Are familiar Christmas icons making a comeback - this time through fashion?

Christmas trees, colourful decorative nuts, tin soldiers standing solemnly in front of small shop windows, Santa Claus everywhere, Christmas music resounding throughout the neighbourhood, childhood symbols also wearing new clothes,... Most of the above things seem to be only sold in street shops, or originally belong to high-rise buildings or festive stage decorations, but the 2025-2026 catwalks of luxury brands have given timely suggestions for the year-end festive season by transforming into tin soldiers, with the Hussar style of European cavalry.
That is the moment when fashion houses like Dior, McQueen or Ann Demeulemeester chose to take inspiration in the Spring Summer 2026 fashion season, bringing the icon that was originally on the shelf of the decoration store to become soulful and splendid. Therefore, the "Nutcracker-core" or more recently the Hussar or pelisse jacket became the new inspiration for 2025. The excitement of the holiday intersects with the discipline of military uniforms, both playful and majestic in history. The term "Nutcracker-core" reflects the way popular culture interprets fashion through memory; what once belonged to the stage or tradition is now transformed into a visual language of fashion. Just as Santa Claus or Snoopy became a recurring symbol every Christmas season, the military jacket also left its historical context to enter cultural life, becoming a trendy piece on the catwalk.

Hussar and pelisse jacket - The majestic image of the cavalry

The Nutcracker-inspired image of the wooden soldier in The Nutcracker has been making waves on social media, spreading through outfit-matching videos and shopping suggestions on TikTok. Braided straps across the chest, horizontal shoulder pads, straight rows of decorative buttons,... have now become a style icon with a dramatic, romantic, nostalgic feel, recreated in a minimalist and trendy language.
The rise of Nutcrackercore also revives a historical image - the Hussar coat of the 15th-century Hungarian cavalry. Originally a military uniform, the Hussar (or dolman) is recognised by its tight fit, intricate braiding, metal frog buttons and fur-lined pelisse. Like the details on the Vietnamese military coat, these details serve to identify ranks and combat units. However, the splendour and solemnity of the uniform, combined with its colourful tones, metallic braids and busby fur hats, create an image of a romantic and worldly cavalryman, becoming a source of inspiration on high-end fashion runways and a premise for Christmas outfit ideas.

Many designers brought this shirt back to the runways next spring with their own unique perspective, such as Se&aacute;n McGirr at McQueen, Jonathan Anderson for designs at Dior Men or Stefano Gallici's inspiration for Ann Demeulemeester's collection, all of which exploited the slim fit, braided details and signature buttons. Or we can mention the outstanding moment when Jenna Ortega appeared at the Dior show wearing a sleeveless Hussar shirt, which went viral on social networks and became a symbol of this inspiration.
Despite its recent popularity, the Hussar trend is not entirely new, but a revival and reinterpretation of the mid-2000s &ldquo;indie sleaze&rdquo; era, incorporating, refreshing, and blending past and present. It is this balance of nostalgia and innovation that has once again made the Hussar Jacket a powerful, dramatic symbol that is both noticeable and popular even in everyday street mixes.

In the 1970s and 1980s, The Beatles appeared on the cover of their album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is wearing brightly colored hussar-inspired jackets with elaborate embellishments, accentuated shoulders, and distinctive cross-straps. This influence extended to the performances of glam rockers such as David Bowie, Marc Bolan and Queen, who turned military jackets into dramatic elements, emphasising their flamboyant visuals and bold, stage-ready shoulders, both royal and adventurous.
In the 1980s and 1990s, haute couture houses brought the hussar influence to the catwalk. Thierry Mugler and Jean-Paul Gaultier drew inspiration from the military coat, sometimes taking it directly from the hussar uniforms with frogging, hand embroidery, and shoulder accents to create outfits that were both powerful and iconic. In the 1990s, Dior under John Galliano focused on developing the hussar-inspired tailoring on the catwalk, with its bouncy shoulders, elaborate embellishments and luxurious velvet or silk.
Alexander McQueen also presented his Fall/Winter Ready-to-Wear collection, &ldquo;What a Merry-Go‑Round,&rdquo; in 2001, where stylised military jackets took centre stage. These pieces featured braiding and frogging. In 2016, Olivier Rousteing brought the Hungarian cavalry, the legendary Hussars of the army, to the Balmain Fall/Winter Menswear runway. The jackets featured elaborate frogging and intricate embroidery, giving them a distinctly hussar-like feel.

Not only on the catwalk, this image also appears a lot on big theatre stages. Typically, the show "Christmas Spectacular" at Radio City Music Hall, where the Rockettes performed classics such as "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" with costumes reminiscent of generals and wooden soldiers. Precise choreography combined with eye-catching costumes has turned the Rockettes into a living symbol of the holiday season, both artistic and fashion icons. Or more familiar and familiar must be mentioned in classic ballets such as The Nutcracker (premiered 1892, choreographed by Marius Petipa, music by Tchaikovsky), hussar coats are often used for military or ceremonial characters.

Thus, the symbols of the festive season not only exist in childhood memories or become Christmas decorations, but also become aesthetic materials that remind of traditional culture. Those images, whether on the catwalk, social networks or in fashion campaigns, all carry nostalgic value, reminding the wearer of familiar festive memories from a new and more contemporary perspective.

Hussar & Pelisse Jackets: The Tin Soldier Look

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