Styling a Cropped Denim Jacket

Another question from my friend Mindy -- she recently bought a cropped denim jacket from the AE outlet that she's not sure if she should keep.

My answer, in a word, is YES. I know where Mindy's coming from -- I actually just got a cropped denim jacket too, and I kept going back and forth about whether to keep it or not since it's seems like it's a less versatile piece. But! This jacket will only expand your wardrobe: if you treat it like a cardigan-type piece, it can make any of your summer dresses wearable into the fall, while adding a little touch of prep or punk (depending on your personalization - more on that tomorrow!). Also, since it's cropped, it's kind of like the regular jean jacket's smarter, cuter cousin. It's not as bulky, so it makes your look feminine and more streamlined. 

Over a dress: Pretty much any type! I can't wait to style mine with the thrifted silk Banana Republic dress I found the other day, as well as my black maxi, and this shorter floral dress I have. You can use the jacket to make a little black dress or something with a formal silhouette or fabric/texture (like silk or sequins) more casual.



With a maxi skirt: The jacket would look cute over an oxford shirt, tank, or tee tucked in. You might have to wear the skirt high enough around your waist so there's some overlap where the jacket meets the top of the skirt, to keep the line clean.

(via Atlantic-Pacific)

With shorts or a skirt: Wear with a tank or tee untucked, or tucked in the front (with a belt) and pair the outfit with wedges (or FINE, whatever shoes you want... I'm not the boss of you). The one caveat would be to make sure that the jacket doesn't chop the look up too much, especially since you're wearing shorts or a shorter skirt, so maybe pick a slightly higher-waisted pair of shorts or skirt.


I think it'll take some experimenting, depending on the skirts/dresses/shorts you try. Now we just have to wait for the 90 degree temperatures to move along so we can actually wear jackets.