Styling the Charly jacket by Isabel Marant Etoile
"I love knowing that I have certain pieces in my wardrobe that I can rely on time and time again."
This week we're sharing Zo's style notes on her current go-to: the stunning Charly jacket by Paris' favourite, Isabel Marant Etoile. It's light and versatile in its beige colourway, and cool and contemporary in its charcoal rendering too.
Scroll on for Zoie's style notes on how to wear the Charly, for style that will feel timeless season after season.
"I love knowing that I have certain pieces in my wardrobe that I can rely on time and time again. My Charly jacket is one of them. I can wear it with the most simple (and old!) t-shirt underneath, with a pair of bashed up denim, and I know that I will feel great in it. It's a look that is tried and tested and can be relied upon wholeheartedly.
"Add some gold jewellery and statement bag and this outfit can even take you out to dinner!
"If understated / pared-back living is your thing, I would look to this blazer to make your current wardrobe really work for you.
"I love adding a heel when I am off out somewhere to a very understated, casual outfit. I feel it makes an outfit look effortless and also unexpected."
ISABEL MARANT ETOILE Charly Beige Wool Blazer ・ ISABEL MARANT ETOILE Lilda Beige Leather Ankle Boots ・ CITIZENS OF HUMANITY Charlotte Ever Light Wash Raw Edge Jeans
"Thinking along these lines, I love the mix of very feminine against the tailoring of a jacket. I guess it's about putting items together and delighting in the results... The whole time, keeping it very simple though.
"It works when it looks like you haven't tried too hard, so maybe mess your hair up a little and keep make-up as natural looking as possible - Parisian style.
"The exception to this rule being a strong lip. This works when clashed against a super simple look, the most simple of polo necks or a breton."
ISABEL MARANT ETOILE Charly Charcoal Black Blazer ・ BELLA FREUD Red Striped Long-Sleeved T-Shirt ・ VEJA Nova White Butter Sole Canvas Hi-Top Sneakers
"But back to Charly. He will become your best friend. Wear him now over pretty girly tops (broderie Anglais) and Bretons. Later on in the season, when it's warmer, wear over super girly dresses (with sleeves rolled up and collar nonchalantly turned up) and then in full-on winter over a camel cashmere polo neck or crisp white shirt. Oooh, this is wardrobe simplicity at its best. It really does make getting dressed a pleasure when you know you have these pieces to rely on."
– love Zo xx
ISABEL MARANT ETOILE Charly Charcoal Black Blazer ・ ISABEL MARANT ETOILE Charly Beige Wool Blazer
"Marant is insistent on dealing with the reality of fashion rather than fantasy. 'You know when I started doing pret-a-porter" what mattered to me was taking that term literally. And to really say to myself, "I design clothes because I want to get dressed".'
'It was the hyper-sexy years, Tom Ford, the "woman-object", I was revolting against the slightly slutty vision men had of women, where they always had to be super sexy. I didn't recognise myself in that woman at all.' Her clothes do have a certain va-va-voom, to be clear, but it's more a game of add and subtract with her. 'Sexy doesn't come from something so ostentatious and obvious, there's a certain discretion in sexiness that charms me a lot more.' "
Isabel Marant Etoile,
as interviewed by The Sunday Times