Posts with tag jackets

This fall coats are very lighthearted and roomy with a touch of 60s mod thrown in for good measure. Choose something trendy in a pop of color and really go for it or get one in a classic color and keep it forever.

The season's best jackets come in shades of pastel pink, yellow, green and blue. Pastel outerwear gives a season known for its dark palettes some lightness. They also make even the bulkiest of jackets we wear to keep warm a little more feminine. Plus they are the perfect pop of color against an office party LBD or everyday office attire (that means you black pants suit!).

Check out some of our favorite pastel coats that are sure to liven up an otherwise dreary winter.

This week, let's take a moment to celebrate the delightfully heinous crimes against denim witnessed on eBay. We've already brought you:

Bad Jean Jacket #1
Bad Jean Jacket #2
& Bad Jean Jacket #3

Here are #4-8, starting with this one.

A patch on your jean jacket is sort of sweet, in an "I was once a girl/boy scout and I dig patches" kind of way. This many patches? Batdung crazy.

This jacket includes patches such as:

Madrid
American Indian guy
American Indian guy #2
Ladybug
Bear with hat on
Giraffe
Elephant
Rag doll
Rainbow
French weathervane
Skull

WTF? See the gallery for more eBay denim disasters.

People laugh at Patrick Dempsey in his spandex biker shorts. Shock. [Page Six]

Check out Gwyneth Paltrow as a porcelain doll on the May issue of Vogue. [ShinyStyle]

Etiquette Checker -- never have bad breath on a date again! [productdose]

Gasp! The fashion industry uses sweatshops! New documentary will make people freak out, wish they were doing something about the problem, then forget about it on their way to buy cute designer knock-offs at Target. [Catwalk Queen]

The only way to wear white tennis shoes. [Hypebeast]

Dudes: read this before picking out your spring jacket. [Refinery29]

Don't gain weight ladies, you'll never fit into this chair, perfectly molded to some model's butt. [Gizmodo]

France might outlaw "inciting thinness." [AP]

Remember those jackets -- those thin polyester (were they polyester? we don't even remember), with the standing, tabbed collar, knit cuffs and trim at the waist, and of course,the signature label that said "Members Only?" We might not recollect all that well because it was a style intended for the boys in the '80s, but the label is back, and this time, it's for the ladies.

If we recall correctly, Members Only jackets didn't cost more than a reasonable twenty bucks, and even with inflation over 20 years, we don't see that a jacket would be more than say, $75. However, Members Only is now somewhat of a luxury retro label, with jackets ranging near a thousand dollars. Granted, the jackets are made of leather, but still - nearly $1,000?!

Hey, if you don't want to go all out with a leather jackets, Members Only has departed from just jacket designs and has vests as well as dresses, which a re slightly more reasonably priced.

Members Only Classic Bomber Leather Jacket available for $990 from Revolve Clothing.

A request has been made of me to be an advisor on a shopping trip for a man's blazer.

Though I like to consider myself a semi-expert in many things, I still have to do a little prep work because 1) it's been a little while since I've shopped for menswear and 2) (see photo above, lower left) when did cotton candy pink become a hot color for men's jackets?!?!

Apparently, pink is hot when someone custom-designs his own jacket over at DressMonkey. You select fabrics like tweed or velvet, colors, and customize everything from the number and type of buttons to whether you want a cell phone pocket. You send in your measurements along with your customizations and they make your jacket just for you. DressMonkey, of course, provides some suggested combinations, but ultimately, it's all up to you and your personal style, baby.

Even if that's a pink velvet blazer with three gold buttons.

Sure, holiday parties are a blast, but they're probably a little dressier than your day-to-day wardrobe. You could run out and spend hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars on nicer outfits, but the truth is that a few items will make all the difference.

One of those items is a blazer. This will come in handy when you need to look really nice -- khakis, ties, dress shoes, etc -- but also will take just a about any outfit from sloppy to chic.

Check out this Kenneth Cole Two Button Blazer as a possible option. It's formal enough for anything short of a black tie affair, but looks fantastic with jeans and festively-colored dress shirt. I'd also recommend this brown leather sport coat from Alfani (which is what I'm wearing this holiday season). As you can see in the photo, it works with a shirt and tie, but also looks great with a hooded sweatshirt -- even a t-shirt if you're going to a pseudo-casual party. Plus, it's fairly warm, so you can get away without wearing a bulky overcoat.

Add a nice pair of boots, and your grubby jeans and t-shirts suddenly start to look like Christmas party attire.

It's called a coat, but really, isn't the Flora Fleece by Twisted Heart a very heavy dress?

The cotton fleece dress features an adorable Peter Pan collar and lantern sleeves with raw edges. The "dress" buttons down the front, topped off with a fabric rosette. You could wear this is as a jacket/coat, but with the wide-open collar and the shortened sleeves, it limits over what you can wear it.

The Twisted Heart "Flora" Fleece Jacket/Dress is available at Nordstrom in Grey Heather (shown), Black, and Ecru, for $150.

I'm not going to lie. I am not hugely fond of the handbags by Kooba. Both my sisters have one, and while I love the soft, light leather, for some reason, I find that the design of the bags are not functional for my lifestyle. The bags are relatively shapeless, a little too roomy, and the signature, stitch-reinforced, wide handles always slip of my shoulder. I just don't think I'd realistically carry the hadbag all that often if I owned one.

However, I'd most certainly wear Kooba. I am absolutely head over heels in lust with the Moto Leather Jacket by Kooba pictured in all its soft, supple glory above. The jacket buttons up asymmetrically up one side with three button-tabbed flaps and the bottom hit right at the hip. The kicker feature, of course, is the hood, which is totally not functional because who would wear this gorgeous jacket out in weather that actually requires a hood (rain)?

The jacket is available in both vintage brown and black lambskin from Revolve Clothing for - gasp! - $836.

You may have written off the Gap, and I wouldn't blame you. For a while there they were somewhere in between a less-fashionable version of JCrew and a way too expensive (not to mention less trendy) version of Target. Bleh -- what's the point?

But the store has been on the comeback trail recently, and their winter line is particularly impressive. Check out this Moleskin Blazer, for instance. You can dress it up or down, depending on where you're heading -- even turn the collar up when you need to look especially cool. Plus, the dark, muted colors are right in sync with where we're heading this season, and you can layer underneath it with sweaters, or even hooded sweatshirts, when the weather starts to get a little colder.

Best of all, it's only $88 -- which, for a jacket this nice, is a steal. I never thought I'd say this, but it's possible that Gap is back.

[via Damn I Like That]

There are very few articles of clothing that can seamlessly fit both an art gallery opening and a quick, early morning trip to Starbucks. A black blazer is one of those items. Every girl needs at least one well-fitted blazer in her closet because such a classic item can easily be dressed up or dress down, simply by manipulating the other articles of clothing. For example... A black blazer with dark wash denim and some sweet pointed shoes? Perfect for an evening out. The very same blazer, joined with a tank top and broken-in vintage jeans serves as something beautifully suitable for a stroll through the city.

Here are some things to note: Such a structured jacket is typically masculine (in fact, the pictured jacket from Urban Outfitters is the Lux Boyfriend Blazer), but this is where I, once again, stress the fit. Unless you are going for that "little boy who likes to wear daddy's suits" look, ladies, make sure the blazer does not fit like a bag over your body. The only thing worse than wearing a shapeless mass on your body is wearing a mass that has shapes in all the wrong places. If the cut shoulders fit too far apart, you risk looking like a linebacker. If the sleeves are too short, you risk looking like Pee-Wee Herman. Fit is everything, especially with blazers.

But, when worn properly, the basic black blazer is a staple to any closet and is not likely to go out of style. Well, that is until arms become obsolete.

That "faux fur" trim on your favorite jacket may be made -- at least partially -- from real dog hair.

The Humane Society of the United States tested 25 jackets, of which 24 were incorrectly labeled, and contained actual animal hair. In most cases the fur came from the wild raccoon dogs of Asia and norther Europe.

And it's not like these were purchased off of some "vendor" selling knock-offs on the street or from the back of his van. The group purchased the Sean John, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger jackets from a number of different mainstream department stores, including Macy's, Burlington Coat Factory and J.C. Penny.

Just when you thought Fido was safe.

Let's hope that you don't go overboard with "Holiday dressing," e.g. wearing a Christmas cardigan, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with pinking yourself out for Valentine's Day. (Or perhaps I just use that an excuse because pink is one of my favorite colors.)

Victoria's Secret's Tailored Coat is all about being a perfect lady in pink. The long, lean coat is made of imported wool and features snap closure and a belted waist. The best thing is, of course, that the coat is on sale for $99.

If pink is a little much for you, the coast also comes in black and baby blue.

When it comes to luxury items, you have to watch out for fakes. But for rapper Jay-Z, the opposite is true. According to the Humane Society of the United States, Jay-Z's Rocawear faux-fur jacket is actually made from real raccoon dog fur! (Yes, you read that correctly -- something thought to be fake is actually real...)

Using mass spectrometry techniques, the Humane Society determined that the fur in Jay-Z's Rocawear jackets came from a canine species native to Asia that resembles a raccoon. This so-called raccoon dog is often skinned alive for its pelt.

Jay-Z was informed of the fur situation last week, and as of today, the jacket is no longer available on the Rocawear website. A Rocawear representative released a statement suggesting that the company had no idea that fur was from raccoon dogs, and that would be taking immediate steps to pull the coat and to prevent the future use of raccoon dog fur.

And all of that sounds great, but it makes me wonder whether or not Rocawear has any plans to get in touch with their online customers about the jacket situation. If I had purchased a coat thinking it was fake, I would want to know, and I'd also want my money back...

Since the 2006/2007 fashion season could easily be described as the Year of the Dress, it only makes sense that longer coats have become a major trend as well. I know you want to run right out and buy one, but because choosing a length, style, and print can be difficult and overwhelming, we at Styledash have taken the guesswork out of your decision and done some research for you. So here's the skinny on the long jacket:

Princess - The princess line (fitted, with a slight flare at the bottom) is universally the most flattering style for women of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Tailored throughout the midsection with eye-catching lapels at the collar and just a hint of an A-line flare at the hemline, this type of jacket can be worn with jeans, trousers, skirts, and dresses (make sure your skirt/dress hemline is shorter than or about the same length as your coat).

Tulip - The tulip shaped coat works best on taller gals, the double-breasted shape can be great for, well, girls who are looking for all the 'breasted" help available, if you get my drift.

Belted - Belted coats are pretty timeless, and can be worn closed with the belt tied in front, or open with the belt loosely knotted in back but can be bulky if you choose a heavy fabric.

Now that you know what style works best for you, you're ready to move on to fabric selection. While I would never debate the usefulness of a black or navy coat, I think we can all agree that branching out into brighter paisleys, plaids, and prints can't be all wrong. One of the best ways to wear a printed coat is buttoned up over your most cozy and comfortable basics. The fun fabrication of the jacket will become your entire outfit, allowing you to slip on a pair of boots or kitten-heeled pumps and go. A coat that not only allows me to wear my old-but-incredibly-comfy turtlenecks but also cuts down on my getting-ready time? I'm on board.