Layering a Short Vest over a Short Jacket
Layering a short vest over a jacket isn’t always easy. Even for me. Because as much as I was excited about this idea of layering a vest over a jacket, I found myself having to try on many combinations to get a great look. So I can imagine for you that you might think this would be too much work and trouble?
Quote of the day: “You will succeed if you persevere, and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles, a delight in climbing rugged paths, which you would perhaps never know if you did not sometime slip backward.” Helen Keller
But if you love being creative with your clothing items, and are looking to make your pieces more versatile, then this could be a fun challenge.
I know before I started blogging, I only thought to layer my vests over shirts and blouses. That’s all find and good, but then they don’t get as much wear in the colder months. We actually experimented with this concept with our denim vests last spring.
Jodie’s (50+) Outfit: I started the layering of the short jacket over a dress.
Many of my dresses are sleeveless, which isn’t too ideal for the cold weather. So I’m always trying to figure out what I can wear over or under them to stay warm. You can see when I wore this vest before, and the time I wore this jacket.
I didn’t give a lot of description of this vintage, fuzzy jacket in that older post, but it was a hand me down to my mother from one of her friends. It was a beige color, and very dingy and stained. So we came up with the idea to dye it a grey color. To me, dying clothes is a fabulous way to get more life out of them.
These fabulous earrings are a pair that I was able to try out from my Rocksbox set. I fell in love with them since they weren’t super heavy, and yet very sparkly. Therefore, I ended up purchasing them that month. I’m still able to offer you a free month of Rocksbox if you use the code JTouchofstylexoxo.
The vest is a piece made by a designer here in Denver.
I think I was drawn to it because of the exposed, diagonal zipper. Usually because of that zipper, I don’t think it will look good with a necklace. However, I thought the pin made a great appearance in the middle of the collars of the jacket. Don’t pay attention to the fact that it’s not exactly in the center, ha ha!
Ever since we started using brooches on the blog, I’ve been picking them up at many thrift and consignment shops. And you may already have a couple in your possession. But if not, there are some for a great price. I found quite a few under $10 as drinks, flowers, animals, and misc. shapes.
Since my vest was black in color, I decided to wear black tights and ankle boots to keep warm.
These are certainly not boots that I would wear for walking around for miles, but I liked keeping the look dressy. Black ankle boots are definitely a color that I think is good to have a couple of pairs in your closet. The basic, low heel pair that can be worn for excursions. And the dress up pair that are for fancy. Even if you don’t wear heels often, this pair has a lower heel, yet is very sexy. Or you could choose a pair that have sequins on them for a ton of bling.
Dress: Elana Kattan (similar here)~~Vest: Stephanie O (similar here)~~Jacket: Kahns (similar here)~~Boots: ShoeDazzle (similar here)~~Earrings: Aster purchased from Rocksbox (here)~~Purse: Mix No. 6 (similar here)~~Brooch: (similar here)
Nancy’s (60+) Outfit: Nancy’s outfit was perfect for the day, because it was quite cold outside.
And I really loved that she left the lapels and collar stick out so it’s almost like it makes the casual, fleece vest a little fancier. This vest made an appearance on the blog last January with her leather skirt.
I know most trench coats are long, but I bought this for Nancy because it was shorter. I thought it’d be perfect for her height and it’s a swing version. And it’s nice because it’s lightweight enough she could layer the vest over it without it being too bulky. She’s worn the jacket before when we styled trench coats.
This fabulous statement necklace was one of the pieces Nancy received when we had our girlfriend event at Chicos. Even if you don’t wear a lot of green, a fabulous green necklace can be the perfect accessory. Just think of how fun this necklace would look over a white top. Or if you tend to wear more black, then this necklace would show up great.
Let’s focus on the ankle boots for a minute.
I think it was a great idea for Nancy to choose her brown ones here. I’m sure the obvious boot choice would have been black boots. And certainly that would work with this outfit. But I also think the brown is super because it carries the brown from the necklace into the rest of the look.
If you are one of those that don’t love brown and black together, then how would you feel about pewter or snakeskin for something different? I’m here to try to push us all out of our comfort zone because we want to stand out and be noticed.
Wearing a column of black as a foundation, makes for an easy way to add in more color. Since black pants are worn by everyone for almost any day, I thought I’d show you a couple of pair in case you’re needing a new selection. This pair would work for any time, and this pair is slim but not too tight.
And then the black turtleneck with the pants give you that column of color. You could always choose a turtleneck that has a little bit of fun detail included for your next one. Like this one or even this one could be a little different than what you already have.
Pants: (similar here)~~Vest: REI (similar here)~~Jacket: H&M (similar here)~~Sweater: (similar here)~~Boots: Crown Vintage (similar here)~~Necklace: Chicos c/o (similar here)~~Bracelet: Chicos c/o (similar here)
Charlotte’s (70+) Outfit: My mom layered her short vest over a knit jacket.
This vest is a creation of my mothers, and after she finished putting it together, she went to the thrift store to find something she could wear under it. So this category was quite easy for her to style.
And notice the gloves even match. It was cold and dreary this day of photos, so the gloves are a perfect addition. Adding striped gloves to any outfit can be exactly what the look needs. For example this pair would be perfect for the darker outfits, and this pair could liven up anything.
Since there is turquoise in my mom’s vest, she picked out these small turquoise color earrings. Most of us living out here in the West have quite a few turquoise stones also. The three of us showcased this exact category last fall.
Yet I’m always amazed at how many lovely turquoise earrings I see every year at the stores. It’s nice to know that it really never goes out of style. Like these earrings have a funky vibe that keep them modern. Or having the fringe as part of these, gives them a playful look.
I wanted to point out some of the pretty details, so I had my mom take off her gloves.
Like I was discussing with turquoise earrings, turquoise rings are just as fabulous. I love how these little pieces of bling can add so much to an outfit. This one would be so lovely to add both red and turquoise to the mix. While this one gives you a whole lot of turquoise for not very much money.
I also have to point out the zipper pull. This is one way to realize that my mom made the vest herself….ha ha! Only she would have an owl zipper pull, right?
My mom and I found these brown pants for her when shopping at Kohl’s last year. I know most of us already have quite a collection of pants in our closet, but they are an important basic to update regularly. This pair is slightly slimmer than most of her older pants, and I think it makes her look 10 years younger.
Not that you have to have really tight pants, but there are many versions out there that would work for all of us. This pair could be great for work or even dress up, and then this pair even has a slimming panel for the tummy.
Pants: Chaps (similar here)~~Vest: Mom made it (similar here)~~Jacket: Caslan (similar here)~~Boots: Greatland (similar here)~~Earrings: (similar here)~~Gloves: (similar here)
I think this idea of layering a vest over a jacket can be smart for a couple of reasons. One, is that it can be taken off in intervals. Therefore if you are a little warm with both layers on, you can take off just one or both depending on the temperature. But secondly, it can really make your vests more versatile. And that’s always a win in my head!
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