August's cobalt jacket six-way week

A cobalt-blue vintage jacket is the one light layer I want in rotation this August. These six looks keep the rest of the closet moving: breezy skirts, straight jeans, one easy dress, and shoes that make the same jacket feel completely different.

Cobalt jacket, white T-shirt, butter-yellow pleated midi skirt, white low-top sneakers, folded white socks, and a navy baseball cap. Swap in the straight-leg jeans from look 2 when you need more walking ease; the blue-and-white base still works.

Wear the jacket open over a pale-blue T-shirt and mid-wash wide-leg jeans, then finish with chunky white sneakers and white ankle socks. Let the jacket do the color work. The jeans can take the red tee from look 3 for a warmer version.

Layer the cobalt jacket over a muted tomato-red T-shirt and a cream flowy midi skirt. Black ankle boots sharpen it without making the outfit heavy. Trade the skirt for the black denim mini in look 4 when you want the same color story with more edge.

Put the jacket over an oversized light-grey hoodie and a black denim mini skirt, with white crew socks, chunky sneakers, and a simple bucket hat. Treat the hoodie as a shoulder layer in the heat; the sneakers and socks are what keep the short skirt feeling grounded.

Use the cobalt jacket as the only layer over a black slip dress, then add black ankle boots and black socks. For a daytime version, replace the boots with white sneakers and carry the jacket over your shoulders instead of wearing it.

Throw the jacket over a pale-yellow cotton dress and finish with white sandals and pastel ankle socks. It is the lightest look here, but the jacket gives it enough shape for an August evening. The dress also works with the white sneakers from looks 1 and 2.

My favorite swap is the jacket over the red tee: cobalt makes the red look intentional, while the white sneakers keep the combination from feeling too loud.