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What To Do When Fitted Blazers Stop Making Sense

A few weeks ago I talked about how the oversized blazer trend would not be going anywhere for fall and gave you some tips on shopping for your own. Well my love for the style has only grown since I wrote that, and I thought I’d share with you some of the ways I’ve been styling mine.

I think I initially held out on this look because it seemed high maintenance. It felt like there were only a few options for it, and that it wouldn’t work with my existing wardrobe. It wasn’t until I was having a particularly “ugh, I have like nothing to wear” morning that I could I see the light.

I was feeling very uninspired and that all my clothes were boring or frumpy, so I opened Instagram where I have a saved page for all the looks I see in my feed that I really like. It’s great when you need a little extra help getting ready. All the looks I’d saved recently involved an oversized blazer. The looks were all super different, worn by lots of different people, but they were all united by this one piece. And then it clicked, I knew exactly what I needed to look they way I wanted to.

I took one last look at my wardrobe, to see if something, anything would fit the bill and pulled my BF’s jacket out on a whim. And what happened next is history!

Since then its been smooth sailing for me and my oversized blazer, it’s not actually a difficult style to rock at all, but I have figured out some key ways to wear it so you don’t look like you’re playing dress up in your dad’s best suit.

Obviously the only real rule here is if you like it, wear it and to hell with all the rest! But since that is easier said than done, sometimes a few pointers make it all possible. The key with this is to get the proportions right. The jacket is big, so you don’t want to drown yourself.

I’m a huge fan of the casual blazer look, so I wear mine with jeans A LOT. Jeans are great and easy to wear, but sometimes they don’t feel done or pulled together enough to me. Having something that’s a little more polished and dressed-up keeps me from feeling like I’ve fallen into a rut.

Skinny jeans with an oversized blazer is pretty much a can’t miss outfit in my book. The proportions balance each other out and keep you from swimming in your clothes. The jacket is structured and tailored, which adds a little umph to your everyday blue jeans. Having the option to roll and/or push the sleeves up keeps you from looking like you put the wrong paper doll parts together.

These jeans are bigger than I would normally wear it with, but paired with a fitted top and belt to nip it in at the waist keeps it from being overwhelming. Keeping it all one colour gives it intent and purpose, so nothing looks out of place.

You don’t have to stick to trousers or jeans. Menswear inspired outerwear is a great way to balance out a super feminine dress and lets you keep wearing it well into fall. Pairing it with light and airy fabric keeps the whole thing from being to stiff or school-marmy. Like with the belt, the nipped in waist means that nothing is getting lost in the weight of the blazer. Keeping the shoe the same colour as the jacket makes the dress the statement instead of the blazer. If you’er worried about the directional/fashuny vibes of the whole oversized trend this makes it very wearable. And more appropriate for an office or formal setting. However, if you are ready to take the training wheels off your oversized blazer this look would work just as well with ankle boots or trainers!

Of course perhaps the simplest option is that if you’ve added fabric to something, take it away from something else. A miniskirt is never gonna do you wrong paired with an oversized blazer. As the temps drop, rock it with a pair of tights. Ankle boots, knee high, even flats will work with this. The skirt is doing all the work here, so you can go a little crazy with the rest of the outfit. You don’t have to coordinate the lining of your jacket with your shoes, but it helps!

The oversized blazer was a real lightning rod for my wardrobe these past few weeks. I’ve paired it with loads of things and these looks have really stood out and worked for me. It’s way more versatile than I initially thought it would be, and I’ve not needed anything I didn’t already have to make it work. It’s a really easy way to play with volume, which can be so hard to get right with fashion.

Like I said in my first post about them, I really recommend looking at what you might already have lying around to make this look work; or going vintage. This is not the first time oversized suiting has been on trend, so there are lots of options for getting in on it. However if the perfect preloved one is eluding you, I’ve linked a couple below that are in shops now!