A Smart Casual Wardrobe Essential…The Blazer

Posted: 8th November 2016

A Smart Casual Wardrobe Essential…The Blazer

Hi There!

As it becomes cooler, like me, you are probably getting out your knitwear and coats to keep warm! It can often seem like there is a bit of a gap in what to wear to dress the part for business and stay warm.

A key wardrobe essential for a smart casual business wardrobe is the blazer. Suit jackets are too formal, snuggly jumpers can be too casual and the blazer is a versatile alternative.

Ways to wear a blazer;

  • As a jacket over a cardigan/jumper
  • With your jeans for a casual look
  • With a skirt and boots
  • Over a jumper dress
  • Funk it up with corsages/brooches or scarves!

  There are a ton of options for blazers this season as regards colours, styles and fabric. 

I love wool blazers and Laura Ashley is my fave. I didn’t go for black as it doesn’t work with navy or blue that well so my two blazers are raspberry and grey. I suit deep, bright, blue based colour (a ‘Winter’ in colour analysis terms) so grey is a great neutral for me and raspberry a fun, more casual option. What colour do you fancy?I also didn’t go for pattern – because it limits what you can wear it with. I want my blazer to be versatile and go with as much of my wardrobe as possible.

Fabric wise – wool or tweed blazers are going to be very warm. You might want to choose a thinner material with a looser weave and opt for a more open style if you are always warm or get hot moments. You can always put a scarf on if you get a bit cold.

Fabrics with a bit of stretch in them and which have a looser weave/are semi structured will better if you are curvier. A thick, rigid tweed blazer will just box you in! If you’re quite angular then tweed will work well. Choose accordingly!

Pockets – useful to put things in but careful with where they sit on the blazer as they add emphasis to curvy hips or bust if they sit at that level.

If you are a blazer advocate let me know what you love and if you want to get one then I hope this helped! Let me know how you get on!

Chat soon, Hazel

Hazel Robinson, Image and Style Consultant, Nuts About Style