No matter how many fall jackets and coatigans I collect, my J.Crew sweater-jackets consistently end up hanging on the “special” hooks. You know the ones… the row of hooks holding the most-worn pieces you instinctively reach for again and again as you walk out the door.
sweater-jacket (s) | top (s) | bag | jeans (29)
These J.Crew coatigans are basically the definition of easy… timeless, comfortable, and endlessly useful. Every year I tell myself I’m going to mix things up, but somehow I just keep coming back to these specific comfy knit pieces. I’ve tried plenty of other fantastic layers over the years, but I never seem to stop reaching for these particular J.Crew classic sweater-jackets.
So, I pulled together a full try-on and comparison of the 2025 J.Crew Sweater-Jacket Collection — reviewing the fits, fabrics, and how each one actually works with my everyday outfits. I tried them with track pants and sneakers, with barrel jeans and woven flats, and with flares and clogs… basically, how I actually wear them out the door on the daily.
Quick Guide: J.Crew Sweater-Jackets 2025
1. J.Crew Zip Flight Sweater-Jacket: Review
sweater-jacket (s) | outfit details
COLORS: Heather camel, heather charcoal, & black
SIZE RANGE: XXS-XL
FIT: TTS; Wearing a small here and happy with the fit, could go up a size if you want super oversized
MATERIAL: 70% poly/30% lambswool
PRICE: $188 full-price (but J.Crew has TONS of sales)
sweater-jacket (s) | outfit details
PROS: I love the fresh “grandpa zip style” of this new J.Crew sweater-jacket and the very slight sporty vibe (with the zip); the lines and length look great with barrel jeans (as well as full-length flares and track pants); all three colors are easy-to-wear and work beautifully with popular 2025 fall color trends; fabric is soft to the touch and has a nice medium weight (similar to previous years’ beloved J.Crew coatigan medium-weight fiber contents); has pockets.
CONS: The zipper is definitely not great; All 3 colorways had finicky zippers that weren’t easy to use (doesn’t bother me because I literally never zip this type of sweater-jacket, but if you do zip– I’d say this a no-go for that one reason); I’m very confused by the reviews regarding sizing –I’m wearing my typical size S and it is definitely not way oversized on me…if anything I would consider sizing up if I wanted it truly oversized.
…also in black
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Same fit & feel as the heather camel colorway reviewed above, but in an easy go-to black.
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…and in charcoal
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Same great shape and details as the tan and black above, but in a rich shade of charcoal gray. I love how this particular charcoal mixes so well with all the shades of brown and tan this season… a great option if you want something a little different from the go-to black sweater-jacket option.
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2. J.Crew Long Sweater-Blazer With Patch Pockets: Review
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COLORS: Heather khaki, heather walnut, & black
SIZE RANGE: XXS-3X
FIT: Oversized fit, but I’m happy with my typical size small
MATERIAL: 35% cotton/35% poly/30% merino wool
PRICE: $198 full-price (but J.Crew has TONS of sales)
sweater-blazer (s) | outfit details
PROS: Very similar to my old Ella J.Crew coatigan that I adore and still wear; a fantastic classic and timeless style; I like that it can be worn like a jacket, but has the weight and ultra-comfy feel of a sweater; soft to the touch fabric (easy-to-wear cotton-blend-knit that J.Crew sweater-jackets and coatigans are known for); cute patch pockets.
CONS: Nothing terribly exciting or particularly new about this guy — just a classic reliable closet workhorse; some reviews complain that it’s way oversized, but I personally really like the fit of my typical small size…maybe because I like it to fit more like an oversized jacket, not a fitted cardigan.
…also in black
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You obviously can’t go wrong with the classic black colorway in this style. Elegant and versatile with the same fit and feel as the khaki reviewed above.
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…and in brown
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This style is also available in rich walnut brown…especially great for fall 2025 if you like mixing all your shades of brown together (which I like to do). Same fit & feel as the camel and black above.
sweater-blazer (s) | outfit details
3. J.Crew Shawl-Collar Sweater-Jacket: Review
sweater-jacket (s) | outfit details
COLORS: Heather birch, heather dove, & black
SIZE RANGE: XXS-3X
FIT: Very oversized; wearing my typical size small here and you can see it’s more oversized than any of the other sweater-jackets I tried with more fabric as well; I would consider sizing down if you don’t want the dramatically oversized look.
MATERIAL: 35% cotton/35% poly/30% merino wool
PRICE: $198 full-price (but J.Crew has TONS of sales)
sweater-jacket (s) | outfit details
PROS: Super drapey and dramatic; this is a fun one to wear if you like lots of extra fabric and flow; definitely gives off a drapey-wool coat vibe, but without the heaviness/stiffness of a wool coat; soft to the touch fabric (easy-to-wear cotton-blend-knit that J.Crew sweater-jackets and coatigans are known for); cute patch pockets and elegant shawl-collar.
CONS: A lot of fabric; at first I was a definite “no” because of this, but the oversized drapey style quickly grew on me once layered over full outfits; I would consider sizing down though.
…also in black
sweater-jacket (s) | outfit details
This one’s identical in fit and feel to the birch colorway shown above, but the black might be easier to dress up if you’re looking for versatility.
sweater-jacket (s) | outfit details
4. J.Crew Relaxed Milano Stitch Cardigan: Review
COLORS: Heather acorn muslin; black heather ash; & quiet rose bloom
SIZE RANGE: XXS-3X
FIT: Oversized; Wearing a size small here and happy with the oversized fit
MATERIAL: 44% acrylic/24% merino wool/17% polyamide/12% alpaca/3% elastane
PRICE: $228 full-price (but J.Crew has TONS of sales)
PROS: Medium weight that’s heavy enough to wear as a fall top layer, but leans more toward a true cardigan style vs cardigan-jacket; cool “grandpa-adjacent” style but with modern touches; love the pretty buttons, big pockets, and sleeve shape; drape is also good; pretty colorways; overall interesting shape and style; I’d love to see that pink layered with all the gorgeous rich fall browns!
CONS: Fiber content combination isn’t as smooth-to-the-touch on my skin as the cotton-blend sweater-jackets; wasn’t at all itchy on me, but just a different feel from the others.
Other Colorways
5. J. Crew Barn Jacket Sweater In Boiled Wool: Review
I’m not even doing a full pros/cons/detail review on this one because it was just SO bad and it’s sold out (I guess others also had high hopes for this one….or J.Crew just took it out of the line-up b/c of complaints?) Not sure…but I hated it. So stiff and uncomfortable and oddly shaped and just…bad.
There is, however a new knit sweater-jacket (shown below) that just was added to the J.Crew sweater-jacket fall collection that looks MUCH better and has a similar vibe to what I was hoping for with the one above. Not the typical classic long coatigan style I gravitate to at J.Crew, but I’m intrigued. So far it has great reviews ,and I love the colorway options and added pockets… cute, right
Which J.Crew Sweater-Jacket Is Best For Fall 2025?
So… from my quick deep dive down The Mom Edit archives, it appears I’ve been singing J.Crew’s sweater-jacket praises since 2021 — every single fall! Oooof… that is some serious sweater-jacket/coatigan commitment. It’s true that I was once quoted in a TME fashion trends meeting declaring, “Nothing qualifies as a true fall outfit unless there’s a coatigan involved. Period.” Well… at least in my fashion rule book.
Some years it’s been easy to pick a favorite. In 2023, it was clearly the Ella (which is very similar to this year’s “Long Sweater-Blazer”). In 2021, it was a shorter sweater-blazer that I got years and years of use out of. But in others, i.e. 2022 and 2024, I truly loved several different styles for different reasons.
This year is definitely a “hard-to-pick-just-one” kind of year. Each of these sweater-jackets is great for different reasons depending on what you’re looking for. The Long Sweater-Blazer is the one I reach for most often — classic, comfy, and easy to wear with everything. The Zip Flight Sweater-Jacket is the best new addition for 2025, with its sporty-ish zip and modern cut (just be warned: the zipper’s a bit finicky, but I rarely zip mine anyway.) The Shawl-Collar Sweater-Jacket wins for that oversized drape that instantly adds a dramatic vibe (consider sizing down, though). And if you’re after something a little more in the traditional cardigan category (but still with a chic vibe), the Relaxed Milano Stitch Cardigan is a great one to have on hand.
Okay… anyone else out there committed to fall sweater-jacket style? They’re just so comfortable and easy. And I feel like as long as J.Crew keeps making wearable, well-designed options like these, it’s going to be hard for me to ever stop reaching for them.
Feel free to share any other favorite soft and comfy top layers you’re wearing! As always, I love hearing from you all.
-Linzi
