Wardrobe Safety Blanket

You have one in your closet. At least one.  A go-to piece of clothing and when all else fails, it comes out to make an appearance. Maybe it appears so often that you could be featured in the weekly magazines “I love my ____” segment that they usually reserve for celebrities holding the handbag-du jour. 

I was having a little wardrobe crisis for the neighborhood egg hunt- the cool temperature took me by surprise and didn’t now mesh with my outfit choice.  What did I do? Gravitate towards my safety blanket. A 2004 GAP scalloped-edge jean jacket.

In my career I’ve been lucky to have worked for companies where corporate-casual was the accepted attire. So the jacket not only makes appearances on the weekends or in the evenings, but has been incorporated into my work wardrobe as well.  When I travel, it’s a must. Perfect for cool summer evenings, but also great for Carolina winters when layered.

I keep waiting for one of my pals to call me out on the jean jacket. “It’s done Eileen. Retire the jacket.”  I remember the Spring lunch hour in DC where I went in, tried it on, put it back on the rack, walked out and walked halfway down the block before turning around to purchase it. I paid full price for it. We have quite a thing going here.

Ready to break up with the jean jacket? I don’t want to become one of those women who hasn’t tried out new trends in years because they got stuck in their favorite year of fashion or self-body image.  Shoot! Am I already there?

If I channel Clinton Kelly I think he would say that the jackets in good shape (ok, I’ll admit to a tiny bit of fraying on the sleeves), but it is 6 years old. Might be time for an upgrade with a darker wash.  I’d also like to think that he wouldn’t make me throw it into a steel trash bin but that instead he’d strongly suggest that I start to cut down on its use.  Or mix up some additional accessories with it- like a fun flowery pin or a broach.  (Great idea Karen Naylor!)  Probably good fashion advice.

But it's my jean jacket- a hard habit to break.