This post on The Comfortable Blazer is part of The Five Must-Have Pieces for Your Work Wardrobe series.
No, a comfortable blazer is not an oxymoron. What’s the secret to a comfortable blazer that still flatters? Fabric with stretch so that it moves with you, a bit of structure, and the correct length.
A lot of women give up on blazers because they think the look is too formal or the fit too constricting. You just haven’t met the right blazer, I say! Everyone looks better in a jacket or blazer. No one feels (or looks) put together in a cardigan. You can carve that on my gravestone!
Your challenge this week? Trade in at least one old cardigan or blazer that does not serve you for one that does. Choose from our tried and true favorites below, or find your own. Shop new, shop secondhand, or steal one from your fashionable friend’s closet. Just do it!
Happy Shopping!
Aday
Aday suiting is made with wrinkle free, machine washable, stretchy fabric. Perfect for when you have to travel for work again one day. Or when you can’t find the iron because you haven’t used it in a year (or two)! Aday clothing aims to be technical, seasonless, and sustainable. We’ll take that!
Commando
Commando, the brand known for comfortable, seamless underwear, now makes a blazer. Wait, what??? While I’ve been recommending Commando’s luxury neoprene pants for a few seasons, I never dreamed they would come out with a raw-cut edged neoprene blazer. This wash-and-wear blazer comes in both basic and fashion colors. There are even matching pants!
Commando Neoprene CEO Blazer in 5 colors, $298
J.Crew
J.Crew has been a go-to resource for comfortable blazers, including Sweater Blazers and Coatigans, for the last few seasons. The J.Crew Going Out Blazer is a dependable classic. It can be worn with everything from jeans to trousers to skirts. It comes in 3 colors and about a million sizes. You truly can’t go wrong with this blazer.
J.Crew Going Out Blazer, $178 (available in sizes 00-24, as well as petite and tall)
J.Crew Cecile Sweater Blazer, $168 (available in XXS to 3X)
Majestic
Majestic jackets are more appropriate for business casual/casual than a formal office environment. Majestic produces their super cozy terry fleece for winter and a cooler, stretchy linen in summer. These jackets are the perfect switch out for an old cardigan in a very casual workplace. Check out the fun colors and (sometimes) patterns they make!
Majestic Fitted Linen Blazer, $270
Marie Saint Pierre
Marie Saint Pierre makes jersey double knit blazers that are in their own category. As Betsy Fisher of Betsy Fisher Online (formerly the famous DC boutique) always says, “they are an investment in your professional development”. You feel like a million dollars in an “MSP” jacket. The ideal minimalist power wardrobe would involve purchasing just a few pieces of Marie Saint Pierre every season, in a variety of fabrics, colors, and patterns. We are obsessed with the quality and design aesthetic of the brand, as are many of our clients.
Marie Saint Pierre Anna Blazer, $1,130
MM.LaFleur
Other brands may be making their own versions now, but there is no arguing that MM.LaFleur coined the term “Jardigan”. We tell all women that instead of the pilled cardigan on the back of their chair at work, there should be the Jardigan silhouette that works for them. The Jardigan works with dresses, skirts, and pants, depending upon your height and the style you purchase.
MM.LaFleur makes multiple versions so there is a jardigan that works for most women. They now also make skirts and pants in matching fabrics. If you’re looking for more structure, MM Lafleur’s more traditional blazer styles also mean business.
MM.LaFleur The Woolf Jardigan, $245 (available in sizes XS to +3)
MM.LaFleur Merritt Jardigan, $265
MM.LaFleur Moreland Blazer, $325
Nic + Zoe
Nic+Zoe manages to marry soft stretchy knits with structured silhouettes. Each season brings new colors and textures to the line up. Even better, these versatile, comfortable blazers come in petite, plus, and misses sizes.
Nic and Zoe Fringe Mix Jacket, $198
Nic and Zoe Grace Blazer, $148
Norma Kamali
The Norma Kamali Single Breasted Blazer is an amazing option, constructed with a cool laser-cut neoprene that is machine washable and wrinkle-resistant. We love that this always comes in a number of cool colors and patterns!
Norma Kamali Single Breasted Jacket, $285
Norma Kamali Single Breasted Jacket, $295
NYDJ
You know how much we love NYDJ pants! They took their magically flattering, structured but comfortable ponte fabric and turned it into a ponte blazer that our clients have been snapping up. Check the website for new patterns and colors. They come and go quickly!
NYDJ Black Ponte Blacker Jacket, $139
Rag and Bone
Rag and Bone’s sweater blazers truly feel like wearable blankets. The Lexington blazer is a favorite of our clients for its soft felted wool fabric and cool styling. The Slade Blazer is a classic jacket that also functions as outerwear. We love to see which colors arrive in store each season!
Rag and Bone Lexington Blazer, $550
Rag and Bone Slade Blazer, $550
Talbots
We used to recommend Talbots only for clients with classic style, but they now carry some modern, chic fabrics and cuts. Talbots’ easy travel fabric is a drapey, wrinkle resistant poly-blend that is machine washable. And their luxe Italian fabric is a high-quality structured ponte that glides over the body. Talbot’s sweater blazers work well for a more casual workplace.
Talbots Italian Luxe Knit Blazer, $279 (also available in petite and plus sizes)
Talbots Easy Travel Stand Collar Blazer, $209 (also available in petite and plus sizes)
Theory
Theory’s Linen Blend Blazer in Poppy has to be our most loved blazer of Spring 2022. If you are not familiar with Theory’s “Crunch” fabric, as the brand used to call it, you should be. This stretch linen is meant to be washed on cold and hung dry, NEVER dry-cleaned, and worn a bit rumpled. And boy does it stretch! We usually recommend purchasing any item in Theory’s stretch linen one size down. However, this season’s favorite Linen Blend Blazer is a boxy style, so we are actually recommending going two sizes down.
Theory Linen Blend Blazer, $425 comes in four colors
Universal Standard
Universal Standard’s workwear is just as well-fitting, well-designed, and well-priced as the rest of this inclusively sized brand. I dare you to go to the Universal Standard website and not purchase any of their flattering clothing in sizes 00-40!
Universal Standard Eco Rio Blazer, $248 (Available in sizes 00-40)
Universal Standard Desk to Dinner Ponte Blazer, $238 (Available in sizes 00-40)
Veronica Beard
The Veronica Beard Scuba Dickey Jacket is one of the best blazer values out there. The fabric is super forgiving and wears like iron. Many of our clients have one in black and one in navy as their basic foundation jackets. Best of all, you can buy separate dickeys to zip in and out, making this one one of the most versatile blazers you can buy. (It also comes in white!)
Veronica Beard Scuba Dickey Jacket, $645 (Available in sizes 00 to 24)
What is your favorite comfortable blazer? Let everyone know in the comments!
Real Life Style is a style consulting firm that teaches busy women to wear their power so they can live their lives fully and confidently. Lani Inlander and Kyle Dunphy are based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and serve clients across the country. We offer personal styling services, an on-demand e-course, corporate services, and training to become a personal stylist.
Once in a while, you can find Lani Inlander and Real Life Style on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Mostly, they are happily busy serving their fabulous clients, not hanging out online!
I hate any kind of blazer or sport coat but I tried the J Crew blazer you suggested and it’s a winner!! Thank you so much for this blog it’s a wonderful resource 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that something worked for you! We should rename this blog, “the blazer blog for people who hate blazers”. You are not the only one!