A brief history of the dickey and the dickey jacket. (We promise it's fun!)
A hoodie billowing out of a blazer. A collar peeking out from a sweater. A visual anchor that makes the rest of the look feel settled. There's a reason we're all so captivated by Zoe Kravitz's or Jennifer Lawrence's slouchy chic aesthetic. It's about contrast. Tailored paired with casual; structure set against softness. It's no accident that airport dressing or model-off-duty looks resonate so deeply with us. This is the secret sauce that communicates confidence and ease—not because it's complicated, but because it's considered.
We know we're far from the first ones to point this out. Layering that perfectly bright white tee under a grey knit? A status symbol dating all the way back to medieval Europe.
Which brings us to the dickey…
Qu'est-ce qu'un plastron ?
Bien avant de devenir la pierre angulaire de l'uniforme Veronica Beard, le plastron était déjà un incontournable pratique de la mode masculine. Au XIXe siècle, il est apparu comme un devant de chemise amovible, un bavoir avec un col, conçu pour donner l'apparence d'une chemise fraîchement lavée sans avoir besoin d'une chemise complète. Porté sous un blazer ou un pardessus, il est rapidement devenu un élément fondamental de l'uniforme quotidien d'un gentleman. Il était efficace, économique et discrètement transformateur.
Au fil du temps, le plastron a migré vers la mode féminine, où il a pris un rôle légèrement différent : un nouveau type d'accessoire. Dans les années 1940, la "mode du plastron" était synonyme d'ajouter un peu de fantaisie à une tenue plus simple. Certains de nos textes préférés sur les plastrons tirés des archives de Vogue ? Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez posé la question… Les plastrons des années 40 étaient présentés comme « le haut doux mais pétillant pour un col en V simple » et « une touche féminine pour le décolleté d'une robe de ville sévèrement simple ». Nous sommes conquis.
Depuis lors, ils ont porté de nombreux noms : devants de smoking, cols amovibles, inserts de chemise. La culture populaire a longtemps compris leur utilité ; voyez l'amour assumé de Liz Lemon pour un plastron.
Entrez : Veronica Beard (x2).
Cut to 2010, when two certain sisters-in-law had the idea to launch an entire brand on the back of the dickey.But it wasn't your grandmother's dickey, and it definitely wasn't your great-great grandfather's.The Veronicas took a historically functional piece and aligned it with the realities of contemporary dressing. The early 2010s marked a shift toward polish that didn't feel precious. Women craved versatility, clothes that could move between contexts, and pieces that earned their place in the closet.
What is a Dickey Jacket?
The true innovation of the Veronica Beard dickey is that it's designed to zip right into a blazer, or as we say at VB, a "dickey jacket." It became the Swiss Army knife of the modern woman's wardrobe—easy to switch in and out for any mix of styles or moods. Gwyneth gets it. So does Gisele. It's a new kind of modular tailoring that communicates effortlessness and personality—and instantly accomplishes the sometimes intimidating task of polished layering. Which brings us right back to right now: Winter 2026. Peak layering season.
As wardrobes continue to skew toward versatility and longevity, the dickey feels less like a trend and more like infrastructure. A piece that adapts, evolves, and responds to how people actually get dressed. And while the form has remained remarkably consistent for over a century, there's still room for quiet innovation—new proportions, new shapes, new ways to personalize the look. The uniform, after all, is never truly finished.
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