Making Dressy clothes casual - YouLookFab Forum

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Dressing

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Making Dressy clothes casual

MsMaven

Veteran

Here we go with a different problem than the coral sweater.

When I bought this Theory cotton velvet jacket on NAS 3 years ago, Angie suggested I size up. I didn't and now I wish I had. It's not that I gained weight, it's that I lost height, the extra volume weight went around my middle. I call it hip saddlebags. (One in the front too.) The jacket is fitted through the waist.

To me velvet is a dressy fabric. I planned to wear it in Chicago at Christmas but it wouldn't fit under my coat and we were going to be making visits. I did wear it a few times, not more than 6.

Okay, I'm not going to return to my wasp-waisted days, and so I considered giving it to a relative or donating it. But I do love the red velvet. And even on NAS it was pricey. It's just that it flares out where it shouldn't.

So tell me why I can't just wear this as a casual jacket? Ideas? It wouldn't fit most of my relatives, and the one it would fit is a very casual young lady.

Illustrations. Ideas? Forget the styling on the photos, etc. Just to show you the fit.

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Dressing

26 replies

Latest reply was from Brooklyn

Janet

(website)

Veteran

FWIW, I almost never button my blazers! The fit looks good through the shoulders and I would never have known about the waist fit if you hadn’t highlighted it.

I absolutely believe this could be styled casually, with a tee or lightweight crew neck sweater, for example, and jeans. It’s a gorgeous color on you.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I don't know anything about blazers, but I think the fit looks good.

I'm curious about the colors. Is it as rusty as it seems, and is that a purple-blue top? I like the way they look together on my screen.

cat2

Veteran

It may be a product of twisting about to take the pictures, but to me it looks like this pulls in the back, and if so I would pass it along.

rachylou

Veteran

I think this totally works as a throw on, go to market jacket. I say wear it!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Cat2, expand pic 2--you can see another view of the back that way.

approprio

(website)

Veteran

For me, the dealbreaker is usually the fit on the shoulders rather than the buttons, because like Janet I rarely button my blazers. Agree with rachylou, definitely something to throw on over pyjamas to run to the supermarket!

MsMaven

Veteran

Janet I didn't think of trying it with a casual tee. I'll do that.

SF, the color is a beautiful deep red that I love and the top is a clear blue. I lightened the photos a bit because they looked dark. The walls in the room are pinker than they look here.

Cat2, I am twisting, but the back feels fine. There is plenty of room in the shoulders and upper back. I wanted to show the flare that shouldn't be there. I have some photos from when I bought it. I'll find them.

Between aging and getting a rounded back and physical therapy to straighten those muscles, I think I do have more back volume. Can't think of quite how to express it. I have a couple of older blazers I love that now feel a little tight across the back.

Dress for the life you live, not the one you used to live is good advice I've heard over and over. It's just I never imagined that I would ever live 95% of time at home.

Inge

(website)

Yes to everything Janet said! No need to button it at all, and it's such a gorgeous jacket in an amazing colour, WOW.

Fun with a tee or a turtleneck top or a denim or chambray shirt and jeans, or one of your fab pairs of patterned pants (the black and white houndstooth, the brown animal print etc.) or maybe jogger style pants or faux leather trousers. Add casual booties, oxfords or moto style booties for a hard-edged touch, sneakers etc.

Here are some visuals:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/500251471115445888/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/330170216417253297/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/37858453093837682/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/33284484730620063/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/127086020715478801/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/49398927153643955/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/546483736043191697/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/209487820156841530/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/290411875976998547/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/76701999877251719/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/156148312068060473/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/273804852335257660/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/860539441290600840/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/5488830783067889/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/446700856798081668/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/5911043256314982/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/104286547607272214/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/314196511509374637/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/9359111716470661/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/46584177385351864/

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

JUST WEAR IT! Why the heck not - it looks great un-buttoned, and the colour and length are magical on you!

Perhaps try a thinner layer underneath - like a tee - and with slip-on sneakers. Fun over joggers too.

MsMaven

Veteran

Thanks Inga! I'll look at all of these.

Right now I'm laughing at myself. I went back to find the post from 2018 and Angie liked it! She said just don't wear it buttoned.

https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....-the-shock

It didn't look so different then. My body has changed a little, but not dramatically.

Angie as well, yes, different top, bottoms--I haven't even tried it with some of my newer pull on pants that come closer to the waist, and definitely different shoes.

I've been locked up at home way too long. Maybe I'll wear it on Thanksgiving when I'm going to get to see some of my family again, knock on wood.

That Nik + Zoe top I bought then, well, I wore it yesterday.

Tanya

Veteran

Gorgeous blazer, and it looks perfectly fine unbuttoned. The trick to wearing it every day would be to style it pretty casually. Layering top - t-shirt, thin sweatshirt, denim or plaid shirt. Bottoms - jeans, joggers. Shoes -sneakers or casual booties.

MsMaven

Veteran

Inge, that Who What Wear blog post is perfect.
https://www.whowhatwear.com/ho.....in-daytime

Don’t Listen to the Haters—You Can Wear Velvet in the Daytime
Heck, you guys make me wish I'd kept that Rolling Stones tee I once had. Rio, Tanya, your ideas are growing on me. I'll experiment.

Aquamarine

Veteran

I never button blazers. This looks good just hanging open, so I say wear and enjoy.

NancyW

Veteran

Just toss out a lifetimes worth of rules about when and where you can wear blazers and velvet! Easy! Seriously, wear it a few times in defiance of the rules and it will get easier and easier. It is a wonderful piece, fits well at the shoulders, and you look great in this shade of red.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Agree - focus on the shoulders, don't worry about buttoning and spend some time with Inge's great inspo!

Runcarla

Veteran

Oh, gosh! You absolutely must get your jacket into rotation for the holidays! Thinner/lighter fabric tops will provide more ease than a sweater or sweatshirt.

nuancedream

Veteran

Echoing what has already been said, the blazer is a definite keeper. Amazing color. Thinner, lightweight tops are the way to go. Also, I rarely, if ever, button my blazers. Unbuttoned just looks better to my eye and feels more comfortable on me.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Blazerus ignoramus here. I can’t recall seeing blazers buttoned up, even by men in suits (that aren’t double breasted) though I suppose it should look feasible to close the gap in a blizzard. I agree with everyone else that you should enjoy the heck out of this lush, cozy fabric this winter.

kkards

Veteran

Great color on you! And fantastic for Thanksgiving, or for dressing up to go to the supermarket.

RobinF

Veteran

Agree! It looks fine unbuttoned. Love all the Pinterest ideas.

always trying

Veteran

Thanks everyone--I was just about to post about my black velvet jacket and wider leg velvet pants. I always wore them together as a suit. Now they will be seperates and I will wear them casually to get more milafe out of them.
Agree with everyone the red looks grest, and will be a great thing to have for the holidays.

Bijou

Veteran

Sounds like Santa needs to bring you a Rolling Stones t-shirt for Christmas.

Katerina

Veteran

Beautiful blazer, love the colour on you! I am nodding to everything Janet says. Just wear it unbuttoned and enjoy.

Inge

(website)

MsMaven - Hah indeed! I love that post:-)

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Wonderful blazer! I don't see why you can't still wear it open with a column of a dark colour underneath. A switch of the shoes should take it from dressy to casual instantly (maybe from metallics to slip-on plimsolls?)

Brooklyn

Veteran

It’s beautiful. Just wear it in the same way as you would a puffer or wool jacket. Every time you think about wearing one of those, think: “no! I will wear my velvet jacket instead”.