Author of this post - Sanskriti Kapoor
Blazers. We know them, we love them. But what's the best way to buy them?
What is a Blazer?
Let us start by first addressing the most vexing question – what exactly is a blazer? One might be tempted to think it is any jacket that happens to be worn without matching pants. The Oxford American Dictionary describes it as a “sports jacket not worn with matching trousers.”
Meanwhile, the Oxford English Dictionary describes it as “a coloured jacket worn by schoolchildren or sports players as part of a uniform” or “a plain jacket not forming part of a suit but considered appropriate for formal wear.” The Free Dictionary describes it as “A lightweight, often striped or brightly coloured sports jacket having pockets and notched lapels.” And the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as “a jacket that is worn over a shirt and that looks like a suit jacket but is not part of a suit.” Clear as mud, eh?
What kind of women's blazers are in style?
Both Vice and Erlanger touched on how this year is all about comfort. "There's going to continue to be an ease to dressing, but that's why a blazer is perfect: it's season-less and transitional truly all year round," Erlanger said. She also mentioned that softer, relaxed silhouettes are going to be popular for that exact reason.
Vice mentioned that he's seeing a lot of oversized blazers, ones you can roll up to your elbows and even cropped blazers on his radar. "The houndstooth pattern is in [and] the jacquard pattern is in, [along with] a lot of that '80s funk appeal," is a classic pattern comprised of pointed shapes, typically black and white in color. Jacquard, on the other hand, is a detailed, raised pattern that is typically woven into a material.
How to style a women's blazer
Vice said it's typical to keep the clothing underneath your blazer simple, especially if you're sporting an oversized blazer. "It's been minimal underneath, like a crop top or a bodysuit," Vice specified. "The underpinnings are a lot slimmer, but the blazer itself is big."
Speaking of comfort, Vice mentioned he loves pairing blazers with sweatpants and a pair of pumps. You could also wear your favorite blazer with some dad or boyfriend jeans, a T-shirt, loafers and a fun belt to bring it all together. "It's chic but comfortable," Vice said.
How to shop for a women's blazer
There are a few things to look out for when you're shopping for a blazer. "People should be conscious of how the blazer is hitting their body," Vice said. "It should be a comfortable moment for them, and [the fit] will be subjective for each person."
To get the most use of your purchase, Erlanger also advised looking at the inside of blazers. Ones that have an inner lining are typically better because they will hold up better, wear longer and are easier to slip on and off.
Types of Blazers
Blazers, like many other types of coats or jackets, come in a variety of styles, silhouettes and fabrics. Depending on your personal style and lifestyle here are some of the most popular types of blazers to consider adding to your wardrobe.
- Single breasted blazer
- Double breasted blazer
- Leather blazer
- Printed blazer
- Cropped blazer
- Oversized blazer
Single-Breasted Blazer
The most classic type of blazer, single-breasted, is one you have likely seen. This type of blazer can be designed in a variety of different fabrics, colors and prints. Furthermore, it’s a type of blazer that can be easily dressed up or down. Because this is such a classic type of blazer it’s not uncommon to have a couple of different single breasted blazers in your wardrobe.
Double-Breasted Blazer
Somewhat similar to the classic aesthetic of a single-breasted blazer, the double-breasted blazer has two very distinct rows of buttons on each side. Because of the double breasted element this type of blazer tends to act as more of a statement piece. Recently, double-breasted blazers have become a huge trend with styles including gold buttons for added style.
Cropped Blazer
Cropped blazers are a trendy statement style. If you want something that looks fashion forward and shows of your shape, cropped blazers are for you.
Even though cropped length are shorter than regular, full size blazer, they can still come in different lengths ranging from at the hip to just at your belly button.
Generally, it’s best to select a cropped blazer that rests right around your natural waist. This will help you to benefit from the fit and enhance your shape.
Leather jackets as a whole tend to be synonymous with edgy style. To add a bit of edge to your wardrobe, with a garment that’s versatile and classic, leather blazers are a must have.
Printed Blazer
Printed blazers are favored among fashionistas everywhere. Much like blouses and dresses, blazers come in a wide variety of different prints to give you a chance to get creative with your blazer collection. Whether you resonate with feminine, edgy, classic or something in between, there’s a printed blazer that you can have fun styling.
When adding a printed blazer to your wardrobe just keep the color scheme in mind. It’s best to choose a print that has colors that are easy to mix-and-match with everything else in your wardrobe. For example, if you have a lot of black and white pieces you won’t want to add a chocolate brown printed blazer into your wardrobe as it can be harder to wear.
Oversized Blazer
Also known as a boyfriend fit blazer, the oversized look has grown to become a huge trend this year in fashion. With so much 90’s influence in fashion, the oversized look is really fun and fresh. The key when choosing an oversized blazer wearing it with pieces that are more form fitting to create a balanced look and ensure you’re not lost in a lot of oversized fabric.
Blazers are a tailored garment, which is why it’s essential they fit properly. There are a few key areas to pay attention to when determine whether or not it fits you.
How Should a Woman’s Blazer Fit
Shoulders
- Shoulders are one of the most important areas when determining fit of a blazer.
- The shoulders of the blazer should rest where your own shoulder ends.
- If the shoulder seam is above or below your natural shoulder bend the fit isn’t right.
Bust and waist
- The fit of the bust and waist areas of a blazer will vary depending upon the type and style of blazer you wear. Regardless of the blazer style, the key thing to keep in mind in regards to fit is ensuring that it’s not too big or too small.
- If the fit is too big in the bust and/or waist it will often slouch and fold around that area of the body.
- On the flip side, if the bust and/or waist is too small you will notice pulling.
Sleeves
- Now sleeve lengths and styles are going to be different by nature depending upon the overall style of the blazer.
- When you have a full length sleeve blazer it should rest right at the joint of your thumb.
- To properly check the sleeve length, stand straight with your arms down at your sides.
- It’s not uncommon to need some sleeve length tailor and is often an easy fix.
Length
- Length is another element that’s going to differ based on the type of blazer. A good rule of thumb when checking the length of a blazer is that it doesn’t rest in an unflattering place.
- More often than not, the most flattering placement of a blazer will be just above or just below the widest part of your body where the blazer lays.
- If you have an oversized blazer that’s on the longer side and rests around the hip area, make sure it’s just above or just below the widest part of your hips.
Here, I am mentioning some of the Blazers that fits almost all the above parameters. In my experience as a fashion designer, I have come to find the designs mentioned below to be in trend these days. You may take a look -
Blazers - https://amzn.to/30D2MVc, https://amzn.to/33Ibov5, https://amzn.to/3mgFzz, https://amzn.to/3qbG0wi, https://amzn.to/3yEvYry, https://amzn.to/3siqDF2
No comments:
Post a Comment