Elevate Your Look with a Distinctive Third Piece

When I was growing up, I remember my mother often saying, “always go with the simpler style; you won’t get tired of it as quickly, and you’ll will wear it more and keep it longer.” She wasn’t wrong, but she wasn’t completely right either. For a good many years, that advice warned me away from anything that was unique or eye-catching. But “simple” doesn’t have to mean boring and generic. Lately, I’ve come to appreciate simple but distinctive designs. And not surprisingly, they’ve turned out to be some of the pieces I want to wear most often.

Rethinking “simple” & adding interest with a distinctive third piece

The easiest way to add interest to simple outfits is with a distinctive third piece. That can be a jacket, coat, cardigan, vest, or even a scarf. A third piece makes an outfit feel complete, and can be a great way to bring in your personality.

Take this quilted vest from Ruti, for example. With the oversized lapels and capped shoulder, it’s not your generic vest. But it’s surprisingly wearable and is turning out to be one of my best wardrobe investments so far this season.

Susan B. wears a brown sweater and pants, tan quilted vest, leopard print loafers.
VEST | ACORN CHARM | SWEATER | PANTS | LOAFERS
My sizes: Vest – Small, Sweater – XS, Pants – XS
(The sweater may look black in the photo, but it’s dark brown.)

It’s the perfect choice to throw on as a third piece for casual or Smart Casual outfits. Just warm enough for cool fall days, but not so much that you’ll overheat indoors. Great for travel too. I’ve machine washed and dried it, and it came out looking like new. And for a couple more days, it’s 20% off during Ruti’s “Friends & Family” promotion! (Also available in black.)

I’m wearing the Eileen Fisher washable ponte “carrot” pants previously shown here…I had them hemmed but left myself enough length to have the option to wear them cuffed. I really like the relaxed but not oversized fit and front pockets. I think these pants will also work well for travel.

More picks from Ruti

A note about sizing: I’ve found that Ruti pants tend to run a little small, so I usually size up one size. (They’ve recently changed their sizing system and now use standard numerical and S-M-L sizing.) Coats and tops mostly run true-to-size; many styles are designed for an oversized fit. Most Ruti clothing is washable, and travel-friendly.

What style advice learned from your mother (or grandmother or Aunt) do you still follow? What advice have you learned to set aside?

Susan B. sits on a wooden bench wearing a brown knit jacket, blue jeans and colorful bracelets.

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19 Comments

  1. You have a nice twist on simplicity. What I learned from my mother and grandmother is…a person should wear their clothes rather than their clothes wearing them. Then a piece of advice from a friend whose style I always admired. She said she wore mostly solids, because you could mix and match but your outfits looked different. Interestingly enough she did wear color. It wasn’t t all neutrals. Then she added in accessories. I do this, but I don’t really add a lot of accessories. When I worked several colleagues commented that I must have a closet full of clothes. I don’t. An abundance of choices is overwhelming.

  2. I have set aside “ don’t wear blue with black, don’t wear bright colors, your arms are too thick- don’t wear sleeveless, don’t wear cobalt blue. Lots of dont’s from my mother. It has taken me a long time to grow into myself. And although I am sure I must be a form of a “winter” I also wear brown and other colors if I love the look. I find the idea of color analysis interesting but also somewhat limiting….but I am trying to wear less black, even though it makes me feel so much more like myself (black with scarves if possible). Am trying not to save things too the way I used to….

  3. This entire outfit is lovely on you. The pants appear much slimmer on you than they are at the EF site- could you comment on that? Thank you

    1. Thanks! The pants have a slim-straight leg. (I find pieces rarely look the same on me as on the models online…it may be how they’re posed or styled.)

  4. I love your taste and that vest is a great find. I was hoping for a slightly lower price, so until that happens, I found some “dupes” to share with the ladies, if you don’t mind. I found that Prana has a stylish vest called Encinitas. And Nordstrom carries a quilted vest from Zella, “reversible quilted puffer.” I’m glad to see they’re bumping up the style on vests, we all wear them on the regular!

  5. Women seem to miss jewelry all too often. Our outfits are NOT finished until you complete it with jewery!! Plus, a good swath of lipstick!!

  6. One lesson learned from my Mother who was petite both in height and frame plus being a ‘hobby’ sewer myself; ‘fit’ is important. With that said and considering that the majority of garments nowadays are massed produced and sizing even within a brand can vary so much (compared to her era), I consider them to be only a guideline. -Brenda-

  7. I am in Paris now and packed what I think are those same EF pants. You are looking great in this photo but I am so disappointed in them. They are bagging at the knees and drooping from the derrière. I feel like a total frump!

  8. The best advice I ever received from Mom was to wear the “new” thing at least twice before whatever big event it was purchased for. That enabled me to get comfortable with the fit, etc. and made it Much Easier to wear with confidence at the Event.

    1. That’s a great suggestion! There is nothing quite as frustrating as finding out AT the important event that the neckline keeps gapping or that the fabric is too clingy. Smart mom!

  9. My mother always told me that 3 things always should be perfect- hair cut, manicure and shoes. Still follow-I’m 62 years old… works for me- I feel put together.

  10. My mother has always been so fashionable, elegant, and timeless. Her two pieces of advice to me were:
    1. Never buy a random piece of clothing (like a skirt or a top or pants) without first thinking of it as part of a complete outfit. As a teen and young adult, I would just buy individual items that I was attracted to, but would usually find that it didn’t work with anything else in my wardrobe. Now when I see something I really like, I often buy a top or bottom to go with it. This way, I will actually wear it!
    2. Always have your “fashion icon” in mind when buying clothing. When out shopping, my mom would always think to herself (“Would Jackie Kennedy wear this?”) It helped her to focus on classy and timeless pieces that would make her happy and confident.
    For me, this advice saves me a lot of time and money.

  11. I’m glad you suggested barrel leg jeans. I got a pair that are ankle length however, since I’m so short they are the perfect length. They really fit my funky style & look good dressed up or down. I travel with a puffer vest too & it can really change up your look without having to wear a huge coat. Love your blog!!

  12. My mother told me never to wear lavender (because it didn’t flatter her). At age 60, I realized I am a summer and lavender is one of my best colors.
    A piece of good advice she gave me was to examine the seams of a garment to get an idea of its quality. Unfortunately, these days I find that even some pricey items have sloppy seams.

  13. My grandmother was a weaver, and wove beautiful wool fabrics on her loom that she had made into Chanel-like suits. When hemlines were going from mini to midi to granny and back, she advised me to find the length that looked best on my leg, and hem to that length, avoiding the fads. I’ve stuck to that advice, with an occasional inexpensive trendy piece.

  14. What do you think about high top sneaker shoes, for example Taos Winner? I purchased them in olive gray, but am now second guessing myself thinking they are too masculine looking and I can’t figure out how to style them with what clothes and color. I live in the Midwest so wanted ankle coverage, and the zipper for easy on and off. I also have Sorel Evie waterproof zip boots in black which will work thanks to you.

  15. My grandmother always taught me to buy black and then to change the buttons to make it look more expensive. Ironically — black doesn’t suit me.