Do You Wear Blazers? - YouLookFab Forum

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Dressing

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Do You Wear Blazers?

Dee

Veteran

I haven't worn a blazer for quite some time, years actually. Even when I was working a few years back, I rarely wore them but now they just feel a bit too stiff and formal for my current lifestyle. I have exactly one in my closet and have donated the rest. I tend to rely on my various coloured jean jackets or a sweater jacket when I need a topper to finish an outfit. I prefer their relaxed vibe for me. I do like the sophisticated look of blazers and appreciate how well they can dress up jeans but I'll likely not be purchasing anymore of them myself.

What about you? Are blazers still apart of your style repertoire?

Dressing

48 replies

Latest reply was from AndiB

April

Veteran

Yes and no. Like you, I prefer the comfort of a softer topper. But, blazers with jeans are one of my favorite combos and I still have a few blazers in my closet.

I like the look of their structure, but not how it feels when doing chores.

Star

Veteran

Very occasionally. I actually like the look of them more now than ever before but no real reason to wear them. Mostly very cold or very hot weather here. So maybe once or twice a year in our short Spring or Autumn when going out at night. I have a few that I thrifted that I really like, more specifically, a dark brown cord one and a suede camel one.

Val

I love the look of blazers on myself, but don't have any occasion to wear them now. Even with jeans they feel like too formal for anything I do.

cat2

Veteran

I only have a few classic fabric blazers; we have cool weather and city events where they work, so mine are still in rotation.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

I don’t own any blazers and doubtful that I will obtain any. Even when working, I preferred other types of structured and unstructured jackets and cardigans. While I like the look on others, I came see them for myself.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

YES to blazers. I wear them! CAREFULLY.

I like them shorter, and fluidly tailored. I am bypassing the trendy oversized and long blazer look.

I love blazers as part of a matching pants suit.

And only when I got my "to-live-for" bright plaid Smythe ITEM blazer, did I really enjoy wearing a blazer without matching pants. Mt favourite blazer of all time - see Find

The rest of my blazers are part of suits. See Finds.

SMYTHE Duchess Plaid Patch Pocket Cotton Blazer

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Theory Chevron Wool Blend Shrunken Blazer

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Veronica Beard Farley Stand Collar Blazer

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Boss by Hugo Boss Jabielle Wool & Silk Suit Jacket

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anchie

Veteran

Yes I do, like 5 days a week. I work in office full time and I run cold. I am dreading the AC season. I mostly wear them for practical reasons, because I need layers to keep warm, but I also like how they look. I prefer blazers to cardigans, but I do occasionally wear cardigans too. Unfortunately, I am not that happy with my current collection. I don’t like to wear navy or black blazers anymore, and my bright color ones also don’t always feel right. I also don’t like blazers that look too corporate, trying to relax my style little. So even though I like blazers, I have a hard time finding right ones for me. And I almost never wear them casually in my free time, I think I would be sick of them if I wear them everyday.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

That said, blazers are not my favourite type of jacket. I much prefer wearing my other similar weight jackets (although the Smythe blazer is the exception!)

Desigual Kent Faux Leather Moto Jacket

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Topshop Tilda Crop Denim Jacket

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BLANKNYC Faux Leather Moto Jacket

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Marks and Spencer

M&S Collection Denim Jacket with Stretch

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BILLY T Embroidered Denim Jacket

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Banana Republic

Cropped Denim Jacket

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Bergdorf Goodman

J Brand Jeans Classic Light-Wash Jean Jacket

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RobinF

Veteran

I used to wear blazers for work. I have worked at banks and CPA firms and they are basically required (or were?) so I was off them for casual wear. I work at a manufacturing facility now and dress much more casually than I did back then. However, I do have a few that are fun for slightly dressier occasions. and work with jeans.

Just this weekend I was going through my storage closet and almost got rid of a black blazer but I put it on and it fits perfectly and is nice and drapey. I think I will hang onto it a bit longer and see if I can make it work.

Joy

Veteran

Yes, I wore a blazer yesterday with grey jeans.

SarahD8

Veteran

Nope! I have basically never put on a blazer and felt like myself. I haven't owned or worn one in years. I dislike woven toppers in general (jean jackets etc ) and will never choose to wear one when I can wear a cardigan instead...which I pretty much always can.

I *do* like cardigans with some structure, often almost a jacket-like cut (collar, pockets, etc). But the softer garment works better for me.

Bijou

Veteran

I still wear blazers, but not as much as when I was working in an office. I used to wear them year round, as my office had cold aircon, but now wearing a topper is restricted to late Autumn, Winter and early Spring. I have other styles of jackets too and enjoy mixing things up, but a nice blazer will always have a place in my wardrobe.

ChristelJ

Veteran

My one blazer comes out only a couple of times a year, to dress up jeans for going out. I love the structure it adds. Mostly, though, I wear cardigans or jean jackets for my laid-back lifestyle.

JAileen

Veteran

I have one blazer. It’s an unlined tweed knit, so it’s soft and stretchy. I bought it to wear with skirts and dresses, but so far have only worn it with jeans. I felt great in it.

kellygirl

Veteran

I had a small collection but it has dwindled. I like them but find that even trying to dress them down, they're still too dressy for my casual life. I wore them occasionally pre-pandemic but not since. I do still admire them on others but they don't tempt me anymore. Truckers and chore jackets are my go to these days.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

For years, blazers were signature to my style. I love them. But they have to be the right blazer -- not oversized, not exceptionally feminine in style, but generally shorter and/or with a nipped in waist or princess seams, with buttons on the sleeves that are workable (so I can scrunch and cuff the sleeves) -- there are a lot of things I look for to make them work well, but they did work well for me with denim, providing just the juxtaposition I craved.

Then I stopped wearing them in the pandemic and I have not gone back yet! I just don't reach for them. I do wear my denim jackets quite often.

This may have, in part, to do with my switch to wearing more dress pants than denim bottoms.

At the moment, I only own two (one for summer, one for winter) and I almost never wear the winter one because I find the wool scratchy on my neck (sob!)

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Hackness Wool Jacket

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Runcarla

Veteran

I took a break from blazers after retiring, but added one back a year and a half ago. It’s a stretch blazer, doesn’t wrinkle, and is machine washable. I reach for it when I need an extra layer of warmth, or when I want to present myself more formally. It’s perfect for travelling, and is part of my airport uniform.

@ Suz - did you take a pass on the Liverpool blazer/suit?

nuancedream

Veteran

I have several blazers I still wear. They're more casual, slightly oversize, and don't scream corporate. Yesterday, I wore a lightweight plaid blazer with yellow pants. I prefer the structure of a blazer or moto jacket over cardigans.

Roberta

Veteran

I gave away nearly a dozen blazers after I retired, because they didn't fit with my life anymore. I kept four or five that I thought were really interesting and/or irreplaceable (all patterns). I wear them occasionally if I go out in a season where the weather allows them to be my only topper. I also went through a stretch of serious shoulder and neck pain, and found blazers to be too confining, too heavy, and just all around uncomfortable. That has since been fixed, but I still prefer cardigans and knit jackets to a traditional blazer. Sorry, very long answer to your short question!

Elizabeth Ponte Blazer

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3

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Chelsea28 Chelsea28 Plaid Blazer | Nordstrom

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Bonnie

Veteran

I have three blazers. One is wool and is worn with sweaters and jeans in cool weather. The other two are lighter weight and long and are worn with tees and jeans in warm weather. They work well for my climate and dress up my jeans and toppers wardrobe.

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Cartonnier Forest Park Blazer

Sale

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2

Cartonnier Beatrice Blazer

Sale

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9

Irina

Veteran

I like the look of a blazer with jeans and would wear it more if I didn’t have a problem finding a right fit. I have three in rotation - one black in thin wool, plaid double breasted linen and an unlined navy cotton. The navy is the one I rarely wear. I think it’s because I got the other ones altered in the shoulders and sleeves and they fit better.

The styles I like don’t usually come in petite sizes and these type of alterations are very expensive, so I’m limited. I’m looking for other types of jackets that are more petite friendly.

In the last photo I wear a vest over a blazer, something I do on a crisp morning.

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Dee

Veteran

I see that quite a few of you are still enjoying your blazers, but many don’t feel the need for them anymore.
Star - I had sourced a few blazers second hand awhile back, but alas they still sat in my closet unused, so I passed them on again.
Val- Yes the lack of any real occasion to wear them seems to be a factor.
Angie- What a fab collection of blazers.
RobinF- Glad you found that black blazer and hopefully you’ll have an opportunity to wear it again.
April,Joy, Cat2, Bijou,JAileen, Nuancedream, Bonnie, Anchie- happy to hear that blazers still have a place in your wardrobes.
ChristelJ, Kellygirl SarahD8 - I prefer truckers, chore jackets and cardigans just works better for that casual vibe.
Runcarla- Your blazer creates a great travel outfit
Suz- I think the pandemic really changed people’s wardrobe needs for good. The last time I wore a blazer myself was before the pandemic.
Roberta- no worries, love hearing the why’s in everyone’s answer. Glad you kept some irreplaceable ones just in case.

Cee

Veteran

It's been a while.

Dee

Veteran

Irina- That’s a nice collection of blazers, love the idea of adding a light puffer vest over top, makes it seem more casual that way.
Cee- haha, so that’s a No for you too.

Jonesy

Veteran

Yes! I love blazers and wear them all the time, mostly for work. I have been reaching for a lovely gray-ish green blazer this spring quite a lot. I also have a few more casual (unlined, cotton, oversized, from Uniqlo U) blazer-esque jackets that I wear all the time for non-work outings. I am a huge fan of layering and playing with different color combos, so blazers (and jackets and vests of all kinds, tbh) fit the bill for me.

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LaPed

Veteran

I've had the same two blazers for a long time; not high-wear items but I still love them! I've tried a couple times to add an oversized blazer but they don't look great on me so I stick with the same style as Angie -- shorter and fluidly tailored. I treat my blazers more as transitional season outerwear because I don't like the feeling of them layered under coats when it's colder. Switching from a merino or fleece hoodie to a wool blazer is an easy way for me to smarten up a casual outfit, but they definitely don't have the same range of motion as a hoodie does, and they are so bulky to pack. For those two reasons, they'll never rack up as many wears for me, but I'm fine with that. Denim jackets, motos, and field/utility jackets all fall into this same category for me -- "fashion toppers" I guess.

Elizabeth British Tweed Blazer

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3

Brooks Brothers

Wool Two-Button Jacket

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

@ Carla -- yes, I passed it on. First, I wore out the pants! Well, maybe "wore out" is a bit strong -- but they had pilled extensively in the inner thighs, probably from rubbing. I will say, I don't consider this a quality issue. I wore those pants at least twice or even three times a week all last winter and spring, and and on many, many walks, so there was a lot of friction there.

As for the jacket, I wanted to love it, hoped I'd love it -- but I did not love it. Not at all. Oh, I wore it a bunch of times, though nowhere near as often as the pants. But whenever I wore it, I could not wait to get it off. I learned that I do not care for an unlined jacket in a "sticky" knit unless it is quite fitted (like my little military jacket, which works more like a top), that I reallyl want more structure in a jacket, period, and that longer blazers are not so fun for me. They don't work as well with wide legs (on me -- you are taller, so it is different!).

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I haven’t worn true blazers since the 90s Dee, I tried them back then and they always felt too formal, too stiff and not warm enough for me. Think I owned 3 at the time and all are long gone. I had been quite confused when I first joined YLF and even wrote a thread in 2017 called “Are these jackets or blazers?” to clarify. I was told none of what I was asking about were strictly blazers.
I prefer softer jackets and do wear several which have less formality than a blazer but more than woollen knitwear. I still own and wear 5 out of the 6 I asked about in 2017!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

2 of my current jackets I thrifted last year, one black with interesting grey stitching, French brand, $15 including a pencil skirt which was too small for me but fitted my 32 year old schoolteacher daughter perfectly. The other was a subtle animal print, $12. I am enjoying these, I would say they are blazer-esque but softer.

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