Blazers - how do you wear them not as business wear? - YouLookFab Forum

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Blazers - how do you wear them not as business wear?

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I was genuinely curious about my owning of blazers after reading Laura's post this morning. I am definitely not a classic nor conservative dresser, and yet, I own several blazers.
In my defense, I don't think these come across as staid. But maybe I'm kidding myself? Here are a few outfits. (I have since purged the last one in pic 6) What do you think? Would I be better served with the motos I have, or do they add a flair of their own I should keep in my repertoire?
How do you wear blazers in a casual way? Or do you?

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Dressing

25 replies

Latest reply was from Gigi

Kristin SF

Veteran

Will be watching with interest. I have the same issue. I always feel too dressed up when I put on a blazer, and yet I own so many.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Not staid at all. Keep. I love the structure a blazer adds to a casual outfit

MuseumGal

Veteran

I just throw them on and scrunch the sleeves. It's casual if I say it's casual kind of thing. I actually quite like them juxtaposed with biker boots or ripped jeans or something sort of scruffy, you know?

ramya

Veteran

Hmmm lately I have trouble with blazers. Don't reach to them often enough. I feel they are not warm. Else I pair them with casual bottom as that's all I wear:)

Anonymous

I love wearing blazers for a casual look. They would look really cute with a tank and skinny jeans. As far as tops are concerned, a cute striped tank or polka dot would look cute with the blazer. Really any graphics shirt will go good under a solid blazer. Go with a striped blazer if you have a solid top. You don't know how the blazers at The Limited run.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Exactly as you're wearing them, is my answer!

I don't even see the risk, to be honest.

To me, a jacket does NOT and never could read as staid, corporate, business-like, unless it is very deliberately paired with other items intended to give that effect, and/or it is an incredibly dated style and cut.

Even the most outwardly classic jacket seems "easy" to me -- with a pair of jeans or fun printed pants or what have you.

But it seems people's associations differ. I know I've sometimes been seriously surprised at comments on WIWs here (mine and others) to the effect that an outfit seems "corporate" simply because it includes a pencil skirt and/or a blazer. That's just not how I see those items, any more than I see jeans as "only appropriate for the barn." It's all in the mix, and for me, nothing makes an easier statement than a great pair of shoes or a jacket. That's one reason that hot weather dressing is so difficult!

Emily

Veteran

I am not a big blazer wearer, but I like how easily they put "smart" in smart casual. I have a poison eye for multi button/higher stanced blazers and hence am not crazy about #4, but I love the rest!

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I love your blazer looks! It took me awhile to put my finger on it - but the blazers I own/like/wear, are fitted, but with some stretch and some softness. Something I can pull on over casual clothes, and either be a little dressier, or still reasonably casual, depending on accessories. Any blazer or jacket that is stiff or heavy, is long gone out of my closet.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Suz, that's funny - I had always seen them as business wear and in fact never owned one until I was 35 years old. Even then, it was an off white, shrunken corduroy number with jeweled button. Far from a typical blazer. Perhaps this is the dividing line between modern classic dressers and not. What seems like normal everyday stuff to you seems very much corporate or business like to me, and perhaps others who don't lean towards classic. It's hard to see, but some of the blazers here are snakeskin textured, soft almost velvet corduroy and a very drapey BF fit. Only the zig zag grey one is a 'normal' blazer, and it's ruched 3/4 sleeve so even it is not what I'd deem usual office wear. Emily, interestingly enough, it is the one blazer that is part of a full suit, with my matching Columnist pants. So maybe that's why it sticks out from the others.

abc

Veteran

Suz took the words out of my mouth.

I dress based on occasion and many other factors. My blazers take me from corporate-land to casual weekends. I agree with the others. It's all in how you style them and your attitude ... IMHO, for you, Mo, neither of which are boring or staid.

Diana

Veteran

Well, if they're a crazy print or really bright color, I just wear them with whatever. Nobody is mistaking my Bellatrix jacket for a corporate suit jacket.

For the more conservative looking ones (like the jacket from my actual suit) I tend to pair them with things that are either funkier or more casual. So, like faded BF jeans, or crazy pants, or my bubble skirt on the bottom, plus untucked tops and funky shoes . I tend not to like pairing my black blazer with plain black pants, pencil skirts,buttondowns, etc, unless I am actually going for a corporate, serious look.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Yeah...it might have to do with my growing up time and place...we wore a lot of vintage thrift store jackets when I was a teen/ young adult (sort of during the punk/ new wave phase) . But they were always just...jackets, you know? Toppers. Fun pieces -- often quirky statements.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The answer is simple, Mo: The Power of The Classics.

Modern Classic pieces can be molded into any style. They are like fashion-play-dough. That's why they are versatile and appeal to both conservative and very fashion forward dressers - and everyone in-between. You've molded the blazer into your style YOUR way. That's what it's all about.

gryffin

Veteran

Mo - I'm a huge blazer girl - it's the topper of choice!! Preferred mode is boyfriend blazer although I totally love my Gibson riding jacket and JCrew Tux (Yup all black) - I wear them with jeans for most most part, booties for slouchy skinnies and black cowboy boots with boot cuts, black tank and embellished belt. To me that's polished casual and it never bothers me if I'm the only one in a blazer. I think there are certain "suit" jackets - you know that can look a bit formal and stiff juxtaposed with more casual elements. I find they do better with slightly dressier pants. I liked all your outfits but of course my favorite is #1 (hey it's black!!) so that the pretty cobalt sparkles against your skin and hair. The faux tuck with belt just tres fab!!

Lisa

Veteran

I'm a big fan of blazers and often sport them. I think a blazer paired with jeans automatically dresses down a blazer. I find knit blazers always look casual. Twill also seems to work well for a casual blazer. My favorite casual blazer look this season has been to pair them with a hoodie and I usually use my tweed blazer as the blazer of choice. I also think adding a scarf that's not silk helps to casualize a blazer. I find it's easy to make a look casual with blazers that are not suit material and to add at least one casual element (jeans, scarf, chunky jewelry, etc). Your blazer looks here look fine to me and I think blazers are a refreshing change from other topper styles.

April

Veteran

I wear my jackets casually by rolling and/or scrunching the sleeves and combining with jeans and footwear that sets the mood (tough booties, ballet flats when the weather is right, fashion sneakers).

Since your pictured jackets aren't overly long, you could also combine with casual dresses and flat boots/booties.

ETA: And I don't do this because I don't really do shorts anymore, but shorts!

circleskirt

I love blazers and own a bunch! Although I work in corporate america and wear blazers formally during the week, I also often wear them on weekends and casual Fridays with smart jeans, colorful tops, statement necklaces and colorful belts (although not all of those items at the same time :)) . I find that the blazers add a bit of crispness to my casual clothes and also keep me warm when I don't want to wear a coat or jacket. Blazers work really well for me when I do the "column of color" with my causal clothes.

Jjsloane

Veteran

I wear them daily for work so rarely other than that. I do think they work for my preppy style and I love the look of blazers with jeans but that's basically my Friday work uniform. I honestly think I would wear them casually if I did not all week.

E

Veteran

I tend to wear mine in more of a country tweeds or schoolboy kind of way I think. But none are what you'd like 'suiting' blazers: they're corduroy or velvet or tweedy wool. And I'm trying to get in the habit of wearing them more indoors! I tend to treat them as outerwear, perhaps because I live in a hot climate where a lot of times a blazer is more than warm enough even in the winter.

And no, you don't look staid or business-y!

Greyscale

Veteran

I don't think you have anything to worry about - those blazers all look so you. Relaxed and chic. The white one is so great! None of them look businesslike in these outfits - you could style them in businesslike ways if you had a need for that look, but they're also perfect with jeans.

I only wear blazers with jeans because else I feel too dressed up for my setting. For some reason I haven't been wearing mine so much recently but I want to go back to that look. I think there are trends at play here - boyfriend blazers were everywhere five(?) years ago and aren't quite as ubiquitous now, but that doesn't mean anything about how stylish they look, just that you won't see as many.

deb

Veteran

I wear my blazers with everything. Like I would wear a sweater. I think you wear them well.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I think your blazer outfits are very fashion forward. I love wearing blazers and often wear them with jeans. I usually scrunch or roll the sleeves, especially if the lining is patterned.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Of course I am really enjoying reading this thread. I don't find any of the looks you posted, Mo, as staid, but I do think they are more classic than some of your other looks. I think that's what a blazer does, even if it has an interesting, non corporate fabric or texture.

Part of my struggle, I think, is social norms - people here are super casual so blazers read as very dressy, or corporate, no matter what else you wear with them. And, I think, a blazer with jeans and a nice pair of shoes is somehow more dressy than a knit dress, because it's more composed, you know what I mean?

rae

(website)

Veteran

Tricky since it now IS my businesswear, but I love my blazers with skinny jeans, bf jeans, booties, tube skirts. Pretty much anything that is distinctly not a dress pant or woven pencil skirt. Very very similar to how you rock yours.

Gigi

Veteran

Mo, I'm one of those people who always associate blazers with conservative dressing. So I was glad to see this post because I wanted to see if I would still hold that association if the blazers were not the typical fare and were styled in a nonconservative way. I am happy to report that I don't think there's anything staid or conservative about the blazers you have here. I especially like #2. So I am going to keep my eye open for blazers now...I don't have many toppers, and some blazers would fit the bill. :^)