As a portmanteau of jacket and shirt, the word ‘shacket’ isn’t a thing of beauty. But there’s no denying the appeal of these soft, heavier-weight pieces that everyone from Lee Mathews to Friends With Frank has done this season.
“They’re less restrictive than a jacket or coat, so they don’t just look relaxed and effortless, they feel that way, too,” says Lucy Wood, who pulled together this week’s story. “I prefer them longer in length, so they skim the hips like a blazer.”
PRIMER co-founder Anna claims shackets hail from her homeland, New Zealand, and points to these plaid Swanndri’s, which resemble the Maggie Marilyn shacket modelled by Lucy, below. Given the company has been making shackets for the past 118 years, she may be right.
Here in 2021, Lucy thinks shackets look great with a tailored pant or straight jeans, to offset their boxy shape – and that’s certainly the preferred choice of the stylists and content producers we asked to model the shacket this week.
Gemma Keil, stylist and creative director
“A confession: I’d never heard of the term ‘shacket’ before this story. But I do have a few in my wardrobe, unaware of their full potential! I’m living in my exposed-button fly Balenciaga washed-out jeans and oversized t-shirts right now, so this shacket would slip right into my look, and I also really love the long-line length and its softness. I did try layering it with a blazer over the top, but it all became very bulky, so this look felt better.”
Nichhia Wippell, stylist
“My everyday look is quite minimal – I don’t like to spend a lot of time getting ready, so I mainly have trans-seasonal pieces that all work together. I have a couple of shackets already; I love this Lee Mathews version because the fabric is soft, thick and heavy, which makes it appear quite structured, and it’s perfect for wearing with tailored pants.”
Danielle Cartisano, stylist, producer, consultant
“I always like to dress with comfort as my first priority, so styling this look felt very true to me. I love layering, so chose a cream denim shirt to create the double sleeve/collar look, and styled it with the sleeves pushed up to still have a little skin showing.
If I’m styling up a tonal look like this, I also look for different textures to create interest, which is why I went for the cord/denim/cotton/wool combo.
Shackets can often have a lot of volume so I made sure to tuck in my t-shirt to give me shape. This is the perfect all-rounder – great to throw over my favourite tracksuit for a grocery run, or with a sexy heel for a dinner (once we can actually go out).”
Lucy Wood, stylist
“This is my first time trialling a shacket – to be honest I thought I might struggle to know what to pair it with, as it’s a bit of a departure from my usual style. However, as a lover of oversized printed shirts, I decided to wear my shacket as a shirt and that made it feel a lot more ‘me’.
I like a little balance in an outfit, so I chose to style my casual shacket and jeans with my fanciest shoes. This is a great everyday piece, cosy and comfortable, which is all I’ve been wanting lately.”
Caroline Tran, stylist and brand consultant
“My style is minimal and tailored, with a touch of playfulness. I’m never not in a pant right now – mainly tailored trousers – and I’ve added a few oversized shirts to my wardrobe recently, which function like a shacket. With warmer days coming, a shacket is the perfect trans-seasonal piece. This Lee Mathews soft, cashmere version holds its structure like a jacket, but is fluid in form. It’s the perfect weekend look for me.”
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