The Field Jacket Reports for Fall Duty, and Zara Has the Rank

The piece earning a spot at the top of the closet this fall is the military jacket, worn open over whatever the warm afternoon still allows. Among the current crop, Elle gives the honors to Zara's khaki version, priced at $90. The appeal is the old quiet one: a shade that argues with nothing, pockets that carry their own weight, and a cut built for a season that cannot decide between coat and shirt. For a wardrobe that has done its share of red carpets, this is the off-duty entry, the thing one reaches for between the gowns.

With reporting from Elle.