I have sooo many dresses that I love wearing all summer… and that I’m not quite ready to put away at the end of September. But obviously, I can’t just wear them as-is – I need to layer to keep off the chill. I typically go for a sweater of some kind, but I’m branching out my style this year and am very into my new combination – dress + jean jacket.

So I realize that pairing a dress with a jean jacket is not the most original way to take a favorite outfit and make it fall-appropriate. But it is new for me, because I don’t think that I’ve worn a jean jacket since my childhood. Cardigans, wraps, and capes? I’ve worn all of those, but no jean jackets.

The jean jackets of my youth were all super stiff denim, and for someone with limited arm strength and mobility, a too-stiff denim can turn into an accidental straightjacket. But I realized that a lot of today’s jean jackets have some stretch to them, making it more comfortable and easier to move in – win-win for me!

I picked up this jean jacket from Amazon’s The Drop line – I love the cropped style; it’s perfect for me since I’m so petite! And I also think the cropped style works especially well when paired with a dress – it makes it look like more of an intentional outfit choice rather than a random jacket you decided to throw one. The darker color denim is great; I feel like it gives it a really classic look.

I also ordered this jean jacket from Banana Republic Factory. I was really intrigued by the fabric blend – I think the fact that it’s less denim means it will be even easier for me to move while wearing it. This one from Madewell also looks super timeless.

And of course – what better dress to pair it with than my Ellie Nap Dress?! I might be biased but I am very here for this look.

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