Shell Suits and Windbreakers: What the 1986 Jacket Actually Is, and How to Wear It

Every version of the 1986 photo has the same jacket in it: a lightweight shell in two or three loud colours, a stand collar, elastic at the cuff and hem, and a body cut so wide it looks borrowed. This is what that jacket is, why it looks the way it does, and how to wear one without looking like a costume.

Windbreaker, track jacket or shell suit?

They overlap. A windbreaker is the lightweight shell jacket on its own. A track jacket is the same idea with a sportier collar and sometimes a stripe. A shell suit is the jacket plus matching trousers in the same fabric, the late-80s uniform of every high street. Lunara's windbreakers and track jackets edit has all three.

What makes it read as 1986

• Colour-block panels. Diagonal or geometric blocks across the chest and sleeves, usually three colours: a dark base, a bright and a pastel. Purple, teal and hot pink is the classic combination.
• A stand collar rather than a hood, with a full-length zip.
• Elastic cuffs and hem that pull the volume in at the wrist and waist, which is what creates the balloon shape.
• A boxy, dropped-shoulder body. The jacket was never meant to fit closely.
• A shell fabric with a slight sheen: nylon or polyester, light enough to pack flat. Each product page lists the fabric in its Details.

How to size it

Our jackets are cut oversized to match the originals. Stay true to size for the full 1986 volume, or size down one for a boxy fit that still closes over a hoodie. The size chart is on every product page; if you are between sizes, go down.

How to wear it

Keep everything under it plain: a white or black tee, straight jeans or the matching trousers, white trainers. One loud jacket, nothing competing. Women often belt it or wear it open over leggings; men wear it open over a tee. Add aviators or a shield if you want the photo version.

How to wash it

Cold machine wash inside out, no tumble dryer, hang to dry, never iron the shell directly. The colours stay bright for years if you keep it away from heat.

Which one to start with

The Purple Colour Block Windbreaker is the jacket in most of the photos. The Colour Block Track Jacket comes in more than twenty colourways if purple is not yours, and the Weird Ones edit has the metallic and sequin versions. Free worldwide shipping and 30-day returns on all of them.