I get a lot of mail asking me when, exactly, is the right time to retire one’s denim jacket—there seems to be a popular perception that after a certain age, they’re no longer right. I’ve decided—as I do with most things—that there is no time limit on this particular article of clothing as long as you feel good wearing it (I also think they look better un-distressed, but that’s just me). So let your freak flag fly, ladies, and do enjoy the menagerie I’ve posted here, starting with this one, which has a cool slit up the side.
I like this one from Topshop because it’s black and slightly oversized, which makes it good for layering.
I like the snap buttons here.
This one is from Barbour, and I like the Barbour-ish cut, and the fact that there’s a subtle striped thing happening.
I like a collarless jacket, and this is so refined.
Such a cute embroidered option from Veronica Beard.
And more embroidery, from The Great.
This is Eileen Fisher, but I think it’s really chic.
Everlane’s denim jacket was introduced not long ago, and it’s very nicely priced.
This is cropped the exactly right amount—which is to say, not too much.
Pastels are very big this season, and this pink one is a good way to engage that trend.
I like the raw hems on the sleeves and collar here.
This one from Madewell has been cut apart then stitched back together, for a look that I think is very cool.
This moto-style jacket could almost stand in for a blazer.
I like the tie neck here—very French.
Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I would love a red denim jacket.
I am a big fan of the exaggerated cuffs and zipper on this Helmut Lang choice.
I love the pink AG one! Maybe I’ll find it on Poshmark someday (I’m buying the house I’ve been renting and it’s cleaning me out, for the near future anyway).
congrats on the house purchase!
Thank you! It’s one of those “good longterm investment but wiping out my savings for the meantime” kinds of purchases. Clothes are my big unnecessary spending area, so I’m trying to seriously cut down till I can recoup some cash.
Kudos to you, Heather, for having your priorities straight! Enjoy making it yours!
The pink is the only one feminine enough to work for me with my boyish short hair.
As someone who just bought my first adult jean jacket at age 48, I am relieved to hear it’s okay. This is the one I picked; gets really good reviews, too:
https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/pilcro-classic-denim-jacket5?category=SEARCHRESULTS&color=093
i have that one – perfect cut & crop. uh if i say so myself.
🙂
I still have (and wear) my Calvin Klein jeans jacket from the 80’s!
I still have my Guess jeans jacket with a leather collar from 1987. Though I don’t wear it very often.
That pink one! And the black and the red… Love these fresh options. And the Everlane comes in white, too.
LOL…I took an old Gap jean jacket that someone left at our house years and years ago and made it look almost identical to the Derek Lam one on sale for 295.00.
And it was EASY!
Recycle, recycle, recycle…
I tend to like my denim jackets like I like my chocolate: unadulterated and nothing fancy. You can imagine my surprise that I love the pink one….
I have denim jackets in white, blue and black (shut up), but I’m now fantasizing about that pink one!!
What’s with the “Eileen Fisher BUT” comment?! Man, that brand will *never* be able to crawl out of a certain perception… ah well, more for me.
I’ve crossed over into the Eileen Fisher camp forever myself, Dana. High quality fabric that’s comfortable; expensive enough that not everyone’s wearing it. I’m in.
Right? When their pieces hit, they hit hard. I have many friends who lift weights and EF is terrific for fitting easily, flattering the body, and being timeless.
EF is all perfect minimalism in great fabrics — love that stuff.
You picked up on that, too, huh? It’s funny to me how many women are willing to diss her brand, and yet, they wear it!
It takes a good eye to see whether a piece of clothing is timeless vs. stuck in time. I’ve seen both, and wow the stuck in time can be a bummer.
It’s not about age! It’s a vibe thing. Being blind to evolution and change is to be obstructed. The very essence of life is change and evolution; it’s what we love so much and where the magic lies. So to get hung up there is to push against the flow of life. And that rarely wears well.
Woah! That could just be a very profound statent About life, too, Darcy. 😉
I didn’t know denim jackets come with an age expiration…smile…I wear mine which is distressed almost daily now with the weather improving and I am LOVIN it…(Different strokes…I know, I know…smile)
I live in a land with a certain je ne sais cowboy culture. Jeans and denim jackets are pretty much worn by anybody, any time. Except me. I will wear jeans, but never western cut. I will never wear a denim jacket of any kind. It’s just me, swimming against the current, as I must. I am the square peg which refuses to be hammered down, or lassoed or branded. Or as David Byrne said, “How did I get here?”
Oh, and thank you for reminding me to fly my freak flag, because I forgot to pick up my bright red cateye glasses, which surely do a fine job of that for me!
This is one area of fashion where I think we GOACAers can say that the younger generation appropriated this idea from US! They’re muscling in on MY trend, not the other way around!