Ask Angie: How do you wear a blazer on a cold day?

Lesley

Inspired by Janet's marble blazer look to remember that I have some blazers I love in my closet! But the one thing that always annoys me when I wear them—when I'm getting to and from my event in the winter, they feel pretty horrible under any kind of coat. Am I missing some trick, or do we just suffer through the transit and look amazing when we arrive and finally take off our coats?

1 year ago

Dressing

13 replies

Latest reply was from Echo

kkards

Veteran

Not Angie, but I don’t have this issue, mostly because I generally buy my outerwear with the intention of wearing multiple layers underneath. So if the arms especially are tight it’s a hard pass.

1 year ago

approprio

(website)

Veteran

Sleeveless coats, wraps, ponchos, quilted vests, oversized shells. Keep layering options in mind when buying the blazers in the first place. You can always layer underneath them too.

1 year ago

LJP

Veteran

This is precisely why I rarely wear a blazer in the winter . I cannot deal with all that fabric , collars , layers , sleeves -UGH ! Blazers are a 2 season piece for me - although if I worked in an industry where I wanted to wear one everyday I’d have an oversized coat for that purpose .

1 year ago

Style Fan

Veteran

A coat like the Slouch from Aritizia works with blazers. It is also warm. Forum member Gryffin bought it last year.
When I was working, I had an oversized coat that worked with blazers. The other option was to take the blazer with me and put it on when I got to work.

Aritzia

Babaton the slouchOversized double-breasted wool coat

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1 year ago

Dee

Veteran

If you’re looking for an overcoat to wear over the blazer, my suggestion would be to search for something that has a silky type of lining inside it, that way the overcoat can glide easily over your blazer and it wont bunch you up.

1 year ago

The Cat

Veteran

What kkards said.

1 year ago

cat2

Veteran

I buy my overcoats by trying them on over blazers and bulky sweaters so they fit. It can mean going up a size.

1 year ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I either layer underneath the blazer and treat it as a kind of outerwear piece or if it’s truly cold, I have a coat from Madewell from a few years ago that is sufficiently roomy to wear pretty much any jacket underneath. It has wide arms so accommodates bulky sweaters or even oversized vests or jackets.

1 year ago

Roberta

Veteran

Like StyleFan, I have a raglan-sleeved, slightly oversized winter coat that is perfect over a blazer or a chunky sweater. The cut of the sleeve makes all the difference.

1 year ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Lesley, exactly what kkards, approprio, cat2 and Dee said.

1 year ago

Tanya

Veteran

I also have some loose fitting coats, that work over blazers. It is usually the matter of getting the shoulder fit right. Alternatively, when it is cold but not too cold, i use blazers like outerwear and wear them over warmer sweaters.

1 year ago

LaPed

Veteran

I really dislike the bulk of a blazer underneath winter coats, even relaxed/oversized ones. When I was teaching in-person, I'd just hang my blazers (I only have two) in my office in the winter and leave them there so I could throw one on when I felt like it. That way I could wear whatever parka suited the weather without worrying about layer-ability.

In transitional weather, I treat blazers as an outer layer, and run cold enough that I'm usually happy to keep my outer layer on indoors! I also have a very lightweight oversized anorak that layers over pretty much anything and does okay in light rain. In a milder climate, a wool blazer plus a lightweight wind/rain layer would be useful 3/4 of the year. In New England, it's definitely just a fall/spring set-up.

1 year ago

Echo

Veteran

I often carry a blazer with me and take it off to put a coat on. I teach, so I sometimes have recess duty outdoors, and on those days, I simply change my outwerwear before heading outdoors. I adore blazers and other toppers, so there's no way I could go all winter without wearing them. I do have several coats that are generous fit to accommodate a blazer, but I don't usually like to buy coats that roomy because they're drafty when I don't have the layers underneath.

1 year ago

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