WTF Is The ‘Wrong Jacket Theory’? Stylists Explain New Fashion Trend To Me Like I’m 5

This fall, forget about finding the perfect coat. Instead, go for the wrong jacket — at least, according to my FYP. If you’re chronically online (🙋🏼‍♀️), you may have heard of the wrong shoe theory, which is when you pair unexpected footwear with your lewk — think stilettos with track pants or combat boots and a flowy floral dress. But now, as the weather gets slightly cooler (JK, it’s currently spooky season and 78 degrees in LA), the latest TikTok fashion trend is topping off your fit with a jacket that doesn’t exactly, well… fit.

The wrong shoe theory feels easier to wrap your head around. Sometimes, it’s more for function, like running shoes and crunchy socks with your skirt suit and black tights because you’re Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, and your easily 10-thousand-step ferry commute to the city is no joke. Or it’s 2005, and you need to wear your Ugg boots with every outfit to keep you warm from all the midriff and mini skirts you’re rocking. What you wear on your feet is such a small percentage of your overall outfit, so a pop of something that doesn’t quite go feels like less of a risk and more of a fun choice.

But a jacket literally covers you, making up easily more than half of your ensemble. A wrong jacket that misses the mark can look like you’re borrowing your dad’s coat because you refused to wear a turtleneck under your Snow White costume, and now you’re freezing on Halloween. Just look at this Vogue France runway show. Doesn’t it look like all the models are rehearsing with this borrowed jacket because they’re cold, not because it’s literally their runway look?

Just as we finally figured out monochrome, where everything matches, now we want to throw that all away and purposely clash with this new fashion curveball?! Make it make sense!

The wrong jacket theory isn’t exactly new.

Image Credit: Getty Images

You probably have been channeling the concept of the wrong jacket theory before there was a name for it. And no, wearing a North Face fleece with every outfit in the early oughts doesn’t count. Beth Jones, a California-based stylist at BJones Style, is a thrifting master with a knack for seamlessly clashing patterns and eras. Jones had unknowingly been a longtime believer in the wrong jacket theory before she had the language for it. For years, Jones has been calling this fashion aesthetic “juxtaposition dressing,” which she defines as “taking things that are basically opposites and pairing them together,” like how she makes this custom varsity jacket match perfectly with her floral blouse, sequined top, trousers, patterned purse, and leopard skin pillbox hat.

Katie Sturino, Megababe founder, Stitch Fix partner, and body acceptance advocate who you might know from her #SuperSizeTheLook series (Blake Lively just praised her, NBD), has also been doing the wrong jacket theory for years, which she thinks is now having a moment because, “it’s a more simplified way of showing styling creativity and personal expression.”

What if we don’t have the budget or closet space to pull off this look? “You can execute with pieces you already have in your closet, rather than rushing out to purchase the latest trendy ‘must-have’ item that won’t stand the test of time,” Sturino says. Phew, we don’t have to buy another jacket.

How do you make the wrong jacket feel right?

According to Jones, the key to the wrong jacket theory is to “keep things effortless” and use your jacket as a way to either dress up or dress down your look. Sturino suggests using the wrong jacket to bring “opposing energy to your ‘base look’ as this trend is all about balancing proportions” — like a long trench with a mini skirt or a cropped biker jacket with a maxi lace dress. “This look is all about making it your own,” she adds. “Look to accessories to really help bring the look alive. I love playing with belts, necklaces, or even socks to help balance the look with a little personality.”

Like any fashion trend, it is possible for the wrong jacket theory to not work, which Sturino says you’ll know “when you see it,” especially if you “don’t feel confident while you’re testing out different looks, then that’s a sign that it’s time to mix it up and try a different style until your outfit works for you.” Jones agrees, adding, “My mantra is always play dress up, so I believe in experimenting, and sometimes experiments fail,” she admits. “Maybe you will make a mistake, and it doesn’t feel right, but I believe in trying at least.”

Finding the right wrong jacket

Finding the right piece to play with is important in making the “wrong jacket” work. While Jones dresses very out-of-the-box, she’s able to make her juxtaposing styles make sense because she grounds everything in classics.

Jones suggests trying out the wrong jacket theory with a chore jacket — those durable boxy neutral coats with front pockets and usually an accent collar that Martha Stewart probably owns. While chore coats are having a moment right now, like a quality puffer jacket, these are “classic heritage” pieces that “you can have for the rest of your life that will always make sense and always be cool,” Jones said.

Jones also loves playing with a camo jacket for the wrong jacket theory and suggests using coats for this trend that have the “shapes and silhouettes on how it originally was created versus looking for ones that have the extra additions that were maybe built on a trend,” like added ruffles. Or, remember when every shirt had a criss-cross lace-up front in 2016? Yep.

Sturino suggests making sure your jacket fits you properly, even if it’s meant to be oversized, and looking for a jacket that contrasts your existing go-to style by incorporating materials, textures, and shapes that you don’t usually pair with your outfits. “This is a great step for trying out the trend without completely changing your style so you still feel like yourself,” Sturino says. “The key is to find pieces that will create a surprising and visually interesting juxtaposition with your usual looks but also make you feel excited to get dressed.”

What’s the next wrong thing?

First, it was the wrong shoe, and now it’s the wrong jacket, so what will be the next wrong piece of apparel? Jones predicts it’s mixing in sleepwear for a not fully dressed but polished look, such as a slip with a blazer and heel or a pajama bottom with a t-shirt, pump, and jacket.

While Sturino predicts the next “wrong” trend will be “the wrong bag theory,” like a sporty backpack with an elegant dress or a formal clutch with athleisure, “This would continue the theme of creating visual interest through intentional contrasts in an outfit,” Sturino said.

Well, I’m sold on the wrong [insert item here] theory. If you need me, I’ll be rocking a faux fur coat with a silk pajama set and pumps as I use my Trader Joe’s canvas tote as a purse. It’s called fashion, babe. Look it up. Carrie Bradshaw gets it.