The Chanel Effect

I have a black boucle jacket from Zara that has without a doubt been one of the best sale purchases I have ever made. In fact, scrap that because it has been one of the best purchases I have made full stop. I have worn this little beauty in so many ways – with jeans, with pleather trousers, over dresses and with skirts, in summer and winter – and every time I wear it, it always does the job. Nowadays, as dress codes become more and more relaxed, the more traditional suity blazer doesn’t quite cut it and the quest for a jacket you can just throw on with more or less whatever you are wearing, is the sartorial holy grail.

So what are your options?

Here are two styles that I have mentioned at the start of the season but which I still think are spot on:

Top of the list is this Frayed Crop Jacket £85 from Hush which is great because it has very flattering seaming detail which creates the illusion of curves if you are a bit on the straighter side and shows off your shape if you are more curvy. Perfect! Annoyingly it is out of stock in many sizes but is also stocked in John Lewis Oxford Street should you be in the area. Love the styling here but it would just as easily work with a nice pair of tailored black trousers and a blouse.

The other good option is this Frayed Edges Jacket £49.99 from Mango. What you want from your black chuck on jacket is something with texture so that it looks good with black bottoms and treads the perfect smart casual line.

This Qutee Tweed Jacket £229 from Ted Baker is another lovely option and this looks fab worn in a more evening context. Oh to have something to wear that skirt to – that would be the Cinderella within me desperate for a gigantic puffy skirt. There is a bit of sparkle running through the tweed but I don’t think that eliminates it as a daytime option as long as you keep the rest of the outfit simple eg – stripe t shirt and black trousers and flats.

Moving away from plain black and here is one that is great for adding a little bit of sparkle to an outfit without bedecking yourself in the manner of Regent Street Christmas lights: Short Fantasy Cardigan with Fringe Detail £74.95 Massimo Dutti. This is really more of a cardigan than a jacket but looks smart enough to throw on over jeans/culottes/skirts and a top for the evening or a festive gathering. But on the flip side you could easily wear this over a plain white t and a pair of jeans and trainers for the daytime.

If you are looking for an alternative to a plain black jacket then there are lots of tweed options out there that will liven up your work wear wardrobe. Starting off with Banana Republic which has several styles.

This Navy Boucle Zip Blazer £110 is great because it has navy and black in so you can successfully wear with both colours and although styled here with jeans, would be perfect for the office. Equally pop a little cami underneath and some heels and you are good to go.

Another style rocking the navy and black is this one: Tweed Collarless Jacket £130.

If it is colour you want to inject into your life then they also have this Multicolour Boucle Tweed Jacket £110.

Otherwise ASOS has this Boss Okarli Boucle Tweed Look Side Zip Jacket £220. Doesn’t just have to be office wear, this looks great with the leather trousers too for a different look.

And Selfridges has this Ted Baker Boucle Fringe Jacket £219. Not the most inspirational of styling with the Simon Cowell-esque trouser line but put it with coated jeans for casual or just lose the tucked in top!

So forget twinsets and pearls, the hunting, shooting, fishing brigade, and whatever other mumsy connotations tweed and boucle have and get some in your life!