The Magic Of The "It" Jacket

For the last two months, I have been thinking about a jacket. You know, one of those jackets that make every outfit look sophisticated and put together. In junior high, I had a Laura Ashley long black blazer with a nipped-in waist that I wore until I outgrew it.
 

Only slightly similar to this gorgeous jacket by blogger Boodely.

In college, I had a dark plum Anne Klein jacket of my sister's, this one was cropped, square with slight shoulder pads and a peter pan collar. I wore that until it was taken at a nightclub when I put it behind the counter with others. At the end of the night, they handed me the only jacket that was left back there. I put my arm through it and immediately knew it was wrong. How come the girl who took mine didn't notice? She never called the club to inquire about hers so I kept it. It was similar in the fact that it was boxy but it had a squared off collar and was more like a business suit jacket; therefore, it did not have the same feel.

1987-88 party wear.

I then moved on to oversized men's jackets, first a plain black one and then a 1960s sharkskin, both worn with the sleeves rolled up. The sharkskin was a unique color combination of spring green and brown that resulted in a bronze-y hue. It was extremely oversized; however, as looking back at pictures proves, the look worked. Probably in large part because I wore it with confidence and feminine vintage thrift store dresses with nipped-in waists. My waist was tiny then and I flaunted it with full skirts whenever I could, even sometimes with a pair of men's cordovan wingtips.

Similar to these.

I also wore this masculine jacket with vintage 1930's lace-up patent leather high-heeled oxfords, like the ones above. It looked cool at the time.

About six years later, I bought a khaki linen-blend jacket for $16 at a shop at Potomac Mills Outlet (it was Papaya!). I loved this summery jacket. Instead of buttons, it had copper snaps down the front, a waist yoke that nipped in with a bit of flare below, and interesting seaming and gathers at the bust line. It was finished with a crisp collar that looked great buttoned all the way up and snapped plackets on the long sleeve cuffs. Luckily, I have a picture because it was snatched up by someone in a coffee shop. I realized as soon as I got home but the shop was closed. When I called the next day, they said it was gone. I am still mad. Get your own cute jackets (since I obviously must have excellent taste) but leave mine alone!

I hope to use Simplicity 1781 to recreate it one day, mixing and matching the pattern's elements. However, before that I need a more universal jacket that will span the seasons and go with all my skirts and the new pants I intend to make.

Great unique jackets have been popping up everywhere I look, at Zara, Madewell, Mango, and by upscale designers. To see some of the jacket styles I am personally contemplating, check out my Jacket Inspiration group on Pinterest. In addition, versions of another possible style can be found by using the term "waterfall jacket". In the next post, I will show examples of sewing patterns available to create your own "It" jacket at home.