There is something so appealing about mixing a dainty and sweet sundress with a structured, boxy jacket that it has become the uniform of choice amongst the fashion forward. The look originated in the ’20s, after the war, when Coco Chanel originally paired the shift dress with a masculine jacket to give it that modern edge. Fast forward to the ’80s with the birth of the skimpy mini dress plus the advent of shoulder pads and you’ve got images of supermodel Linda Evangelista in a broad-shouldered jacket over a sequined tube dress scattered all over the glossies. The modern version is based on a play of texture, shape and contrasting colors. Kate Moss made it her uniform and spawned a million copycats with her frilly sweetheart dresses and tailored men’s jackets. Indie actress and fashion plate Chloe Sevigny is rarely seen without her version: a loose, mannish blazer, usually over an ultra-short dress. And the new generation of teeny-bopper actresses (Vanessa Hudgens, Hillary Duff) have all caught on and seems to equate coolness (and a sophistication well beyond their years) with this ensemble.
Just make sure you consider proportion when picking your jacket and dress combi. If it’s long and loose, the dress should be short and slim, cut close to the body. If your jacket is cropped and fitted, a bigger skirt (think SJP in the opening of Sex and the City) will balance it off. Whatever you choose, one thing’s for sure: borrowing from the boys never looked this good.