Short Black Jacket. Yea Or Nay?

[mlroseplant]

My wife came home from Goodwill (which is a U.S. thrift store) with several items of clothing. This jacket immediately caught my eye, so I tried it on. My wife thought it looked "very funny" on me. Then again, she thinks most of the things I wear these days look "very funny," so take that with a grain of salt. I liked the jacket so much that I decided to walk the mile and a half to the post office to mail a Very Important Thing wearing the outfit pictured here. I would like some opinions, and I'm not too proud, so be honest. My own thoughts are that the jacket could use a good ironing. I tried this today (several days after the photo was taken), but it seems like it's meant to be a little bit wrinkly by design, although it looks much better than before. Secondly, I am not filling out the seat of these jeans as well as I thought I was. I've lost more than 10 pounds in the last three months, and unfortunately, not all of that melted away from my gut. It's either time to go to a size 2 jean (these are size 4) or double up on the butt exercises.

[Shafted]

It looks like it fits good. A two button design would look better, but the three button design doesn't seem bad. You're right though, it needs a good pressing. I would love to see what it looks like on you buttoned up, even if you don't wear it that way. May I say it does have potential on you.

[Heel-Lover]

It looks good in terms of arm length but I think the issue you may have is the cut is a little pleated or peplum-styled from the rear, so it is looking for a pair of hips to follow on out from the illusion of a waist it creates....A jacket of this style that is longer in length is easier for our male shape to wear. To wear a shorter body length jacket I find that tighter jeans that are higher waisted and tighter around your bottom will suit, so too would (dare I say it) an A-line skirt flowing out from the waist-line that that jacket creates. A longer body length jacket (another 4 inches would be all you would need) would not be as difficult. Either way wear a lighter neutral t-shirt and match you shoes/belt will work well. Cheers Heel-Lover

[Steve63130]

Well, the clogs look great! Steve

[skirtedvik]

I like the jacket,it suits you well.

[freestyle75]

I read your question this morning and thought about this troughout the day. I guess what is "off" about this jacket is something you cannot change: The way our body is constructed. For the same height, women tend to have longer legs. This also means that they do have a shorter upper body. This is what heel-lover already described: "it is looking for a pair of hips to follow on out from the illusion of a waist" - the hips that would naturally be where the hem of the jacket is. Problem here: Your hips sit way below where the jacket ends, and that makes it look a bit awkward, or "funny", as your wife put it. Trust her on that one Once again, such short jackets look great with skirts, and I've even been searching quite a long time to find a jacket that would be short enough and fitted to go with my knee-length pleated skirt - longer jackets look a bit off in that case. Personally, I don't think that in the particular combination you are wearing, the jacket does something for you. A fitted, but longer jacket would look nicer given that you have a very slim build. The clogs look nice thought - definitely a keeper. "Nay" from my side.

[Heelster]

The pleat in the back is what throws it off. Otherwise, it would be fine. Now if I could only find a pair of clogs like yours - - -

[Shafted]

I read your question this morning and thought about this troughout the day. I guess what is "off" about this jacket is something you cannot change: The way our body is constructed.

For the same height, women tend to have longer legs. This also means that they do have a shorter upper body. This is what heel-lover already described: "it is looking for a pair of hips to follow on out from the illusion of a waist" - the hips that would naturally be where the hem of the jacket is.

Problem here: Your hips sit way below where the jacket ends, and that makes it look a bit awkward, or "funny", as your wife put it. Trust her on that one

Once again, such short jackets look great with skirts, and I've even been searching quite a long time to find a jacket that would be short enough and fitted to go with my knee-length pleated skirt - longer jackets look a bit off in that case.

Personally, I don't think that in the particular combination you are wearing, the jacket does something for you. A fitted, but longer jacket would look nicer given that you have a very slim build. The clogs look nice thought - definitely a keeper.

"Nay" from my side.

I think you're right., and I thought it was the three button stance.

[mlroseplant]

Thanks guys. What I'm hearing is that, although there may be a women's jacket out there for me, it ain't this one. I am drawn to the skinny arms and stretchy fabric. Surely I can find something suitable by the fall. My wife definitely has hips, so we'll just leave this one in her closet. For those interested, the clogs are Michael Kors San Antonio. I actually own 2 pair. In addition to this dark brown pair, the other is a light brown or dark tan. Camel, I suppose you could call it. I got both of them from eBay. I believe it's a discontinued model. Naturally.

[SleekHeels]

I think I like it more from the front, not quite so much from the back because of the pleat. I think you've quite rightly decided not to try to force it if you don't feel good about it. However, it's far from a disaster never to be worn again, and you should try it with other options as others have suggested. A simple touch like a slightly larger, shinier belt buckle might be worth trying. For your ongoing quest the great thing about women's jackets is the variety in styles to suite all sorts of body shapes - you don't need a great hit-rate, just try lots of stuff until you find what works for you. I find that the women's department can be hard work but very rewarding in that way.

[Shafted]

For the same height, women tend to have longer legs. This also means that they do have a shorter upper body.

You need to do some more research. It's just the opposite. Women have a longer torso length for child bearing (proportionally to overall height).

[wedgemao]

i think the jacket does not look bad with the jeans and tshirt combo. what i would personally change is the shoes (pls do not hate me for this : )but i would rather wear a pair of wedge booties or high top wedge sneakers....just my 2 cents

[bluejay]

i think the jacket does not look bad with the jeans and tshirt combo. what i would personally change is the shoes (pls do not hate me for this : )but i would rather wear a pair of wedge booties or high top wedge sneakers....just my 2 cents

I think the heels go well with the jeans and the jacket. I wear mules and slides both open and closed toe all the time with jeans and capris. I like that style.

I don't like wedge heel booties or wedge heel high top sneakers! JMO

Happy Heeling,

bluejay

[HappyinHeels]

mlroseplant,

hello hawkeye neighbor! While the jacket does have a pleat in the back which infers a feminine style with a cut "waiting for hips to fill it" it is nevertheless a jacket you like. Our body shapes are what we inherited. We can lose or gain weight, color our hair, and do some other things but overall body shape is simply something we all have to work around. Don't forget something else even more basic. You and I live in the Midwest and not among the fashion glitterati of the world so exactly who is it we might offend if YOUR jacket is a little different or MY watch is a little different?? If you like it then you buy it and wear it. Life is replete with people waiting for answers to questions they should have posed in the first place. By the time many realize these questions were merely self-created mental demons those same folks are well advanced in age regretting not having lived life on their terms instead of always trying to fit in. Life is like clay which should be molded to fit YOUR goals and desires. Anything less is a recipe for divorce, despair, and depression. Put that jacket on this weekend (if it's cool enough) and step out with a smile! HappyinHeels

[mlroseplant]

An interesting take on things, HappyinHeels, which goes along nicely with a discussion I had just yesterday with a male co-worker. Why do we do the things we do, aesthetically speaking? Every person on this site has a certain degree of not caring what other people think, but it seems unlikely that anyone could truly "not give a damn" 100%. Let me recount the aforementioned conversation to explain what I mean:

My co-worker Rich used to be a body builder, so in light of the "problem" mentioned in the original post, I asked him how I can make my butt bigger. He began explaining a couple of exercises I could do, when another co-worker, John, interrupted us. "Why would you want to make your butt bigger?" he asked. Rich said that it was because, as a middle-aged man, he still liked to get the odd glance from women while out and about. I replied that I wasn't filling out my jeans as well as I'd like to. John looked puzzled, and after some thought said, "WELL. . . I've NEVER had much of a butt. . . Can't say that I've ever CARED. Why do you?" (Yes, he really talks like that all the time, with a huge amount of inflection in his voice).

It's a question that really can't be answered easily, if at all. Why do I care? It certainly isn't to get looks from women (or men). It certainly isn't for my wife, who has never complained about my looks anyway. I can't see my own butt, and I can't see that pleat in the back of the jacket while I'm wearing it. So why do I care?

[wedgemao]

An interesting take on things, HappyinHeels, which goes along nicely with a discussion I had just yesterday with a male co-worker. Why do we do the things we do, aesthetically speaking? Every person on this site has a certain degree of not caring what other people think, but it seems unlikely that anyone could truly "not give a damn" 100%. Let me recount the aforementioned conversation to explain what I mean:

My co-worker Rich used to be a body builder, so in light of the "problem" mentioned in the original post, I asked him how I can make my butt bigger. He began explaining a couple of exercises I could do, when another co-worker, John, interrupted us. "Why would you want to make your butt bigger?" he asked. Rich said that it was because, as a middle-aged man, he still liked to get the odd glance from women while out and about. I replied that I wasn't filling out my jeans as well as I'd like to. John looked puzzled, and after some thought said, "WELL. . . I've NEVER had much of a butt. . . Can't say that I've ever CARED. Why do you?" (Yes, he really talks like that all the time, with a huge amount of inflection in his voice).

It's a question that really can't be answered easily, if at all. Why do I care? It certainly isn't to get looks from women (or men). It certainly isn't for my wife, who has never complained about my looks anyway. I can't see my own butt, and I can't see that pleat in the back of the jacket while I'm wearing it. So why do I care?

I guess you care because you like to take care of yourself...bet it matching a jacket with a pair of shoes or filling the jeans with the butt.....

I guess this is very personal and we can go to very extreme points of view here...you co-worker who cares less is a clear example