Safe or Smokin': Jackets for fall
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| Elizabeth & James man-tailored jacket from Saks |
We know the Safe Jacket, wardrobe stalwart, work staple, dependable travel companion. I once deplaned from a business meeting to find the overhead bin stuffed with four identical black man-tailored jackets. I found mine by the label. That's when I decided to forsake conventional blazers.
I'm shopping for a jacket, and am not a woman who can pull off Ines de la Fressange's trick of buying a blazer two sizes too small to make it "cuter". I'd estimate the percentage of Passage readers who can do so is lower than my milk-fat choice.
1. Look for an element of surprise.
Don't you tire of the sea of collar-and-lapel cuts on offer? I would like to avoid that convention altogether.
Isaac Mizrahi wool bow jacket, $2,277 from Saks. The front is strict; then she turns.
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| KaufmanFranco leather and knit |
KaufmanFranco's jacket, with a knit body and leather sleeves smokes superlatively! The merino/baby alpaca is going to feel fantastic. But all that style and sass comes at a price: $1,695 at Neiman Marcus.
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| Carven blazer |
When I found this, I swooned, sighed, murmured "Frrrrench". Carven have gentled classic tailoring while keeping the impeccable line, all in soft taupe. The pocketed wool flannel blazer is $800 at net-a-porter.
Colour adds life and richness to the classic blazer body; the art is finding a shade so unexpected that you can use it like a neutral.
Boden offer a velvet blazer, one of my all-time beloved items, in a range of patterns and colours, including leopard and tiger but not a very subtle leopard or tiger. I'd look like a plush toy.
My favourite is the vibrant mallard. (I have avoided Boden for years because of their exorbitant shipping rates and iffy quality, but a friend says they have improved.) Price, £75.
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| Boden velvet blazer |
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| J. Crew velvet schoolboy |
J. Crew's velvet schoolboy blazer comes in tantalizing colours, including this dark blossom, and the moody olive moss; price, $168.
3. Catch a weave
A knit jacket fills the need for polish, with the bonus of comfort and packability. Maybe, I thought, after unbuttoning endless stretch wool fabrics, I need a knit.
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| Rachel Comey knit |
Rachel Comey Fair-Isle knit jacket, $380. Defined shoulders and a belt elevate this from being just-a-sweater, and the pattern will work with any neutral.
Boden's Barcelona jacket, shown here in fig melange, has the sophistication to skip from jeans to workday. Price, £89.
Goat Langley Knitted Jacket in petrol shows the detail I would expect when investing €465. Worn with soft pants or a skirt, this smokes in a most rafinée manner. Also available in rose; at Stylebop.com.
So far, I'm still looking, but swaying toward soft, no collar or lapel unless it's one of those intense velvets. You can't have smokin' without some heat!
Comments
Darla
Looks stylish and cozy...a winner in that shade too.
And I increasingly think I would never again invest that much money in a boring basic or classic, only in special pieces that make my heart sing.
As I'm making my packing list, it's getting clearer and clearer that my accent color this fall is going to be what a friend calls "muddy purple" -- so why fight it?
Pam: Mizrhi, when not constrained by the mass market imperatives of Liz Claibourn, can really nail it.
pseu: I want one too, especially in dead of winter when everything is grey here.
Darla: Good, while these specific ones might not be for you, they give ideas.
hostess: They do have petite sizes, but we in Canada must accept shipping from UK, even though we are so much closer to US and they charge a LOT.
kathy peck: I got to pet the Carven fall line at a local boutique. You're right, they are built for slim women, and stop at a reedy 8ish. However, the tailoring is so exquisite that they do not add pounds, at least to the women I saw trying them.
Many women love St. John; I would like the jacket broken up with other pieces. A black knit jacket is a marvelously wearable item.
Susan Tiner: Isn't that the sweet spot!
Mardel: I've seen leather sleeved jackets in other lines, too. Wonder whether what you need for your new location might have to be lighter?
Rubi: I can see how the purples and plums would look terrific on you.
The Carven is beautiful and I really like some of the colours in Boden this year, they have a beautiful emerald green.
St. John's is a good idea, as is Pendleton (they're working on their line). I'm looking forward to a Margaret O'Leary shop opening near me--I had a sweater jacket of hers that I wore for a good 10 years.
Bourbon: Boden are trying to nip at the heels of J. Crew and thankfully offer a wider size range.
Jean S: You put it succinctly. I *love* Margaret O'Leary; you are lucky.
C.
P.S. I really admire the way that Carven jacket uses the structure of those high pockets to shape and camouflage a soft waist.
Chicatanyage: So, what is your strategy? I might ask to borrow it!
Interestingly, the reviews aren't overwhelmingly favorable for it. People seem to find it too bulky.
That's a problem with garter stitch jackets -- they have to be made with very fine yarn to look elegant. Otherwise, they look like chain mail. (Really. Our local Shakespeare theater had a whole costume department full of garter-stitch-and-spray-paint chain mail. Looked great from the audience!)
Rubi: Maybe you can order from UK site (if they have it) and have it shipped to Spain? Garter stitch can be bulky, a lot depends on the pattern and armhole.
frugal: Can't stand not having my arms free, same with capes. Have occasionally admired them on others.
I got a post up today with pictures. The sleeveless look does work, though it fits a bit big in the shoulders (probably affecting draping). Overall, I like the design at the neck, but the folds don't transition nicely across the bust. I'm still on the fence but doubt I'll end up wearing it due to the bust. I think I might be able to modify the pattern so that it works.
materfamilias: Would you post a pic? It sounds so cool! (Yes, Mackage is Mtl.)
I am glad you like the blue top.
C.