15 Most Iconic Jackets in Movie History: From Mrs. Robinson to Indiana Jones

It’s interesting to think about what remains prescient in the public consciousness, especially in cinema. Some films become a part of a greater canon of pop-culture history, while others fade into obscurity.

On another level, the costumes and clothing certain characters wear in legendary films can take on an iconic life of their own, a testament to the level of detail Hollywood wardrobe supervisors hold themselves to.

Here is our list of the most iconic jackets in movie history. These famous pieces of clothing were just as memorable as the movie characters that wore them.

1. The Leopard Jacket from The Graduate: Seductive Vintage Glamour

Worn by the character referenced in Simon and Garfunkel’s famous song “Mrs. Robinson,” The Graduate was deemed an “instant classic” when it premiered in 1967.

Although Mrs. Robinson is not the film’s protagonist, she arguably became the most iconic character, no doubt in part due to her keen sense of style and sex appeal onscreen.

Anne Bancroft wears a leopard jacket as Mrs. Robinson with Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock in the 1967 American romantic comedy-drama film The Graduate (Credit: Embassy Pictures / United Artists)

This is embodied in her iconic leopard-print jacket, which has such a loud presence that it simply cannot be ignored in any scene where it appears.

The leopard jacket truly encapsulates Mrs. Robinson’s character. It’s elegant, stylish, somewhat intimidating, and a flagrant symbol of wealth and affluence. For those reasons, it deserves a spot on this list.

2. James Dean’s Red Harrington in Rebel Without a Cause: Timeless Rebel Cool

It’s nearly impossible to discuss iconic film outfits without mentioning this legendary look that James Dean wore in his most ubiquitous role as Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause.

Since James Dean suffered an untimely death at age 24 and only managed to star in three films, the look became associated with the actor himself, transcending the film and the character as well.

James Dean as troubled teenager Jim Stark wears a cherry-red jacket in the 1955 American coming-of-age drama film Rebel Without a Cause (Credit: Warner Bros.)

The jacket shouts cool, making it the perfect aesthetic for Jim, a character who embodies the dissatisfied, rebellious youth of the 1950s.

James Dean’s Jim Stark completes his iconic rebel look with sturdy black engineer boots, anchoring the 1950s greaser style in rugged authenticity (Credit: Warner Bros.)

According to a popular rumor, James Dean liked the jacket so much that he kept it after Rebel Without a Cause wrapped, which helped create a strong association between the actor and the iconic piece of outerwear.

3. Travis Bickle’s Army Jacket in Taxi Driver: Post-War Grit and Isolation

I love it when a character maintains a recognizable look throughout a film. In Taxi Driver, the protagonist Travis Bickle (famously played by Robert De Niro) dons this army jacket for the entirety of the film as he traverses through the streets of New York City.

Robert De Niro wears a green military jacket as Travis Bickle in the 1976 American film Taxi Driver (Credit: Columbia Pictures)

Although the jacket certainly fits the aesthetic of the troubled character, it also maintains significance in the film’s overall themes.
Travis is a discharged Vietnam War veteran who still wears his beat-up army jacket.

The film was released at the height of tension surrounding the Vietnam War and served as commentary for those negatively affected by the conflict.

4. The Scorpion Jacket in Drive: Neon Noir and Modern Minimalism

Let’s switch gears and look at an iconic jacket from a more recent film: Drive, released in 2011.

Nicolas Winding Refn is certainly a director with a passion for aesthetics, and that passion is clearly on display in the wardrobe choices of the characters, most notably the film’s unnamed protagonist (played by Ryan Gosling).

Inspired by the band KISS and Kenneth Anger’s 1964 experimental film Scorpio Rising, Ryan Gosling wears a satin jacket with the logo of a golden scorpion on the back in the 2011 American action drama film Drive (Credit: FilmDistrict)

Gosling sports a wickedly badass jacket throughout the film. It features a satin construction emblazoned with a large yellow scorpion stretched across the back.

Since the film is so light on dialogue, the visuals really take center stage, which is one reason why the jacket has become such a memorable piece of recent cinematic history.

5. The Matrix’s Black Trench Coats: Defining the Cyberpunk Aesthetic

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more instantly recognizable look in 1990s cinema than the long, black trench coats worn by protagonists Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) in The Matrix, one of the decade’s most iconic films.

The Matrix is set in a sci-fi universe where humanity is sedated and forced to live in a virtual world crafted by alien overlords.

Keanu Reeves as Thomas Anderson/Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity in the 1999 science fiction action film The Matrix (Credit: Warner Bros. / Roadshow Entertainment)

While there doesn’t seem to be a canonical reason why all the human protagonists in the film wear long coats, it’s clear why the Wachowskis decided on the slick, all-black look.

It’s cool, it’s different, and it certainly gives off an otherworldly impression that fits the film’s aesthetic and subject matter.

6. John Bender’s Denim Jacket in The Breakfast Club: Teen Rebellion Personified

Placing a group of wildly different teenagers in a single room for a whole summer day might not seem like the most exciting concept in the world. Still, director John Hughes managed to work magic with his cast in The Breakfast Club, which became one of the most popular films with teenagers of the 1980s.

Of that cast, the designated “cool kid” was certainly John Bender (played by Judd Nelson), a rebellious and hard-headed teen with a devil-may-care attitude.

Judd Nelson wears a denim jacket as John Bender in the 1985 American teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film The Breakfast Club (Credit: Universal Pictures)

And what look did Hughes decide on for this cool character? A Levi’s trucker denim jacket, of course.

The perfect choice for a character who seemingly cares little for his appearance, Bender’s jacket paired with fingerless gloves became one of the film’s most recognizable looks.

7. Cher’s Yellow Plaid Jacket in Clueless: A 90s Fashion Milestone

When Clueless premiered in 1995, it offered no shortage of iconic outfits that inspired the fashion choices of many young men and women of the era.

While we could reasonably include several outfits from this film on this list, none of them made quite as much of a splash as the yellow plaid jacket that spoiled rich kid Cher (Alicia Silverstone) flaunts in the film.

Alicia Silverstone wears a yellow plaid jacket as Cher Horowitz with Stacey Dash in a matching plaid set as Dionne Davenport in the 1995 American coming-of-age teen comedy film Clueless (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

Despite the character’s unlikable nature, her iconic style had a lasting influence on young women’s fashion. I guess it was just too hard to look away from that bright yellow jacket-and-skirt combo (designed by Dolce Gabbana, we might add).

8. Candyman’s Shearling Trench Coat: Haunting Elegance in Horror

Particularly popular with Black audiences because of its revolutionary depiction of POC characters in an urban Chicago setting, Candyman was one of the more unique films in the 1990s slasher canon.

It almost seems like a given that each slasher villain will have an iconic piece of clothing. Michael Myers has his William Shatner mask. Jason Vorhees has his vintage hockey goalie mask. Freddie Krueger has his striped sweater.

Tony Todd wears a long shearling coat in the 1992 American Gothic supernatural horror film Candyman (Credit: TriStar Pictures)

The Candyman has his dark, long shearling coat, which has become as recognizable as the other wardrobe pieces mentioned—partly because it sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the clothing choices of the film’s other characters.

9. Renton’s Bomber Jacket in Trainspotting: Gritty 90s Counter-Culture

Another iconic film of the 1990s, Trainspotting managed to put Scottish cinema on the map with its brutal depiction of heroin addicts and their struggles in impoverished areas of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Although there is a core cast of five heroin addicts that are portrayed in the film, the most iconic (and popular) is none other than Mark “Rent Boy” Renton, whom a young Ewan McGregor plays in his breakout role.

Ewan McGregor wears a black bomber jacket as Mark “Rent Boy” Renton in the 1996 Scottish black comedy-drama film Trainspotting (Credit: PolyGram Filmed Entertainment)

Mark “Rent Boy” Renton is rarely without his dingy black bomber jacket, which quickly became a popular style among young people in the 1990s. The character even wore the jacket in the sequel, T2 Trainspotting, released 21 years later, in 2017.

10. Rick’s Camel Trench Coat in Casablanca: Old Hollywood Sophistication

Flipping back to the golden age of Hollywood, it’s nearly impossible to think of the city of Casablanca without thinking of this iconic piece of Hollywood history.

Of all the looks present in the film, perhaps none has become more emblematic of the time period than Rick Blaine’s (played by Humphrey Bogart) camel-colored trench coat, which he wears during some of the most famous scenes of the film.

Humphrey Bogart wears a trench coat as Rick Blaine with Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund, Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault, and Paul Henreid as Victor Laszlo in the 1942 American romantic drama film Casablanca (Credit: Warner Bros.)

Something about the dark, rainy scenes pairs beautifully with the lightly colored coat, and the look definitely stuck with audiences in the 1940s.

Burberry provided the coat for the film and is credited with creating the trench coat’s iconic design. It doesn’t get more iconic than that.

11. Maverick’s Flight Jacket in Top Gun: Military Style with Movie Star Swagger

Maybe it’s recency bias talking, but we always thought that Maverick’s (played by Tom Cruise) sweet pilot jacket that he dons in both the original Top Gun (1986) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022) is grossly underappreciated when compared to some of the other famous jackets featured in this list.

Tom Cruise wears a leather G-1 jacket as LT Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the 1986 American action drama film Top Gun (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

Maverick’s classic look definitely inspired the looks of some Top Gun wannabes in the 1980s, and we’re certain that we’ll be seeing more of these pilot jackets around the neighborhood with the recent popularity of the sequel, which has been enjoying a top spot at the box office since its premiere in May.

There’s something undeniably charming about the olive green jacket, with its colorful patches.

12. Tyler Durden’s Red Leather Jacket in Fight Club: Bold and Unapologetically Rebellious

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the red leather jacket that Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt, but you probably know that) wears throughout Fight Club.

Since this was one of Brad Pitt’s breakout roles, the red leather jacket has become almost synonymous with the actor (who is still one of the coolest in Hollywood).

Brad Pitt wears a red leather biker jacket as Tyler Durden with Edward Norton as the Narrator in the 1999 American film Fight Club (Credit: 20th Century Fox)

According to popular legend, the wardrobe supervisors working on Fight Club found this leather jacket at a vintage clothing and consignment store in Los Angeles. They instantly decided to use it as the main look for the film’s most recognizable character.

Since Tyler Durden ends up being an imaginary figure in the film, we think no one on earth (other than Pitt) could pull this look off.

13. Indiana Jones’ Leather Jacket: Rugged Adventure Icon

Although this list is in no particular order, it would be hard not to put this enigmatic jacket at the very top.

From Raiders of the Lost Ark to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Indiana Jones (famously played by Harrison Ford) is rarely seen without his dusty brown leather jacket, often paired with his leather hat to form one of Hollywood’s most recognizable outfits.

Harrison Ford wears a brown leather jacket as Indiana Jones in the 1981 American action-adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

Interestingly, Wested Leather Co., a small clothier in Kent, England, designed and produced the jacket used in the film.

The company (which specializes in leather jackets) has produced costumes for various famous films, including Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and multiple James Bond 007 series films.

Die-hard fans of the Indiana Jones character can actually purchase a brand-new replica of the famous jacket, which the company still produces today.

14. Margot Tenenbaum’s Fendi Fur Coat in The Royal Tenenbaums: Her Signature Look

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot Tenenbaum has one of the most recognizable wardrobes in Wes Anderson’s 2001 comedy-drama The Royal Tenenbaums. Her pin-straight bob, heavily lined eyes, loafers, and oversized fur coat work almost like a uniform, making the character identifiable before she even says a word.

Italian fashion house Fendi made the light brown fur coat specifically for the film. Rather than functioning as an occasional statement piece, the long coat became central to Margot’s carefully composed look, contrasting its old-fashioned luxury with the character’s understated clothes and emotionally detached demeanor.

Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum pairs her long Fendi fur coat with loafers and a Hermès Birkin bag in The Royal Tenenbaums (Credit: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution)

The styling is especially memorable because the pieces fit Margot’s character so well. The luxurious Fendi coat and Hermès bag suggest privilege, while her simple dresses, flat shoes, severe bob, and smudged dark eye makeup give the look a deliberately unfussy quality.

More than two decades after the film’s release, that combination remains one of the defining fashion images associated with The Royal Tenenbaums.

15. Johnny Strabler’s Biker Jacket in The Wild One: The Birth of Motorcycle Cool

Capping off this list is a look that drew the attention of your grandparents.

When Marlon Brando appeared on screen as biker gang leader Johnny Strabler in The Wild One, he shocked audiences with his ruthless, violent characterization and badass look, typified by his slick black leather biker jacket.

Marlon Brando wears a Perfecto-style motorcycle jacket and a tilted cap as Johnny Strabler in the 1953 American crime film The Wild One (Credit: Columbia Pictures)

The film stayed in the public’s consciousness, most likely because it was one of the first to address the growing subculture of American biker gangs. Biker gangs in cinema (and the leather jackets that they wear) have never been the same since.

From Margot Tenenbaum’s Fendi fur coat to Maverick’s flight jacket and James Dean’s red Harrington, these pieces endure because they became inseparable from the characters who wore them. Jackets are only part of that story: dresses, shoes, and accessories have also helped define some of cinema’s most recognizable characters and inspired memorable fashion beyond the screen.