Jack of All Trades...The Jacket (tweed and leather!)

Statement jackets are a big thing this Autumn and covers a broad spectrum of other trends.  It is also an easy way of injecting something new into your core wardrobe of staple garments...your LBD, your black tops and trousers.  For the colour loving lady, you can have colourful printed jackets, for those who love more opulent looks, you can look to embellished jackets or those made in rich brocade or velvet.  For the sporty, more "street" look, you can opt for the varsity jacket.  Style maven Jasmine Webster has done a great post on this trend.  For a more muted take on the look, a tweed jacket or biker leather.

The statement jacket is a versatile trend which can be done pretty much year round.  I have been wearing cotton printed jackets over my basic black office wear to inject colour into my day wear.  One of my favourite vintage buys was a floral/polka dot print jacket which I wore over a black jumpsuit or a black top and trousers:

Floral?  Polka Dots?  Stripes?  Print clash - check!

(Photo from Etsy seller AnyRoseBud)

Black Jumpsuit (photo from WearitWellVintage)

Another Summer wardrobe staple was my vintage DVF jacket which I paired with my vintage Bally shoes (I loved the wedge heels on these!)

DVF Jacket (photo from etsy seller)

Bally wedge heels (photo from etsy seller)

WINTER PICKS:

For cooler weather, (though the current HK weather feels more like Summer!), I would definitely look at tweed jackets or leather jackets.  For my wishlist, I would definitely love a 3.1 Phillip Lim jacket from the HK pop-up store.  I love the studded detail on the sleeves and paired with the bright yellow, it would definitely brighten up any gloomy grey day!  I also would love one of the great leather jackets from super cool A Boy Named Sue online store.  I love the ecochic message of the store.

My Dream Jacket: 3.1 Phillip Lim

(Photo from Visala Wong's blog)

The Sway's "Roma" Leather Jacket with Faux Fur Collar

(Photo from A Boy Named Sue)

The Sway's "Byron" Leather Jacket

(Photo from A Boy Named Sue)

However if you are on a limited budget, you can look to the High Street or go and look at what vintage finds you can get.  Here are some of my top picks from Marks and Spencer (sorry, I need to feed my M&S addiction!)

M&S Leather with Suede Panel Jacket

I love the leather and suede mix on this jacket.  Streamlined fit which means that you do not get the bulky feel with some leather jackets.  I definitely have this on my list of jackets to buy as anything that does NOT make me look like an America Football player is a plus!

M&S Textured Jacket

This great jacket is versatile enough to take you through from day to night.  It can be dressed down or dressed up for the occasion (you can wear it with jeans for the weekend or a black shift dress for work).  I like that it is not a straight tweed pattern but the textured print still gives you the same vibe as a tweed.  A versatile addition to any wardrobe.

M&S Tweed Biker Jacket

Oh My God!!  I love, love, love this jacket.  Hitting both the biker and tweed trends in one piece.  Smart enough for the office but yet the biker style of the jacket means it can be worn without feeling like you are too "corporate".  The darker tweed panels help to give a slimmer effect for the waist.  Once again, it is a fitted jacket which is a shape that I love because it helps to keep me from looking too bulky.  I want, want, want!

The Cardigan Jacket???

Hmmm...not sure how else to describe this garment.  For those who do not really like to wear jackets but like to try to incorporate the jacket trend in a more diluted form should look at some of the great "cardigan jackets" that are on offer.  I love this look because I am always wary of the shoulder pads in jackets which can make me look like a linebacker.

M&S Leather Panel Cardigan

This great cardigan really hits the current leather trend.  This is a great addition to your wardrobe especially as it gives a great fitted silhouette.  I love the fact that it does not have shoulder pads!!

M&S Knit Jacket

This comes in several colours so you can choose whichever tickles your fancy.  I chose the classic black and white for this post as it is probably the easiest choice to incorporate into your wardrobe.  However, my penchant for bright colours would probably mean that I would probably buy the pink mix version too.  (yes, my name is Jackaline and I like bright colours!)

*All M&S pieces are currently available online.

OOOOO....Marks and Spencer have revamped their Per Una range...

Ok, anyone who knows me, knows that I have had a wee obsession with Marks and Spencer since I was a wee girl (I could post horrid pictures of my youth wearing a M&S shirt which my MUM still wears...but I won't).  However, I have been a tiny bit disappointed by its scatter gun approach in recent collections.  I used to usually find a few nice pieces from the Autograph and Limited Collections but never really anything from the Per Una range.  To be honest, I always thought it was a bit mumsy with its over designed frills and chintzy embellishments.  The skirts were either too long or were at that strange midi length with some sort of gypsy type ruffle at the bottom.  Also there were some garish patterns and the range was extremely over priced for the average M&S customer in my humble opinion.

Imagine my surprise when M&S have announced that Amber Valletta (model and actress currently famous for starring in the US TV drama Revenge) is currently working with M&S on their Per Una range and fronting their campaign.  This follows the recent Autograph campaigns with Rosie Hungtington-Whitely and Ryan Reynolds.  Having a look at some of the key pieces, I was extremely impressed.  They seemed to have gone back to elegant work wear pieces which could be suitable for a range of professional women.  Younger ladies can wear it with some more "fashion forward" items whereas more mature ladies might not feel too intimidated and can avoid the issues of "mutton dressed as lamb" syndrome.

Here are some of my favourites:

Camel Coat (Great basic piece)

Gothic Paisley Dress

(Good work to evening dress with the added pop of

colour and a great graphic/laser cut style print)

Black Lace Jacket

 (Apparently Amber's favourite...)

Grey Wool Coat

(Channeling the cocoon style trend)

Red Textured Dress

(Nice twist on a little black dress with the red texture)

Textured Chain Jacket

(My favourite piece so far as it has the right amount of opulence and versatility)

The pictures so far have really got me excited about Marks and Spencer again.  I am hoping that they live up to the hype.  The question for me would be whether the quality would live up to the pictures?  Sometimes when you see a piece online, you think "Wow!  Yes!" and then you see it in the store and the material and finishings are cheap and horrid.

So I guess, watch this space.  The jury is still out on this...

Wishing it was Autumn already...

Yes, I am one of the few people in HK who really looks forward to HK Autumn/Winter.  Looking forward to wearing long sleeved tops, jeans and jackets.  Snuggly, light knits and tweed/corduroy skirts/trousers.  Loved Kate Bosworth's cute owl knit and skirt combo when she attended a recent Burberry show...