When going out with your friends, it may seem like a coat or outerwear will ruin your outfit, but what if I told you there was a way out of that? Meet JAQ: the bag you can wear.
We all know the sequence of events; the debate you have with yourself when it comes time to leave the house. You tell yourself you can handle the cold weather, that the jacket isn’t necessary. A coat hides your top, there’s nowhere to put it when you are out, and coat check means a line and fee––people aren’t typically willing to wait or pay. So, you sacrifice your warmth, going out in a tank top and freeze on the walk home. JAQ’s founder describes that exact scene on the brand’s site: “It’s 2 am. It’s 35℉. You’re walking home in a tank top with just a purse, because you knew better than to bring a jacket. Sound familiar?”
That founder is Sofia, a Penn State Student (class of ‘28) who spent two years going out and working at a bar, watching the same cycle repeat each and every weekend. Her answer: a jacket that becomes your purse once you’re inside.
The first decision, the Espresso JAQ, is a dark brown faux suede with a matte finish and gold hardware showcased when worn as a purse. According to the brand, the jacket converts in seconds: it folds backwards twice, zips along the side, and tucks the pockets inside to form the purse. Undo those motions, and you have a jacket again. There are three zip pockets, holding your phone, cards, cash, lip gloss, and anything else you need on a night out. The perk here, though, is that the pockets came first––the founder notes “you never have to empty your pockets to switch,” the pockets on the jacket are the same in purse form. The design is listed as patent pending with a leather version on the way.
The coat is the bag. There is nothing extra to bring, it’s mindless and easy to use. Now, you don’t need to choose between the outfit and staying warm: JAQ gives you both. Their leading espresso color is perfectly in tune with the moment. Brown is the it color of fall. As celebrities debut their fall attire, we see a consistent trend: in terms of a color palette, “chocolate brown has the upper hand.” Brown has become a fashion staple, the new black, if you will. When deciding on an outfit, so many people turn to black, there’s no going wrong; however, the autumn and winter 2026 collections have made clear: defaulting to black is officially off the menu (Grazia). Brown has won in popularity over black this season due to its warmer and far more nuanced aesthetic. JAQ’s espresso faux suede was a strategic style choice that will not fail this season based on current fashion trends.
While JAQ is an up and coming company, demand signals are there. The brand notes 18,574 people joined the waitlist before their launch, and the Espresso jacket colorway was chosen by popular vote over the leather version––a very tactical, low-cost approach to decipher customer interests before investing heavily in inventory and production. Instead of manufacturing up front, JAQ sells through Kickstarter pre-orders, a common route for new fashion brands as backers fund production before it happens. Kickstarter “exists to help bring creative projects to life.” It lists 17 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and a lot of Europe, it can ship out to. Currently, JAQ offers pre-order but their prices are not listed on Kickstarter.
The market JAQ has entered has immense potential for success. Statista estimates the global apparel market will bring in about $1.92 trillion for the US in 2026, with women’s apparel being the largest segment at roughly $1 trillion. Premium outwear is growing within that: market.us values the luxury outwear market at $17.8 billion in 2024, projecting $34.4 billion by 2034 (6.8% growth a year).
JAQ is not competing on the coat alone, it sells a fix for one very familiar issue to one clear customer: young women going out in cold places, like us here in Ann Arbor and beyond who want to show off a chic look, not hide it under a parka. This focus is a strength and why I believe JAQ will be both successful and stylish. The risks are the usual ones for a crowdfunded first product: delivering on time, ensuring quality as order volume increases, and protecting your design others may try to replicate.
If JAQ can deliver, it will change the going-out routine. You won’t need to sacrifice warmth for style, JAQ gives you both. Staying warm doesn’t mean ruining the look, it becomes the look.
