How do you feel about blazers with skirts?

Sona

I really like blazers with skirt but yes they often dress up a skirt but I think if the blazer itself is a knit or an unlined cotton then the casual vibe still stays!

13 years ago

Abie

Veteran

I like them, but I reserve mostly for winter since its so hot here. I tend to stay away from colors like black or navy when it comes to blazers that I would well with a skirt. I do small patterns, corduroy, or brighter colors.

I do have this black one that I like even though it's black. I think the short puff sleeves and shape help it to go well with a more casual look.

http://abie.lookfab.com/post/w.....polka-dots

13 years ago

Diana

Veteran

I like them but I find that (like all tops with skirts, basically) the blazer generally needs to be shorter than you might wear with pants. I think a longish blazer with a straight cut skirt is what gives the businessy vibe, which I don't do at all. What I like is a little shrunken blazer with a full or floaty skirt, preferably with a print and not too matchy.

13 years ago

Anonymous

I think I have the wrong kind of blazers then!

Sona, thanks for the idea for the blazer to be knit or unstructured.

Abie, I see how color could play a big part (thanks for your link). I am still on the hunt for the elusive (cheap to free) bright blazer.

Diana, shrunken, yes! And a full skirt on the bottom! Taking away the straight skirt would make a huge difference I bet.

Thank you all!

13 years ago

Meredith1953

Veteran

Claire,
Maybe a denim or really casual skirt would work with a blazer to kind of de-corporate it! That was suggested to me by a clever member (can't remember who but I'll check).

13 years ago

Diana

Veteran

By the way, Claire, tomorrow at my conference I am scheduled to give a talk so I am planning to dress up slightly more with a long blazer and skirt. I don't think it's going to look overly corporate though as the blazer is my knit turquoise one and the skirt is printed and not a pencil.

13 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

I think it depends on the cuts of the blazer and the skirt together.

13 years ago

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Interesting question Claire! I combed back through my WIW and found these examples. I think the answer lies in the length of the blazer and the blouse underneath and the shape of the skirt. For example, I lined up a few examples from least to most corporate looking. With the blue blazer (1-3) and colored blazers (4-6), the tank top is the most casual, pussy bow blouse more business-like, and collared button down is the most corporate looking. Fuller skirts tend to look a little more casual than pencil skirts. And longer blazers like the hip length blazer tend to be a bit more conservative looking than cropped fitted blazers (#4 feels very casual to me with the cropped green jacket and floral linen skirt whereas #5 with the hip length blazer feels more suit-like and #6 is conservative and borderline stuffy looking to me). And I'm not sure if you consider leather jackets to count as blazers (7-8), but I definitely wear them like blazers! And same rules apply with the collared shirt being more formal than the tank top.

I think you can definitely do blazers with skirts Claire--play around with cropped fitted blazers and fuller casual/floral skirts!

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13 years ago

nancylee

Veteran

I'm really glad you asked this question, Claire, because I've had the same thought about blazers with skirts. I don't seem able to pair them without appearing "corporate," like you said. Hmmm.

We're getting some good suggestions here. Natalie's post shows some good examples. I especially like photo #8.

13 years ago

sarah

Veteran

Claire, I wear blazers with skirts all the time! Of course, now that I say that, I can't seem to find any pics : (

I do like shorter blazers with my pencil skirts. I think that there are some tricks to making that combo less corporate - scrunched sleeves, popped collars, not too matchy-matchy + the rules that Angie has given about debombshelling pencil skirts.

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13 years ago

Amy

(website)

Veteran

I wear a blazer with a skirt almost every day, but I am in a corporate-ish environment, so...yeah...It works here.

Some blazers are more casual than others. Look for knits, trendy colors funky details to shake off the corporate vibe.

13 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

Claire I think it's been said but I think it really depends on the combination. I love skirts with jackets. Proportions are important as are fabrics and styles. A blazer over a denim pencil skirt can look really cool yet casual. A more full skirt seems to ask for a shorter shrunken style blazer. To casual a blazer you can scrunch the sleeves, put a more casual top under it, add a scarf etc.

13 years ago

Aida

Veteran

Another member of Team Blazer checking in! I wear blazers with my skirts in casual outfits, and there are a number of things that contribute to how "corporate" the final outfits end up. Many good points mentioned above and I agree especially about shrunken/cropped lengths which is a major key for myself (esp. with flared skirts), as well as looking for printed/colorful items which would make things less traditionally classic and work-ish.

One of the other key things is having enough casual fabrication in the outfit. So if you have a thicker, heavier skirt you'll want to maybe wear a jersey top rather than a silky blouse, or maybe a knit blazer over one with some sheen, or a cable knit sweater versus a fine gauge. Of course having the skirt itself be in a casual fabrication would be the easiest (woven and floaty, knit/jersey, denim, etc.) because then you can wear a blouse for a dressier casual or a tee for less dressy casual.

And of course shoes play a big part; plain pumps may look more corporate than say cork flats or an espadrilles sandal.

EDIT: Casual accessories can also help! Like a watch with a woven cloth strap versus a metal band etc.

13 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

I will occasionally wear blazers with skirts, tough not that often as I do not get to wear skirts often to begin with. I like either shrunken cropped blazers with fuller skirts or longer, almost boyfriend styles with shorter tighter skirts ( for going out only).

13 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

I don't have a great many feelings about this... I actually pair a blazer with my skirts when I *want* to look more corporate, so I guess I agree with you. Mostly, I take it as it comes when determining which length of blazer goes with which skirts. I'm a fan of "a short skirt and a long jacket" and I think the opposite is true, too (cropped jacket with longer skirts).

13 years ago

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I am a blazer wearer too and have put many of them with jeans and skirts. I think the cut is important but so is the fabric. A linen or cotton jacket will look less formal than a suiting fabric and a denim jacket less formal than a linen or cotton. I also think that a striped jacket is more casual than a solid. I have the white and navy jacket and use it in casual outfits.

13 years ago

Jjsloane

Veteran

What Deborah just said so beautifully. I had on a blazer and skirt today and while it was bright kelly green knit the pencil skirt made it quite corporate.

13 years ago

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

This may be just my style personality with my bias toward dresses and skirts, but I kind of feel like wearing blazers and pants (unless they're jeans) looks more corporate than wearing blazers with skirts. But I don't consider myself a "blazer person" necessarily. I mean I have the cropped blazers that I posted, but I don't really have any traditional longer blazers (like those black or white blazers that people tend to wear a lot). I'm more likely to wear a cardigan or denim or leather jacket.

13 years ago

Anonymous

You guys all look so great! And I guess it goes without saying but most of you have, ahem, *jobs* so of course even the most conservative combo would look totally appropriate. I should have said, "Blazers with skirts for casual MOTG looks" but you have probably figured that out, lol! I have a dark denim pencil skirt and I used to wear a white blazer with it along with some sort of printed blouse. I always felt like I looked like I was going to the office (if I had one). Switching to a white denim jacket helped. Maybe it was a combination of neutral colors and straight cuts that made the combination look more like career wear.

I did recently pick up a striped knit blazer, but after I got it home I realized that it's not really that cropped, it just has 3/4 sleeves. I'm not loving the proportions it creates with a skirt, but I'll have to style it and post pictures so you all can help me. Another day.

13 years ago

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

No secret I'm a HUGE lover of blazers and wear them with dresses, skirts and pants alike. Longer length blazers are fab with pants and jeans, whereas I try to keep them a bit shorter (as Diana pointed out) for skirts. There are also two different lengths for skirts - if I'm wearing a pencil skirt, a little bit longer will work, but if I'm wearing a fuller skirt, cropped is the way to go.

I love the look of bootcut jeans, white button down and blazer - one of my all time favourite casual blazer looks.

13 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Ya, longer blazers give you that Muffy-in-a-headband feel. A cropped blazer would be *fresher.*

13 years ago

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

Since I tend to wear business attired, I definitely wear blazers or cropped jackets with skirts. Most of my blazer jackets are cotton based so it does make my outfits a bit less "corporate."

13 years ago

Vildy

Veteran

I'm grateful for this thread as I own way too many blazers. There's something about a jacket over a skirt or dress that doesn't feel right to me and I think I've figured it out from this discussion. I look at the back view a lot and what bothers me is the (usually) contrast fabrics where it looks disjointed, jarring to me. Though may be perfectly fine from the front because usually worn open! And yes I have jackets of varying lengths.
And I tend to picture blazers, when I'm considering acquiring one, as over pants. And I wear them over pants. No problem. No problem with the back view.

It's *because* I don't like the proportionality of the back view of blazer and skirt/skirt of a dress. It's the greater quantity of jacket fabric that seems to bother me. With pants, there's a more equal proportion of the two or perhaps the jacket is the lesser proportion. Soooo, if I follow some of the above advice and wear cropped or waist length blazers - problem solved for me!

13 years ago

sarah

Veteran

Claire, perhaps blazers with skirts are tricky to pull of for a MOTG look. I will give you that.

13 years ago

Anonymous

It would have to be the right blazer with the right skirt, but the same would be true for a blazer with pants.

13 years ago

Anonymous

I like the structure of blazers and jackets and also don't have a real "job". When first coming to YLF I saw some members pairing a denim pencil skirt, graphic tee and boyfriend blazer. I still like that combination. I've added a couple of unlined cotton blazers that seem to work with skirts and look casual. Collar popping and sleeve scrunching helps. It may also help that my denim pencil skirt is just below my knees...more of a midi. A fuller skirt seems to call for a cropped jacket that will show your waist, or fitted at the waist.
I just looked at Goldenpig's photos and see that many of her fuller skirts are midi length which may be the key to wearing jackets as long as hers. Also, they are buttoned at the waist.

13 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Vildy, how is wearing a blazer with trousers any less contrasting than when you wear it with a dress or skirt from the rear view?

Claire, it's all been said. Hope that you get sorted AFTER your 112 degree Summer!

13 years ago

Vildy

Veteran

Angie, what I was trying to say is - probably because I'm short - I don't like the rear
proportion of more jacket and necessarily less length of skirt. If it's 2 matching pieces, as in a skirt suit, then it's all monochrome, anyway. Otherwise, I feel the blockiness of it.

All of my pants would
have more fabric length showing beneath a blazer hem - especially with not too long a hem and with heels extending the leg. I realize I could have a much longer skirt with jacket and get more skirt length that way but then I feel dumpy in a 70's way. I do like, though, the rear view of your short denim jacket with skirt. This looks just right to me. And seemed like a good solution for me.

Just an odd personal preference about the proportion of top and bottom fabrics.

13 years ago

MsMary

Veteran

I am firmly on Team Blazers With Skirts. That is my everyday uniform for work! I agree, though, that it's a little trickier for MsOTG.

13 years ago

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