Reversible Clothing: Two Looks in One Piece

One jacket hangs in the wardrobe, and on the hanger beside it is its second version. Reversible clothing gives two different sets from one piece, you only need to know which side to choose for which day. Colour, texture and what you wear underneath decide.

What does a reversible piece give you?

Two surfaces in one piece mean two different visual weights, so a single layer covers a quiet day at the office as well as an evening out where you want to look more pronounced. Most often one side is smooth and muted, the other patterned or with visible texture.

A reversible material shows the difference more clearly in person than in a photograph, because one side reflects light flatly while the other scatters it, and in movement both fall identically, since it is the same fabric. That is a practical advantage when packing for a few days, when one piece has to cover sightseeing and dinner. Instead of two layers in a suitcase, one stays with two faces.

Pay attention to three details of construction:

• Seams. In a good model they are concealed on both sides, with no exposed overlocking.
• Fastening. A double sided zip or buttons that pass through let you wear the jacket both ways with no compromise.
• Pockets. They should be reachable on both sides, otherwise one version loses its function.

Among jackets this type of construction appears most often in insulated versions, and in gilets in light ones for the turn of the seasons.

Which side out, and when?

Choose the muted side when the rest of the set carries a pattern, a texture or a strong colour, and the pronounced side when you have a plain base underneath. The rule comes down to one accent per styling.

The differences show best in this arrangement:

With a layer like this it is simpler to keep a quiet base, so single colour t-shirts and tops and plain trousers perform well.

How do you build a set that suits both sides?

The simplest way is a base in a colour that appears on both surfaces of the layer, because then turning the jacket forces no change to the rest. Usually that is black, deep brown or ecru. A base colour like that takes the decision away as you leave the house, because it suits whichever side you wear.

Three moves settle the whole matter:

• Choose a bottom half in a colour shared by both sides and keep it all day.
• Match accessories to the muted side, because that version is the safer one.
• Keep the knitted layer underneath smooth, so it does not compete with the pattern.

If you want one layer for a trip, choose a model whose sides differ in tone rather than in theme, beige and brown for instance rather than beige and flowers.

How do you wash reversible clothing?

You wash them as the more delicate of the two surfaces, meaning the cycle follows the weaker material, not the stronger one. Always dry flat, because a wet double layer fabric stretches under its own weight.

Close the fastenings before washing and turn the jacket to the side less exposed to friction. For storage use a wide hanger, so the shoulders do not collapse in one place, and leave a few centimetres of space between layers. With insulated models the same approach applies as with other transitional outerwear: infrequent washing and spot cleaning of stains.

What should you avoid with reversible clothing?

Four things take the sense out of this solution:

• Never wear the patterned side with a patterned bottom half, because two prints fight for attention.
• Avoid a belt fastened over the layer, because it rubs both faces along the same line.
• Do not wear one side constantly, because the other keeps its factory look and the difference becomes visible.
• Do not iron a textured face directly, because the pile or the weave flattens irreversibly.

Is a reversible jacket warmer?

Not from being reversible in itself, because warmth depends on the filling rather than on the number of faces. Two layers of fabric do add a little insulation compared with a model on a single lining.

Is a reversible gilet always two different colours?

Most often yes, but you also find versions with the same colour in two textures, smooth and furry for instance. What changes then is not the palette but the visual weight of the whole styling.

How do you check whether a model is genuinely reversible?

Look inside the sleeve and under the collar, because that is where you see whether the seams are finished on both sides. It is also worth trying the layer on both ways, since the cut rarely sits identically.

Does a layer like this suit rain?

That depends on the surface. A smooth coated side repels drizzle while a textured one absorbs water, so on a wet day turn the resistant side outwards and add hats and scarves.

That jacket from the beginning, hanging in the wardrobe as if in two versions at once, is the simplest route to a smaller wardrobe without losing choice. Set a base in a colour shared by both faces, then turn the layer depending on the day. When you need something more formal, blazers serve the same function of two faces, worn buttoned one day and open the next.