Do you own a utility jacket? It’s one of my favorite and most-worn layering pieces and absolutely one of my top recommended wardrobe staples, so I want to share 15 ways to wear a utility jacket and several different options for you to shop, in case you’re looking for one!
Before we get to that, let’s talk a little about utility jackets.
Why I Love Utility Jackets
First, the reason I love utility jackets so much is because they’re really versatile so they make it VERY easy to get dressed and look good. They go with almost anything, so it’s the easiest layer to throw onto your outfit, QUICKLY! You can wear utility jackets with leggings, jeans, dresses, and skirts, throw them over t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, and nice blouses. You can wear it in an outfit with sneakers, flats, wedges, heels. They seriously work with almost anything! And, whereas a cardigan might look a little strange over a sweater or a sweatshirt, a utility jacket has structure, so it works over those types of pieces when a cardigan doesn’t. THE EASIEST layer to throw on!
I also love that utility jackets tend to be a bit longer (which is why they are a good option with leggings), and therefore they are able to have larger pockets than shorter jackets, like denim jackets. I can hold my phone and other things in utility jacket pockets, and that is super helpful, especially when I’m with kids and free hands are a commodity.
What to Look for in Utility Jackets
Comfort
Many jackets are stiff and uncomfortable, but there are many that are very flexible, stretchy, lightweight, and comfortable to wear for extended periods. Utility jackets come in all sorts of levels of comfort, from stiff, heavy, and uncomfortable, to structured with stretch and pretty lightweight, to super lightweight, soft, and drapey. Obviously I want you to aim for the comfortable ones because, as you know if you’ve been around here, I am not here trying to make you uncomfortable for the sake of style. You know I like my clothes to be comfy!
Drawstring or Shape at Waist
In addition to comfort, there are a few other things I like to look for in utility jackets. The first is that it has a drawstring or elastic around the waist, preferably one that is adjustable. That helps create a shape that is nipped in at the waist and define a waistline a little to offer some definition. I prefer it to be adjustable so that you can nip in the waist as little or as much as you want, or so that you have the option to make it straight if you prefer.
Sleeves That Can be Rolled or Scrunched
Another thing I look for is that I can either scrunch or roll the sleeves up to the middle of my forearm. I roll sleeves up of most jackets like this as a style preference. It’s also a little functional, as sometimes I want my sleeves rolled up and out of the way of my hands. Some utility jackets have sleeves that have elastic at the cuffs, which are really easy to scrunch up. Others have cuffs with buttons that you can unbutton to open up, which allows you to fold the sleeves up. And some sleeves don’t have any buttons, so you can’t fold the sleeves up at all, or sometimes even if sleeves have buttons, for whatever reason they are just hard to roll up. I try to avoid the latter because, even though I do sometimes wear the sleeves down at full length, I really want the option to roll up the sleeves.
Big Pockets
I also look for is a jacket with big pockets! I mentioned above that I love how much you can hold in the pockets of utility jackets, but that isn’t possible with a jacket that doesn’t even have pockets. So, I usually check to make sure I can keep my phone secure in the pockets, and typically that is with pockets that are upright rather than slanted.
And before we move on, remember, the very first thing I look for is COMFORT! I make sure it’s something I can wear for extended periods. Otherwise, I know I’ll avoid it and NEVER wear it, which means it will just sit in my closet as a waste of money. Don’t settle for uncomfortable clothes that you will not wear. 😊
Ways to Wear a Utility Jacket
Now, here are some ways to wear a utility jacket. Like I said, you can wear it with pretty much anything, so if you haven’t tried some of the combos below, what are you waiting for?
Shop the Outfits
Also, you can shop these outfits through the widget below. Some of these outfits are old, so not everything is available. I linked to as many exact items as I could and included similar items for some of the items that are no longer available.
Shop More Utility Jacket Options
Here are a few utility jacket options. I haven’t tried all of them personally, but I wanted to include several in different styles. They all have pretty good reviews for the most part, so they’re at least worth trying!
If you don’t already have a utility jacket, definitely consider getting one! It makes life soooo easy to have a layering option that goes with basically anything to throw on in a flash! And if you do have a utility jacket, I hope this helped you find more ways to wear yours!
I mentioned that a utility jacket is one of my top recommended wardrobe staples, and its versatility makes getting dressed a whole lot easier. If you want to fill your wardrobe with more pieces like this that are super versatile and will allow you to make outfits easily, you will love the Wardrobe Staples Styler!
In it, I walk you through 16 wardrobe staples to build your wardrobe with. I’ll share what to look for when shopping for each staple (kinda like I did in this blog post). Then I’ll teach you 3 super quick outfit formulas that you can use to make outfits with each wardrobe staple, so you’ll end up with 48 plug-and-wear formulas (16 staples x 3 outfit formulas teach) to enable you get dressed quickly! On top of that, you’ll get an outfit catalog full of even more outfit ideas for each wardrobe staple—basically like the image above with all the different ways to wear a utility jacket—totaling to over 330 outfit ideas!
If you feel like your closet’s a mess and find it really hard to make good outfits, the Wardrobe Staples Styler will help you remedy that!
Check out the Wardrobe Staples Styler and get a glimpse of what’s inside, HERE.
