What jacket over cocktail dress/formal wear - YouLookFab Forum

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Dressing

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What jacket over cocktail dress/formal wear

lex

Hi Angie,

Love your blog, always reading for tips.

My question is relevant to this time of year as the party season begins: what kind of jacket should I be wearing with a cocktail dress for weddings and parties? I'm stumped.

Shawls look too old-timey, blazers too corporate, cardigans too frumpy, I don't wear fur, and anything in satin looks horribly matchy-matchy.Any ideas?

Lex

Dressing

17 replies

Latest reply was from fathenry

Louise

Veteran

Are you thinking to take off when you get to the party like a coat or to keep you warm while there?

lex

Just fyi I'm in Australia, so it's spring here. Not freezing but still chilly in the evening. Weddings are all outdoors, so to wear during the ceremony and to take off inside (if the venue's warm enough. Not enough heating in Sydney, unfortunately).

lex

Sorry, I'm being unclear. Let's say to keep me warm while I'm there, without looking frumpy.

Louise

Veteran

To keep warm while getting to the party I wear either a short faux fur coat or my satin look trench I usually wear long leather gloves too. While at a party my fav cover up is a pashmina or i've got a short sleeved cardi with sequins on. Mind you this is for UK winter weather!
I think i'd go with a pashmina in your case x

lex

Hmmm, you're probably right, yet I don't love the unstructuredness of pashminas.

I'm loving the idea of a formal trench or a sequinned cardi, though. I usually avoid sequins but maybe that's what I need to make the cardi look less casual.

Queen Mum

Veteran

lex- what about something cropped? either a cropped sequined jacket,or cropped dressy sweater of some kind.

Queen Mum

Veteran

something along the lines of these:

( I know this first animal print one isn't quite cocktail wear, but something about it caught my eye... the cut maybe?)
http://www.express.com/catalog.....egoryId=20

http://www.express.com/catalog.....egoryId=20

http://www.express.com/catalog.....egoryId=20

http://www.express.com/catalog.....egoryId=20

shiny

Veteran

I think that every woman should have one fabulous coat for situations like this. Ann Taylor has a few options right now that might work:

How about a velvet blazer?
http://www.anntaylor.com/catal.....pe=Regular

This jacket has satin lapels. Along the same lines, what about a tuxedo jacket?
http://www.anntaylor.com/catal.....pe=Regular

This coat could be pressed into service for a formal event. What I like about it is the texture, which adds to the specialness. A related idea would be to find a brocade coat:
http://www.anntaylor.com/catal.....pe=Regular

Here's another one - the detailing on the collar makes it special:
http://www.anntaylor.com/catal.....pe=Regular

I don't know if you have AT there, but hopefully that gets your creative juices flowing!

Joy

Veteran

I second the idea of a great trench. Mine (until I shrunk out of it) was a smooth tight-woven light-weight black wool singlebreasted with tie belt, although princess seaming would work as well. I've also had a useful trench of lined raw silk.
Shiny recently posted her sequined jacket which you might like better than a cardi because it has more structure.

Carole

Veteran

I found this cropped jacket on Newport News...

http://www.newport-news.com/sh.....oll_id=800

The price is right!

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I love the proportions of a cropped tux jacket worn over a knee length cocktail dress. This one particularly appeals
http://www.asos.com/Sara-Berma.....;clr=Black

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Thank you, Lex!

Do you have a link to the frock? My gut reaction says a satin trench. Flop proof and timeless.

lex

Thanks everyone for the responses! I love the velvet jacket and the tuxedo jackets, Shiny, but I just don't know if they match. Queenie, the cardigans are nice, particularly the black sequinned one (second?)

Angie, I actually have two dresses for weddings but they're both old so no new links. One is an olive-green halter-neck I scored from a friend, exactly like this except green, above the knee and sans bow:

http://trendmill.com/clothing_.....a-bellandi

The other is this yellow one, pardon the bad bathroom pic (note, lack of a bra and awkward posture makes me look busty when actually I'm a 32A). I've never, ever been able to choose a jacket for this.

http://s754.photobucket.com/al.....arson1.jpg

jessica

You might check Forever21's site. They have some odds and ends of dressy accessories. I like this navy one! Could go with your yellow dress.
http://www.forever21.com/produ.....8;Page=all

lex

Not bad at all, jessica, and I like the price! Hmm. I hadn't thought of a bolero. It's more girly than what I usually go for, but I think it might work. Thanks!

Joy

Veteran

Navy would be an excellent choice with olive green too.

fathenry

Veteran

I would go satin trench, there is a cute one at target right now for around $40, and you could dress it down for day.