Welcome to The Great Try-On. With fall on the horizon, we seized the opportunity to try on some of the best fall pieces from some of your favorite brands, documenting the process along the way. We believe that the most foolproof way to shop online is to see an item IRL and to read candid reviews, so we hope that this leads you to some successful fall purchases.
I felt like I won the jackpot when senior editor Allyson Payer, who is the mastermind behind The Great Try-On, told me I was the lucky editor who would get to test-drive The Frankie Shop’s new arrivals. It’s a fashion person’s brand (industry insiders are very loyal followers), but its minimal-cool aesthetic is approachable to a wider spectrum of people, too. I also love how the brand feels perfectly current but steers away from super trendy. In other words, once you find your perfect The Frankie Shop piece, you’ll want to wear it for many seasons to come. Speaking of your ideal item, read on to see if any of my favorites from my test-drive might be yours too.
My review: When you think of a leather vest, a moto vest might come to mind, but wow, this is so much better. The design is understated and sleek, and the fact that it’s in leather adds a touch of edge. I want to wear this now and can picture still being into it 50 years from now. It’s the kind of thing Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen would wear. It’s pretty roomy, so you could easily fit a chunky sweater or even a coat underneath. I also liked that you can zip it from the top and the bottom, so you can leave just a little bit zipped at the bust.
My review of the vest: 2021 is the year of the suiting vest. If the shrunken ones feel too ’90s (I do think they are harder to pull off), may I suggest an oversize blazer vest like the one I’m wearing? As for styling, I decided to really commit by adding a little vest underneath. Why the heck not?
My review: Here’s yet another faux-leather vest, and it won’t be the last one. This one’s most compelling feature is the funnel neck. I found it looks best half unzipped and flipped up a little. It’s a bit oversize, so I like the look of pairing it with skinnier pants to play on the proportions. And just like all of The Frankie Shop’s vegan leather, the quality feels super luxe.
My review: This cargo vest has it all: pockets, epaulettes, and quality vegan leather. There are about a million ways to style it, but I am partial to how it looks over a trench coat. Like the other vests, it definitely runs oversize. The black is an easy choice, but I’m also quite smitten with the army green.
