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Updated: Dec 4, 2023 71 Comments · by

Five Great Blazers Under $50

Wear to Work |

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Five Great Blazers Under $50

Sure, we all drool over the $600+ blazers — but I realized the other day that there are so many great blazers under $50 right now that I could devote an entire post to it. So: whether you're building your wardrobe for a summer internship, preparing to be a summer associate, or just looking to add a casual, affordable, lightweight blazer to your wardrobe — this is the post for you.

An important caveat at the start: know your office! If you're in a very conservative office, these styles may be too casual for a lot of work days. But: if you want to elevate a business casual look, keep something in the office in case you get cold, or even look professional if you have to run into the office on the weekend — you'll reach for these comfortable, knit blazers.

{related: The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women}

Our Latest Favorite Blazers In General

Some of the best blazers for women in 2024 — great for wearing as separates! — include options from Cinq à Sept, J.Crew (collarless and collared), Everlane, and Madewell. Hunting for a deal? Check out J.Crew Factory and Amazon (Cicy Bell, The Drop).

navy blazer for women
Cicy Bell / Amazon
professional woman wears collarless blazer
J.Crew
woman wears oversized boyfriend blazer in coral with white ivory tank and shorts
Everlane
A woman wearing a tweed blazer and denim pants
Cinq à Sept

Some of Our Latest Favorite Women's Blazers Under $50

Hunting for women's blazers under $50? Our favorites as of 2024 are below — if you're open to going up to $75, also check out these options from Amazon, J.Crew Factory, Old Navy, and this Uniqlo blazer.

woman wears navy suit blazer with nothing underneath (do not do that for work please)
H&M
woman wears gray blazer with gray top (shades of shades) with, unfortunately, denim shorts
Walmart
navy blazer for women
Amazon
redheaded woman wears black blazer with light blue dress; she has her hand in a patch pocket
Target (XS-4X!)

The below products may be out of stock, but they were cute at the time…

$30 blazer for work! This blazer has been around for YEARS and everyone sings its praises. It's available in black and gray at the moment (but readers were singing the praises recently of a white version of the same blazer), sizes XS-XXL, for $29.99. You may want to consider removing the shoulder pads. Tailored Ponte Blazer – Merona

{related: the best blazers for women in 2023}

affordable knit blazer Uniqlo This Uniqlo blazer is cut a bit more loose, but you can size down if you want a tighter fit. It's only got a few reviews on site, but they're all 5 stars, including this reviewer, who raved: “It looks like you're wearing a professional suit Jacket but it feels like you're wearing your most comfortable sweatshirt!” It's available in off-white, gray, black, and navy, sizes XS-XL. The blazer is normally$39.99, but is on sale today for $29.99. UV CUT JERSEY JACKET

{related: do check out our regularly updated list of wardrobe essentials for work!}

affordable knit blazers for workWe're big fans of H&M's Conscious line in Casa Griffin, but the last time I was in a physical store I wandered over to the regular jersey blazers and they seemed great — a nice thick ponte, cute colors, and a trendy cut. I love this “powder melange” color, but note that it also comes in black — and if you've been struggling with getting blazers to look right with dresses, the ruched sleeves may be just what you needed. The blazer is $34.99, available in sizes 2-16. Jersey Jacket

{related: a great blazer alternative: the sweater jacket}

comfortable blazers for workThis blazer is $79 full price, but often goes below $50 on sale — indeed, three colors are on sale currently for $47, including this lovely white spacedye pattern. This blazer has been around for a zillion years, comes in petite, regular, and plus sizes, and wins rave reviews (175 and counting!). If you're willing to spend just a bit more than $50, this ruched-sleeve blazer or this shawl-collar blazer are both great options in the $75 range. Pictured:  Olivia Moon Knit Blazer

{related: the best blazers to wear as separates}

comfortable, affordable blazers for your internshipFull disclosure: the fifth blazer I was going to link to is totally sold out, so I will merely note that Old Navy ponte blazers, in the past, have been great. I haven't seen the pictured blazer, but it's got 63 reviews and a 4.6 average (out of 5), with some reviewers noting “This is probably the best work blazer I've bought. I have it in shark & dark blue and plan to buy more. The material is incredibly comfortable & not stiff at all like most blazers – yet it's lined on the inside under the armpits and chest wall, which helps prevent deodorant stains, etc. The material is breathable – another huge plus!” It's available in three colors right now, sizes 0-14, at Kohl's. It's $64 full price, but is currently marked to $39.99 — but use code SPRINGSAVE to bring it down to $34. LC Lauren Conrad Ponte Blazer

{related: how to wear a blazer with something other than a suit}

Readers, did I miss any great blazers under $50 — do you swear by any particular styles at stores like Express, Forever 21, ASOS, or others — or do you know of any other great blazers at spots like Loft, J.Crew Factory, or Talbots or elsewhere that regularly go below $50? Which is your favorite blazer under $50?

Social media photo credit: Deposit Photos/© fizkes.

{related: where to find Chanel-style jackets for work}

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. anon

    Reposting from yesterday afternoon: I would like some wisdom from fellow Corporettes on how to write a cover letter. Say you are a in house lawyer for a company that make teapots, and you want to apply for an inhouse job at another company that is looking for a procurement counsel who would be responsible for the procurement of teapots as well as all ancillary items connected to teapots. How would you say that the you could leverage your knowledge and experience on the “sell-side” of the transaction to the “buy side” of the transaction?

    • New Tampanian

      Use supplier/vendor/contractor as “sell side” language – My experience with XYZ corp will enable me to negotiate the most favorable terms with suppliers on your behalf. Or something along those lines.

  2. t-shirt tailoring?

    Is it possible / worth it to get t-shirts tailored? I’m busty and athletic, so I have to size up 1-2 sizes to fit my chest/shoulders/lats, but then the shirts are boxy around the waist. I have a couple of heavier-weight shirts that seem like they would work with tailoring (ie: not the thin, super-stretchy shirts from Target). I just want to get the sides taken in a little bit so that they look nice when tucked into skirts.

    • Shopaholic

      It is probably possible – I’d take it to your tailor to ask before you take the tags off.

      As to whether it’s worth it, I personally think getting almost everything tailored is worth it – it’s worth it to have clothes that fit you the way you want them to, I would just add the cost of tailoring into your mental math when deciding to purchase.

      Also FWIW, one of the real housewives of Toronto got her fishing vest and t-shirts tailored because she always wants to look good…

    • Fishie

      I have. I spent about $100 and got about 10 shirts tailored (although mine were too fitted and I had her add fabric to the sides to give me a little room). And I have had long sleeved shirts tailored to elbow length. The first batch I rarely wear – the contrasting fabric just doesn’t look that great and for casual t shirts it really wasn’t worth it on most of them…maybe 1 or 2. I LOVE the ones that I had the sleeves shortened on and wear them all the time.

      Verdict – worth it if they are everyday t shirts, not just cleaning-the-bathroom t shirts.

      • Fishie

        Oh, and I have also gotten men’s shirts and tailored them myself (I am a major amateur, but I do have a sewing machine). Those look good on the body, but I always cut the neck off making them too casual for wearing out of the house really. If I found a great, wide, v neck shirt or something I could probably pull it off. Tailoring the sides is pretty easy.

    • Anonymous

      I seem to remember Jennifer Anison saying (somewhat sheepishly) that she gets her t-shirts tailored.

    • t-shirt tailoring?

      Thanks for all the suggestions! Maybe I’ll give one a shot and see how it holds up and if it’s worth the cost. It seems silly to spend $10-$20 tailoring a $20 shirt, but if I wear it all the time because it looks nice, then the cost per wear is probably worth it :) We’ll see!

  3. bellatrix

    Thanks for mentioning Old Navy blazers, Kat! I have one from them that I just love: http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?vid=8&pid=384642002. I don’t need to wear blazers very often (super-casual office) but when I do, this one is perfect. I like the textured fabric as well; avoids that “I’m just wearing half a suit” look, which I think is fine with pants/skirts but not with jackets.

  4. Wildkitten

    I’m looking for my unicorn – a top I can wear with a skirt and sweater or with a suit and that doesn’t have to be tucked in. I want a top I can just buy 12 of and rotate through as my uniform. I was hoping the Boden Ravallo top would do it, but it just isn’t for me. Anyone have ideas?

  5. Anonymous

    I asked a while earlier about how to fill out online application questions that ask for minimum salary requirements, but I’ve run into another snag: the online portal for one application won’t allow me to submit without entering a range and doesn’t recognize $00,000 or $xx,xxx. For another, the application directions state that applications without a range will be considered incomplete and that simply writing “negotiable” does not suffice.

    I currently make $75,000 and have researched the salary range for this position and expect it to be $50-60,000, which is a paycut I’m more than willing to take for a job that doesn’t give me weekly anxiety attacks (said anxiety situation also makes me somewhat desperate for a better job, so I find myself second guessing myself at every turn of the application process). I got my first job out of school via OCI at a company that hires batches of new grads each year and pays us all the same amount at this level and haven’t applied like this before, so am unsure how to handle this salary aspect of the application in a professional way without damaging my chances of getting the job. If offered the job, I will try to negotiate for something as close to $60-65,000 as possible, but would ultimately take the job for any salary above $50,000. How do I fill out this application question without a) pricing myself out of their interview pool or b)sabotaging my negotiating leverage if I am offered the job?

    I really really want to leave the stressful hellhole where I currently work before I have a full on meltdown from the stress and toxic environment and the 3 opportunities I am currently applying to all have this annoying question! I’m afraid that if I don’t answer the question in the way they want with numbers/a range, that I’ll decrease my chances of getting an interview, but I also don’t want to lowball myself. Help!

    • Anon

      Put a really big range with the minimum being your true minimum and the maximum being what you make now?

      • Anon

        Also, don’t worry if you price yourself out of their interview pool. If they only want to pay $40k, it’s not the job for you anyway. That would actually be a favor to you.

        • listing ranges

          +1 to this. If they’re so far below your minimum that you’d be priced out by putting the market minimum, it’s not the right job for you. It sucks to take yourself out of consideration, but you’re dodging a bullet if they won’t pay what you’re worth.

        • Anonymous

          +1

          Also, any reasonable employer knows that salary is a negotiation and everyone puts a high range on those application.

          • Anon

            I’m always afraid they’re using some sort of search tool to weed out anyone whose salaries are not in their range, rather than enter into a negotiation.

          • Anon

            @Anon @ 5:39 But why wouldn’t they do that? If they know what range they’re willing to pay, why would they even waste their time with somebody who’s self-reported minimum is above that? That’s kind of the whole point of asking the question.

          • Anon

            @Anon @ 5:39 Also, if you lowball your range now and they *do* offer you a job and a salary based on that range, it’s not going to look good when you say “Just kidding, I really want more money than that”. That’s not negotiating in good faith.

    • listing ranges

      Not sure of the industry and skills, but I would list put the range from $55k – $60k. If you know the range is generally less than $65k, you might be pricing yourself out by listing above $60k. I think in the cover letter (if that’s an option), just note that the salary is negotiable, depending on bonus/commission structure, benefits, etc. You can always come back during the interviews once you know more and try to negotiate on the higher end of the range you listed. Also, check out Ask a Manager for some negotiation scripts if you feel that you’ve low-balled yourself. There’s ways to save it, but I’d err on the side of listing the higher side of the market rate.

  6. Anon

    Believe it or not, Sears. I went in my local one to make a Lands End return and decided to peruse the regular Sears merchandise. I ended up getting a ponte blazer for $5.13…after tax! Yes, sure, their clothes can leave something to be desired, but if you’re in or near one, it’s worth a quick look.

  7. ohc

    Is it worth giving critical feedback to a high school intern? She’s with me for two hours per week, she was assigned to me without input from either of us (I’ve since made it clear that this is not appropriate), and there are only a few weeks left in the school year. On the other hand, she is getting school credit for this and made a huge mess of her last assignment. (The other interns in her group did fine, so it’s not like it was beyond her skillset.)

  8. Anonymous

    I know this is a good problem to have, but what do you say when you’re “naturally thin” (for lack of a better term) and people ask about your diet and exercise routine. In the last few weeks I’ve had a few variations of this conversation with colleagues and acquaintances.
    Colleague: Do you run marathons? You look so fit.
    Me: Nope.
    Colleague: Wow. You must watch what you eat really carefully then.
    Me: No, not really.
    Colleague: What gives!?!
    The answer (I guess?) is that I have a good metabolism but that sounds braggy and smug to me. I don’t want to say I diet when I don’t. Is there a better answer that doesn’t invite further conversation about my appearance or eating habits? If it matters, I’m on the lower end of a normal weight but I’m not supermodel skinny or anything. I’m a tall size 8. I think because of my height I look more fit than I actually am.

    • Anonymous BigLaw Associate

      I get this sometimes (and worse). I am 5’11” and a size 2. I’m just like this. I have been the same weight for 20 years. I am actually a frequent gym goer/runner/cyclist and used to be a D1 athlete/personal trainer, but pretty sure my natural build has a lot do with my weight and shape too. I am happy with my body and don’t care what other people think.

    • anon

      This’ll be a fun thread…

      This is me. I just say “blessed with a fast metabolism” and leave it at that and change the subject. If you say “blessed with” it will acknowledge that you’re not taking credit for it (i.e., not bragging) and you’ll sound humble (not that you should have to). Plus, it answers the question so people stop guessing. What is someone going to say in response to that? Saying “nope” is an invitation for them to keep going. Plus, it’s curt, so it leaves dead air in the conversation.

      If you’re more comfortable with these people, this is where self-deprecating humor comes in: “oh, it’s the stress diet.” “I’m short/tall so it’s just an illusion.” “Good genes, but I inherited my uncle Al’s crazy eyebrows. You can’t win them all.” Or just change the subject. For example:

      “Do you run marathons? You look so fit!” “No, I used to run, but not since a heel injury. Can you believe so and so finished the Boston marathon in X time?” Change conversation.

      “Do you run marathons? You look so fit!” “Oh gosh, no, but that’s kind of you to say! I wish I had that much self-discipline, I really admire people who can do that.” Change conversation.

      • Anon

        People comment on weight only if you’re thin, and I think they mean to give you a compliment. At one point in my life I got very fit and everyone loved to talk about it, especially comparing it to how fat I used to be (!). And now that I’m back to my old weight I do remember those comments and I feel embarrassed.

        It’s better to just not comment on anyone’s weight, period. Not favorably, not unfavorably. It can’t be that hard to think of another topic.

        To OP just say, you know, diet and exercise. I found when I was very fit people wanted to know what the magic secret was, and there was no magic secret. I was eating a calorie restricted diet and working out five times a week.

        • Anonymous BigLaw Associate

          Sometimes it is insulting though. At a former job, someone “reported” me to HR and this awkward HR dude came and informed me the company has a therapist on call that can help me with my “problems.” I didn’t even know what he was talking about, but he was referring to my non-existent eating disorder. I wanted to complain to HR but….HR did it.

          • Anonymous

            I haven’t been subjected to an HR intervention, but I did have a coworker tell me (in the elevator of all places) that she was “so” worried about my eating habits and that I looked “terrible” and “unhealthy” and that I was one virus away from being hospitalized. This was before I had my coffee so that I didn’t have a snappy comeback, like “your lip injections are of questionable symmetry.”

            Argh, people.

          • Leslie

            My friends in high school staged an intervention to talk about my eating. I ate a ton, but I guess they hadn’t witnessed it for a couple of weeks. I also had a therapist once ask me if I had an eating disorder.

            But honestly, while people will say that it’s just as bad as being called fat, it’s not. At all. I brushed it off and went on with life.

        • Anonymous

          I disagree that OP should say diet and exercise if she doesn’t diet and exercise. That opens up further questioning about what her food and workout routines are, which might require her to either lie or be weirdly vague. I am a size 2 and eat potatoes and dessert with almost every meal and pasta two or three times per week and I haven’t seen the inside of a gym in the better part of a decade (no, I’m not bulimic). Some people really are just naturally skinny and can’t put on weight even if they try.

          • Anon

            Yeah you’re right I just found that telling people it was hard work shut them up. As I said, they all wanted a magic solution, like “I took this pill I bought on the internet and now I’m a size 4!”

          • Another skinny anon

            This is me as well with food/exercise . 5’10” size 2. Can’t really put on weight. People cut an extra big slice of cake for me (I don’t like sweets) or suggest that maybe I’m not happy in my marriage (this is more my MIL’s generation) or that I am exaggerating if I say I’m stuffed after a heavy meal (you can afford to eat more).

            I try to remind myself that everyone has good intentions and let it slide…but it is tough sometimes!

        • Sloan Sabbith

          I always, always think of how often I got told last year and a few years ago (when I was down about 20-30 pounds from my current/healthy weight) how “great” I looked.

          I was dangerously sick and literally burning thousands of calories a day just breathing. I did not look great. I looked thin and unhealthy. There was a difference.

    • JuniorMinion

      I just can’t imagine ever asking anyone I didn’t know really really well these types of questions. I am very insecure about the way I look and at some point with close friends it sometimes does come up but I couldn’t imagine asking a colleague or acquiantance personal questions like that so I unfortunately have no advice….

    • ohc

      I know we often deploy “Why do you ask?” in situations like this, but there’s an obvious reason that colleague is asking (because they want to look like you but their body is different because bodies are different).

      Don’t lie about your eating habits–no reason to say you diet when you don’t. I think it’s fine to just say “Just built this way.” That’s not braggy; it’s factual. (You didn’t use this, but I don’t like the phrase “good genes,” as that implies that others have bad genes.)

      Depending on your relationship with the asker and how you want the conversation to proceed (as well as what is actually true), you could also be a) self-deprecating (“Yeah, I think I look a lot fitter than I am. This is what they mean by ‘skinny-fat’!”), b) assertive (“Do you usually ask personal questions about your colleagues’ bodies?”), or c) gently redirectional (“But over the weekend I went for a really nice hike at the state park! Have you ever been there?”).

      • nutella

        I get this, too. It is rude and weird. I typically just say “oh, I guess I’ve always been like this. How was your weekend?” This lets them know that your body and personal habits are not up for discussion. In other instances, I give a curt sort of closed-mouth smile and don’t say anything, which has the same effect.

      • Sloan Sabbith

        LOL, I’m thin because of my crap genes (genetic disorder), so I’d laugh out loud if someone said “Good genes” to this. But I get your point. I’m just half-laughing to myself here, though.

    • Godzilla

      I think responding with “genetics” is sufficient. I personally don’t want to hear about my coworkers metabolism.

      • Godzilla

        Or you could just deadpan with “cocaine”. Or some other ridiculous answer.

        • ohc

          Years ago, my mother had a really annoying colleague once who gushed over her (admittedly beautiful) skin. She finally told him her “secret”: pickle juice. Dude was elated to be let in on the magic. We guffawed at the notion that this guy went home to slurp from the Vlasic jar.

        • Torin

          OMG I would love to be able to answer this without someone thinking I might be serious! Messing with people is my favorite response to inappropriate questions.

      • Anon

        If somebody doesn’t want to hear about their coworkers’ metabolisms, they shouldn’t ask questions like this in the first place.

  9. Grad school question

    How much does it matter for my bachelor’s to be from a “fancy” school and my master’s to not be?

    I went to a “regional Ivy”-type uni for undergrad. I wasn’t interested in grad school at the time, but now I’ve been out of school for 15+ years and am considering a master’s. But I am limited in where I can go, because it’s not an option to just up and move — I have the husband/job/house/kid to consider. So I would probably end up going to a regional state school with an average program. The field is broad enough that I don’t think I need a super-specialized program, and I could get a decent education there. And I would be staying around here afterward, so even if my master’s weren’t from an impressive school, it would be a known name in these parts.

    I fully realize that this is a ridiculous question, but I need something to worry about until it’s time to sweat over GRE scores or my writing samples.

    • Grad school question

      To be honest, the degree would be mostly for personal fulfillment. The degree would augment my bachelor’s and my work experience but I don’t need it to continue my current professional track. There’s a chance I could transition into teaching composition afterward, which is appealing but not necessary.

      (And yes, I know the argument about grad school is that if you don’t NEED to go, you shouldn’t. But that’s for another day.)

      • anon

        In that case, there’s no professional implication, so it doesn’t matter at all. The question then is how much you care…and I’m guessing you care, because you asked. So maybe think about that a bit?

        • Grad school question

          I do care — and I wish I didn’t, because it’s totally snobby and elitist of me, but I do. BUT it will be enough of a challenge to get into graduate school at all, let along make it through — so I don’t really have room to be choosy about which program.

          Thank you — I really needed to hear that it didn’t matter.

  10. Anon

    United Airlines CEO re-apologized today, this time omitting the word “re-accomodate.”

    Seriously, what even is this.

    Doesn’t anyone with a brain AND a heart work there?

    • Anonymous

      When flying, I embrace the s*ck.

      That said, you’d never in a million years find me kicking and screaming and having to get dragged off of a plane. I’d go, politely, and sort it all out later. I’d also never start with the “I’m a doctor” business.

      So much of what happens to us is within our control, especially when the world around us is so crazy.

        • Anonymous

          He didn’t deserve to be beat up, but he deserved to be removed from the plane. The other 3 people who lost their seats walked off the plane. That guy should get to stay just because he was belligerent and refused to obey crew member instructions? That doesn’t seem fair to everyone who’s every obeyed a flight attendant telling them to do something they didn’t want to do. I have seen several people walked off the plane by police or airport security for getting in an altercation with a flight attendant refusing to follow crew member instructions. It’s not unheard of. What is unheard of is the guy getting all bloody, although I’m still not convinced from watching the video that the cops used excessive force. It looks like he’s flailing wildly and may have injured himself.

          I think he got mad (rightfully) that he was losing his seat and instead of behaving like an adult and walking off the plane and seeking recourse from United later, he went ballistic on the flight attendants and refused to leave (while lying about being a doctor who had to see patients), which resulted in airport security being called, and then he fought back against the security officials, injuring himself in a bid to get attention and compensation. Although I also think it’s possible that the security guys used excessive force. The videos I’ve seen don’t really show what happened, just the reaction of the other passengers.

          • Another anon

            I agree. I don’t want to be on a plane with some crazy guy who won’t listen to the crew- it’s a safety thing.

      • Anonymous

        Agreed. Pull it together and get off the plane. There are ways to fight it later without debasing yourself and ensuring a bad outcome.

    • Anonymous

      I’ve had crews go illegal before and a whole plane of people has to wait around for the next crew to show up. So, 100-200 people are inconvenienced when there is no crew? Not to mention, missed connections, having to be rerouted, lost luggage, etc. And the delays ripple through the system.

      I hate, hate it when people are complaining that 4 passengers were deplaned for 4 crew members for another plane. The balance of the pain is that the crew needs to get where it’s going and better 4 people are compensated than multiples of that are inconvenienced without compensation.

      The interwebs are wrongly crazy over this and I don’t see the other side of this being covered at all.

      • Anon

        There is no other side. A person was beat up and dragged off a plane. That is all that matters. You can f * c k off too, if you’re not the same person who just commented.

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