The Effect of a Good Jacket
Written by Jordyn Salahiddine-Rose
As a Midwest girly, a jacket is almost essential. Whether it’s just walking to class, going out or merely running errands, a jacket has the power to elevate the simplest of outfits. From leather to denim, there are so many styles of jackets to choose from that can help any outfit. Of course, in the dead of winter, bigger puffer jackets are more practical when going against the cold, but even those kinds of jackets can still be cute and personalized.
In college, a jacket can either make or break an outfit, so it’s important to wear one that matches your style. A leather jacket is always a good choice and can typically be seen at night around campus. Leather jackets can be worn in a variety of styles and so many different colors.
Although you can never go wrong with a good black color, brown, red or even green are good variations of the basic jacket that add some flair. With leather, there are different styles that can upgrade an outfit; you can go for a more oversized look where the jacket is a little bit bigger, or it can be cropped for a shorter look.
Because there are so many variations of a leather jacket, there are so many ways it can be styled. The jacket could be used as a cover-up on a skirt or dress, and one can never go wrong with a pair of tall black boots to go with the jacket. Otherwise, blue jeans are always a good option when wanting to dress more comfortably, but still wanting the outfit to look elevated. Even a leather jacket over a hoodie can still look professional and put together. It’s important when styling a piece of clothing like a leather jacket that anything can look good as long as you're wearing the clothes, rather than the clothes wearing you.
As we head into spring, lighter jackets are definitely needed when trying to keep up with the different weather we experience each day. Like leather, denim can also be styled in a variety of ways; from oversized to short, there is a plethora of outfits that can be made from a denim jacket. The thing about denim is that it comes in a variety of colors, rather than just the simple light blue color that is typically seen. Anything can be styled well with denim; another denim piece, sweats, skirts, dresses, leggings, etc.
Denim on denim looks especially clean when a neutral color, like white or black, is worn underneath so that it doesn’t take away from the denim effect. Denim is useful in spring because there are days when it’s colder when you just need a little cover-up, but then there are days when it’s a little warmer and you don’t need a thick jacket. Oversized denim jackets have become more popular in recent years because they can be a little warmer, but a cropped denim jacket is absolutely still cute and stylish.
The ways that a jacket can be styled are innumerable, since there are so many colors and variations of jackets out there; the possibilities are endless. With winter coming to an end, we can finally put our warm puffer jackets in the back of our closets.
But when looking back at the past couple of months, I definitely saw a lot of puffer jackets on campus. Although they have a more practical reason for being worn, puffer jackets always look so good. Whether it be by adding a scarf or wearing a hoodie underneath, even a simple winter jacket can still be elevated into a fashionable outfit. Cropped puffer jackets have become the latest trend in winter jackets, and one can never go wrong wearing one to elevate a winter outfit. But in Wisconsin’s cold winters, they only keep the top half of your body warm, so it’s sometimes not the most practical.
The kinds of jackets or coats I’ve really been into the most these past couple of months are long trench or fur coats. They make the simplest of outfits look so chic and polished. Obviously, they aren’t the best choice right now as the weather continues to get warmer, but for winter and especially those really cold days, they would certainly be able to keep you warm. They are able to add such an elegant, New York City chic vibe to any outfit, and it can have such a powerful effect on how you want your outfit to look. With a long coat like this, your outfit wouldn’t be the center of attention per se, but it might be easier to style an outfit around this kind of coat.
A classic pair of jeans and a neutral colored shirt would put the coat in more of a spotlight to emphasize how distinguished the coat is. A simple outfit like jeans and a shirt can be significantly upgraded by a coat or jacket. This is the power that a cover-up like a jacket can have on an outfit, and why adding such an important piece of clothing can refine and elevate the simplest of outfits.
Edited by Hana Razvi, Olivia Ruetten, Sim Khanuja
