your next fall jacket is (originally) from QVC

an argument for secondhand suede

A month or so ago I saw Anna Newton of

The Wardrobe Edit

post a photo in a green suede jacket, and thought… I must find one.

the aforementioned suede jacket

That specific shade of green proved surprisingly difficult to replicate (even when I looked for non-vintage options!), but there were many secondhand jackets in shades closer to sage or olive, and my Poshmark likes and eBay watchlist grew substantially.

Then I saw this one.

The stitching detail (not quite a blanket stitch, but close) reminded me of the Toteme scarf coat I was obsessed with this past fall and winter, as well as this Still Here Western shirt, recently featured in Laura Reilly’s

Magasin

. (Editing to add—somehow missed this post from

Sarah Shapiro

from earlier this month until

Kelly Williams

linked to it in a recent post! Many more examples of the blanket stitch there!)

Toteme coat and Still Here shirt

The brand on the jacket is Denim & Co, which is still around and available to purchase via QVC (not that specific jacket, however, and it looks like their suede offerings right now are all faux). I have to admit, this gave me momentary pause, which I examined further—was it an assumption that QVC = shoddy quality? A classist recoil from an institution of Discount Capitalism? Merely the uninspired styling of the current Denim & Co items for sale?

I thought back to Total Rec’s Old Navy / Ciao Lucia bait-and-switch, and how much of a role brand name and styling can play in making you want something. I played a bit of an opposite game with myself—could I look beyond the jacket’s QVC origins and envision it styled in a way that would appeal to me? I added it to my digital wardrobe and created some potential outfits, and once I was convinced, I went for it!

I’m wearing a large, but I could have easily (should have probably!) gone with a medium, and probably even a small. I went bigger so that I could layer a sweater underneath.

I’m not an expert on leather goods, but there are several things I’ve noticed about this jacket that indicate it may not be of the highest quality. The lining isn’t as closely fitted to the jacket itself as I’d expect from something more expensive (i.e. it might poke out from the sleeve cuff if I don’t adjust it). That’s easily fixable with a couple of stitches, which I might do. The suede is a bit stiff, which isn’t necessarily an indicator of bad quality, as suede that’s thicker/stiffer tends to be more durable. The lining is also polyester, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a new or used suede jacket lined in a natural fabric.

And all of that is okay with me! I don’t want to tiptoe around in my clothes or be afraid to take them out on the town. I’d much rather get something that’s already been broken in and continue to wear it out than be worried every time I see a raindrop or brush up against something gross on the subway stairs. If I’m still getting a lot of use out of this jacket in a couple years, maybe I’ll start keeping an eye out for a nicer quality suede jacket (or one that’s lined in cotton or silk) when I’m at vintage or secondhand stores.

I do think you should buy leather goods secondhand whenever possible. You’re going to pay a lot of money (rightfully so) for a new garment made of ethically sourced leather or suede. But there are so many old jackets out there looking for new homes—surely one of them could satisfy your needs! You just have to have the vision.

Because I couldn’t help it (and because I am a secondhand suede evangelist), I did some digging for you. There are many of those Denim & Co jackets out there—here’s a selection in various colors and sizes:

Top row: Size 1X ($70); size L ($40); —, size L ($20) / Bottom row: Size M ($37); size L ($20); size M ($23)

Top row: Size M, $110 (I would offer half of this), size L ($48), size M ($25) / Bottom row: Size L ($45); size L ($30); size L ($35)

Some more green suede jackets in varying hues and silhouettes:

Top row: Bernardo jacket (M), $45; Cherokee jacket (S), $47; Liz Claiborne jacket (M), $25; Valerie Stevens shirt jacket (M), $45 / Bottom row: Jaclyn Smith jacket (S), $30; ISZ jacket (M), $75; Siena jacket (L); $59

And just some general fun suede jackets:

Top row: Bernardo blue suede jacket (L, with matching pants!), $40; Saddle Ridge red suede jacket (M), $24 / Bottom row: St. Johns Bay suede jacket (L), $10; Modern Essentials beige suede jacket (L), $20; J.Jill tan suede jacket (M), $55

As always, if you buy something from the newsletter—send pics! (And if anyone sees any type of secondhand suede in that same shade of green as Anna’s jacket… send it my way!)