The summer jackets to refresh your wardrobe
The summer jackets that give an instant update
There are good cardigan times and there are bad cardigan times. Weather wise, you’d think this would be peak cardi season. But weather doesn’t rule the fashion agenda. In case the weather hasn’t noticed, it has almost zero influence on what is on trend.
Ergo, cardigans just aren’t where it’s at, at the mo. Style has left cardis behind. The Boyfriend Cardi (very 2014), the weather-woman cardi (a bit too short, too tight, too bright), the jewelled cardi (fabulous when they’re just right, but not for everyone) the coatigan (2014 again and great but, as I write, hard to find in the shops)… they’ve all served their time and are now found a bit wanting.
Most of them don’t work with the trouser shapes and dresses we’re wearing. Belting them is a tempting thought but rarely works in practice. Cardigans bunch at the hem, or they make a break for freedom away from the confines of your nice, smart belt. Outside a fashion shoot, when did you last see a successfully belted cardigan?
The brutal truth is that, currently, most cardis are a fast track to frumpiness. Believe me, I find this painful too. There is nothing cosier than a cardigan on most days, but they are the high sugar, refined white flour muffins of fashion: short-term gain for long-term pain.
Instead, designers are directing their talents at jumpers and jackets. The former have their place but not in August, when any given minute can run from chilly to muggy and back. So the smart purchase is on something that you can slip in and out of with minimal fuss and hair disruption. It should provide a neat, defined silhouette to as many different items in your wardrobe as possible – from T-shirts to dresses – but not be so tight that you can’t layer up beneath it.
Since we’re aiming for an intelligently harvested, versatile, multitasking wardrobe rather than acreage of barely worn seedlings, it should be sleek enough for the average office, but also something you reach for at weekends. In other words, think cardi, act tailored. The latest crop of jackets do all that, in their different ways. There are four main themes:
The Checked Jacket
These, in various iterations including Balenciaga’s Incredible Hulk versions, were a street-style favourite last spring. Designers have taken note. From Tibi to M&S, Gucci (+ appliqued tulips) to Victoria Beckham’s curvy houndstooth take, you can find myriad interpretations filtering into stores. Any kind of squares will do, from featherweight Prince of Wales wools, to tweedy windowpane, although if you’re petite, stick to smaller checks. The big advantage to a checked jacket, particularly the subtler ones, is that they’re much easier to co-ordinate than a plain jacket. Finding an exact colour match for black or navy is almost always impossible – much simpler to go for a dark background with coloured lines running through it. There’s a reason tweed became an upper-class uniform in August at the start of the 20th century, by the way: it’s windproof, showerproof, comes in an array of soft, hazy hues (as well as searing brights) and, although the Edwardians would have been nonplussed by the concept, can be dressed up or down. Wear your check jacket with jeans or silky wide trousers now, corduroy kick flares in autumn. Come winter, you can wear it with a sheepskin gilet underneath. Me&em has designed slimline hoodie sheepskins especially – available from September.
The Decorative Utility Jacket
The khaki jacket has become a modern classic, and with good cause. There’s a shade of olive that suits everyone, goes with everything, and holds its own in just about any situation. Now utility has been synced with embroideries (first seen at Valentino, now available in Zara), beading and appliqués. Tread carefully – some of the embellishment looks like an afterthought. Purists would probably argue that the whole point of utilitarianism is function over form but get this one right and you’ve got a modern looking, youthful substitute for the more formal evening coat. And because they are often cotton or gaberdine, they don’t need to cost a fortune to look good.
The Tailored Denim Jacket
Cropped and seamed, the denim jacket has been revived for autumn. Stella Mccartney’s comes with a buckle at the waist. Others have top stitching or stand-up collars. Azzedine Alaïa’s denim biker is a thing of engineered beauty and an undoubted classic, with a price tag to match, but Gap’s are also classics in their way. Glam it up with some velvet or silk mules, dangly gold earrings and, for maximum flexibility, opt for a silhouette that allows for jumpers when it gets colder.
The Cropped Suede Jacket
A far more forgiving choice than a leather jacket, which can look harsh or contrived. The colours generally have a softness that’s flattering, if less hard wearing than leather – I had a red one from Zara years ago that I wore to death. Choose one that ends an inch but not much more below the waist – one that doesn’t leave a gap with your waistband but isn’t so long it stops at an unflattering point on your hips or thighs. Toast’s blue suede jacket is sumptuous – and, at £595, a long-term investment. Whistles Turner suede jacket (£225, whistles.com) is less luxe but makes chinos and a cream silk shirt smart enough for a chic restaurant and wouldn’t look overdone on a picnic. It comes in orange, a tempting but wear-once-only pink and feels quite cardigan-like. It looks infinitely sleeker though, and that’s entirely the point.