Funnel-Neck Jackets Are Trending for Fall — Is This Helsa One Worth $648?
The funnel-neck jacket trend has been at the top of my fall wish list ever since I saw a longline leather one on the Altuzarra spring 2026 runway. The Phoebe Philo–inspired silhouette was also shown at Khaite and Victoria Beckham, and it dominated the street-style scene this month. The high, structured collar is the best of both worlds: It looks cool and modern while also providing warmth without the bulk of a scarf. There is something so appealing to me right now about going incognito, and who doesn’t want to hide behind a fabulous collar?
I recently got my hands on a funnel-neck leather moto jacket from Elsa Hosk’s brand Helsa. At $648, the piece is more affordable than anything I saw on the runway this September, but it’s certainly not cheap. I tested it for two weeks to see if it’s worth the money.
Helsa The Leather Oversized Moto Jacket
$648 at Forward by Elyse Walker
How does the Helsa funnel-neck jacket feel?
Expensive. This jacket is made from 100 percent cow leather — it’s heavy, soft, and smooth. This jacket looks much heavier than it actually is. It’s actually quite breathable. I wore it on a few of those annoying fall days when it was about 50 degrees in the morning (perfect leather-jacket weather!) but sunny and 75 degrees by lunchtime, and I didn’t get too hot. Sure, I felt a little silly walking to lunch in this jacket when people around me were wearing shorts, but I wasn’t uncomfortably hot and sweaty.
How does it fit?
Boxy and oversize. I took my usual size medium but wish I had sized down to a small. Yes, it’s supposed to be roomy, but mine swallows me a bit. Also, the sleeves are way too long on me. (You should know that I have long arms, so this literally never happens.) It has padded drop shoulders that sort of hang off the body, which gives it a relaxed, effortlessly cool look — very Hailey Bieber x Dani Michelle street-style vibes.
How did I style it?
The dramatic silhouette means this isn’t your everyday leather jacket that can be thrown over anything; it definitely needs a slim pair of pants or straight-leg jeans. I initially tried it on with these Agolde wide-leg jeans and, honestly, I looked a little crazy. I usually love an oversize look, but it was too much, even for me. (Don’t worry; I changed before I left my apartment.)
The dark denim clashed with the color of the jacket, but I actually loved the way it looked with these slightly faded black Everlane jeans. I got so many compliments on this look when I wore it to the office and a few press previews (including from a very chic co-worker of mine!). This would be a go-to lazy-day look for me if the jacket weren’t quite so oversize.
What’s great about the funnel-neck design is that you don’t need to do much in terms of styling — the jacket is the outfit. I loved wearing it zipped all the way up with the Madewell Longline Straight Jeans for a day of running around to press previews. Later that night, I changed into a pair of kick-flare pants to dress it up a bit. The subtle flare balanced out the wide shoulders of the jacket, and the distressed finish of the jacket looks great with solid black. It looked a little clunky unzipped — I wore it like that to the office with a cream sweater — but that’s mostly because it’s so big on me. I think it would look cool unzipped and with the collar down if it were the right size.
Since it’s slightly cropped, I found that it looks best with mid- and high-rise pants with a belt or tops and sweaters that are the same length and hit me at my natural waist. I wouldn’t wear it with anything that hits me at my hips.
Is it worth it?
If you have been searching high and low for a funnel-neck jacket, yes. If you want to invest in a versatile leather jacket that will become a wardrobe staple, no.
This jacket is absolutely fab, don’t get me wrong. And if it actually fit me, I would be wearing it all the time. It’s a unique, statement-making piece that will stand out from other jackets in your closet. The leather itself is high-quality, and since the finish is naturally distressed, it can withstand wear. That means people like me who tend to be hard on their clothes don’t have to worry about ruining it after a few years — I got a tiny scratch on mine, but it’s not noticeable at all and almost looks intentional. Also, if you want genuine leather, this jacket is one of the most affordable funnel-neck options on the market. Comparable styles from Róhe, Lamarque, Aflalo, and Nour Hammour are significantly more expensive (some are made from lamb leather as opposed to cow leather, and the price reflects that).
But as far as regular leather jackets go, the price per wear of this one is much lower than most. The shape makes it tricky to style, and some people (myself included) will find the extremely wide shoulders to be too much for everyday wear. So, again, if your priorities are versatility and wearability, I’d pass. At the under-$650 price point, you’ll definitely have more luck shopping vintage leather jackets on resale sites like the RealReal or eBay.
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