Five Essential Fall Jackets

Fall tentatively flutters it's way back into our lives for those of us in Arizona at the end of a long hot summer and  the excitement of wearing a jacket looms ahead like a chocolate fudge sundae after a four month diet!  It's not cold enough for a coat, but a jacket is the perfect transitional piece to take you from summer into fall and beyond.

Here is my pick of five jacket styles that are still carrying a major torch on the fashion scene of hot trends this season. I've linked several cute finds beneath each style that you can shop directly from the thumbnail.

The Denim Jacket

A denim jacket worn over the shoulders is about as hip as you can get!

Denim jackets just seem to go with everything!

Easily the best laid-back champion of your closet. It can of course be worn all year round but after a long hot Arizona summer, it’s exciting to make my little blue friends acquaintance again!

It’s also a great layering jacket. It looks equally good layered under a winter coat as it does over a sport bra, a summer dress or the obvious tee.

​The trouble with a denim jacket is it’s rather like a glass of wine, it’s hard to stick to just one! With so many shades, washes, and styles out there it takes will power. My suggestion (if one is your only option) is to go with a classic length and cut, medium wash, little to no distressing or rips and skip the embellishments. That part you can do yourself. With all these cute patches and brooches available you can add personality to your plain denim jacket and then remove them when it’s not appropriate or the style changes.

The Biker Moto Jacket

Weekend vibes!

Saturday night vibes!

​Seeped in style, the classic leather biker or Moto jacket adds a ton of attitude to even the most inconsequential outfit. Like the denim jacket, it looks good with almost any ensemble, from jeans and tee to a cocktail dress and heels. It elevates a look to a different playing field than the denim jacket. Its shiny sleekness offers a more polished finish and adds bold character. 

As with anything, fit is very important for a leather jacket to look cool. When purchasing make sure it zips up easily without pulling across the chest and back. The light hitting the leather can make a bad fit look worse. Also, make sure you have some extra room if you want to wear a sweater underneath. Bear in mind that a good quality leather jacket needs to be taken care of.  Apply a leather cream to treat the leather which also helps to further soften it over time and with age it will mold itself to your shape and become one with you!  Your jacket will love and hug you for a lifetime.

If you don't want to splash out too much money, there are many faux leather jackets at a snip of the price that are so realistic it's hard to tell the difference. These days there is nothing to be ashamed of wearing a faux anything, and when it comes to fur and leather, everything to be proud of!
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Kimono Jacket

A lightweight kimono can be enough to take the edge of a cool day!

​One of the hottest summer trends is carving a path well into fall. The kimono is taking on a whole new dimension, becoming more of a serious jacket or coat rather than the delicate cover up it portrayed through the summer. It encompasses many of the new season’s style accents showing up in rich florals, velvet, lux fabrics, often stressing its Asian origins adding a touch of opulent warmth.

​This season’s offerings come in short jacket length as well as long duster length. Many have a lining to give them more substance and weight needed at this time of year. Wear them over slinky dresses or a pair of jeans and a tee.
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The Bomber Jacket

​This jacket is either too cool for school with any style of jeans (or shorts), and suitably retro when worn with mid length skirts, dresses or slacks. This is another jacket that totally fits in with the falls hottest trending fabrics and prints whether it be floral, graphic or plain and coming in a medley of lux fabrics from satin to velvet. It’s a fun and versatile jacket, comfortable, soft and lightweight.

The Aviator Jacket

Photo courtesy of Zara

Photo courtesy of Zara

I'm not taking this baby out for a spin until the temperature drops another 30 degrees. Sorry, not sorry!

Last but not least, the “piece de resistance” of jackets, the over sized aviator jacket.  This jacket is going to take you through anything fall can throw at you (unless it’s high temperatures) and see you all the way through winter as well.

Traditionally a rugged leather on the outside and cozy shearling on the inside, they’re utilitarian hardiness is unequaled. Unlike the biker jacket, the recently adapted high fashion styles are longer in length providing more body coverage. Its profound fashion statement resembles roguish sophistication and the current adaptations make it available at every price point.

Take this one I'm wearing for example from Zara (link here), it has very realistic faux leather and faux fur lining instead of shearling.  Coupled with some high fashion hardware and strap detail, it cuts a very cool price tag from several thousand dollars to $149. Thank you Zara! Here are a few other aviator jackets from different brands that cross the spectrum. 
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One final thing... don't leave it too late when purchasing important pieces for the next season. The chances are if you leave it until the temperature absolutely warrants a jacket or for that matter a coat, the best picks will be sold out. 
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Wishing you a wonderful weekend, and thank you for stopping by!

Karen xox