How to Choose a Statement Jacket You'll Actually Wear

A statement jacket can be an everyday jacket. The useful questions are whether you like wearing it, whether it works with clothes you already own, and whether it has room for the layers you need.

In the shop, I often see someone fall for a jacket and then hesitate. They love the print or the shape. But the price is higher than they had planned, and they wonder whether such a noticeable piece will get enough wear.

I understand that hesitation. There is a difference between enjoying a jacket on a hanger and wanting to leave the house in it.

At GRÜNWASCHEN, I would start by trying it with the clothes you came in wearing. Then I would look at the fit, the details and how you might wear it on an ordinary day.

Start with your actual wardrobe

Think of an outfit you already wear often. It could be black trousers and a black top, jeans and a shirt, or a dress you feel comfortable in. Try the jacket over that.

For someone who likes an all-black outfit, a colourful jacket can be quite straightforward: the clothes underneath are already there. The jacket changes the look without asking you to replace the rest of your wardrobe.

You can also choose a statement through shape or texture. A long denim coat, an oversized cut or an unusual panel can have plenty of presence without covering you in bright colours.

I would rather help someone find a jacket they want to wear repeatedly than persuade them to buy the most dramatic one in the room.

Three ways I would wear a printed MemenTo jacket

MemenTo is one of my first examples when we talk about colourful statement jackets. The graphics are part of the design, rather than an afterthought added to an ordinary shape.

I see customers approach those prints in different ways.

Over an all-black outfit

Black trousers and a black top make a simple starting point. Put the jacket over them and let the print take up the space it needs.

This is also a useful way to try a colourful piece if you are unsure about it. You can see what the jacket adds to an outfit you already know.

With one colour picked from the print

For a blue jacket, I would also try blue underneath. It does not have to be exactly the same shade. The connection is enough to make the outfit feel considered.

The same idea works with another colour in the print. Look at the garment rather than deciding that every colourful jacket needs a completely neutral outfit underneath.

Print with print

Some customers wear several printed MemenTo pieces together, and I think those combinations look great.

If that is how you enjoy dressing, try it. You do not have to make a bold jacket quieter to make it wearable. Equally, there is no obligation to build a whole printed outfit around it.

The Blue Print Jacket has blue, white, yellow and red graphics and a listed length of 110 cm. The Girl Print Jacket combines black, blue, white and red, with a listed length of 95 cm. Both are oversized, but their coverage is different.

Try it with the layer you will wear underneath

When people buy a jacket, they are not always wearing the clothes they will use with it later. Someone trying one on in a T-shirt may need room for a substantial jumper once the weather changes.

That is why I would bring a layer you actually wear, or try the jacket with one in the shop. Fasten it, reach forward, move your arms and check how the sleeves feel over the extra fabric.

With an oversized jacket, I would not automatically go up a size. First look at the measurements and try the intended cut. For example, the Blue Print Jacket is listed at 74 cm across the bust when laid flat; the Girl Print Jacket is 70 cm across. Both are labelled one size. Those details give you more information than the label alone.

In Berlin, I also think about wind and how much of the body the jacket covers. I like roomy outer layers that let you adjust what you wear underneath. For warmth, consider the fabric and your layers as well as the length and the print.

Upcycled denim gives you another way to make a statement

If full-colour prints are not what you want to wear, denim can be a good place to look. The statement can come from the construction, the arrangement of panels or the contrast between materials.

The Blue Dragon Bomber by ATELIER J.SANTANA combines upcycled denim with used kimono fabric in blue and black tones. When I show it to someone, I would turn it around as well as looking at the front. The back panel is a significant part of the jacket.

This is also where I would look closer: where the different fabrics meet, how the collar and cuffs finish the shape, and how the panels move when you put it on. A photograph of the whole jacket is helpful, but those details explain more of what you are choosing.

The Chinese Bomber also combines used kimono fabric with denim, with a contrasting red collar. The collar gives me another detail to pick up elsewhere in an outfit, if I want to connect the colours.

The Women's Checkered Bomber has a structured silhouette and a blue checkered denim surface. It is a different kind of statement from the larger graphic prints.

I see denim jackets worn with more denim, with dresses and with black trousers. There is plenty of room to experiment.

If you prefer a longer silhouette, Azul Ballestero's James Upcycled Denim Long Coat offers blue cotton denim and a belt. Try how it falls both open and belted, and look at the length with the shoes you would normally wear.

For more on the designers and their different approaches, you can read why I choose these upcycled pieces for GRÜNWASCHEN.

What I would look at when the price makes you hesitate

A jacket does not need diamonds on it for its making to involve a lot of work.

When a designer creates an original print, develops a pattern and makes a garment by hand, there is work in the piece before you even get to the final seams. Reconstructing existing garments can involve selecting materials, taking pieces apart and deciding how to bring them together in a new shape.

A longer cut can require more fabric. A one-of-a-kind piece can involve decisions that are specific to that garment. Those are some of the things I want customers to notice when we talk about price.

I would also check what the jacket asks of you. Does it feel comfortable? Do you like the finish and the fastening? Can you care for it in a way that fits your life? Is there a particular part of the design that makes you want this jacket, rather than simply any jacket?

A higher price does not answer those questions for you. But looking at the construction, the design and the fit gives you something concrete to assess.

For me, a good reason to buy is being able to picture yourself reaching for the jacket again. You do not have to save it for a special occasion just because the design is expressive.

Why I keep jackets in the shop beyond winter

Customers sometimes discover a jacket in summer and wish they had seen it when they were looking for one in winter.

I keep expressive outerwear in the shop beyond one season because I also see these pieces as wearable art. The print or the construction can still be interesting when the weather changes.

If you find one in a warmer month, you can still try the fit with a future layer in mind. Whether to buy it then depends on your plans and budget. The practical question is whether you will want to wear it when the right weather arrives.

Choosing your jacket online or in Berlin

Before buying online, compare the listed measurements with a jacket you already own. Check the material and care instructions, look at the front and back, and think of a few outfits you would actually wear with it.

If you need another measurement or want help with layering, contact us with the product name. One-size and oversized labels are useful starting points; the fit still needs to work for you.

You can also try the jackets at GRÜNWASCHEN, Rosa-Luxemburg-Str. 25 in Berlin-Mitte, next to Volksbühne. Bring the layer you would wear underneath and tell me what you are unsure about.

Explore the current MemenTo selection, ATELIER J.SANTANA and Azul Ballestero. Availability changes, so check the product page before making a special trip.

For a seasonal look at the selection, our guides to winter jackets in Berlin and autumn jackets in Berlin cover more outerwear options.