The Only Denim Jacket Your Closet Needs Is Under $100 Right Now

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Here at T&C, we pride ourselves on our discerning eye for quality. With Tried & True, our editors will give you an inside look at the pieces they simply cannot live without.

There are certain style staples that become part of a lifelong shopping quest. Finding the perfect red lipstick, for example. Or flawless black boots that that hit the edgy-classic-comfortable trifecta. For me, a denim jacket has always been one of those items—a wardrobe essential for between-seasons layering, it can bring a casual touch that turns a formal-feeling sundress into an effortless brunch outfit, or turn up the cool factor on a basic t-shirt and jeans combination for those coveted "model off-duty" vibes.

Practical, timeless, and infinitely versatile, I've always had a couple of denim jackets hanging around my closet for various occasions. Until I met The One. The One that would make me give up all other, lesser denim jackets, the platonic ideal of a denim topper: the J.Crew Classic Denim Jacket—and during J.Crew's Midseason Sale it just so happens to be under $100 right now.

Close your eyes and imagine a perfect denim jacket: a simple cut that hits just at the hip bone, with breast- and side-pockets, traditional (and functional) button details, sized with just enough room in the shoulders to make it easy and comfy to move in, while still giving structure to your style, skimming the body for a flattering fit without leaving you constricted. Now, open your eyes and realize I just described the J.Crew Classic Denim Jacket.

As the name suggests, the style is indeed, classic, and that's one of the best things about it—they're not trying to reinvent the wheel here, just execute it to perfection. The Brilliant Day Wash that it comes standard in is a middle-ground blue (neither light nor dark wash) that's contoured in just the right spots to look like you've been wearing it for decades, but lacks that threadbare effect that some "distressed" denim jackets give you; worn-in, yet polished. Likewise, unlike stiff-feeling denim jackets that you have to spend weeks breaking in, the fabric is pleasingly soft, yet structured, right off the hanger.

All of which is to say that when it comes to creating your perfect pan-seasonal capsule wardrobe, this is the only denim jacket that deserves a place.

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