Thoughts on my jacket challenge

These past couple of weeks, I've been inspired by Rae to challenge myself to wear all of my indoor, winter-appropriate jackets. I skipped a Sunday when I did not leave the house, but otherwise I wore them all in a row. I own a total of 9 jackets that fit the above requirements. 3 are knit, and 6 are woven. I personally do not wear trenches, leather jackets, or most denim jackets indoors so they were not part of the challenge. It's interesting that only one of these jackets (the black Nanette Lepore in #6) pre-dates YLF (although I did purge a couple of old ill-fitting jackets last year too). I got really obsessed with blazers in the past year thanks to Angie and all of you.

Some thoughts:
-- I am happy that none of these seem to be orphans! The denim blazer (#7) was the only questionable one, but I realized I don't wear it as much because I don't like denim on denim, and I wear a lot of jeans in the winter. I'm going to make an effort to wear it more with skirts and dresses.

--Apparently I like to buy black, grey, and blue jackets. I think I need some more color diversity. I want a burgundy one!

--Also, 8 of the 9 of these are blazers. I have been wanting a couple of non-blazer styles though.

--I was surprised that I only have one patterned blazer (#1); two if you count the subtle pinstripe grey (#9). I do have two on my wish list (see below).

--Last year I really liked to scrunch my sleeves. This year, I'm preferring them long and a little "slouchy". It feels way less fussy.

--I was pleased that my summery white blazer seems to be OK for more wintry looks and can act as a winter white. This makes it a lot more versatile!

--It was not hard at all to wear a blazer everyday!

Wish list (actually all things I've been wanting for a while! I'm pleased that they don't seem to be overlaps with what I already own):
1. Floral print blazer. Have wanted one for a while, but I can't seem to find the perfect combo of fit and print. I am really particular about my floral prints, but once I find one I love, it's sugar eye for sure.
2. Something in the burgundy/wine/plum family.
3. Plaid riding jacket. Ideally, a Smythe or something in that style with curved front hems and a long back.
4. Military style jacket. I've wanted one of these for a while, but they are hard for me to fit because they tend to be high-necked and double-breasted which aren't good shapes for me.

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13 years ago

cobaltblue

Veteran

Great challenge! My favorites are 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9. So, I think you look fab in blazers. It's interesting how the challenge helped you identify the holes in your jacket lineup.

Suz

(website)

Great insights, Diana - and great jacket collection, too. I notice that even if you don't have lots of colour variety, they are different lengths and cuts. So you are getting variety in that way.

Isis

You certainly rock jackets!

Here's one I've been admiring that might fill your floral blazer hole (although it's a lace print):

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/be.....sultback=0

Transcona Shannon

Excellent challenge and lessons learned Diana - well done! Interesting that you're not into the sleeve scrunching anymore.

Diana

Isis, that is a pretty blazer! I'm not sure it's the best idea for me to buy another black/grey jacket though...

Shannon, I found the no scrunching thing interesting too. Of the 9 outfits above, only the first one is scrunched slightly (the sleeves are also rolled up though so it's only a teeny scrunch.) I think part of why it feels fussy to me is that my forearms are pretty slim, so scrunches never stay put. I have to adjust them constantly or else put hair bands in the cuffs, which is kind of uncomfortable by the end of the day. I actually like my sleeves reeallly long nowadays (like in 9 and 10; that's what I mean by "slouchy" sleeves), so much so that I usually get a comment or two here about my sleeves being too long! I still also like my 3/4 length sleeved jackets though.

Amy

It was fun seeing your jacket outfits! My wishlist is almost identical to yours!

Lyn D.

A great way to see all your jackets in action and assess for new jacket requirements.
I too prefer not to scrunch in cooler weather, and longer sleeves have a cosy feel when it is cold.

Asingh

All the jackets look great but I like the teal one the most.

Krista

I have a total of 3 jackets that are not outdoor wear and I rarely wear them so I am fascinated when I see others with so many and how they are styled. This was a great challenge with lots of interesting insights - mostly that you have no orphans! I really enjoyed seeing all of the photos together as well; it shows how you used your whole wardrobe to incorporate the jackets. Fascinating! Thanks for sharing!

TraceyLiz65

A great challenge and great insights. I agree that the different cuts and lengths make the wardrobe interesting. Great job!

ManidipaM

Such an useful exercise! Not only can you shelve any worries about potential orphans, you can go shopping that wishlist with renewed confidence.

I hadn't seen all of these WIWs separately, so am impressed at the variety. I particularly love the one with neon trim and the gorgeous tonal get-up with the last cobalt. Yup, more coloured jackets seem right up your street!

Amy, let me know if you find any good contenders!

Krista, you know, pre-YLF I only had 3 jackets too (the black NL blazer and 2 others that I purged for being poorly fitting) and I rarely wore them. YLF made me into a jacket maniac apparently.

By the way, I have realized that I wore 8 pairs of boots in this series (and one repeat). This has made me think that i should just wear the rest of them next week and call it a de facto Wear All the Boots Challenge. Not counting gear, I have 2 more tall pairs, one mid-calf (wearing it today actually), and 2 booties left.

Charmian

I like your approach to adding diversity to your collection -- you've got plenty of diversity in cut and fabrication here and, as you've noted, your jacket preferences have changed a fair bit in recent years (eg, scrunching vs non-scrunching). Investing in floral, burgundy moto might be a bit much all at once, but changing only one or two factors sounds like a good place to start.

I only have 2 jackets, but have been on the prowl for much more! You have a lovely collection.

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