A fashion love affair

This is the most accurate picture I could find in a quick Google image search, but sadly, this is not the one I'm talking about. I mean, it's not even a guy's jacket!

For the last four days, I've been lusting after this boy...'s jacket. No, I'm serious. I really have been lusting after a vintage caramel colored leather jacket that I saw this kid sporting at the debate tournament last weekend. I'm not entirely sure why, but ever since I started to notice it, I haven't been able to get it out of my head. Have you ever had that happen to you? You know, when you see something you like, and in that instant, you know that that's exactly what's missing from your life? That's what this jacket is like for me. A great leather jacket would complete so many of my imaginary outfits!

But not just any leather jacket--I mean, a nice, fitted leather jacket would be pretty great too, but it's not the same. As much of a fan I am of clean, sleek lines (so Armani! Very European rock star, like Kingsley Martin or something), anybody could pull off something flattering if they knew what to look for; but in the face of fashion, what does a trendy piece have on a piece with *personality*? (Like that jacket that I saw last weekend.)

I've been really in love with the idea of oversize sweaters and outerwear recently, a stark contrast to my usual preppy clothes. But they actually go great with an amazing pair of dark wash boot cut jeans, or even a chiffon A line ballerina-esque skirt. Like this gorgeous oversize wool poor boy sweater from the early nineties that I found in one of my mum's closets--it's cream and purposefully giant, but not shapeless like many cheap, oversize sweaters these days. (This is why authentic vintage is imperative!)


The vintage sweater! Ignore my facial expression. And my hair at the end of the day when my waves all but collapsed.

Word of warning: there's a fine line between looking good and looking homeless [when it comes to wearing things that don't fit]. First: always make sure there's a balance of ups and downs; if you're going to wear a large sweater or sweatshirt, dress it up with a pair of nice jeans (that fit) or a designer handbag or great shoes (or all three together); and second: you also don't want to be completely drowning in fabric. There are limits somewhere, and it's not infinity. (If fashion was calculus, the limit as an outfit approaches homeless-status is f(amount of material.))

One of the best oversize outerwear looks is guy clothing on a girl. I've always loved that look--the rumpled linen oxford button down worn over something girly and minimalist, the motorcycle jacket that smells faintly of cigarettes and mischief paired with chandelier earrings, the worn the beat up boyfriend jeans with patent pumps--how could you not look stylish mixing it up? (Point of clarification: when I say boyfriend jeans, I mean boyfriend style jeans, not actual guy jeans. But for pretty much everything else, wear real menswear!)

*sigh* What I would do for that jacket...I'm actually considering whether or not I should ask the kid if I could try it on the next time I see him in it. Or maybe I'll just tell him I love it, and then chicken out of actually requesting to try it on. Oh well...I'll work on it.

xoxo, vivian