Last fall, Ace & Jig founders Cary Vaughan and Jenna Wilson took their all-female design team on a road trip down the California coast, stopping in San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Ojai, and Los Angeles for store events and swap meets with their customers (many of whom collect the brand’s textiles). With the trip timed just after the election, they originally conceived it as a girl-power–fueled celebration of Hillary Clinton’s win—but when that didn’t happen, they didn’t let it discourage them. “The trip actually ended up being even more memorable and exciting,” Wilson explained. “It was this unifying thing that brought everyone together. The women of the Ace & Jig community turned out so big for our swap meets and fundraisers for the ACLU, and they made new friends and shared their stories. It was this moment of activation that really energized us.”
They harnessed those good vibes in the months following as they solidified their Fall ’17 collection. “We just wanted this feeling of strength and unity,” Vaughan said. “Not in a masculine way, but we were thinking about what power dressing looks like now.” That came through in a few masculine-feminine contrasts—skirts over trousers; ruffles on a pantsuit; and, most interestingly, their unique twists on men’s fabrications. Ace & Jig’s custom-woven textiles are what earned the label such a passionate customer base, and the new pinstripes, houndstooth, and plaid—sometimes all mixed together—won’t disappoint. One outfit combined a Lurex-flecked houndstooth and plaid dress with a striped top and skirt underneath, which may sound OTT but looked subdued in shades of bronze and chocolate.
The more colorful looks and a slight ’80s touch—see the diamond lamé and rainbow checks—tied in nicely with the gentle feminist undertones. “Women were really getting into the workforce at that time and feeling empowered,” Vaughan said. A few dresses are named for famous women—Eve, Patti, Stevie—and wearing one might just give you that little boost of courage you need for the years ahead.
