This post on The Comfortable Blazer is part of The Five Must-Have Pieces for Your Work Wardrobe series. Take the Five Must-Haves Challenge with Real Life Style. Join us on Zoom for suggestions on how to shop for and style these pieces Tuesday April 6th, 2021. Register for the last session of the series here.
No, a comfortable blazer is not an oxymoron. What’s the secret to a comfortable blazer? Stretch, stretch, and more stretch.
A lot of women give up on blazers because they think the look is too formal and/or the fit too constricting. You just haven’t met the right blazer! 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 that does not serve you for a comfortable blazer. Choose from our tried and true favorites below, or find your own. Shop new, shop secondhand, or steal one from your fashionable sister’s closet. Just do it!
Happy Shopping!
Lani
P.S. Which of the below blazers do Kyle and Lani own? If you know, tell others in the comments!
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 over a year! Aday clothing aims to be technical, seasonless, and sustainable. Yes, yes, and yes, please!
Athleta
Athleta may have started as an athletic and athleisure wear brand, but their Interstellar Blazer goes to work. This is a favorite for sporty clients who want their clothing to be functional and put-together. Working at home and trying to prioritize your workouts? Throw your Athleta Interstellar Blazer and eye-catching jewelry over your workout top, and you can transition seamlessly from making lunch for your kids to a Zoom meeting to an exercise session.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see your size in either of the Athleta blazers. They continually sell out and then restock, so keep checking back! Take it from me, they are worth the effort!
Athleta Interstellar Blazer, $198 $79.99
Athleta Venice Heathered Blazer, $198 $99.99
J.Crew
J.Crew has been a go-to resource for comfortable blazers, including sweater blazers and Coatigans, for the last few seasons. Their Sophie sweater blazer is one of our favorites. You can wear it with everything from jeans to trousers to skirts. It comes in a million colors and sizes, and feels like wearing a blanket!
J.Crew Going Out Blazer, $168 (available in sizes 000-22, as well as petite and tall)
J.Crew Sophie Open Front Sweater Blazer, $148 (available in XXXS to 3X)
Majestic
Majestic jackets are more 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.
Majestic French Terry One-Button Blazer, $270
Marie Saint Pierre
Marie Saint Pierre makes knit blazers that are in their own category. As Betsy Fisher of the Betsy Fisher boutique always says, they are an investment in your professional development. You will feel like a million dollars in one of their jackets. The ideal minimalist power wardrobe would involve purchasing just a few pieces of Marie Saint Pierre every season, both in their solid colors and patterns. We are obsessed with the quality and design aesthetic of the brand, as are a few 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 a Jardigan that works for them. This piece 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, $195 (available in sizes XS to +3)
MM.LaFleur Merritt Jardigan, $225
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 (also available in petite and plus sizes)
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
NYDJ Blazer Jacket in Jefferson Houndstooth, $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 it’s soft felted wool and cool style. 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 Two Button Blazer, $279 (also available in petite and plus sizes)
Talbots Easy Travel Stand Collar Blazer, $209 (also available in petite and plus sizes)
Talbots Notched Collar Sweater Blazer, $149 (also available in petite and plus sizes)
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 anything, especially now that they have a collaboration with Erdem!
Universal Standard Eco Rio Blazer, $248 (Available in sizes 00-40)
Universal Standard Megan Blazer, $215 (Available in sizes 00-40)
Universal Standard Miranda Ponte Blazer, $188 (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.
Veronica Beard Scuba Dickey Jacket, $600 (Available in sizes 00 to 24)
What is your favorite comfortable blazer? Do you know which of these styles or brands Lani and Kyle own? 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.
You can find Lani Inlander and Real Life Style on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
