Simply Put, Coats as Capes
In case you haven’t noticed 2013 is quickly becoming the year of the shoulder drape. Trendsetters, celebrities, stylish ladies over land and sea and yes even you terribly trendy trouts have stopped “wearing” coats, in the traditional sense at least. Instead the cream of the crop have opted for propping them on their shoulders leaving sleeves obsolete and almost totally redundant as they hang, sway and slump, empty and unloved to the extremities of their perfectly proportioned ensembles.
This new way to wear your jacket is unquestionably chic and affords the effortless elegance reminiscent of Jackie O and Grace Kelly. How ever it is only efficacious if you walk around like a well trained irish dancer with a poker up your ass and your arms glued to your side. This nod to old school hollywood glamour does not come without tribulation. As your coat teeters precariously off your shoulders your devil may care style attitude may be compromised by a wide range of scenarios. First and foremost your reflexes, well, arm action in general... such a daring act as waving to a friend, hailing a taxi, fixing your hair, opening your front door could all result in a not so graceful de-coating of the shoulders. Also remember to walk at a slow even pace, running for the last bus will have the same unglamorous effect.
This look while very pretty and somewhat practical in this weather when it goes from warm and sunny, to cold, to raining, to sunny again all in the space of two hours is not an everyday look and should be worn after careful (meteorological) consideration. It is at all costs, to be avoided any day that greets you with a rebellious breeze, when on turning a corner your jacket may become airborne and drift away like a large ghost on said breeze, or, the more likely scenario, that it will be aggressively blown from your shoulders and thrown in a dirty puddle on the side of the street.
The shoulder draped coat can be worn in just about any combination imaginable and it even has the ability to transform a somewhat unkempt and grungy aesthetic into a more chic translation of the same style. However in my experience when it comes to arm candy, a clutch bag is definately the bag of choice if your trying to “not” wear your coat, as it is the least likely to disturb the perfect balance that is required.
So there you go ladies in the name of fashion and style, may you go unsleeved and duely warned.
Above Images; fashionexposedblog.com, pinkaboutit.com, surabhimittal.com, eclechick.com, fashionbloginc.com, manrepeller.com, stylebubble.com, coclee.com, heatworld.com
