Help! Bought jacket and everything I put with it looks crap.

[Ilanthe]

I bought this jacket a couple of months ago.

www.frenchconnection.com/product/Woman+Collections+Coats+And+Jackets/75BU6/Fine+Day+Flannel+Jacket.htm

It is wool, good quality and looked nice when I tried it on. It is not fitted as the picture shows.

I came to wear it to a smart work function a couple of weeks later and put it on with black bootcut trouser. Looked awful, like a mismatched suit. Chocolate brown trousers, same result. Light grey trousers, yuk. Fitted dress, looked like I was wearing a bag over the top. Non-fitted dress, looked like a bag of shit tied up ugly altogether. My sister looked at it and suggested black cigarette pants. Bought some today from Whistles. Still looks shit.

On the basis that wearing what the model is in the picture would result in me being pulled in for a chat about appropriate work wear, wtf do I wear it with? Otherwise it's £120 down the drain. as it sits in my wardrobe for years

Yes agree, needs tighter trousers, think maybe a longish line top or fine jumper would look good but definitely need fitted trousers with it as jacket is so 'straight'.

Could you not do the same outfit as the model - but just have opaques instead of high socks?

I really think leggings could work with it. Culd you get away with leggings for work?

FWIW my mum works in a male dominated profession that involves going 'on site' on building sites and has to go up and down ladders etc, and she wears dresses, skirts, heels, all the practical work wear!

because the jacket is largly unfitted it will be hard to make it look smart - you need to add much more structure to an outfit to get away with something that lagen look for work
how about.....one of these www.asos.com/search/fishtail-skirt?hrd=1&q=fishtail+skirt
so you will still very obvioously have shape...

Thanks again everyone. I'll wear it with my black shoe boots, which are ridiculously high and pointy, rather than the brown brogues.

Remus - I don't own a single skirt. Not one. I think I'm now old enough to try again so might invest in a pencil skirt.

Noddy - glad you suggested plimsoles, I was actually musing today whether I could wear Converse with it in a kind of David Tennant as Dr Who look.

Tracy - I couldn't do the same outfit as the model as that skirt would be a bit short for work. An inch above the knee is about as far as I would go.

Saoirse - I couldn't wear leggings for work unless they were under a long jumper dress or tunic.

Excellent, high shoe boots or doctor who look will work with the tighter trousers. Solved!!