How to Style a Caramel Jacket

If you’ve ever stood in front of the mirror wondering how to make a caramel-toned (or camel) jacket work with your body, lifestyle (and your flats because comfort is key to feeling stylish), you’re not alone. In fact, this was one of the questions I got in my recent 7 Steps to Style members Q&A session, so I thought I’d share with you here as well.

Many women over 40 find themselves at a crossroads: craving ease and comfort while still wanting to look polished, proportional, and confidently put together. If you have a casual lifestyle, prefer flat shoes, and want to feel taller and more streamlined—without resorting to restrictive fashion “rules”—this guide is for you.

Let’s walk through how to style your high-hip length caramel jacket in a way that honours your body, your values, and your life.

Start with a Column of Colour: The Secret to Instant Elevation

A high-hip length jacket can sometimes visually “cut” the body, especially if there’s a contrast between your top and bottom halves. The antidote? Create a column of colour underneath.

This doesn’t mean wearing head-to-toe beige. It means building an outfit where your top and bottom relate in tone—like pairing:

a soft white or warm ivory top with light camel trousers,
a print top in a colour where the background matches the colour of your bottoms
a muted olive blouse with khaki jeans.

This tonal dressing smooths the eye’s journey vertically, giving you that lengthened, harmonious look—especially important when you’re wearing flat shoes.

Why it works: Our brains are wired to seek continuity. When your outfit flows in colour and value, it visually elongates your frame without needing extra inches from heels.

Coordinate Without Matching: Think Relatives, Not Twins

Matching isn’t the goal—relating is.

Your caramel jacket is rich and warm. Pair it with bottoms that relate to that warmth, like:

Light camel trousers – they echo the warmth without being identical
Khaki or olive pants – they provide grounded contrast and still feel earthy and cohesive
Denim with warm undertones – like golden-washed or sanded blues

It’s about creating resonance, not replication. This gives your outfit depth without disrupting that vertical line.

Accessorise With Intention: Contrast Creates Magic

Accessories are your allies in adding polish and purpose. A scarf, earrings, or handbag can:

Draw attention upward (which helps balance a shorter jacket and flat shoes)
Introduce colour contrast to break up monotony
Reflect your personal colour palette for glow and harmony

Try a patterned scarf that includes hints of caramel, olive, and a pop of a flattering accent colour near your face (think coral, teal, or soft warm berry). This adds visual interest and brings attention upward—exactly where you want it.

Add a Patterned Top for Subtle Visual Interest

If scarves aren’t your thing, a patterned blouse underneath your jacket does the same job. Choose patterns that feel aligned with your personal style—whether that’s soft florals, modern geometrics, or subtle animal prints.

Look for patterns that incorporate your base tones (camel, olive, ivory) and one contrasting or energising shade that complements your features.

This not only breaks up the outfit visually, but also reflects your creativity and confidence, without needing bold prints or high-contrast blocks.

What About the Shoes? Here’s the Leg-Lengthening Formula

Flats can absolutely work and flatter—you just need to be strategic about colour.

Option 1: Match your shoes to your trousers

This creates a continuous leg line, especially in pants or jeans.
For example, olive pants + olive-toned loafers = seamless and chic.

Option 2: Match your shoes to your hair

This creates a visual “bookend” that feels harmonious and grounded.
A woman with rich brunette hair might wear chocolate leather sneakers or boots.

Option 3: For skirts or dresses, match your shoes to your skin tone

Nude-for-you shoes visually extend the leg line and feel light and effortless.

Comfort tip: Choose your best nude by comparing the colour of the shoes to that of your skin, and a low vamp to subtly elongate your foot and leg.

You Don’t Need to Be Tall to Look Tall (if that’s what you want)

It’s not about being taller—it’s to feel more proportioned, visible, and confident.

And that happens when your outfit is:

Cohesive in colour
Thoughtfully accessorised
Built on logic and self-expression

Your caramel jacket isn’t just an item in your wardrobe—it’s a canvas. And when you style it with intentional, visually lengthening pieces that align with your lifestyle, you’re not just getting dressed… you’re communicating self-respect.

Next time you get dressed, ask yourself:

“Am I wearing what makes me feel like the best version of myself—emotionally, energetically, and visually?”

That’s the kind of style that never goes out of fashion.

Get the Style Support You Need

If you’re sick of going it alone and want to be part of a vibrant community of women who are improving their style by getting educated and enlightened about what really works for them. Then I’d love to invite you to join my 7 Steps to Style program, where you’ll get my input and advice each month in our Q&A sessions on Zoom, but also ongoing stylist support in our community, as well as the most comprehensive written guides and videos for you to follow that walk you through – step-by-step from novice to sylista!