Hard and Soft: Mixing Leather and Girly

One of our favorite looks from the magazines this fall is the cropped motorcycle jacket paired with a floaty, frilly, flowery dress. It perfectly captures our favorite fashion spirit of a little bit girly, a little bit punk-rock. We do own a couple of leather jackets, but they don't have the detailing we're looking for. We are definitely going to hit Oona's in Harvard Square to check out their selection, as their vintage leather rack is always brimming with affordable goodies. Oh, wait, was a new-to-us leather jacket on the list? D'oh! (We're also going on a field trip to check out the vintage boutiques in Davis Square soon-- stay tuned!)

But... in case you are either opposed to actual leather, don't have a vintage shop to browse, or just want to get in on this trend without spending the money for a real leather jacket, check out our inexpensive finds via Polyvore, from Charlotte Russe and Forever 21, among others.

Motorcycle Jackets Under $40 by ThriftyStylist featuring Forever21

If you want something truly unique and a bit more interesting than the black zippered variety, turn to Etsy! We found these stunning, unusual options for you (if you're wee):

Clockwise from top left:
Purple- from Jenn3Star, size medium, $32.50
Fuchsia- from MisoVintage, size small, $16.99
Black- from Pistenine, measurements listed but size not indicated, $28
Purple- from DollarVintage, size XS petite, $24
Black- from ApocalypseVintage, size small, $20
Purple microsuede- from GingerKisses, size 4, $24

If you are in a colder climate and you're going to pull this look off, you'll need some layering pieces like long-sleeve v-neck tops or cardigans to wear under or over your flimsier summer dresses and beneath the jacket, and some tights, too, of course!

It's evident that Forever 21 is the place to look for a new dress; most of the cute and inexpensive ones we found were from there:

Printed Floaty Dresses Under $25 by ThriftyStylist featuring Forever21

We've yet to shop at F21 even though they opened a huge two-floor store in our town mall... but we see so much cute stuff, we'll really have to check it out sometime (except that we're not buying new clothes right now! Right!)

For footwear, you could play up either end of this dichotomous look and go with strappy heels or funky boots. Some of the booties popping up this season would look really adorable, also. Here's how we'd style three of these dresses with the jackets:

Styling Motorcycle Jacket + Girly Dress by ThriftyStylist featuring Forever21

We want all of these outfits, please. Maybe we'll mysteriously hit the lottery (despite not playing).

Do you have a motorcycle jacket or are you looking for one? Let us know how you style it!

Happy almost-Friday!