This is the layer you put over a dress. Not for the weather — for the room. Hand-embroidered tapestry, hand-woven ikat, jacquard with velvet bows, lace blazers and printed kimonos, made in single runs by Sandhya Garg, who trained at London College of Fashion and worked at Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Liberty London and Alice Temperley before winning two challenges on Project Runway Season 13 and showing at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week.
The Klimt Lace Blazer is reduced to $255 from $498 and works over almost anything. The Agra Gold Jacquard and Babur Sea Green Jacquard are the newest pieces, both cut open-front with oversized velvet bows. For colour and pattern, the Lucia Blue, Diana Floral and Emma Green tapestry jackets carry hand embroidery across the whole body. The ikat pieces — Poiret Pink, Mira Black, Ikat Boho Black — start at $108. Prices run $98 to $368.
What ikat actually is. The yarns are tie-dyed before weaving, so the pattern is built into the cloth rather than printed on top. That's why the edges look softly feathered rather than sharp — and why no two lengths come out identical. It's slow, difficult work, and it's the reason these jackets can't be reproduced exactly.
What to wear it over. A plain black dress becomes an outfit under an embroidered jacket, which is the fastest way to make something you already own work harder. For a wedding in a cold church or a garden ceremony that runs into evening, a jacket solves the temperature problem far better than a pashmina and photographs considerably better. Over jeans and a plain top, the same jacket carries a dinner. Open-front cuts sit well over both fitted and full skirts.
On sizing, honestly. The jackets run mostly XS through XL, with limited XXL and 3XL availability — narrower than our dress range, which is XS–3XL throughout. If your size isn't showing, any jacket can be made to your measurements for $50–$100 above retail. Several styles are also cut as one size, designed to layer loosely.
Shop the wider tops and jackets range, or kimonos, kaftans and cover-ups. Looking for what to wear underneath? See black dresses, midi dresses, wedding guest dresses, fall and winter wedding guest dresses.
Read more: five perfect fall jackets, how to choose a dressy jacket, every wedding dress code explained, and how to care for embroidered and velvet pieces.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What jacket do you wear over a dress?
For occasions, an open-front embroidered, jacquard or tapestry jacket works over almost any dress shape — it adds structure at the shoulder without flattening the skirt. A fitted blazer suits shorter or straighter dresses. Avoid anything bulky or waist-length with a full skirt, which cuts the silhouette awkwardly. Match the jacket's formality to the dress, not to the weather.
What can I wear over a dress to a wedding?
An embroidered or jacquard jacket is a better answer than a pashmina or bolero — it looks deliberate rather than like a solution to being cold, and it photographs far better. For church ceremonies with shoulder-coverage requirements, a jacket also solves the dress code. Choose one that picks up a colour in your dress rather than matching it exactly.
What is an ikat jacket?
Ikat is a resist-dye weaving technique in which the yarns are tie-dyed before being woven, so the pattern is built into the fabric rather than printed onto the surface. The characteristic soft, feathered edges come from tiny shifts in yarn alignment during weaving. It's labour-intensive, traditional across Central Asia, India and Indonesia, and no two lengths are ever identical.
How do you dress up a plain black dress?
A patterned or embroidered jacket over the top is the fastest transformation, since it adds colour, texture and structure at once without needing a new dress. Keep jewellery minimal so the jacket leads, and pick shoes in a colour drawn from the jacket rather than matching the dress. This works particularly well when travelling, as one dress and two jackets covers several occasions.
Are these jackets warm?
They're occasion layers rather than outerwear — designed for indoor events, cool evenings and transitional weather rather than genuine cold. Velvet and jacquard styles offer the most warmth; lace and kimono styles are lighter. For a winter event, wear a proper coat to the venue and the jacket inside.
