A vintage Chanel jacket is most often a Karl Lagerfeld design, since he led the house from 1983 to 2019, though the collarless tweed jacket itself is Coco Chanel's, from 1954. The ones here run from 1990 to the 2000s, and every one is pre-owned.

I resisted Chanel jackets for years, because they felt like something I was supposed to want rather than something I actually wanted. What changed my mind was trying one on. A well-made tweed jacket sits on your shoulders differently from anything else, and the older ones, from the 1990s and before, often feel more relaxed and easier to wear with jeans than the stiff, perfect versions in stores.

Buying vintage also means you get to choose from decades of colors instead of one season's. This first grid is all color: a blue wool blazer, two purple tweeds, a spring 1997 yellow fitted jacket with CC logo buttons, and a pale lilac leather and grosgrain jacket. If I were buying just one, it would be the red bouclé tweed with gold buttons, because red and gold over a black T-shirt is a complete outfit. A fitted jacket with a shorter length works best with high-waisted jeans, while a longer one is easier over a dress.

If you want newer jackets next to these, start with the jackets edit.

When did the Chanel jacket first appear? Coco Chanel conceived the tweed jacket in the 1920s, but it took her until 1954 to design it for women in the form we know. Her first collection after returning to fashion carried the collarless, braid-trimmed shape.

Who designed a Chanel tweed jacket from 1999? Karl Lagerfeld. He took over Chanel couture in 1983 and ready-to-wear in 1984, and led the house until 2019, so every 1990s and 2000s Chanel jacket on this page is his.

What do I check on a vintage Chanel tweed jacket? Look for braid trim, CC buttons and a chain sewn into the hem, which keeps the jacket hanging straight. These are house codes, not proof, so for a high-value piece a professional authenticator is the safest check.

Can I date a vintage Chanel jacket by a serial number? Not reliably. Chanel's serial stickers and chips are for bags, and clothing is identified by its labels, so date a jacket by its season and collection name. Ask the seller to show every label.

The evening jackets are where the vintage market gets really exciting. Sequins, lurex, lace and metallic tweed all turn up in older pieces, and they are much more wearable than they sound. A metallic tweed jacket over a white shirt and black trousers works for the office. The same jacket over a slip skirt is a party. The fall 1991 Karl Lagerfeld runway jacket in red tweed with floral sequins is the showpiece here. The black and ivory sequin cropped jacket is the one I would wear more often.

What I would skip: an evening jacket with loose or missing sequins in the photos, unless the seller is upfront about it and the price reflects it. Replacing sequins and beading well is skilled work. Check the buttons too, since original Chanel buttons are part of what you are paying for, and a mismatched set is worth asking about.

For a longer evening layer, look at the vintage opera coats edit.

If you want one Chanel jacket that works with everything for the rest of your life, get classic tweed in a neutral. Navy, brown, gray and pink with gray are the colors I would choose, and they are all here. The navy tweed jacket with gold CC buttons and four pockets is the one most people picture. The fall 1999 Lagerfeld silver tweed blazer and the 1993 tweed jacket with a silk lining are quieter versions that feel just as good.

Two things matter more than the label when you buy one secondhand: fit through the shoulders and the condition of the lining. Shoulders are hard and expensive to alter, so buy the jacket whose shoulders fit and worry less about the rest. A worn lining can be replaced by a good tailor, but plan for it. And buy from a seller who shows the label, the buttons and the inside of the jacket clearly.

If you would rather start with something lighter, the vintage blazers and knits edit has quieter options.

Match the jacket to an era and a designer, then check the hallmarks that every era shares.

1920s. Coco Chanel first drew on men's tweed sporting jackets, and the idea of a boxy, collarless jacket starts here. Early pieces are rare.

1954 to 1971. Coco Chanel's return years. Look for a collarless jacket with braid trim, gold buttons, patch pockets and a gold-colored chain sewn into the hem.

1971 to 1983. Chanel's assistants designed the lines after her death, so there is no single named designer. Go by the season and the construction.

1983 to 2019. Karl Lagerfeld took over couture in 1983 and ready-to-wear in 1984. The codes stay (tweed, braid, gold chains, the linked CC) with more color and embellishment, which is most of what you see here.

After 2019. Virginie Viard, then Matthieu Blazy, design the current jackets. Those are not vintage.

The hem chain. A metal chain sewn into the hem so the jacket hangs straight. Feel along the inside of the hem for it.

The trim. Braid along the edges and the front, with the double C on the buttons.

The finish. A lining stitched almost invisibly, with edges that meet cleanly down the front.

A vintage Chanel jacket is one I think is worth waiting for, because a good one gets worn for decades. Buy the jacket that fits your shoulders and goes with what you already wear, not the most famous one. A colored jacket if your wardrobe is mostly black, a classic tweed if you want the easiest option, an evening piece only if you actually go out. Vintage gives you decades of choice, so wait for the right one rather than settling for the first one in your size. Try on jackets in stores or at consignment shops first so you know your size and the shoulder shape that suits you. Sizes drift across decades, so read our vintage sizing guide before you trust the number on the tag. Then shop secondhand with confidence, knowing exactly what you are looking for.

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