This style of jacket is referred to by many different names in retail. Some call it a safari or military jacket. Others call it a cropped parka or anorak. I know it as a utility jacket. 

We see utility jackets every year, so the style is not new. They are usually in a shade of olive, khaki, grey, navy, black or brown, and sometimes in a non-neutral colour. Utility jackets are generally made of a thick, distressed cotton twill and have quite a bit of pocket and topstitch detailing. Every so often you’ll see them in a washed silk or waxed cotton. They often have a drawstring at the waist or even a tie belt. 

Utility jackets are ideal for casual outfits, and a fab lightweight jacket option for mild Autumn and Winter climates. A little tomboy, a little tough, and quite maximal because of all the design detailing. They are a no-brainer with jeans, denim shorts or ponte pants, biker or cowboy boots, and a tee, simple pullover or plaid shirt. Add a scarf and some arm candy. This is how my clients like to wear their utility jackets in child friendly or very casual settings. 

Pairing a casual utility jacket with dressy pieces is a vibe I like even more. It’s fashion forward and makes for an interesting juxtaposition. So think outside the box by wearing it with fancy heels, sequins, silky blouses, pencil skirts, sheath dresses and bling — much like you would pair a denim jacket with a dressy outfit to dress it down.

As much as I like the look of utility jackets on others, and their cool juxtaposition with dressy pieces, I would still rather wear an iconic faded denim jacket or a moto jacket. Or a streamlined casual blazer sans all the pocket and zipper detailing. This type of safari, military and tomboy styling is not my thing. That said, I would wear the navy cotton belted jacket from Banana Republic from the items below probably because it’s more classic, less casual, and in navy. I look dreadful in khaki and most shades of olive. 

Would you wear a utility jacket? If so, how would you style it? Do you like the idea of wearing a safari jacket with dressier pieces, sequins and bling? Or will you stick to other styles of casual jackets.

The Westfield Style Tour invites you all to engage in free fashion consultations with Style for Hire fashion stylists who will inspire you to put together your Fall style. These stylists, who help women of all shapes and ages find a look that is best suited to them, were trained by Stacy London of “What Not To Wear” fame. 

Each stylist will work one-to-one with a guest offering specific wardrobe recommendations for the individual’s body type and style aspiration by pulling items from the Westfield Style Closet — an assortment of merchandise from many of Westfield’s most popular retailers. Once guests have found items that best match their personal tastes and needs, they can enjoy a free makeup consultation at the Westfield Beauty Bar to complete their look. 

Stacy London has also compiled a great little teaching tool called the Westfield Style Manual that will be available at the Style Tour. It’s not a typical fashion magazine, but more of a hands-on, how-to shopping manual. It identifies women of different ages, sizes and shapes, and suggests style trends, retailers, product lines, and beauty secrets for each of them. I was impressed with this manual and I think it is well worth a look. 

The Westfield Style Tour sounds like a fun event and a great opportunity to work with a stylist at no additional cost. Here are the dates and times. Stacy London will be meeting and greeting at some of the tours, so keep your eyes peeled for some celebrity style spotting.

• Westfield Fox Valley, Fox Valley Center, Macy’s Court, Aurora, IL: Sept 15 &16 Sat:11am to 7pm. Sun: 12 to 6pm. 
• Westfield South Center, Southcenter Mall, Macy’s Court, Seattle, WA: Sept 22-23 & 29-30. Sat:11am to 7pm. Sun: 12 to 6pm. 
• Westfield Culver City, Center Court, Culver City, CA: October 6-7 & 13-14. Sat:11am to 7pm. Sun: 12 to 6pm. 
• Westfield North County, Center Court, Escondido, CA: October 20-21 & 27-28. Sat:11am to 7pm. Sun: 12 to 6pm. 

I will be at the Westfield Style Tour at the Southcenter Mall on Saturday 22 October, checking things out, having fun with fashion, and interviewing Stacy. I’d love to see you there!

We purchase items for an imaginary lifestyle. We purchase items for an imaginary climate. We purchase items so far out of our comfort zone that we never get used to wearing them. We are attracted to a style or trend, go for it, only to find out that it’s not for us after we’ve road tested the look. We thought we looked fab in a colour, when on second thought it’s unflattering. We thought we looked fab in a particular silhouette when on second thought, what were we thinking!? 

Does any of this sound familiar? 

Despite an informed decision making process, purchasing mistakes are inevitable because shopping for fashion is not an exact science. No-one is immune. Fashion stylists, image consultants, style bloggers, retail buyers and magazine editors make purchasing mistakes just like everyone else. 

I’ve purchased my fair share of items that haven’t worked out. These fun two toned Dr. Martens are currently orphaned because the heels are just too high. I thought they would work because the footbeds are cushioning, the leather soft, and the platform decreases the arch of the foot. I’ve been wearing flat Docs for decades and my feet love them! So I had high hopes that the heeled variety would follow suit. Not a chance. The balls of my feet hurt after about an hour and now these darlings are sitting shoes. Lesson learned and note to self: no matter how comfy they are in store, DO NOT purchase heels that are higher than two inches if you plan to walk in them for longer than an hour.

I have finally gotten my head around NOT purchasing for our imaginary Seattle Summer. After living here for nine years, this is the first year that I did not purchase sleeveless items. That’s how long it took for the penny to drop. In this climate I run too cold to wear sleeveless items sans layers, which is my preference. Every time we have hot weather, which lasts no longer than two weeks, I think, well, maybe just a few more sleeveless tops because I love wearing them. This year I resisted the urge and it was the right thing to do. Eight years of learning paid off. 

I’ve also learned that I enjoy my better-end purchases very, very much. I have a thing for luxurious fabrication and impeccable craftsmanship and will pay a premium for it. I really look after the items I call “my good stuff”, wear them for years, and never tire of them. As hard as it is to save up for one expensive item when I could buy twelve different things for the same price, this is the shopping route that I like to follow most of the time. Of course, I still indulge in less well made fast fashion because that’s fun too. And because I enjoy the mixture of wearing high and low end items in one outfit. But staying disciplined in this regard has not been easy. To this day I walk into Zara wanting to buy most of what’s on the shop floor, knowing all too well that many of the items just won’t meet my quality bar. Second note to self: show more self restraint at Zara. 

Minimizing purchasing mistakes is the best that we can hope for. In the meantime, make peace with the items that haven’t worked out by passing them on to a loving home. Learn from your mistakes and try not to make the same ones again. 

Care to share a few of your purchasing mistakes and the lessons you learned from making them?

Although I’m following New York Fashion Week with great interest online, we aren’t attending in person this time round. This meant we could attend the Neiman Marcus Fashion’s Night Out event in Seattle for a change. Of course, bustling, crowded, energetic NYC can’t be beat, but the evening was fun all the same and it was great to be close to home. 

I bust out a new pair of black wide leg wool trousers with leather trim that were a birthday present from Greg. Apart from a pair of pleated, floor length black culottes that I had back in 1992, this is my first pair of wide leg trousers. I did not wear palazzo pants in the ’90s, or any trouser wide and roomy from the thighs down. I stuck to very tapered legs, straight legs, or flares in the form of bootcuts that are fitted on the thigh. 

I used to feel overwhelmed in wide leg trousers, not being able to fill them out despite my regular height. It just goes to show that the right fit, fabric and drape can change your mind. For the first time ever, I don’t feel like wide leg trousers are wearing me. They aren’t all that wide and the low rise with extra wide waistband provides added structure. That, and my commitment to embracing the ongoing trouser season wholeheartedly, sealed the deal. If I hadn’t been as into all trouser silhouettes over the last few years, I would probably have bypassed wide leg styles all together. I’m still a tapered trouser gal at heart. 

I prefer to wear tailored tops with voluminous bottoms, so that means a fitted button down shirt or turtle neck for my style. It was a gorgeous warm and sunny evening so I opted for a shirt. I chose a five year old Anne Fontaine cream eyelet shirt because it’s still a favourite, and buttoned it right up to the top. It’s fun to match up new goodies with old favourites don’t you think? There is enough wardrobe love to go round. 

I bat for Team Full Tuck and do not like to leave exposed belt loops empty, so that meant wearing a belt with the outfit. I chose a cream and black textured polka dot because I prefer to wear patterned or solid embellished belts. That way they feel like a piece of jewelry. And seeing as I don’t wear jewelry, the belt is a great substitute.

I wore low heeled cream and black wedges, which aren’t ideal for wide leg trousers because high heels tend to look best. Low heels worn with low rise, wide trousers and a high contrast top do not elongate the leg line. But if I had left these trousers at their original length to wear with high heels, I just wouldn’t wear them. My three inch heels only come out for sitting occasions and I’d like to wear these trousers more frequently. Sometimes you have to make figure flattering compromises to suit your comfort levels. The advantage of wearing wide leg trousers with lower heels is that you catch a glimpse of the shoe when standing because the arches are less steep. Usually, wearing wide trousers at the correct length with high heels means that you can’t see the shoes unless you’re in motion or sitting down. 

This is the outfit that I would have worn last Thursday to see the Spring 2013 collections had we attended New York Fashion Week in person. I wanted to make a simple neutral statement with timeless pieces amongst the uber cool, trendy, fashion forward and avant-garde outfits. Ms. Valentino was the perfect finishing touch. 

Update: Greg took some pictures during the runway show and posted a few of them to his lookfab blog.