levi’s.