Styled Three Ways

Now, more than ever, we need our garments to work harder for us and last longer. For us, it shouldn't matter whether a piece is from AW23 or SS09; we've always aimed for good-quality garments that can be worn time and time again and in endless combinations. But sometimes, the initial sparkle of that new piece can vanish before a button does...So, we set ourselves the challenge of showing you how to continue wearing your favorite UW pieces, perhaps in ways you hadn't thought of before.

Over the coming months, we'll be inviting a stylist to create three distinct looks using a single UW garment throughout. We're doing the hard work for you and serving up some serious styling inspiration so that you can make the most out of your Universal Works garment, no matter what life throws at you.

To kick things off, we asked the UW creative team to style three looks using our five-pocket jacket; a 'suit-style' jacket that can be seamlessly integrated into your everyday outfit once the wedding is over or the office is closed. The one we've picked in this instance is our Nebraska cotton version; this fabric has a compact weave, with a soft, brushed surface similar to moleskin and holds its shape really well (Read more on our fabric guide). The result is a truly versatile combination of style and fabric that lends itself just as well for the smarter occasions in life as it does for the everyday. Scroll below to see the five-pocket jacket in Nebraska cotton served up across three different looks in our first-ever "Styled Three Ways".

No. 1 "Match it up"

This might seem like the most obvious combination, but some people might not be aware of the many great options we have available for matching two pieces. In fact, for most jacket styles in the collection, you'll almost always find two styles of trousers in the same fabric to suit different tastes. In this case, we've paired the Nebraska Cotton five-pocket jacket with the corresponding military chino, which has a more classic fit. We've also added a pink wool fleece cardigan as an under-layer to inject some colour and add a UW twist to the more formal look in our triptych.

 
Model Wears; Five Pocket Jacket in Navy Nebraska Cotton, Cardigan in Pink Wool Fleece, Daybrook Shirt in Ecru Brushed Cotton Wool, Tie in Brown Ikat Twill Check, Military Chinos in Navy Nebraska Cotton, Yogi x Universal Works Finn in Dark Brown/Leopard Tumbled/Fur Leather.

No. 2 "Dress it down"

Once the wedding is over, it can be easy to relegate the suit to the back of your wardrobe until the next one. However, deconstructing the suit and wearing the pieces separately in your everyday life is a great way to get the most out of it. Here, we've paired the Nebraska Cotton five-pocket jacket with our classic half-zip in green dry handle brushback. This channels a sportier, everyday vibe, and we've styled this with subtly contrasting trousers—in this case, the Braga Pant in Navy Houndstooth Cord—to dismantle the two-piece but keep things feeling unified.

Model Wears; Five Pocket Jacket in Navy Nebraska Cotton, Half Zip Sweatshirt in Green Dry Handle Brushback, Braga Pant in Navy Houndstooth Cord, Yogi x Universal Works Finn in Dark Brown/Leopard Tumbled/Fur Leather.

No. 3 "As a layer"

This one might come as a surprise, but here we've dared to use the jacket as an under-layer. You might gasp with disapproval, but we buttoned the jacket all the way up to the neck "shirt style," and we liked what we saw. This was made possible by a design feature you might not have noticed; the buttonhole on our jackets actually have a corresponding button, which means you can wear it slightly differently should you so wish. Here we've overlaid our Jacquard Cardigan in Navy/Grey Italian wool and carried over the Navy houndstooth cord Braga Pant too for some additional texture.

 
Model Wears; Jacquard Cardigan in Navy/Grey Italian Wool, Five Pocket Jacket in Navy Nebraska Cotton, L/S Big Pocket Tee in Sand Recycled Wool Mix SJ, Braga Pant in Navy Houndstooth Cord, Yogi x Universal Works Finn in Dark Brown/Leopard Tumbled/Fur Leather. 

Next up is our Zip Waistcoat, a tried-and-tested UW classic. It's like that friend who always has your back, especially when it comes to nailing the layering game. This one happens to be in Lovat wool fleece, but any colour can add a dash of both style and cosy insulation to your daily outfit. But hang on a sec; we do understand that, for some, gilet wearing might trigger memories of geography field trips or strolls around the nature reserve with your grandparents. So, with this in mind, we’re serving this one up in 3 different ways so that you can effortlessly weave this modern wardrobe essential into your look, whatever the occasion requires.

1. A dash of colour for the more serious moments in life:

Sometimes, you just need to look smart, and more often than not, a navy top and bottom does just the trick. Here we’ve got the Dockside Overshirt and RB Chino in Navy Cotton Wool Twill as our base. Enter the Zip Waistcoat in Lovat Wool Fleece for an injection of sportswear, an extra pop of colour, and a welcome layer of warmth for when the mercury drops.

Model Wears; Dockside Overshirt In Navy Cotton/Wool Twill, Zip Waistcoat In Lovat Wool Fleece, Square Pocket Shirt In Blue Posh Stripe Cotton, RB Chino In Navy Cotton/Wool Twill, Yogi x UW. Finn In Dark Brown/Leopard Tumbled/Fur Leather

2. A light outerwear piece for a casual outfit:

We’ve got you covered (literally) and paired here with our Roll Neck in Oatmeal Eco Wool to keep things interesting. Perhaps you’ve already tried your waistcoat as an underlayer, but over the top works just as well; consider it a light outerwear piece, and you’re on to a winner in our books. (If you are planning on making this your go-to, we’d recommend considering sizing up for some extra room.)

Model Wears; Watch Cap in Oatmeal Eco Wool, Zip Waistcoat in Lovat Wool Fleece, Roll Neck in Oatmeal Eco Wool, Pleated Track Pant in Black Japanese Print Cord, Yogi x UW. Finn In Dark Brown/Leopard Tumbled/Fur Leather

3. Extra warmth without compromising:

We’ve all been zipping through town on a not so wintry day, it’s not quite big jacket weather but also not warm enough for minimal layers. Moot weather shouldn’t be an excuse to not look good, and pairing this waistcoat with our Langdale Cardigan in Eco-Wool over the top keeps things warm, breathable and well put together.

Model Wears; Langdale Cardigan in Olive Eco Wool, Zip Waistcoat in Lovat Wool Fleece, Pullover L/S Shirt in Olive Scuba Cotton, Braga Pant in Ecru 6 Wale Corduroy, Yogi x UW. Finn In Dark Brown/Leopard Tumbled/Fur Leather