March 25, 2019
When I was younger, I seldom wore a denim jacket; I had one that had belonged to my husband, but it got donated somewhere along the line… For so many years, I wore suits or suit-y clothes that were too dressy to wear with a denim jacket (I thought).
But about 6 months ago, I bought myself this jacket, and I’ve been so happy with it…
jacket – Levi’s
It’s deliberately built to be roomy, which I personally love – I might very well want to pile on a shirt and heavy sweater under here, and I don’t want to tear the sleeves off of my jacket trying to get it on!
I tried to think of what good guidelines might be to choosing a versatile and timeless denim jacket:
Fast forward to someone asking me last week if it was okay to wear a denim jacket over a black dress. Of course my response was a resounding yes! And that got me thinking about how VERY many ways a denim jacket might be worn…
jacket – Levi’s; moonstone earrings – Dean Davidson; dress – Lands’ End; scarf – Missoni; espadrilles – Tory Burch; tote – See by Chloe
If your dress feels too dressy, a denim jacket is the perfect way to ease it down into a more casual setting…
jacket – Levi’s; earrings – Marianela Vargas; bracelet – Joaquin and Josefina; eyelet dress – Sam Edelman; bag – Rebecca Minkoff; sandals – Nine West
If your outfit feels very bright, denim is a good way to calm things down just a bit:
jacket – Levi’s; earrings – Bloomingdales; bracelet – Gorjana; bag – Kate Spade; dress – Lands’ End; sandals – Seychelles
Of course, if the weather is a bit cool, your jacket can help keep you warm in your strappy summer dress:
jacket – Levi’s; peridot earrings – Neeru Goel; dress – Bailey 44; bag – Travelon; scarf – Nordstrom; sandals – Eileen Fisher
The simplest outfit can look more complete when you layer something over your shirt or sweater. Khaki and white can be the base for any color in the rainbow, by the way!
jacket – Levi’s; earrings – Monica Vinader; shirt – Lands’ End; scarf – BCBGMAXAZRIA; pants – Lands’ End; loafers – Lands’ End
Black and white doesn’t look quite so stark when some denim is added to the mix:
jacket – Levi’s; earrings – Anna Beck; top – Eileen Fisher; scarf – Talbots; pants – Eileen Fisher; mules – Coach
You can tone down the “wow” of a bright top with some denim…
jacket – Levi’s; earrings – Madewell; sweater – Lands’ End; tote – Mali + Lili; jeans – Lands’ End; sandals – Sole Society
You might have to dress amazingly for your work, but you can relax your look just a bit with denim for your commute…
jacket – Levi’s; earrings – Poppy Finch; blouse – BOSS; handbag – Nordstrom; watch – BOSS; skirt – BOSS; pumps – Louise et Cie
A somber outfit in a dark neutral feels more lively and relaxed with denim added…
jacket – Levi’s; earrings – Jantana; top – Banana Republic; bag – Longchamp; scarf – Eileen Fisher; boots – Blondo; pants – AG
And a solid column of a neutral color can always serve as the base for accessories and denim!
jacket – Levi’s; earrings – Kendra Scott; shirt – L.L.Bean; pants – L.L.Bean; bag – Urban Originals; scarf – Halogen; sneakers – Blackstone
I’m going to see how many times I can wear my jacket this spring (before the temperatures soar!). I haven’t even begun to consider how handy this jacket might be for travel…
love,
Janice
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O love my denim jacket! Last spring and summer, instead of wearing different cardigans, I wore my denim jacket most of the time. It goes with everything, and it’s not too warm a layer to deal with air conditioning (I am usually cold!)
I still have and wear an old denim jacket. Classic styling. I wear it often. I even wore it when it wasn’t “in”. Online, I saw a denim jacket with a peplum style bottom. I’m sure that won’t last forever like my classic but I want to remember where I saw it and buy it.
So many times over the years I’ve bought a denim jacket only to have it languish in my closet till I got rid of it. They just feel too masculine for me, no matter if I layer it over a dress. I like the look on other ladies, just not myself. You’re tempting me with that strappy summer dress!
I love the idea of a versatile denim jacket to wear with everything, but for some reason they look hideous on me. They are always too long in the arm and boxy and bulky on the body. In the mid 90s I did once own a more streamlined western style short jacket in corduroy which I wore with everything, but I was significantly slimmer and younger then. As an aside, I remember a blog you did a while back where you took the classics and switched them up to offer alternative solutions provided they met the basic requirements. I would love to see that concept used in this series as I’m sure I won’t be alone in not being able to wear a classic denim jacket.
I find a shorter cropped style (at 5’4” longer is too box-like) and a slightly more feminine cut than traditional and with stretch works best on me. Also, the jacket looks MUCH better with cuffs folded up to reveal bracelets. And how about adding a brooch or three? Adds fun feminine-masculine vibe! I have just started wearing a denim jacket again (at age 57) and am surprised how much I am enjoying it!
Totally agree with you, Lisa. I have a blue more traditional denim jacket which doesn’t get worn nearly as much as my white denim, slightly cropped and fitted jacket. The fitted jacket just looks more appropriate with a silky floral tee or a maxi dress. And, like you, I always roll up the cuffs. With a long sleeved shirt it shows a little sleeve at the bottom and with a short sleeved shirt a bracelet gives a nice feminine touch.
Janice,
I have both a simple tan and a darker brown denim jacket. They go better with my coloring than the traditional faded blue . As they are not the blue color, I can use them with blue jeans and not feel too matchy matchy !
Chiming in with Sharon: what other garment would have the same effect as that jacket? I agree with everything that you said about it…BUT I detest denim/chambray and wonder if there IS something to substitute. It is a remarkable garment in versatility but not for me…..
Me three… Denim jacket variant needed sor spring and summer layer.
I just posted a comment below, I have a denim vest I love, also a short sleeve chambray button up that I can wear open or tie at the waist.
I also have a khaki linen blend vest from j. Jill that changes the look of an outfit in the summer without making me too warm
Classic denim style jackets come in other colours too—would have similar effect in a colour that works with your wardrobe….
My first thought is a leather jacket, but you would have to choose carefully to get something lightweight enough for warmer weather. Maybe a barn jacket? That kind of work-jacket look that comes in different colors in canvas? like these: https://shopstyle.it/l/1dTH
Or this one in an unbleached color: https://shopstyle.it/l/1dTV
It’s an interesting question…
hugs,
Janice
You have just completed my packing list for a business/sightseeing trip to SFO. I have a tan cashmere shawl/scarf and tan bag to complete! My denim jacket is adorned with a variety of tiny rhinestone pins I’ve collected over the years scattered on the chest to make it a bit more feminine and also make it a conversation starter as I meet new people.
Got compliments today on my black-and-white outfit with BRIGHT GREEN accents – earrings, bracelet, scarf.
I wasn’t sure if it would work but I wanted to wear it and I’m glad I did!
Thanks!
Excellent! Sometimes, we must dare to do the fun things…
hugs,
Janice
Back in the late 90s/early 2000s, I wore, and wore out, a similar jacket in outfits like these. This post makes me feel a little nostalgic and a little like seeing if I can find a new one. Last spring and summer I wore frequently a well used, very faded, heavy denim shirt–comfortable, but a little too dressed-down for some things. Why does the structure of the classic jacket make it seem more appropriate with dressier dresses?
I live for Spring when I can wear either my denim, black, or white jean jacket. Depending on which works best, I think they pull the outfits together AND they cover my arms. They’re perfect for over air conditioned restaurants and movie theaters. Mostly, I feel a little chic-er when I wear these little casual jackets with a bright scarf or statement necklace. Thanks for promoting them.
I never found a denim jacket I liked, but I love the look of denim with a black and white outfit. I found a denim vest that I love to wear over a white tee and black shorts or ankle jeans. I have also worn it over my black sleeveless maxi dress. I’m going to use your examples to find other ways to wear it. I also have a short sleeve chambray top I can wear almost the same way as a jacket, but tied at the waist over the dress.
Dear Janice,
Thank you for this inspirational post. I have just ordered this jacket and cannot wait to it try out! I feel right at home in denim and love the casual, comfortable gentlewoman style. Thank you for all the care and effort you put into your work for us.
Big hugs,
Cathy
I love tradional blue denim jackets! I never wear mine because of the rule not to wear denim with denim and I always wear blue jeans.Who’s dumb rule is that anyway?
The denim tuxedo is ok again…according to some people…and I agree, whose dumb rule is it anyway? Wear it if you like it!
I love my jean jacket and wear it quite a bit. I also have two linen/cotton jackets in jean jacket styling; one is olive, the other natural linen beige.
Perhaps it is the cut of them that suits wearing with just about anything. And I agree with Lisa P… roll up the cuffs, put on some bracelets!
I love your suggestions! The flowered dress option is my favorite, especially with the green accessories. A couple other ways I’ve worn mine—a denim blazer over a shorter strapless denim dress (I live in Texas—it seems to work) or over a medium blue dress in a different material (like the Lands’ End wrap dress you showed, which I own in blue). I’ve even used one to dress up a casual striped dress to wear to a meeting, since I have a very casual life with few meetings or clothing to wear to one. They are very useful, especially if you find cardigans too hot, which I do.
I love what you’ve done with a denim jacket. I agree that many jean jackets are too tight and too short to be practical or actually worn as a jacket!
I found a great jean jacket at Old Navy. It’s called the Boyfriend Denim Jacket. It’s a bit oversized and longer, medium wash, and comes in regular, petite and tall sizes. Reasonably priced, too. Love it!
Love the denim jacket; bought one for my recent trip to New Mexico, but it was far too cold to take, so took black leather biker jacket (also over-sized) instead. But plan on wearing the denim and the off-white denim I have far far into the Chicago spring . . . which typically lasts until July 4th :-) xoxox
The right denim jacket is a closet essential, but the wrong denim jacket is just depressing! After many tries, I finally found MY denim jacket–a stretchy lightweight motorcycle-style from Liverpool. It’s more fitted than the classic denim jacket but that’s what looks best on me. Plus, I use it more as a second layer than a true jacket & so wear it over short-sleeved & sleeveless warm-weather tops & dresses–perfect for springtime in Mississippi.
I remember, though, anytime I wore a traditional true-denim jacket around my dad, he’d always say, “Why are you wearing a workman’s jacket?” Born in 1934, he never got used to the idea that denim wasn’t just for manual labor!!!
I always hated denim jackets because they were so stiff and structured no matter how much I washed them or how much fabric softener I used. Then I discovered a Tencel one that I wore so much it got holes and now I’m on my 2nd one. It’s soft and flows across the shoulders and body while looking exactly like a denim jacket should. It’s light weight enough to wear on warm summer evenings and warm enough to wear over a sweater. Plus the sleeves glide over everything like silk. It travels like a dream, rarely a wrinkle and if one does appear, a simple spritz of water will smooth it out in seconds and dries in just a few minutes. Love, love, love my Tencel denim jacket!
I actually have a small collection of jean jackets, several in denim as well as black and white. A classic denim jacket is versatile for a travel capsule wardrobe, but I don’t usually pack mine if I’m flying because it is bit heavy. Of course I could wear it on my travel days, but it’s not quite comfortable enough for an overnight flight. It might just be me, but I rarely find that the same cardigan/jacket works over skirts/dresses and over slacks. Just not the right proportion on my body. So that’s why I have an assortment beloved denim jackets – shorter + more fitted for dresses, longer and boxier for pants. – nancyo
The last time I wore a denim jacket was in the 1970s. It was stiff, boxy, and all the things I currently hate about your prototypical denim jacket (but it was cream-colored, and actually looked cute on my adolescent self). But recently I discovered what is for me the perfect denim jacket, which is thin, stretchy, and has princess seaming along with arms that have been given a distinctive shirtsleeve type of wrist, which folds up if you want it to. The overall look of this particular jacket (which is not expensive, it’s just QVC) is way more elegant than you’d expect. It does zip up and has a strong waist shape which works for me. I just took it on a week-long trip to LA and it was absolutely great, very light material, never hot, looked good with everything I brought. I do not in any way agree that you have to spend a lot of money or even buy what everyone else buys (square and boxy makes me look 400 lbs.). I also have a very boxy and not terribly attractive Eileen Fisher jacket in a black linen, which I’m now tempted to donate, but it’s such a nice fabric. We’ll see this summer if it goes into a box.
It is quite impossible, for me, to wear a denim jacket, and especially with this shape…(more easier if it looks like a blazer).
So, I do thank the persons who gave another choice possible to combine with Janice proposals – which are brilliant, and so convenient.
The idea of a leather jacket, or a velvet jacket are genious !
And more than these choices, the idea of a vest wich suits quite every summer capsule is very clever.
I like the style of the jacket but I’m the rare person who does not own or care for blue denim. I own two similarly cut jackets. The first is a white/gray/khaki cotton print by Sanctuary, which I wear most summer days. It goes with all of my summer clothes, which is absolutely amazing. The other is a medium gray and charcoal plaid with a maroon stripe in a polyester/rayon/spandex blend from The Liverpool Jean Company, which I wear in the fall and winter.
Personally, I don’t care for the blue denim with most of these dresses. I find the juxtaposition of the different levels of refinement to be jarring most of the time. I think part of the problem is that casual dresses and skirts that one can play in, so to speak, haven’t been in fashion in about 2 generations, which I think is a pity.
The popularity of the blue denim jacket mystifies me although I think white denim is a more versatile option.
I love the idea of a denim jacket as a way to wear dressier clothes in more situations! My qualm has to do with the volume of the jacket paired with some of the dresses that have longer and fuller skirts. I’m thinking that, with those pieces and even the Eileen Fisher wide-legged pant (depending on fabric), a more fitted jacket would be more modern and possibly less frumpy for most body types.
I have a denim jacket that I bought at Goodwill a couple years ago (a friend talked me into it) that I didn’t know what to do with, but I’ve worn it frequently this spring/early summer. It has a fitted waist and flares slightly over the hip, so it’s not boxy like the ones from my middle/high school days. My favorite way to wear it is like I would a blazer with a knit sheath dress (I have several like the Lands End dress in the “how to wear a blue dress” post). It gives me a finishing piece without being too dressy in my mostly casual work environment – I sometimes get teased if I’m “too dressed up.” Thank you for bringing us so many great mix-and-match ideas!
I LOVE your blog, Janice–it’s helped me to develop more a sense of my own style, and has really helped to learn how to pair things already in my wardrobe, so thank you! I *love* my denim jacket for travel–it’s so rugged, I never have to worry about washing it if it gets dirty because it can take just about anything you throw at it, keeps the chill away, and mine has the “unofficial” inside pockets that I use all the time to hold keys, ID, phone, etc.–everything is at my fingertips. Thank you for such an informative and helpful blog, and hope you have a great new year!
Thank you for the style tips! I want to purchase a denim jacket, but I want something very lightweight and not too bulky. I’m having a difficult time finding one. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
Angelia