Four second hand jackets - keep or not - YouLookFab Forum

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Four second hand jackets - keep or not

Sal

Veteran

I have these four jackets. All were added second hand, all are good quality brands - mostly NZ. But I am wondering if I should keep or donate or sell.

1) Barbara Lee short jacket. Owned by me for about three years- black. Fitted but in a good way. A bit tricky to style but I do wear it about 4-5 times each winter. I don’t think this is trendy but I do like it.

2) Sable& Minx jacket. Bought last week at curated hospice thrift shop. Think it is too small and a bit blah.

3) Red and black leather trim Frederick short wool coat or jacket. Lovely quality. But is it too conservative for me? Unsure how to wear this to make it look like me. Or am I over thinking this?

4) Rosaria Hall long blazer in brown. Bought in 2019 at the Dress for Success sale. The fit is excellent. One button has a chip- so I would need to replace them all. But is it “me”? Is it a trendy long blazer or not?

I have worn with a very simple black outfit underneath.

My thoughts are that the second one should go - and I don’t know about the others now although I liked them enough to buy second hand.

What do you think? Honest feedback is appreciated so if they all should go I am okay with that!

Thanks Sally

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21 replies

Latest reply was from Joy

slim cat

Veteran

Difficult to judge without seeing other combinations besides column of black as the base of the outfits.

I think I like red and black trim short coat the best. It feels classic with nice details and the fit is good. Red is good color on you too.

The last long blazer feels a bit conservative and not quite the best fit ( or maybe it's just me..) even though double breasted blazers are very popular now and almost everyone have it. Maybe with different buttons and shortened sleeves it could work well.
The second blazer is a bit small to my eye.

Brooklyn

Veteran

Hi Sally

Here are my thoughts:

No 1 - personally I’m not wild about the puffy shoulders but I think they are trendy. It looks very sharp and fashion-y. If you like it you should keep it! I could see it working well with a floaty floral midi dress (and boots of course).

No 2 - the fit looks off. A bit small around the chest?

No 3 - looks great. I could see you wearing it with jeans. The colour is superb on you.

No 4 - is my favourite. It looks trendy to me! The sleeves might be a little long but I think the roll works if you don’t want to have them altered. Replace the buttons and you are good to go.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Sally, this is a great little "lab." It's always interesting to compare various options and consider.

The first jacket is interesting and unique. Are those puffy shoulders on it? It's a bit Vivienne Westwood? I quite like it for a dramatic dressy evening event. I don't know about you, but I can use an item like that in the closet, even if I only wear it a time or two per year. My red military jacket and my black tuxedo jackets might fill a similar role. A bit dramatic and statement-like when wearing a simple underlayer and/or when you need to stand out somehow. If you have room and the fit is great, then why not?

The second one sounds as if it doesn't make you happy and the fit seems as if it might be snug under the armpits/ in the shoulder area. So...

I don't think the red is too conservative but you might rather style with jeans? Is it an outdoor weight coat? It looks as if it is. If so, could be useful to keep -- but I don't know your weather!

Are the shoulders too big in the last blazer? I like the idea of an oversized jacket and this is kind of fun. Again, I'd style with denim to loosen things up.

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Sal

Veteran

I could style them tomorrow in different ways. The last jacket feels like it fits well but in trying it on here I wasn’t sure if it really did anything for me!

The red is a gorgeous wool - but I am lost as how to wear it:)

Sal

Veteran

Brooklyn - yes the first has puffy sleeves. I like it best with a skirt and it would be great with a dress ( but am yet to wear it that way). Yes the second is too small/ skimpy. I will try the red with jeans - I think it could work for casual work days with boots. The sleeves have an interesting shape which I will try and photograph better!

Suz - thanks! I will try the red and brown with jeans to give a different look. I have added the second to the donate pile already.

Runcarla

Veteran

Keep the red jacket. It is a modern classic and smart looking. Beautiful on you! (Like your red leather moto.) Do a style lab. Pair with jeans and a light coloured top under. Try a statement T. Pair with your white cropped jeans and white sneakers. Your white dress pants with black fleck. Try it with your fabulous plaid dress or the bandage dress. Looks like it could be a workhorse - maybe a part of your better work capsule? Black, camel, and red are great together.

notsaf

Veteran

More love for the red. Looks like outwear!

rachylou

Veteran

I like the red. I’d play around with styling that one.

The others... 2 doesn’t sound like it fits well enough. 1 & 4, I’m on my phone, so there’s that, but the shoulders on both look crazy wide to me. I’m thinking they can’t be as wide as they look to me; I don’t think you’d have bought them. I might need more pics...

Cardiff girl

Veteran

The red is fabulous,keep that.The black one is very fashion forward this year with those Balmain style shoulders.l personally can’t wear them as my shoulders are wide enough without extra help! But you may feel differently.l don’t like the other two as they seem abit droopy on you,?fit issues.

April

Veteran

Echoing the sentiment that red is good on you - does red make you feel good?

Synne

Veteran

Oh wow, these are all very fashion forward!!

#1, Balmain shoulders! This style is all over the High Street, forexample Zara. Lots of inspo outfits out there to be found, I'm sure.

#3 classic red pea coat.

#4 Oversized blazer, double breasted even. Also very current.

Impressed you've found all these at second-hand stores. I'd say wear the heck out of them now while they are trending. Pass them on later. Or send them to me

nemosmom

Veteran

I love 3 and 4 on you! (A little black paint could temporarily fix the chip in the button, until you can replace it)

3 you could wear with just about anything, including the way you have it on in the photo, and it's such a great color on you.

I am not sure about 1 or 2. Might need another outfit lab to see what you might wear them with.

Gigi

Veteran

My favorite is no. 3. I like Carla's take on how to style it.

To my eye, the fit of no. 1 looks a little small (though it may be that I am not knowledgeable about this style). No. 2's fit through the shoulders and upper body looks strange. No. 3 looks too big, especially in the shoulders.

If you do style these differently and take more pics, it would be helpful to have pics showing the back. I always check the fit through the shoulders that way when assessing jackets and blazers.

Sal

Veteran

Thanks all!

Plan - try black jacket with sheath dress - could actually be great for winter dressy occasions. It is short but I think this is deliberate - but I can see that the style is a bit divisive.

Red coat - it is definitely a winter weight. I think the black leather trim is throwing me - but I will try with jeans and a sweater or long sleeve tee. My winter stuff is stored so I might not get to this for a couple of weeks. I love red but struggle to combine it - I find black and red a bit high contrast on me. I love it with denim and with white though so I need to think of the leather as an accent.

Brown long blazer - try with jeans and a tee or a shirt. Re - evaluate the fit- this was $15 so not a large investment.

Interestingly the last three jackets are all the same size but one is too small and two are on the large size!!

I

Bijou

Veteran

Sal, my favourite of these is the red. I like to wear red with off white and beiges, it sort of tones it down. Red and leopard print is a favourite combination for me, and that would introduce the earthy tones that work so beautifully on you.

I like the styling of this red and black coat from Veronica Beard.
https://veronicabeard.com/prod.....1212569700

Sal

Veteran

Thanhs for the inspiration photo. That gives me an idea. It has been warm here and winter stylings are tricky for me to imagine which is crazy but true. And I am not great at them.

The more I look at the brown the less keen I am on it - I want to feel cool and effortless in it but think I might look a bit tired and saggy!! But I will try again.

This week I am away delivering my son to university on a different island so it is a strange time.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Fun! Before I looks at what the others have said I would say, space (both mental and physical) allowing, I would keep all of them but the second. I don't like how it fits.
The black one is fabulous - does not have to be a workhorse.
The red one is a great statement color and would work great with jeans, if you need a coat of that weight and like red.
I love the Rosaria Hall, but only if you would wear it. Again, I don't think there is a jacket that can't be made more casual with jeans and sneakers or casual boots. I would paint the chip with black nailpolish personally, but that is me.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Maybe you could use the red one while visiting your son in the South Island in future! That one is my favourite.
The first black one is Barbara Lee you say? Very well known designer back in the day, high quality, and those shoulders totally back in as are shorter jackets still IMO. A few times a year is OK to wear it. I have had my black tuxedo jacket since 1997 I think and certain evening events it is just perfect for even if not very often.
I am not so keen on the other two.
At least you can resell or donate them and someone will likely buy them.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

What Brooklyn said.

#3 and #4 fit and look the best, and pass on #1 and #2. Try them with your dresses! Very hip

Sal

Veteran

Thanks Angie, Shevia and Jenni for chiming in!!

I looked at the pics again on my computer and am passing on the brown. I want to love the long blazer on me but I don't love this one - colour or shape. It does not give me joy (the brown is too cool in tone).

The red I am going to keep and play with a bit. The weight and colour are good for me - for my climate it would be a May-September weight coat. And it would be great for the South Island as Jenni says.

I will try with the black despite it not being universally popular. I am quite attached to it. It is a snug fit so my weight may or not make the decision for me.

The second Sable and Minx is on the way out already in the donate pile.

Joy

Veteran

I like #4 the best and would suggest keeping #1 for the times you need it until you find something you like better. Work with #3 the red jacket, but in general, it looks maybe too classic for you.. get all your reds together and see if you can use it with a top as a modern “sweater set” or with one of your dresses. It looks like a quality piece.