Our Magnificent 8 group of women whose ages range from their 20s to their 80s (my mother) are talking about how to style a boyfriend blazer. Actually, I lied. The theme for this quarter was blazers, but I took it upon myself to give you 4 unique approaches for how to style a boyfriend blazer since we have worn shorter blazers in the past.
Quote of the day: “You are the average of the 5 habits you repeat most.” James Clear
My take on this for how to style a boyfriend blazer: do you put together an intentional outfit daily?
Blazers have been a favorite of mine ever since watching “What Not to Wear”. Of course, it didn’t hurt that as a dentist, I felt more professional in this item. Yet when I retired, I did what many retired people do, and gave away much of my workwear.
In my defense, I only gave away the drab-colored pieces and pieces I didn’t love as much. But I do wonder if I would be wearing them again.
Fast forward to starting this blog and realizing that our clothing is MUCH MORE versatile than we think. Too often, we categorize a clothing item, and that creates a roadblock to styling it.
I used to do this (and maybe you do too)
1-Call an item dressy or casual
2-Refer to it as workwear or weekend wear
3-Put shirts in my workout drawer yet they could be worn as normal shirts
I’m sure there are more, but the key is to stop labeling our clothing, and just wear it!
As I said above, we have showcased outfits wearing shorter blazers, so make sure to include those in your inspiration.
- Easy way to style a blazer casually –there are both shorter and longer blazers shown in this article.
- 5 Looks with an embroidered blazer
- Old lady store blazer outfit
What is a Boyfriend Blazer?
Blazers are having their day whether you are working or retired. Retailers are showcasing both boyfriend blazers and shorter blazers and I’m here for it.
Why? Because they give off a pulled-together vibe no matter what you pair them with. You don’t have to look like you’re going to the office, yet you can have an intentional look that was easy to put together.
When we talk about boyfriend blazers, the thought is you borrowed your male friend’s item and wore it. That means that it’s a tad oversized, it’s boxier instead of fitted, and is longer.
You can sometimes find some inexpensive blazers at the thrift store, but I also found some great options depending on your price range.
How to Style a Boyfriend Blazer
Now the rule of thought with how to style a boyfriend blazer would be to make sure the clothing you are wearing it with is fitted. This goes with the rule that if one part of your outfit has volume then the other part is streamlined so you aren’t overwhelmed with your clothes.
And it’s a good guideline, but I want us to start realizing that sometimes rules are meant to be broken. There are times when wearing 2 voluminous pieces can look great. I experimented with that concept when wearing a pair of culottes.
Insider tip: So no matter what fashion rule you hear, read, or think about, always remember that there are exceptions to the rules. Or in your mind start calling them guidelines instead.
The 3 of us came to this idea of how to style boyfriend blazers by pairing them with a dress, a skort, wide jeans, and shorts. That doesn’t mean there aren’t many other ways to style them. Wear them with any style of jeans, with skirts and even with pants.
My simple tip is to take a selfie of your outfit and/or have another set of eyes give you an opinion. But when it comes down to it, remember, as long as you feel good in it, that’s the most important part.
Jodie-Wide Jeans and Oversized Blazer
This example is breaking the guideline of loose with loose since the boyfriend blazer is oversized and so are the jeans. Yet I did keep the pieces under the blazer more form-fitting.
I purchased these jeans many years ago. They are the brand Molly Bracken which I liken to Betsey Johnson’s style but not always as colorful or whimsical. These jeans are probably my first pair of wide-leg jeans and they were included in how-to wear that silhouette of pants many years ago.
This blazer was handed down to me by my bestie when she passed away. I wore it a lot during my working career, and I kept it because I liked having the longer style to wear as a coat, especially with dresses. Even though I don’t wear black much anymore, it can be lightened up with other items.
The vest is also from my working days and I paired it with a bralette. I used the green of the scarf and the green in the shoes to bookend each other.
If you don’t want to wear a bralette, a camisole or Halftee is another option. See Halftee styles here and use code Jtouch20.
Charlotte Wearing a Dress with her Boyfriend Blazer
Charlotte recently found this boyfriend blazer at a garage sale in the neighborhood. It’s such a perfect color for the summer and pairs well with her fair complexion.
For our assignment on how to style a boyfriend blazer, she paired it with a floral dress.
I think a blazer (both oversized like a boyfriend one or even a shorter one) is a wonderful option for any dress that needs a layer. You don’t always need to grab a coat from the coat closet.
We were talking about this dress because it’s a thinner, silk material and my mom doesn’t usually wear her skirts this short. But I was so impressed that she was comfortable wearing it this day since she has wonderful legs.
And while most of the younger generation doesn’t wear half-slips anymore, my mom was commenting that she did wear one with this dress.
This is a great example of how the proportions work wonderfully with the length of the dress. The blazer is 2/3 of the area of clothing, while the dress only shows 1/3 making it an ideal proportion.
Insider tip: Remember that even proportions are a guideline. I don’t follow them all of the time, but if something seems wonky with an outfit, consider changing the proportions and see if it’s better.
Related post: Comparing side-by-side examples of different proportions for outfits
Details
Since my mom’s dress has so many fabulous colors in it, she had a lot of options for her accessories. In the long run, she chose orange-based accessories and shoes.
And while you could say that the purse competes with the dress, I think it’s really a fun detail. Besides, another way to think of it, is that the purse is camouflaged by the dress, haha.
Lesley-How to Style a Boyfriend Blazer with a Skort
Lesley calls this an “Arizona suit” with a skort instead of a skirt or slacks. She says: “It’s sorta professional but remove the blazer and jewelry and it can hike or play pickleball, although I’d switch to sneakers in that case.
This outfit would work for a business, church presentation, or medical appointment. For date night, you could easily change out the t-shirt to a cami and the wedges to heels for dinner or a matinee at the theater.”
Red is a fabulous color for Lesley and maybe you’ll notice if you look closely that the blazer and skorts are not exactly the same shade of red. It’s very darn close, and definitely a good pairing.
And instead of just wearing a neutral color t-shirt under the jacket, Lesley wore a yellow one. Color combinations are the easiest way to change up a look.
Detail
Since the t-shirt under the blazer is solid colored and very plain, Lesley wore 2 necklaces layered.
Then she brought in all kinds of other colors with the purse and wedge shoes. Lesley doesn’t wear high heels so this wedge is doable for her.
Jodie-Shorts and a Boyfriend Blazer
Thinking about the proportions of how to style this boyfriend blazer, made me realize that I should opt for longer shorts. That’s why I grabbed these suede shorts that I had DIYed last year from a pair of suede pants.
Insider tip: That’s the easiest way to get shorts the length you want. Have a pair of pants or jeans shortened. If you can’t do it yourself, it’s worth the alteration cost.
I’m wearing the same boyfriend blazer that I wore above with the wide jeans so you could see it a couple of ways. To counteract having black near my face, I wore it with a yellow sleeveless button-down.
Instead of tucking in my button-down to shorten it, I tried an “origami” technique of buttoning the middle buttons. Instead of lining up the buttons and buttonholes, you button them “wrong”. For this example, I pulled up the 2nd to bottom button and put it in the 4th from the bottom hole, and then did the opposite for the others. I’ll show an easy video using snaps on Facebook, but sometimes you have to play with your shirt or jacket because it depends on the material and drape of it.
The platform “dad” sandals are definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, I wouldn’t have them except they were too small for Cathie so she gave them to me.
I originally had styled thinner black sandals, but the oversized blazer on top, needed some volume at the feet, otherwise, it seemed out of balance.
Details
I receive so many compliments on these daisy earrings. Summer is the perfect time for flower earrings, so I rounded up a couple of pairs for you that are all under $25.
And if you are someone who loves combat boots, then this kind of platform sandal might be your summertime bestie. Yes, they are clunky, and yes they are the opposite of feminine, and delicate, but as modern women we are allowed to mix up our “style” instead of always looking the same.
Did you like what you just read?
Consider buying me a coffee as a thank you. The best gift you can give a content creator is the gift of sharing or supporting. You could share this article on Facebook, or Pinterest or even email it to a friend. Thank you so much for your support!!
The Magnificent 8 & How to Style a Boyfriend Blazer
The Magnificent 8 is a collaboration among 8 stylish women, each in a different age bracket, ranging from their early 20s to their mid-80s. The mission of this collaboration is to show you just how ageless style is, and how we can each dress, however, we’d like, and in ways that make us feel fabulous. There are no age restrictions on style. So wear what you want, when you want, add a smile, and strut your style with confidence.
You should definitely sign up for the emails below. Besides the free eBook, my email family gets personal tidbits of what’s going on in my life along with other happenings, sales, information, giveaways, extra photos, and interesting articles.
And be sure to check out all of these amazing women talking about how to style blazers. While the three of us concentrated on how to style boyfriend blazers, you might find variety with the other women.
NOT every post goes live at the same time, so if it’s not up when you check them out, I hope that you will check back later!!! It’s hard when we are all in different time zones.
Grace of Graceful Rags
Mica of Away from the Blue
Roxanne of Glass of Glam
Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
Rena of Fine Whatever
Eugenia of Age of Grace
Lesley and Charlotte of Jodie’s Touch of Style
Thank you
If you’ve enjoyed this, I hope you will look around the site and…
- find out more about the blog here. Including behind-the-scenes of our relationship here.
- you can see all the categories of past posts here
- feel free to use any discounts or deals that I share here.
- make sure to sign up for emails to enjoy fun features in every email PLUS get my recent eBook here.
- follow me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.
- and if you ever want to reach out or have any requests, feel free to email me at JTouchofStyle@gmail.com
If you enjoyed any of this information, I would appreciate it if you would share, share and share wherever you can!! You can do this by saving an image to your Pinterest board or sharing this post on Facebook. Or send this post to your friend, and make sure they sign up for the emails.
Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.
It’s not just about me on this blog, but also about my mother and friend. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.
Find out more about all of us here. And make sure to join the email list where I include so much more.