A letter from a customer
At 68, every nice outfit I owned left the house under the same beige rain jacket
A customer’s letterShared with Eloise New York
I would like it on record that I own nice tops. A whole drawer of them. What I also owned was one sensible beige rain jacket. For years, every outfit I put together left the house underneath it.
I am 68, and I had not really noticed what that added up to until my granddaughter showed me the photographs from her mother’s fiftieth birthday. There I was, in picture after picture: the same beige jacket, with a different outfit hidden underneath.
Then three women asked me about a jacket at the garden center café. After telling the same story three times, I decided to write it down.
Here is how the practical jacket takes over. You want an extra layer when you leave the house. The nice top goes on, the sensible jacket goes over it, and the nice top stays a secret between you and the hallway mirror.
Nobody decides to become the same beige jacket in every photograph. It happens one sensible morning at a time.
Then my neighbor turned up in something different
She was wearing an olive-green jacket over a plain white top. The floral embroidery caught my eye first, followed by the little ruffle down the front.
What struck me was that she was wearing an ordinary top and ordinary pants, yet she looked dressed. The jacket was doing the work.
It is called Olivia, from Eloise New York. I looked it up that evening and ordered it, fully expecting that I might send it back.
It did not go back. The beige jacket stayed by the door for actual rain, which was what I had bought it for.
What happened at the garden center
I wore it over a plain white tee and jeans, which is about the simplest outfit I own. I kept it on while looking at the plants, sitting in the café, and waiting at the register.
Three different women asked me where it was from before my drink had cooled. And a friend who has known me for thirty years, and does not hand out compliments lightly, asked whether I had been somewhere special first.
I had been nowhere special. From her, that was practically a medal.
Here is why it works for me. The flowers are embroidered in the same olive tone as the jacket, so there is detail without a bright print competing with everything else.
The ruffle follows the front edges, cuffs, and hem. The pointed collar gives the neckline shape, and the decorative buttons add another small detail. A plain top underneath suddenly looks like a choice.
Since then, I have reached for it for shopping, lunch, and another trip to the garden center. It is the layer I want people to see.
Three things worth knowing
One. The layer can be the outfit. A plain tee and jeans feel more put together because the jacket brings the detail. That is the part my old beige jacket never managed.
Two. The care instructions are straightforward. Olivia’s product page says to machine wash cold and hang or lay flat to dry. I check those details before buying anything I plan to wear regularly.
Three. There is a wide range of sizes. Olivia is listed from XS through 5XL in Retro Green. The fabric has no stretch, so look at the size information before choosing.
About the price
I am careful with money, so I looked at the price before getting carried away with the photographs.
Olivia is currently listed at $69.95. The compare-at price shown is $229.95.
I also checked the practical details. The product page lists free shipping with UPS and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read the current terms before ordering.
Other jackets in the American Jacket Edit have their own prices and details. If olive green is not your color, there are other designs to compare.
If you were sitting at my kitchen table
If you were sitting at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee and asked me about it, this is what I would say.
If every nice outfit you own leaves the house under the same practical jacket, you have not stopped making an effort. You may simply be covering it up.
Start with a top and a pair of jeans you already like wearing. Then look for a layer that adds something you want to see, instead of hiding everything underneath.
The beige rain jacket is still by the door for actual rain. Olivia is the one I reach for when I want the outfit to show.
Olivia | Floral Embroidered Ruffled Jacket
- Retro Green with tonal floral embroidery
- Ruffled front edges, cuffs, and hem
- Pointed collar and decorative buttons
- Hip-length design
- Listed sizes: XS–5XL
- Machine wash cold; hang or lay flat to dry