Smart mid-priced short jacket for wedding - which store?

[Saracen]

Teenaged DD has a fitted sleeveless dress for an upcoming wedding, and wants something to keep her back and shoulders warm in the evening. I was thinking maybe cardigan or bolero or short lined jacket. The plan is to spend £20-40, but could go higher if she loves it and it seems versatile. We are scruffy people 😁 who live in jeans and hoodies, so it probably will only get worn a few times a year for Christmas or (rare) smart parties.

I want an online store which has a wide selection, so we can try loads of items all in one go in order to get the colour and fit right. Had a look at Debenhams, which seems spot on, but I am slightly put off by having to pay return shipping, which I imagine would be expensive. I live in a city, meaning that most retailers who have physical stores will have a convenient click and collect location I could use and presumably avoid return shipping costs.

I've heard that the quality of Next has been poor in recent years? M&S doesn't have much selection in what I want. Can't think where else to try.

Thanks for any suggestions!

How old is your daughter? It’s not clear if you’re looking for essentially children’s or adults’ clothes.

Given the price range you suggest, unusually I would suggest you try the largest branch of Primark you can get to. They should have a good range of cheap but fashionable things to top a sleeveless dress. And they’re very geared to dressing teens.

But online - on ASOS if you search Jacket, filter for cropped jacket and sort in ascending order for price you will find several that might be suitable.

Thanks, those are great ideas! We do have a big Primark nearby which I will try.

She’s 18 and has a learning disability. She’s modest and tends to dress more like a younger teen, usually favouring “fun” clothes over sophistication. As she is quite outdoorsy, we usually go for practical rugged things.

Oh and at her age she has stopped growing, so I’m more willing to invest in clothes she can wear for a few years.

Oh, are you sure? Late teens, early adulthood is an age where clothing preferences evolve quite rapidly, even for people generally completely uninterested in fashion. A good coat, sure - but anything else is quite likely to be abandoned within eighteen months or so, no matter how much it cost.

Any good?

www.asos.com/prd/205791059

Zara has some nice cropped jackets in the sales which I’ve bought for work as an update on long blazers but would be equally good over a dress. Even full price would be under your budget.

Primark - my favourite dress cover up jacket is from there! It’s flattering and lined and much nicer on than my very similar jaeger silk one!

Good point! Now that you mention it, her preferences have changed over the last few years!

Yes! Thanks.

Thank you, I’ll have a look. I haven’t been in Zara for years. I thought it was more expensive than that. I think there’s one just near my local Primark, which is handy.

With Zara I’d advise an online recce first. The shops can be chaotic, unless you arrive first thing in the morning; they may well not have all the sizes, and no one should put themselves through the queueing for an hour for a curtained cubicle thing. Have a look in person to assess fabric and sizings (which vary from item to item) but you’ll get the best choice - including the more select pieces - online. And their beautiful styling photos / videos.

I had difficulty finding something similar a couple of years ago and finally struck gold in Quiz. Not a shop I had ever set foot in as looks very 'young' but it came up in an online search and they had several options that looked lovely paired with my dress for a wedding (rather than a teeny strapless body con dress that it may have been styled with in store 😂).

Oh those are nice! Daughter didn't find anything she liked there, but it was a good call.