Alex Davies
Easy Elevated Everyday Style
What if walking up to your closet filled you with creative possibility instead of that "ugh" feeling? I want to help you make clothes a source of inspiration and a way to embrace your body every day.
How to Wear a Blazer and Keep It Casual
Casual Blazer Style 101
Blazers: They’ve been in the spotlight for a few years now and according to trend forecasters, they’re not going anywhere soon. Last week, I posted a question box asking friends to tell me their blazer style struggles. In a flood of responses, women shared questions like:
-How do I not look like my dad?
-Should I take the shoulder pads out or leave them in?
-What’s the right length for me as a pear shape?
-How do I make it look more feminine?
And the majority response I read over and over was - how do I make a blazer look casual?
We’ll talk about answers to all the rest today, but I want to focus here on this question because it’s right where my initial hesitancy about blazers stemmed.
I’m a stay at home mom. Wearing a blazer felt like I was trying to look like "the boss" when I first encountered the trend. I didn't see how it could fit into my closet as a SoCal work at home mom. But then curiosity and exposure therapy got the better of me, and I had to try one. Now I am a full convert with a growing collection of blazers.
With these few simple styling keys, it is possible to strike that perfect blazer balance of cool and casual. And a blazer can become a surprising go-to in your closet, too.
This post contains affiliate links.
This post is part 1 of a 2 part series on blazers. Read part 2: Blazers + Dresses here.
Materials Always Matter
Secret sewist over here, so you know I care about fabric. The right fabric is what helped me start actually wearing blazers. If you want to purchase your first casual blazer, steer away from houndstooth wool with gold buttons. I know, so beautiful! But as a beginning blazer wearer, I found a light soft linen blazer way more approachable and easy to mix into my closet.
As your confidence in styling blazers grows, absolutely go for that gorgeous structured piece. But get your toes wet with something accessible and easier to mix into your existing wardrobe.
Here is my favorite linen “gateway” blazer. Fits TTS. Click to Shop.
Thinking About Structure
Anytime you’re building an outfit, it’s important to think about the structure and softness of the pieces you pull from your closet. Striking a balance between the two is usually the goal.
Structured garments create that shape and definition that gives a look a more polished edge. However, it can also tend to take things in a more formal and masculine direction.
A blazer is definitely a structured piece. It’s created with a lot of tailoring, and it hangs away from the body in its own defined shape. So if you’re aiming to take a blazer out of the boardroom and incorporate it in a more casual look, the ratio of softness to structure needs to be higher on the softer casual elements of the look.
Much of the time, we build outfits with a lot of softer pieces first. You’ve probably heard style bloggers say something like, now let’s add some structure and definition with a denim jacket on top of this dress.
So it’s a little bit of working backward when we think about a blazer look. The blazer is one of the final top layer pieces we will add. So we know that our base needs to be built on the casual soft side.
Here’s an example: instead of a base layer of a button up shirt, choose a pullover sweater, hoodie or a loose tee.
Add a Little Femininity
Historically, blazers have been worn by both men and women from the 1880s to the 1980s, and today they’re much more of a women ruled trend. But initially, blazers were created for men as a bridge in the gap between the formal suit jacket and the casual sports coat that could be worn without matching pants.
Okay, history channel moment over. My point here is that the broad shoulder line and the boxy fit of the current oversized blazer trend creates more masculine leaning lines. So just like we want to balance the structure with some softness, we also want to incorporate balancing feminine elements into a good blazer look.
Some easy ways to do this are to add:
-extra jewelry (This doesn’t mean you have to go with big chunky pieces especially as those can feel more formal and fancy. Instead layer multiple delicate everyday pieces like a ring or bracelet stack. I think the key here is thinking minimal chic.)
-a pointed toe shoe or even a low heel
-sliding up the sleeves to show the forearm which is a point of femininity
-a belt
-a popped collar or layered necklaces in a “V” shape to highlight the neckline
-an ankle crop jean
-blush, lip color and hair on blazer days as these are all ways to help accentuate the feminine in a look.
Speaking of feminine... Can you wear a blazer with a dress? Yes! Find out how, here on the blog!
Keep It Casual
Finally, just think about what you would normally wear for a casual look and stick with it. Opt for relaxed pants like jeans. Grab the white tee or basic tank. Layer a hoodie underneath to create a balanced contrast and an urban chic look. Grab that baseball cap to top it off.
Shoe choice can also make a big difference here. Think sneakers and sandals.
Next, keep it casual by choosing more relaxed pants like jeans. If you do want to add trousers to your blazer, then focus on shoe choice sneakers work well to bring things down to a casual level. [In the sneaker trouser example at the very top of this post, you can notice that because my pants are a little more formal, I’m course correcting by swinging even farther on the casual shoe spectrum to help bring the whole look into balance.]
4 Ways to Lift Your Sleeves
Q/A
Feeling too professional when I want it to look casual. Help? - Focus on more casual fabrics like a linen or Tencel blazer in a lighter color as opposed to a tweed wool blazer with gold buttons that starts out feeling very professional and formal.
What’s the best style for someone with a larger chest? You can wear any style that you like whether that’s single or double breasted. But I would pay extra attention to the fabric. A more flowy fabric will help lay and fit better and deemphasize the bust where a stiff structured piece will add more volume.
Where should the length hit on a pear shaped short/petite body with full thighs? Traditionally, blazers are supposed to hit mid thigh. In different decades they’ve fallen lower or a bit higher above the hip. Currently, the oversized boxy blazer is in. I think this hits best at a traditional mid to high thigh height. I’m a pear shape as well, and I like it best when my blazer hits south of my hip thereby bypassing my widest point and falling in the top third of my thigh range.
How do you know if the fit is right?
The beauty of the oversized trend is that the fit is more up to you. You can opt for something very true to size or not if you love a big roomy casual look.
Finding an oversized look that doesn’t look ridiculous on my pear shaped short waist frame?
Definitely try a cropped blazer. There are some gorgeous and very traditional throwback options coming out right now that are cropped above the hip which will draw the eye up and work well with your short waist.
Shoulder pads! Would you remove them? That really just depends on what you feel comfortable with in your blazer. This black cupro blazer from Parallel 51 surprised me that it came with shoulder pads. But they give it a lot of shape because it’s a more drapey fabric. Modern shoulder pads don’t tend to be as prominent as those in a vintage 80s blazer. If you have broader shoulders you may want to remove them so as not to add extra volume. But if you love your shoulders and want to emphasize them, keep those fun shoulder pads.
How do I wear my double breasted blazer? I have a gorgeous one, but I feel it swallows me.
I would first try styling it with a couple of layers
maybe a tee and a hoodie) underneath like this adorable travel look on Jennifer Anniston’s character in the Morning Show. That might help it feel less gargantuan than when you wear it with something slimming like a slip dress where the difference in fit between the two pieces is more dramatic.
Best brands for petite/short blazers? Check out Quince. I have a linen blazer form them that is a shorter length which might work really well for you. I recommend searching for a more tailored blazer rather than an oversized piece as it will be easier to get the proportions right for your frame. If you are having trouble finding the right length of a regular blazer, look for a boucle blazer that will be shorter and more fitted. Cropped blazers are also popping onto the scene this spring which will be easier to fit.
What to wear with it - bottoms and shoes? Jeans work great. Wide legs can work but a straight leg or skinny are much simpler to style with a blazer. I typically recommend boots, mules, sandals, sneakers or a heel with a blazer. Hopefully, the outfit inspo in this post is helpful!
Best shirts to wear under them? I love the casual contrast of a graphic tee. A tank or v-neck can also do a great job at helping create some shape underneath the blazer.
How to not look like a business woman? First off, there is nothing wrong with looking like the boss! But I totally get the question. Use the tips above for pulling in more casual pieces and also add some of your personality to the look to tailor it to you and help it steer more toward your personal style and away from a formal professional look.
How do you know if it fits right?
I think the beauty of the oversized blazer is that the fit is a lot more optional and forgiving. It’s really up to what you feel great in and what works best for your proportions.
Would love to see blazers with skirts, denim floral, etc.
I’ll be playing with this
later in the week on Instagram. Stay tuned.
How to wear an oversized blazer with wide leg pants/jeans? Here’s my favorite way - a silk cami underneath or another fitted top. Roll the sleeves up and choose a feminine shoe like a heeled sandal. A belt also helps to draw the eye to the waistline inside of the blazer to break up the square shape.
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This post is part 1 of a 2 part series on blazers. Click here to read part 2: Blazers + Dresses.
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