I have a natural inclination to admire things from a different time. I love historical shows and movies and often wonder what it would have been like to live during that time. And I love hearing the stories of people who have lived long before me.
I think this is why I love vintage clothing so much. I try to imagine who might have owned the items before me. What kind of life did she lead? How did she feel when she wore the item of clothing that I now own? Were there more than one previous owner?
There are many things that I love about vintage clothing. One is the cut of the clothing. I love how you can look at certain pieces and know that it came from the 20s, the 50s or the 70s, for example. I find these to be some of the easiest periods to distinguish clothing from.
Another thing that I love is usually the fabric, especially clothing that was made before polyester became so prevalent. A lot of vintage clothing was made using natural fabrics such as linen, silk, cotton and wool. And if you’ve been with me for a while, you probably know that any new addition to my wardrobe is primarily made from one of these fabrics. To see how I am building a natural wardrobe with sustainable fabrics, check out this post.
The Swing Coat
One item of clothing that is the definition of vintage is the swing coat. This type of coat is more fitted at the shoulders and gets progressively looser all the way to the hem. As you walk, it makes a swinging motion which is how it came upon it’s name. It was a style that was very prominent in the 1950s and it was originally designed to accommodate a full skirt underneath.
And one lady who is synonymous with the 1950s and great style is Audrey Hepburn. I have found a few images via Pinterest that show how she styled a swing coat.
When Liz Williams from Coat Check Chicago reached out to me to ask if I would like to have one of her coats to style, it was a definitely yes! Aside from the fact that she makes timeless coats that have a vintage vibe, they are made ethically in Chicago. And living in the Midwest, I really wanted to support a fellow midwestern transplant!
I had the opportunity to meet Liz in Chicago over Labor Day weekend. She gifted me her Oakley Swing Coat in caramel and I got to rock her adorable new baby. The fact that she took time out of her busy life to grab a coffee with me already spoke volumes. But getting to hear how she started her label and how much she cares and values her workers was enough for me to decide that she’s the real deal.
She’s one of the people who will make the clothing industry better. And I’m honored that she chose to give me a piece of something that is so near and dear to her heart. And that she trusted me with her sweet ‘lil babe ❤️
As we head into cooler weather here in the Midwest…finally!… I though that it would be fun to use the swing coat in a styling post. I rely on these types of posts to get inspiration for the season.
The Looks
As with previously written posts of this nature, I styled this coat three different ways: for work, date night and the weekend. These are the primary scenarios where I think most people would look for styling inspiration, myself included.
For reference, I ordered this coat in an extra small, due to the oversized nature of the fit. I normally wear an extra small or small in tops and dresses and this coat fits great with a thinner layer underneath. I would probably size up to a small if I planned to wear a lot of thick sweaters under this coat.
The majority of these looks are styled for the fall…bare legs galore! But I would wear these exact outfits during the winter and simply add a pair of tights in a complimentary color! And maybe a scarf and gloves…ok, definitely a scarf and gloves ;).
Look 1: Work
I would wear this swing coat for a stylish commute to and from the office. In keeping with the warm tones of the coat, I layered the coat over a vintage navy dress with a tan floral pattern, which I layered over a brown 3/4 length sleeve bodysuit. I added an old tan belt, for some visual interest and to break up the pattern on the dress, and brown suede boots.
I love that the coat has a more cropped silhouette, as I already own longer wool coats. And also, pockets!
Look 2: Date Night
My ideal date night would be a nice dinner followed by going to the theatre. And I totally could have had that this past weekend since we had tickets to a show…if only we hadn’t forgotten about it! Oh well, live and learn to put things in your calendar when you find out about them!
IF we had remembered, I totally would have worn this outfit! I paired a silk leopard print dress under a vintage white pleated wool skirt. I added some fun leopard print mules and a small clutch. I kept the jewelry simple with a simple watch and gold hoop earrings.
I love how the leopard print makes the outfit fun and modern while the coat and skirt make it classic.
Look 3: Weekend
I knew that I had to pair these amazing leather shorts with this gorgeous coat! I actually found them at a secondhand shop during the same trip to Chicago where I met Liz. As I had no experience cleaning secondhand leather, I sent them out to my local green dry cleaner. But that meant that they were gone for a few weeks as she outsourced their cleaning to a professional leather cleaner. The timing for getting them back worked out perfectly!
I paired the coat and shorts with a black bodysuit, my black combat boots for additional comfort while walking around, and a black edgy purse. I could easily add a black long sleeve and black tights for more warmth.
One of my favorite features of the coat is how beautifully it drapes over the shoulders for a casual cool vibe. I also love the beautiful juxtaposition of the classic style of the swing coat with the edginess of the leather shorts.
Vintage shopping tip: Check all of the sizes! Vintage sizing is very different than modern sizing. These shorts are labeled a size 14, and as such, they were located in that size section. They looked like they might fit my size 4 frame so I gave them a try and I was very excited when they worked out. I would say they fit more like a size 6-8 in modern sizing and I love the slightly oversized fit that I get from them! I did alter them slightly by moving the (already loose) buttons to make the waist a little tighter but that was the only alteration.
Well friends, those are the 3 main ways that I’ll be wearing this gorgeous coat this fall/winter season. I hope that you enjoyed them and I’d love to know what your favorite look was?
**In full transparency, I received a small stipend for writing this post. All words and opinions are entirely my own.**
Until next time,
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