Wearing a boyfriend blazer, biz casual style

Maya

I have never in my life had to dress as anything but casual for work before. Actually, I still don't, but I'm trying to make a good impression by dressing like the staff.

Anyway, I would like to get more use out of my bf blazer for this purpose, but I'm used to seeing it in a funkier/more casual/unexpected way, a la MOTG 5. With pants and a blouse or a skirt, I feel like it looks like I'm just wearing an outdated powersuit blazer from the 80's rather than something modern and fun. Think one of those makeovers on WNTW where the person hasn't updated their closet in 20 (now I guess almost 30....ahhh scary!) years. I know that we on YLF all "get" the bf blazer, but I want people who don't necessarily have our wealth of knowledge to get it too, if that makes sense.

16 years ago

Dressing

13 replies

Latest reply was from Kristen

Michelle

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Veteran

Maya, could it work with microchecks and a button-down in a current colour?

16 years ago

greenglove

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Maya,
I must have missed your thread on the new job. Where are you working?
To answer you question, I have a difficult time with the boyfriend blazer look for my style but think it is a great look for you!! I think that a sleeve scrunched to the elbow with contrasting lining helps make it look current. It is also about proportion. Maybe skinny jeans with scrunchie boots. I have seen it in the latest fashion magazines with pleated cropped baggy pants and stilleto heels but doubt you will go that route. With your current hairstyle and some of the new blouses I have seen you wear, I think you will style it just right.

16 years ago

Maya

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I can't usually wear buttondowns Michelle, except as layering pieces. They're not bust-friendly on me. Of course I have thought about wearing it with the mc pants, but I still find it wrong. Maybe it's just me and my general aversion to pants. I feel like the volume of the bf blazer requires a slimmer bottom, and the only slim bottoms I have are jeans and pencil skirts. I could wear it with the pencil skirt, but the proportions don't quite work for me.

Jean, I have no problem wearing the bf blazer with skinnies and slouch boots. But that's not business casual. (I'm volunteering at the Met...nothing special, or paid for that matter). I know we at YLF know that dark jeans are a lot more fab than khakis, cords, and polo shirts...and that buttondowns and pants are not the only option. But the rest of the world hasn't quite caught up with us yet.

Maybe I just generally need help with business casual. I'm only working 2 days a week so I have no intention of overhauling my whole wardrobe to be more work appropriate, but I hate to have to put some of my favorite pieces away because of an outdated dress code.

16 years ago

Kristen

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Kari does a great job with working in blazers, microcheck pants, and all different kinds of tops into her business-casual wardrobe. Check out her blog for ideas.

I just inherited six different blazers and a ton of pants from my Shopping Friend, and will be incorporating them into my work wardrobe this winter, but they're not boyfriends so that won't be much help for you. But I am looking to wear them with knit tops, turtlenecks, and fun printed cotton tops.

You might have to wait to use your bf blazer on the other five days you're not working, Maya, and see if once you get the hang of business casual you can bring it back. Do you have a pair of skinny ponte pants? That might work with boots and the bf, depending on how casual the rest of the staff is.

16 years ago

greenglove

(website)

Veteran

Oh how fun- I love the MET!! Could you find black skinnies in a fabric- non denim.
How about a tunic dress, leggings or tights (patterned?) boots and the blazer. Buisness casual screams sheath dresses to me. Are the other staff members fashionable? I know that my experience with museum staff is women with neutral clothing and tons of museum jewelry. But that is the MFA which is not New York.

16 years ago

Louise

Veteran

I'll be watching the responses to this closely. So far i've only made mine work with skinnies, graphic t and pearls so will be interested to see how to make it smarter x

16 years ago

shiny

Veteran

Absolutely with a sheath dress! I would also try over a floaty dress... or even a sack dress. Ponte knit pants are also a great idea.

16 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I like to wear my BF blazer biz casual most of the time:

o Over a sack dress with stirrup leggings

o Over a printed pencil skirt with stirrup leggings, belted at the waist

o Over black cigarette pants with a shirt and HUGE pearl necklace. Like I-can- knock-you-out-with-my-pearl-necklace big.

I think that it's a very good call dressing up for work. You have to dress for the job you want!

16 years ago

Maya

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I don't know if the ladies I'm working with are quite so openminded as to accept stirrup leggings (or any leggings) as appropriate biz casual attire. Again, it seems like one of those things YLF "gets" but not everyone else does.

Jean, they staff looks ok. Not horrible, not fab. A few of them look a little frumpy, some look overly casual (khakis and cords with polo shirts).

My supervisor looked nice the other day in a buttondown with a patent skinny belt, Sofft brogue pumps, and dress pants, but I found out later that it was because they were having a staff party. When I asked her about the dress code, she said buttondowns and pants were her uniform and she wore it every day (I would die of boredom). Most of the other ladies seem to dress similarly.

I ended up wearing trouser jeans that day because my pants aren't PPL for heels and I needed to wear boots, but they were dark and I wore them in a dressy way so I think I was able to get away with it. I don't know that I want to make a habit of it yet.

I don't have any cigarette pants or skinny ponte pants. I have been wanting a pair but I can't find any that are inexpensive enough, and I have already way outspent myself this month.

For now I'll try it over the few dresses I have. Most of them are very casual or too short though. This is tough.

16 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

So subtsitute with opaques!

Try the BF cardi over the dresses you have Maya. Experiment. I can guarantee that something will work :0)

Set the standard, Maya. You are a creative graphic designer who likes clothes. Look the part and run with it.

16 years ago

Kristen

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Veteran

Maya, most of the people I work with dress like your co-workers: slacks (and I do mean "slacks" LOL) and button-downs or plain pullover sweaters. I decided when I changed my style that I wasn't going to let their more-casual version of business casual bring down my level of dress, so I wear what I feel is appropriate for the dress code, and usually a half-step higher. It's taken time, but in the end I think I have influenced more than a couple of them to raise their game too. People look so much nicer at work now!

So wear what you define as business casual and don't worry about not wearing the same "uniform" as the rest. As long as you wear things within the technical guidelines (no jeans, if hose is required, etc) you will be fine.

I agree with Angie; experiment with your dresses and see if anything works!

16 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I really need to stop putting off hose-shopping since I like skirts and dresses so much. I got two pairs a while ago: one got a long run in it the moment I put them on for the first time. the other had little snags all over by the end of the day. Finding cheap but not bad quality hose is tough! Any suggestions? I'd love to get some more patterned or textured hose.

I wasn't sure if I could really be a trendsetter as an unpaid volunteer. Somehow dressing nicer than my supervisor always seemed like a bad idea to me. But maybe I'm mistaken.

Expect buckets of pictures tomorrow!

16 years ago

Kristen

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Veteran

I do tights more than hose, but I've had success with both at all kinds of places, and they've all held out much longer than I thought: Kohls, Target, Rack, Sears, JC Penney, everywhere. I haven't thrown out a ripped pair yet this fall/winter!

Also, don't worry about dressing nicer than your boss; you're young and creative and working at a museum. I think you would have great latitude to wear some fun, funky outfits there, and still easily be business casual.

16 years ago

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