I made this comment recently on Stagaire Fash’s thread about her patterned wool pants:

“it sounds like these have been in your wardrobe for 3 decades and you have *never* worn them or at least not regularly. For me that would signal the need for some soul searching: what is it about these pants that has been so compelling to you that you've kept them all this time without wearing them? And by the same token what is it about these pants that has prevented you from wearing them all this time despite liking them? The answers might trigger some new ideas about how to wear them with confidence, or they might cause you to realize that what you actually want is some of the same qualities in a different garment.”

As I was typing I thought: ohhhhhh, I need to listen to my own advice here! So here goes me removing the log from my own eye.

I thrifted the pink-and-orange patterned jacket on the left in Photo 1 probably about 30 years ago. It was already vintage at the time! A really fun thrift score. But I can only remember ever wearing it once or twice since I have owned it. Hmmm… So, some of that prescribed soul-searching:

1: What is it about this jacket that has been so compelling to me that I’ve kept it all this time without wearing it?

• I am really drawn to Asian fabrics and patterns for dressy items. I’ll leave it at that for now although we can unpack the dubious politics of that statement below in the comments if anyone wants to.
• I just love vintage items as objects/artifacts. I mean look at that cool label (Photo 2)! Wow! So fascinating to imagine the journey this piece of clothing has taken, the life it has had.
• The pink and orange combo is so lovely (especially in that silk…sunset colors with sheen!). It’s outside of my usual palette, but actually, the rule-resisting, you-can’t-put-me-in-a-seasonal-color-analysis-box part of me likes having a couple of those wildcard pieces that shouldn’t work on me color-wise but somehow totally do.

2: What is it about this jacket that has prevented me from wearing it all this time despite liking it?

• The silhouette is tricky for me to wear and doesn’t mesh well with other items in my closet. It’s a cropped jacket clearly made to go over a fitted sheath dress. That is…not remotely close to anything I own or feel comfortable in! Sure, one could do some creative layering, but:
• My summer dresses tend to be printed cotton sundresses. The pattern here doesn’t really mix with anything I have in my closet, and the idea of pairing this fabric with woven cotton poplin-type material seems off to me.
• It’s not a terribly practical garment for me. It’s clearly a summer topper, but for cool evenings/AC in summer I prefer a knit cardigan, I find them to give the right level of warmth for me and they’re also easier to fold up and tuck in my bag if I get too warm etc. Similarly if I were to hypothetically use this for layering in winter (part of my new 3/4 sleeves over long sleeves experimentation): I do not wear woven toppers! I just will never choose them when a knit item is available. Theoretically sure, I could wear it — but being honest, I won’t.

So, the conclusion: “what I actually want is some of the same qualities in a different garment.” The rose-colored tunic on the right in Photo 1 is that garment (recently purchased secondhand on Ebay, < US$15 including shipping):

• 100% silk, Asian-inspired jacquard pattern and cut/details (e.g., those fabric knot buttons…although the v-neck here is a much better match for me than a Mandarin collar would be)
• longer length is easier to mix in with my preferred long-over-lean silhouettes.
• top rather than topper — I can layer it under a cardigan or other knit.
• rose color is more central to my palette (this was actually a bit of a risk, the color is different than it looked in the online photos but I was happily surprised when I opened the package in this case!)

And a few photos of me experimenting with it:

Photo 3 is how I wore it the other day, with skinnies/tall boots/long cardi. (I layered a heat tech under the tunic for warmth.) I know, you’ve seen me in this outfit formula a million and one times, but it works for me so I’m sticking with it.

Photo 4: I actually love the combination of the silk jacquard with patterned knitwear. Subtle pattern mixing, and the juxtaposition of textures works in this case, at least to my eye. I am really digging the “circumpolar Ice Queen” kind of effect here — actually I’m interested in more of that, so this has given me an intriguing new direction to explore.

Photo 5: For warmer weather/spring I think I could wear it over a heat tech top without a topper. I kind of have a soft spot for these “70s art teacher” looks (jeans, black fitted top with some kind of boho top layered over — more dubious politics I suppose but there you go!).

Photo 6: And a dressier look for summer, with a long narrow skirt and sandals. I’d add a long rope of pearls maybe too. I realize the proportions look off in the photo but it works IRL, trust.

A couple other ideas:

• With a short knit skirt, tights, tall boots, and a long or cropped cardi for cold weather
• With cropped raw-hem jeans and sandals for a sort of dressy/casual summer juxtaposition

I don’t think this top will ever be a workhorse in my wardrobe, but that’s ok. I can see pulling it out a few times a year and really enjoying wearing it. I don’t need everything in my wardrobe to be a workhorse, but I don’t want to run a clothing museum. So, with that in mind, I am passing along the vintage jacket with a confident and peaceful mind.

This was a really useful exercise for me, and one I will likely do again in the future. Thanks for reading! I’m grateful for any comments or suggestions.