There is no denying that I LOVE blazers! Whether I'm wearing them over sweaters, button downs or dresses, I love everything that comes with this structured staple. Over the years I've slowly collected a few in different colors, fabrics and materials and I've honed in on the traits I look for when blazer shopping. So, today I want to share that with you.
Fit is important no matter what you're wearing, but when it comes to blazer, I like them to fit in 4 key places. First, I like my blazers to fit well in the shoulders and to come as close to the end of my shoulders as possible. Ideally, the shoulder cut will come exactly where my shoulders curve down - creating a crisp line.
Next, I like my blazers to fit well in the sleeves. Specifically, I like my sleeves to fall somewhere between my wrist bone and right below my first thumb knuckle. I find that on me that length lends itself well to the looks I like to create without overwhelming my short frame.
The third place I like my blazers to fit well is in the waist/back. For me, a slightly nipped in waist does wonders for the overall fit of my blazer and helps me from feeling lost in such a structured piece. Lastly, I always aim to have my blazers hit no lower than a few inches below my hips. This helps me fake longer legs and also suits the silhouettes I tend to wear.
When it comes to fall and winter blazers I like to opt for wool, wool blends, cashmere, cashmere blends and camel hair. These materials all lend themselves nicely to cooler weather and do a wonderful job of keeping me warm without suffocating me.
For wool, 100% wool is usually pretty easy to come by at a reasonable price so I tend to opt out of spending more than roughly $250 on a wool blazer. Also, I've had excellent luck finding 100% wool blazers gently used or brand new, never worn on eBay, etsy and the like. For wool blends, I like to go by feel because sometimes the blend can be comprised of too many synthetic fibers so it becomes uncomfortable to wear.
Cashmere and cashmere blends tend to be incredibly luxurious but also very pricey so I tend to avoid them all together. That said, I would recommend checking eBay, TheRealReal.com and more if you have your eye on a cashmere blazer but don't want to spend retail.
Lastly, just as the name suggests camel hair is made from the hair of a camel and tends to be very expensive. I own one camel hair blazer from Brooks Brothers that retails for close to $1,000 (!!!) but I purchased it for only $100 by shopping on eBay so it's a great way to get a high-end piece at a fraction of the price. Also, if you're opposed to real camel hair you can get the same look by opting for a wool blazer that has been dyed a camel color.
When it comes to patterns or materials for fall blazers, I like to stick to the classics like herringbone, tweed, boucle and plaid. For colors I like traditional fall hues like rust, brown, deep blues and camel.
Like any article of clothing, I find that the details really help a piece to standout. For blazers, I love great buttons (though I don't hesitate to change out the buttons if they aren't perfect). I also always look for clean, neatly sewed lining and even pockets with no loose seams.
In my personal blazer collection I have quite a few jackets that I have collected over the years. Depending on your personal preferences, you may think that I have too many or too few but for me the number feels just right. I've spent years collecting them and have every intention of wearing them for years to come. In the below video I've outlined each one in my collection along with where I purchased each one for you. Thank you so much for watching!
