I’m having a chicken and egg moment with single breasted jackets. Not blazers, not coats but simple, clean-lined jackets with one set of buttons down the front. Not “Chanel” jackets. Not shackets. Are you getting what I mean? And I can’t figure out which I was drawn to first: the jacket shape itself or the vintage Armani vibes that seem to be proliferating in fashion at the moment, from which the silhouette seems to stem. Today, we are styling this perfect specimen for our mid-winter slump. We are getting DRESSED!
I can’t help but associate this jacket shape with Armani, even though nothing in this letter today is Armani! The brand has been loyal to this style for at least for at least 35 years from what I can tell. Master of the evening jacket and black tie suit, they’re nothing if not consistent. In his memoir Per Amore, he says he has “always been unwilling to embrace exhibitionism”, gravitating toward shades of grey in the bonkers, neon-infused 80s. He was considered a revolutionary in the 1980s and 90s, and while he hasn’t been considered much of a risk taker since (a lesson in do what you know and do it well!), we know that it allllll comes back around. Some of those early shapes are now so deeply associated with the brand that I can name a newsletter after him with nothing Armani in it and you get what I mean!
But about the nowness of it all. I can’t help but be drawn to the uncluttered feeling I get looking at the current communal mood board (aka Instagram) flooded with 90s minimalism: simple pairings, the CBK/Gwyneth/Winona/Cindy/Cameron crew, leather blazers, ill-fitting jeans, turtlenecks, power boots, pre-sweatsuit-era airport shots. But even simple shapes can look costume-y if executed as a direct copy. While I love the imagery, I don’t actually want to look like a sheep. So I’m considering my “Armani” jackets to be my 90s “trend” item and making them feel uniquely today and uniquely mine.
There are two variations of this jacket on the table today. A long narrow one and a slightly cropped (not actually cropped but like, hitting at the top of your hips) version. They are both collarless, single breasted and very clean in their design. I prefer the longer for evenings, pairing it with jeans and slim skirts, in uber-90s fashion. With the shorter jacket, I lean into volume and slouchy pleat front pants (is there anything more Armani than that!?) The point is, both styles do the trick, can be styled interchangeably and you may find one more flattering than the other so showing you OPTIONS! Plus, you may already have one of them in your closet!
And now, five great new jackets and five vintage Armanis!
5 Black Armani-ish Jackets
5 Actual (Vintage) Armani Jackets
And if you’re still reading, the outfit I really wanted to create was this jacket was a slouchy brown trouser suit (not khaki, but light brown!) But I don’t have any, so you’ll just have to imagine this outfit. I didn’t have time to source the full look by this morning…when I finally thought of it. But here and here are some great versions to try!
And on that note, have a great rest of your weekend, and week ahead.
Yours TRULY,
Me and Julia and her Armani suit
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I should have said! My Kallmeyer jacket is a size 2. It's slightly large in the shoulders (but I have narrow shoulders) but fits perfectly in the body. I wouldn't size up. :)
I thought you saw my TRR obsessions list! I've been watching all those Armani jackets for the past 5 months and finally I bought 2, after reading your post this morning. This is the reason I've been your fan since WSJ days!
I should have said! My Kallmeyer jacket is a size 2. It's slightly large in the shoulders (but I have narrow shoulders) but fits perfectly in the body. I wouldn't size up. :)
I thought you saw my TRR obsessions list! I've been watching all those Armani jackets for the past 5 months and finally I bought 2, after reading your post this morning. This is the reason I've been your fan since WSJ days!