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Ideas for styling this jacket?

Mel

I just found this beautiful Theory leather jacket at a thrift shop. It is "chalk" color, kind of like cream or ecru. At my new workplace (university professor) I have to wear business formal and business casual only. Any ideas on how to style this so it looks okay for work and not too young? I am 45, athletic build, and I have a "Deep Autumn" coloring. I don't wear skirts above my knee or tight pants. I'm also wondering what shoes would look good with this without going matchy-matchy with white shoes (I don't like white shoes). All ideas welcome!

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Dressing

16 replies

Latest reply was from Zaeobi

April

Veteran

I think it would be fabulous over black or navy wide-legged trousers, shoes to match trousers. A deep "column of color" under the jacket would be wonderful.

That's a sweet thrift find!

Roberta

Veteran

What a FIND! I think the quality of the make and the leather elevate this to professorial. I second April on dark trousers - chocolate brown would be lovely too. This jacket would also be terrific over a floral dress as well. Match or relate your shoes to whatever bottoms you wear, skirt or trousers.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Great score! Wow!

This is an iconic classic that you can wear with just about anything. If it's not too long, it's fab over dresses and with skirts. Longer is great with dressy pants and jeans. Cropped or full length.

What colour is your hair? You might want to match shoes to hair colour. Cream shoes - although you are less enthusiastic about those - will pop with the jacket!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Easy to style. Wide leg trousers and dresses, too, if the jacket has the right proportions. It's a gorgeous jacket.

You would wear with any footwear, really. You don't have to go matchy if you don't like cream footwear.

Mel

Thanks everyone!

Angie, I have long dark brown hair. I look good with dark footwear. I've actually been in the hunt for dark brown shoes lately that don't look too masculine. The thing I don't like about white shoes is that they are so hard for me to keep clean, and look awful when scuffed. However, I could imagine using an all-leather sneaker or loafer in a cream color with this jacket- it could look really cool. Something I can wipe down clean.

I think what throws me off about this jacket is the color is leaning towards warm but the hardware is bright silver. I have autumn coloring so I gravitate towards warm colors and gold I do wear black and light grey. I have black and grey wide legged pants and I'll try it with this. I'm just wondering if the abundant silver hardware is going to throw off my warm-colored outfits.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Mel, sounds like a plan! And I can picture dark brown shoes looking fab with your hair

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

No, the abundant silver hardware will not throw off warm toned outfits. Promise!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Great find and will go very nicely with the darker trousers and shoes suggested above!

kkards

Veteran

Gosh this jacket is fab!

Really I see it working with anything. I’m a huge column of color dresser, so I’d wear it over a column of navy, or black or grey or whatever. It would also be fab over a dress

Mel

Angie, thanks, I am going to try this with my warm-tone outfits! If it works, then I really have scored a great wardrobe piece.
Also I just realized I have a pair of Pikolinos ecru colored block heels that I haven't worn yet (because they're white lol) and am going to try out with this jacket.
kkards- I am leaning towards that column of color idea. I already have light grey, dark blue, and black.

Mel

BTW the jacket sits nicely at my waist like it does on the model. I tried it with a couple of midi skirts and it looks fabulous.

unfrumped

Veteran

I agree with April.

Yes, do try it on in good lighting with lots in your wardrobe to check that undertones work.

I’m not good at cream or white footwear for professional dressing if expectation is somewhat conservative.
But dark and near - neutrals are great ( cordovan, camel, cognac, grays etc).

Take a cue from the stock photo where it’s combined with a small pattern, which reads dark but has that bit of light color that brings out the jacket. So that would be fab in pants or tops— pinstripes, tweedy, tattersall, checks— and less out-there than cream footwear ( for work that is). Also simple jewelry with creamy stones or pendant or similar, or scarf- just ways to bring out the jacket vibe while using mostly dark wardrobe workhorses.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*happy dance*

Sal

Veteran

Great score.

I think most footwear will work - from loafers to boots to sneakers etc..

This could look wonderful with olive, plum, brown, black and denim.

Jules

Veteran

Great find!
The silver hardware doesn't stand out at all to me in this photo (and I'm currently annoyed by all the silver hardware everywhere because contrary me wants gold, lol!).

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Hey, fellow Deep Autumn here. That's a fab jacket but I also struggle to style ecru/ cream as a DA - its very light value can sometimes create too stark a contrast with our typical darks. I've worked in academia before & the outfit siluouettes you've mentioned sound good, but I'd recommend adding a 'bridging' piece to close the value gap (like a printed scarf or mid-toned belt).

As for the hardware, I personally paint mine over with nail polish - takes some patience & a steady hand lol, but it should last if you allow it to dry between coats & apply a clear sealant. Would recommend a brassy/ bronzed colour rather than outright yellow gold though, because it can look 'too' bright when applied straight to silver metal.

PS - Congrats on the job!