Everyone is always talking about how to look effortless but often a lot of effort gets goes into getting that look. My personal preference is for the input to match the output. So like, if I tried, I don’t mind looking I did. If I didn’t, I like when that shows too. The only exception is when the input is less than the output — when I can strike that cord, I’m very satisfied.

There are few garments that can make you feel styled/put together/like you are cool. One among them which I return to every liminal season (fall, spring, with a special emphasis on the spring) is ~the suede fringe jacket.~

It is a very specific garment yet somehow nestles itself intuitively and comfortably into dozens of outfit forms. But it is best, in my view, with the most basic everyday look you can jog:

To prove my former point, here is something louder/more feminine than torn jeans:

I think the suede jacket is the ideal alternative to a motorcycle/leather jacket if that vibe’s not for you — it boasts a different kind of softness that is still kind of masculine in its conceit, adding a rough edge to otherwise delicate or feminine clothes, but doing it with a little more nuance.

It’s just not as abrupt as a moto jacket. I credit the suede and lack of hardware for that. It also adds personality and dynamism to basic necklines (see: tank tops, t-shirts).

The fringe seems like an essential part of what makes the jacket good because without it you’ve either just got a suede-collared guy or a creative blazer.

The key thing I stay away from is pairing it with too much “fashion” — that is, conspicuous items that are apparent offspring of a brand.

Although tbh, not ALL capital-F-fashion is too much.

And neither are all jackets. I think the one above reads more subtle because the hemline isn’t fringed/the fringe doesn’t cover front-of-sleeve too.

But I maintain — your best bet for styling is with jeans and a t-shirt. It’s the most common no-brainer, feel-good look on its own, and then with the jacket?

Shoes are another, but very simple story: Wear heels or flats. Both are fair game (the fringe is a good fanfare contrast for simple shoes like flip flops or ballet flats or whatever and the jacket is a good casual contrast to fancy shoes (see: satin) because the suede is a good counter material.

But I’m digressing. The purpose of this post is to break down what makes a fringe jacket good, with an edit presenting some of the best picks I could find. So, what makes one good?

Seasonality/when to wear it. You’ll want a jacket that will carry you through the fall and the spring. It’s too limiting to pick one that only applies in a single season. So it should be lightweight enough to wear through the spring but warm enough to carry you through the Fall. (If it’s light enough you might also be able to wear it as a shirt in the winter.)

Shoulders: Defined, but soft, which is kind of the thing that happens to a suede jacket no matter what. The Khaite one I wear has pretty intense shoulder pads, which works for it when I wear it as a top, but when used as a jacket, the options for styling are a bit more limited because of the severity of the height. Doesn’t stop me, it’s still a dreamy jacket.

Length: If your hem is fringed, you’re going to be more focused on where the solid suede ends on your person, which should be right under your big. Like on the bottom of your buttcheek. This is true when there’s no fringe on the hem either.

Sleeves: Pretty flexible — if you’re going to have to roll the sleeves over to expose a bit of wrist bone, you want the width to be wide enough that it’s not suffocating/too complicated with the fringe that runs down the back of the sleeve. I’d stay away from something too narrow, or cropped to look shrunken as these tend to look too contrived for a jacket that is supposed to appear more organic.

You can try a classic leather because fringe is fringe and there are definitely instances when it works 👇🏻

But I personally think suede makes the overall piece more versatile, in particular because it does a better job of making fancy clothes look more casual while the texture adds an element of depth. Then the fringe does its own job of adding movement and dynamism to otherwise simple silhouettes.

A suede fringe jacket just really does the work for you.

This one’s a little nitpicky, but I like to be able to scrunch my sleeves up (mostly to expose jewelry/show my wrist bones — it adds an element of femininity) and when the fringe is too long or travels too far to the front of the jacket, it looks too messy.

You’ll notice 👆🏻here👆🏻 for example the fringe comes forward, which looks great when the sleeves are down and actually adds more character to the overall shape but aggro when I scrunch 👇🏻.

So if you’re going full fringe, don’t scrunch. If you must scrunch, consider alt. option. The one other thing I’d say before we move on to color: size and length of fringe matters. You don’t want the fringe to exceed like, 3-6 inches long, and you want the width to stay narrow enough that movement is swift. This is an example of a fringe I’d call too thick. This is too long.

Sand, cappuccino, dark brown are the best foils to denim and they are neutral enough to pair with color. (I prefer a sandier shade to a more caramel shade if you wear a lot of white:)

But I do love a denim-ish shade of blue too. Works with jeans (though not as well), is great with the complete range of shades of khaki, brown, grey (to black) and if you wear a lot of red, great with that too.

Laura Vidrequin (pictured above, these photos are from her Instagram) is actually an ideal example of someone who knows exactly how to wield a fringe jacket to the best of its potential, carrying the weight of the look and releasing pressure from your closet. This is a perfect segue into the final factor:

You make the jacket work for you and you don’t have to try hard to do that: pair it with your easiest clothes. Jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, sweaters/sweatshirts.

If your style is more feminine, it’s also a great foil to soft dresses and skirts. Or go full Jane (Birkin) with a dress like this one.

Laura says Khaite, Bode, Isabel Marant make the best fringe jackets and recently, she’s been sourcing and making vintage ones in Morocco. She’ll find the fabric (likes it light and soft) and then direct the tailor/seamstress from there.

The fringe hem certainly adds a good dose of character and the more plentiful the fringe, it seems the better. You’ll notice the hem on the ones above are so rich it’s almost like the suede goes straight across. I’d just caution (or offer relief depending on your preference) that if you’re going the route of a fringe hem, your best bet is to pair it with the most basic clothes you have. Sweatpants are not off-limits! Knee cap leggings might be.

Now here are the best ones I have found on the internet as of Monday, 4/17 at 11:14 a.m.:

I feel confident saying that because suede jackets are never actually in, they can’t really go “out” either. They’re more like leopard print in that they float through the ether and catch sparks of fancy at random, but functional times. And the best part is that they get better with age. Wear your heart out of it, baby. (But not literally.)

That concludes this edish, I’m signing off yours,

Leandra