Now's the Time to Break Out Your Denim Jacket
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When you rifle through the the lighter layers in your closet — don't bypass your jean jacket. It might have been a middle-school staple for years, but for about a million reasons, it's still a perennial fixture in our closets, providing just enough warmth and just enough of a cool factor.
If, however, you're a little rusty on styling your favorite denim jacket, we've tapped a few style stars to help inspire some new outfits. To take you from early Spring right through Summer, just look to Mandy Moore, Kate Mara, and Jessica Alba's clever ways to style a classic. Scroll through for all the outfit ideas now. Source: Getty/Michael Kovac
Kate Mara did the dressed-up version of denim on denim, adding a jean jacket to a little jean dress at the Louis Vuitton Fall '14 show.
Nikki Reed played leather pants against her denim jacket for a cool effect at the People StyleWatch Denim Awards in September 2013.
Mandy Moore's denim-jacket styling trick? Add it to a sophisticated pencil skirt and pretty top to give the look a more casual vibe.
We love how Emmy Rossum's denim jacket lent laid-back flair to her flirty accordion-pleated skirt and floral Rebecca Minkoff bag in LA.
Amy Adams got ready to take off in double the denim. She started with skinny jeans, then added a lighter denim jacket for further cool.
AtCoachella in 2013, Jamie Chung made a concert-cool pairing with her Levi's denim jacket and floral minidress.
Hailee Steinfeld created the perfect Summer travel ensemble in her denim jacket, printed maxi dress, Ray-Ban Wayfarers, a bright red bag, and black patent flip-flops.
January Jones took a casual red carpet approach in a cropped denim jacket, which she wore over a white sheer blouse, black leather pants, and black peep-toe booties.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley gave her cutout heels and draped maxi skirt a dressed-down finish with a staple denim jacket.
Gwen Stefani was slick in a leather-sleeved denim jacket by Paige Premium Denim, matching black leather baggy jeans, a baseball tee, and high-top sneakers.
Jessica Alba perfected denim on denim, adding a faded jean jacket to floral bottoms while out in LA.
Julianne Moore took her denim jacket on an avant-garde ride by pairing it with gray trousers featuring a dramatic pleated waist.
Natalie Portman juxtaposed a dark denim jacket and white jeans while hanging out with son Aleph in LA. A printed scarf broke up the look, while Westward Leaning sunglasses injected further cool.
We're not surprised that Cara Delevingne spruced up — and edged up — her vintage denim jacket with black tape, not to mention striped leggings, turquoise sunglasses, and high-top sneakers.
Molly Sims tempered her busy floral maxi dress with a denim jacket at a Baby2Baby event in LA.
Elsa Pataky exuded a sporty aesthetic in a black tank dress, high-top sneakers, and a denim jacket while hitting the streets of Beverly Hills.
On another occasion, Emmy Rossum gave her Tory Burch Ramona dress ($450) a kick-back air via a denim jacket, then added a blue structured crossbody bag and green ankle-strap sandals for further oomph.
Shop our favorite denim jackets below: