The Ace & Jig spring 2015 ready-to-wear collection is one that I stumbled upon. Clean cotton fabrics, bright Easter-like colors and the contrasting of patterns are what caught my eye. Jenna Wilson and Cary Vaughan are the designers behind this brand, and they took their inspiration from the “beach pajamas craze of the ‘20s.” While many fashion designers focus on silhouettes and ultra-nice fabrics, Ace & Jig went a different route. Their main focus was the contrasting of patterns for different pieces within a look. They concluded this by using hand-woven fabrics created on an antique loom, giving each look a comfortable ease to them.
I took my inspiration from the pattern usage. I wore a polka-dot crop top and contrasted it with a black bandana. After that, I kept the rest of my pieces black, so the main focus of my outfit would be on the patterns. Different patterns can work well together if you use two different pieces and the pieces are not crazy enough to stand on their own. Although my two pieces contrast each other, they complement each other as well.
My coat, although bulky, pulls the look together and gives it a finishing touch. It also helps me create a new look. If I want to, I can button the coat and only let the bandana peek out. This isn’t necessarily contrasting patterns per se, but I am creating layers, just like Ace & Jig. Plus, who doesn’t love wearing their coat as a cape?
I wish I would have known about Ace & Jig earlier. They are creative with their pieces and they use layers as their main style point. This ready-to-wear collection inspired me to play around in my closet for different patterns and create new looks that I’ve never worn before. I wear a lot of black, so by messing around with these patterns, maybe I can start wearing new colors as well.
Get My Look: 1. A bandana. 2. A polka-dot shirt. 3. A black skirt. 4. A peacoat.
