Vintage Pink Tweed Jacket

Vintage tweed and pastel pleats.

Sometimes there’s an item of clothing you just can’t get out of your head – it might be something you’ve spotted in a shop or seen someone else wearing; maybe it’s something you pinned ages ago, or maybe it’s the one that got away. For me it can even be a design I’ve made up in my head and added to my fantasy (walk-in) wardrobe. A tailored, pastel tweed jacket was one such design I’d been dreaming of – and searching the high street for – for a while now. I had actually been talking to my Mum about my unsuccessful hunt for my dream spring cover-up last week, and the very next day I went thrifting and stumbled across this jacket: pale pink, tweed, cropped – it was exactly what I had been looking for.

I never thought I would find a vintage version of my dream jacket – surely that would be too much to ask – but this one caught my eye straight away, innocently adorning a mannequin as part of a gorgeous skirt suit in a Morningside charity shop. I was quick to investigate further, finding that the jacket was made by classic American label Talbots and made from silk. I’d say it’s probably a 1980s take on the ladylike 1940s skirt suit (those shoulder pads make me think so anyway!) and a couple of clicks in the fabric aside, it was in pretty good condition. After a wee clean it looks as good as new.

I just love the attention to detail – the cute patch pockets, bow and contrasting check, buttons and binding. I tried it on there and then and happily it fit like it was made for me. I left with my new old suit for just £15, a very happy bunny indeed. I’m so pleased it’s a vintage take on what I was looking for and was a bargain to boot – the perfect, go-with-everything Spring wardrobe boost I needed. I can see myself wearing this Chanel-esque jacket a lot as it’s just so versatile, as well as the matching high-waisted, kick-pleat skirt that it came with – my vintage version of this season’s trend for mix-and-match co-ordinates maybe?

I took the jacket for its first outing on Easter Sunday; with the sun shining and blossom lining the streets, I decided to embrace the ladylike aesthetic with feminine textures and accessories in a palette of complementary pastels. I love the multi-coloured pastel tweed and will have fun picking out each shade to pair the jacket with – first up was my mint pleated skirt from the Limited Collection range at M&S, which I wore with my much-loved rose gold toe-cap nude heels from Topshop (past season) and pink clutch – another vintage bargain.

What’s in your fantasy wardrobe? How would you style the tweed jacket?

Thanks to the lovely Susan and Amanda at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home charity shop (which opened this Feb) for letting me leave with such a bargain!