Today blazers are part of business casual style work gear or coverup on cool summer days. Read how to style your blazer in other ways than just jeans and slacks. Get inspired by the multiple ways to wear a blazer.
- The Origin of a Great Garment
- The Fate of a Perfect Attire from Sub-Culture Style to Fashion to Classic
- Less Formal than a Suit, More Formal than a Sport Jacket
- A Must-Have to Splurge On
- There Are Multiple Ways to Wear a Blazer
- Wearing a Blazer in a Casual Way
- Blazers and Tops
- What to Consider When You Style a Blazer with a Dress
- Try a Fake Suit Look
- Casual Friday Inspiration
- The Iconic White Blazer
- Going beyond Neutrals
- How to Style a Short Sleeve Blazer
- Multiple Ways to Wear a Blazer in a Nutshell
The Origin of a Great Garment
Of course, like it is often with classic wardrobe essentials, the origin of the blazer is in the military. There are different opinions on how this piece of clothes got its name.
Some historians put its appearance back to 1800 to marine military gear. Therefore, it is often claimed that the “original classic blazer” is navy with gold colored brass buttons on the sleeves and for closure. Other historian explain that the blue and white striped sailor uniform jackets of the HMS Blazer gave the garment its name. Some fashion historians say the name referred to the bright blazing red (red guernsey) club jacket of the Cambridge Lady Margret Boat Club.
Anyhow, blazers and trench coats are among the easiest pieces to wear military style inspired clothes.
The Fate of a Perfect Attire from Sub-Culture Style to Fashion to Classic
There are more than those three ways to wear a blazer. No wonder, the coat made it into everyday life as boating jackets. Recall rowing and boating is a favorite sport in Great Britain. Even Kate Middleton, prior to her marriage, was on a women rowing team. Traditionally, sports teams wear variations of guess what?
Like so often in fashion, fans considered the garment as the essential of cool. So they wore them to cheer their teams, and to impress. As so often, a sub-culture’s It piece became mainstream, and hence also entered the work life. The traditional school uniform blazer became a key element of Ivy League preppy style.
Less Formal than a Suit, More Formal than a Sport Jacket
What’s so great about this attire? The difference between a blazer and the jacket of a classic suit is the more casual style of the former. On the other end, the former is more formal than a sport jacket. Typically, the cloth is very durable. Blazers are often the outerwear or cover-up of a uniform in summer. Just think of bus drivers in some European countries, airline employees, school uniforms (hence the name school blazer), and of course members of clubs.
Tip: When the dressing situation asks for some sort of formal coat, when in doubt, wear a blazer.
A Must-Have to Splurge On
A classic blazer is definitively a wardrobe piece to invest in. In regions with windy weather and mild winters, a leather blazer is a great outerwear alternative. Perennially, blazers with trendy prints pop up. Go for a cheap version when abstract, geometric or floral print blazer are a trend.
Tip: A great, high quality, well fitting wool blazer can give you instance style.
Multiple Ways How to Wear a Blazer
This coat can be styled as a fake suit with a skirt, with jeans for Casual Friday, with a dress or sheath for a meeting, or with pants as a fake pantsuit. It’s perfect to dress up business casual style a nudge. Why? Because it is a bit more formal than a traditional sports coat.
It also can take you from work to date night. Just swap the white button-down shirt for a sexy camisole and the work bag for a clutch. For the daring swap the court pumps with pointy toe 4 inch (10 cm) heels. Another great option is to pair the blazer with leather pants.
It even works with jeans as outfits for watching sports events. Just make sure your T-shirt is that of the club you are supposed to cheer for or has at least a color that comes close to the colors of that team.
Wearing a Blazer in a Casual Way
A blazer can up the style of a casual weekend look to preppy. The outfit inspiration below pairs a sweater hoodie and jeans with the tailored jacket. Add heels, a necklace for a pretty preppy look.
Blazers and Tops
The eternal American Classic style is the white button-down or T-shirt with blazer and jeans. Try a Euro Chic Style option and wear your piece with a crewneck sweater and scarf or a turtleneck sweater. Take your inspiration from Julia Roberts who made the combination of hounds tooth blazer with black turtleneck sweater an iconic look.
Pair the garment with a camisole or corset for an attractive and sexy look for going out. However, wearing a camisole is a thin balance to not look like a leftover from the 1980s. If you choose a camisole as top, make sure all pieces read today and not yesterdecade.
What to Consider When You Style a Blazer with a Dress
Not all dresses look great with a blazer. Even when it comes to a T-shirt dress. It’s nipped in at the waist. To get the dress with blazer look right, pair the jacket with tailored dresses with straight or pencil style skirts. Anything flare looks awkward unless you have a cropped blazer. Overall, it basically nails down to getting the proportions right, and that the look makes sense.
Tip: Swap accessories to wear an outfit in different seasons.
Try a Fake Suit Look
I love the look of a suit as much as the next gal. However, on us women over 40 a suit in classic neutral colors often conveys the message of being extremely conservative, and old-fashioned, which is often associated with not being up to the tasks and not being on top of things. Therefore, I advise the readers of my book How to Dress for Success in Midlife to opt for a fake suit. In spring or fall, combine your blazer with cropped pants.
Casual Friday Inspiration
For Casual Friday outfits, a blazer plus jeans and a Tee is always great instant style. Dress the look up and add some posh with a white button-down shirt and pumps and you have a business casual outfit that also works well when you have to get out of a plane right into a business meeting. It’s also a great look for a female engineer.
Going beyond Neutrals
The blazer is meant to be worn in colors beyond the neutrals. It also looks great with patches, think school-boy style. You can even make its color your signature style like Sarah Palin‘s red blazer. Here the circle closes again. And last, but not least, another fool proof style recipe to re-visit:
Tip: Wear a red blazer with a chambray button-down, pearl necklace, bf jeans and leopard-print pumps.
The Iconic White Blazer
The typical combination for the iconic white version is with jeans and a black T-shirt. Because color plays no role, you can try all the above styling inspiration as well.
How to Style a Short Sleeve Blazer
As it is obvious, the same combinations that work for a long sleeve blazer also work with a short sleeve version. Just make sure that the garments have a clear summer vibe. And yes, you can even wear a long-sleeve Tee underneath short sleeves. So modern layering.
Multiple Ways to Wear a Blazer in a Nutshell
A blazer can work with a dress, skirt, pants, and jeans as long as the proportions are right. This fact is especially true for pairings with skirts or dresses.
Tip: Substitute the blazer with a janker or Lice jacket as a twist on business casual work style.
Photos: G. Kramm
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