What the Heck is A Shacket-And Should You Have One?

Ok—if you hang around your fashionista friends this season, you have to have heard the term shacket bandied about. , If you wondered what it is, but have been afraid to ask—thank God for Google—right?  Anyway, I am here for you friend!  I will not only tell you what a shacket is, but I will also tell you how to style it like a pro.  The next time you show up at a fashionista do, you will be right on point with your shacket—if you choose to get one.  None of these trends are for everyone—that’s one of the great things about fashion these days.  You definitely don’t have to wear styles you don’t care for to be stylish—in fact, discernment is one of the key elements of stylishness.

What is a shacket?  

A shacket is a mash up between shirt and jacket.  It looks like a shirt, but is made of heavy material, like a jacket.  It’s a cousin to the utility jacket—perfect for cool fall days when you want to sport casual or cozy chic vibes.  You will note that many shackets are oversized—so if you want to go for a more streamlined look, you might want to size down or look for a brand that doesn’t cut theirs quite as large.   The one I purchased is from Banana Republic Outlet—it was very spacious—I could have invited a friend to wear it with me it was so big.

Shackets are part of the ongoing “utility” trend you may remember from a few years back—when boiler suits, and utility jackets were shown.  It also has roots in the oversized flannel shirt trend that has been ongoing for several years—if you have any questions about this look, you can find it on Pinterest just type in fall outfits—you will see lots of young girls with long hair wearing oversized flannel shirts, skinny jeans and over the knee boots.  Hold the phone before buying that look—this year it’s styled a little differently.

This season’s shackets are being shown in creamy neutrals, soft gray plaids, and warm light brown plaids.  You might want to pack away your buffalo print flannels or anything in a bright color way this season—because naturals and monotone looks are ruling the runway.

That said,   you might have some flannel shirts or utility jackets in your closet that qualify as a shacket.  Look for a shirt made of wool or heavy flannel, with flap pockets at the chest, in a solid or plaid neutral.   The shirt should fall below the hip—sort of at mid thigh.

How to style a shacket?   

As far as tops go—because the shacket has a collar, you will want to keep the shirt underneath simple—crew necks are having a moment this year and would make a great choice, and turtle necks also look great with a shirt collar.  I’ve been seeing jogger sets being worn under a shacket as well as a variety of pant styles.

This year’s shackets are being shown with high waist straight leg jeans, or boot cut leather or faux leather trousers.   While leggings and skinny jeans can definitely be worn with this look, wearing a boot cut high waist will modernize the look.

This type of outfit is often paired with lug sole boots—if you want to be completely on trend.  (They were called monster boots a few seasons back—and I just got rid of a pair last year as I never thought they would come back into style this soon).  If you don’t want to go with the heavy lug sole boots, Chelsea boots are another great modern looking option.  I’d avoid the over the knee boots and skinny jeans look though.

Should women 50 + wear shackets?

As always, the answer to this question is yes, depending on your personal style. Shackets are not necessarily the domain of the young.  It’s all in your personal style, whether you have use for one, and if you like them. 

If you are a trend lover, shackets are certainly an easy trend to adopt.  If you love cozy, casual, chic styles, a shacket is for you as well.  If you love classic styles, you may want to pear down the size of your shacket, and again, you will find it a stylish and practical addition to your wardrobe.

If you are busty, or curvy, you may have trouble with an oversized shacket, and if you are spair, like I am, you might look like you are swimming in this season’s version of a shacket—that’s the way I felt.

I only wear trends I like, and that go with my personal style.  The cut of the shacket works with my modern classic vibe—but I find that the look is a bit more casual than is my style—however, in a season or two, if they are still around, we will see the typical morphing that all trends go through as they are more and more widely adopted.  Usually that means less exaggerated versions.  

Where should you wear your shacket?

Shackets have a very relaxed vibe that are great worn to casual events, such as taking the kids to the pumpkin patch, an evening roasting marshmallows around the fire pit, or running errands on the weekend.  If you are looking for something to elevate your jogger set, or want to throw on something warm but not too warm, again, you will reach for your shacket—they are definitely practical.  

Shackets are available at all price points so if you don’t have one in your closet and want to give one a whirl, you can purchase them anywhere from Saks to Walmart.  Best of all, you can style them in so many ways—they are definitely a great addition to one’s wardrobe.

Did I keep this shacket?  The answer is no-for several reasons.  First, I don’t think the oversized trend suits me—second,  I don’t have much use for jackets here in Florida—it’s mid October and we are still at 90 degrees.  The window for warm clothing is definitely getting smaller—I’m actually still looking for light weight dresses to wear since we are outside much more now than in the past.  

Are you going to adopt the Shacket trend?  I’d love to know whether you love them and how you style them.

It’s Stylish Monday! Check out These Beautiful Bloggers and How they Styled Shackets This Month

Amy – Amy’s Creative Pursuits –  I never thought I would like shackets because I don’t like the over-sized look on my body type, but this cute one from Amazon is over-sized in length,and not so much in width, so it gives a more fitted, polished look.

Nicole – High Latitude Style – While shackets are an Alaskan favorite, I have owned only two shackets so far. The first shacket was the classic Buffalo plaid skirt in red with black. I used to wear it for snow shoveling in late spring and early winter (late September, first week of October). The second one was a DIY patching project. I had bought the piece as a shirt, but it was too stiff to be worn as such. Therefore, I patched it to turn it into a shacket. I still wear it in late spring and early fall as cover-up when a cotton cardigan would be too cold and a jacket would be still too warm. Given that in Alaska the transition seasons are very short (2-4 weeks), I don’t get much wear out of my shacket.

Julie – Fashion Trends and Friends and Instagram FashionTandF –  

I’m loving the shacket trend especially since I’m always cold!  Shackets come in so many colors, lengths and styles there’s bound to be one you’ll like!  It’s the perfect layering item for fall and winter.  I love my newest one with pink and pockets! You don’t have to spend a lot on trends to give it a try!

Shelbee – Shelbee on the Edge – When shackets started trending last fall, I wanted to try out the trend without spending too much money. So I hit the thrift shops and found this olive green corduroy shirt jacket that is quickly becoming an autumn wardrobe staple.

Lucy – Lucy Bertoldi.com  October’s sombre vibes has me styling up this sheer, black ‘shacket’ which I love wearing over tanks or sleeveless outfits; like this tulle dress for example. It’s perfectly light, chic and edgy- whether it’s worn as a shirt, or jacket.

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