Rihanna went shopping in West Hollywood yesterday (how long before the rumour mill starts churning over the fact she was in Petit Tresor Baby Boutique?) wearing the new shirt shape - aka 'the jacket shirt'. Comprising the slickness of a blazer, with the lightweight material of a shirt, the shirt jacket is not only a genius way to smarten up denim cut-offs (helped by the red lipstick) but it's also the hottest property in the shirt world.
Ever since button-downs became cool last year (blame normsnore, sorry nomcore) it's made us look at Gap with whole new admiration. But even with their extensive collection of cotton chambray and dinky polkadots, our shirt-seeking missiles were seeking fresh shirt territory. Which comes in the form of the jacket shirt, a shirt which basically comprises any shape that's traditionally remeniscient of a jacket.
The jacket shirt has multifarious incarnations (we do like options.) With Rihanna (and Topshop Boutique) that means a wrap-over pinstripe shirt, functioning in lieu of a blazer. Under Haitian/Italian print queen Stella Jean's watch, it means a gingham kimono-style shirt which ties at the side. And in the case of one of our favourite e-stores, the Shanghainese Front Row Shop, it manifests itself as a double breasted shirt (also recently seen in short-sleeved form on the ever ahead Leandra Medine) with is theoretically a leotard, on account of it's poppas at the crotch. That's right, a double breasted leotard! Like a jacket. But a shirt.
Genius, right? We totally might have bought one last week. It not only brings so much more to your chest than the average shirt, but also fools the casual observor into thinking that you are wearing some smartypants outerwear. The added bonus means is that as it isn't* actually* a jacket, you aren't forced into removing it on entering an interior, as culture dictates. So, jazz up your denim with a jacket shirt and feel as innovative as we felt, writing this piece.
Summer Wrap Over Shirt, £70 Topshop Boutique
Double-Breasted Shirt With Long Sleeves in Navy, £33 Front Row Shop
Double-Breasted Shirt With Long Sleeve in Blue, £33 Front Row Shop
Sedano Gingham-Check Wrap Shirt, £280 MATCHESFASHION.COM
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Picture: Rex
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.