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Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
Awwww, we haven't gone on a hunt for white blazers for work in a while — let's see what's out there now. For my $.02, the white blazer can be a great staple for spring and summer, instantly freshening and lightening up any outfit. The trick, of course, is to get one that doesn't make you feel like you're playing doctor for the day.
To that end, I've always avoided the “classic blazer” shape for white blazers — if it has regular lapels, patch pockets, and is hip length, odds are good you're going to feel like you’re wearing a lab coat. (But not always, of course — if you've already got a white blazer with lapels that you love to wear to work, by all means, go on wearing it!)
Similarly, a shrunken blazer tends to avoid the “doctor” vibe much better than a hip-length blazer. With all that said… there are a ton of those blazers (hip length! with lapels!) out there in stores right now, so if you're wearing that kind of white blazer, do share some of your styling tricks with us.
Readers, are you fans of white blazers for work for summer months? (I've tried to include jardigans and sweater blazers in today's Hunt, but didn't find many — have you found one in the past that you love?)
{related: the best blazers for women}
Our Latest Favorite Stylish White Blazers for Work
As of April 2024, some of our favorite stylish white blazers for work include options from J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, Ann Taylor, Liverpool, and Amazon (Cicy Bell, The Drop). If you're looking to splurge, try Smythe or L'Agence.
Also Great for Summer Work Outfits…
Opaque White T-shirts
Hunting for opaque white T-shirts for work? As of 2024, we'd suggest checking the double-layer lines from Boden, Express, Old Navy, and Hobbs, as well as great sources for basic Pima cotton such as L.L.Bean, Uniqlo, Everlane, Banana Republic, and Talbots. (This $268 tee also gets great reviews for opacity, and Elizabeth swears by this tee under $30!)
As of 2024, the best spots to check for nude-for-you undergarments are Gap, Old Navy, or Nubian Skin for tons of options — Victoria's Secret also has a bunch!
Lightweight Pants for the Office
Some of our favorite summer work pants for women as of 2024 include options from Nic + Zoe, M.M.LaFleur, Ministry of Supply, Uniqlo — and Banana Republic Factory sometimes has pants in their AirStretch line, also!
White Pants for the Office
Note that we don't recommend wearing a white blazer and white pants together unless you bought them as part of a set!
Some of our favorite white pants for work as of April 2024 include Nic + Zoe, Talbots, Spanx, Favorite Daughter, Everlane, Lafayette 148 New York, Vince, and Cinq à Sept! For budget-friendly options, try Old Navy or Tapata. If your office is OK with 5-pocket styles and/or denim, check out the highly rated Wit & Wisdom and NYDJ pants.
Readers, how are you styling white blazers for work — and have you bought any recently?
Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!
Anon
I have the Talbots hook and eye linen one. It’s a workhorse for me in D.C. summers.
LadyNFS
How do you (or the hive in general) style these white blazers? Looking at the photos, mostly everyone seems to be wearing a white blouse. Looking for inspiration, because these are beautiful but I’m drawing a blank at how I’d work one into my summer work wardrobe.
Anon
My favorite combos are:
navy pencil skirt + light blue top
kelly green skirt + navy top
tomato skirt + navy or black top
cobalt dress
The tops generally have a scoop or wide-v neck to them.
Anonymous
I recently bought a white suit. I’ve worn it with a navy dress, navy print dress, and with matching white pants and a blue shirt.
Winter
I also like white blazers with a print top that has some white in it.
lsw
I wear mine over dresses a lot. I sometimes wear over a white shirt, but more often with a shirt patterned with white. My neutrals are largely navy and grey rather than black and I find a white blazer goes well with just about everything I own!
Ellen
I love these and I agree, the DC summers are brutal, but you DO need to wear an absorbant cami if you are going to wear these white blazers in the summer in DC. Otherwise, your armpits will sweat through the white blazer and you will have yellow circles under your arms, which is not a good thing if you are trying to impress people (which we all are, even outside of DC)!
anon
Any tales from people who quit without another job lined up? Was it worth it? Every time I think I’ve hit a breaking point with my job, the sh!t hits the fan AGAIN. My work life is he!! and I just want out.
Anonymous
Early in my career. I quit after more than a year of a schedule I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I lost a ton of weight, my hair was falling out and doing laundry during the few hours I slept each night was a good day. Quitting was THE BEST… And then Sept. 11 hit a few days later, and I didn’t get another job until 5 months later. Those 5 months were even more stressful in there own way–and had the added impact of making the stress of that job feel like a weight pinning down my whole career. I know you don’t want to hear this, but if your field is at all competitive (I work in publishing, so it is) then do whatever you can to hold on long enough to land somewhere. Don’t take on anything more than you absolutely need to where you are. If the shit hits the fan, let it drop. But don’t run out prematurely and cost yourself better negotiation leverage with the next employer. After I landed the new gig, I spent the next several years making lower than I was worth as I tried to regain my footing. You are far more desirable to employers with a job than you will be without. Repeat that last sentence and let it fully sink in.
All indicators point to a recession soon. Focus on getting where you need to be for when that happens–but don’t give up your security in the meantime. I know this isn’t going to be a popular view in these days where self-care trumps all. But I’m just sharing lessons learned the hard way. Self-care when you’re broke and feeling panicked because no doors are opening (and those that are no longer are the good ones) is even harder.
If your field isn’t particularly specialized or competitive and you’ve got a sizable savings, I’d be more open to change. But generally, your options will be more plentiful and better if you can just literally stick it out. There’s a lot of room between quitting and performing well. Wrap your mind around doing the low end of things while you give yourself the best launch for the next step.
anon
+1 to your second paragraph.
OP, I don’t know if you have ever been under or unemployed before but please be wary of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire in terms of stress and misery. As someone in a competitive field who was unemployed/underemployed for a long time because Reasons and now is in the opposite place– employed but with WAY to much work to do and fantasizing about rage quitting, I’d still take this any day. Once in a while I’ll dream that I’m back in grad school/unemployment phase looking for a job and in total despair and anxiety. The sense of relief when I wake up and realize it’s not true is overwhelming.
anon
Gahhhh, I know you’re both right and that it’s a bad idea. I have a resignation letter already written and tucked away … hopefully I will get to use it soon. I’ve given myself two months to find something (which also coincides with my 39th birthday). I’m one of those people who has a long fuse, but when I’m done, I’m really done and want to escape as quickly as possible.
Anonymous
I did and it was the scariest thing ever, but turned out to be worth it. We decided to make a major geographic move and did so after my partner got an offer— I am the major breadwinner and typically carry our insurance but hiring for his profession is extremely seasonal. I looked remotely for about 6 mo before we moved (seriously the last 4 mo) and networked my tail off. Got an offer right after moving and started a few weeks later. Things that helped it work out included the big move for family reasons, which was a good explanation about why I left. Spouse then got laid off only a couple months later so it was really lucky I had found something.
Anony
I was unemployed 4x between 2011-2014 (LONG story) and I wouldn’t wish it on my worse enemy, especially when I was forced to live on the $230/week unemployment checks. I have rage quit a job before due to a hostile workplace and while it feels good at the time, your emotions will be a rollercoaster. Adjusting to life after being employed is not easy – you rotate through depression, anxiety, boredom, loneliness – TBH, it’s like going through the stages of grief. You no longer have anywhere to be at any certain time; sometimes you don’t even have a reason to shower or get dressed. It is especially difficult if you don’t have a good sense of yourself or the ability to put yourself on a “schedule”. Then when you finally settle into “life w/o a job”, it’s even more difficult to begin working again…. So my advice? Please think long and hard before you quit. Beyond financial security, you lose a lot more than you gain. And it’s never fun to articulate in interviews how you rage quit.
lsw
Excited about this post as my beloved Eliza J white jacket is starting to pill after years of constant use. I really love a good white blazer.
Anon
I think I have the same Eliza J jacket- I love it, but it’s looking pretty sorry these days
Anon
I like white blazers but they can veer into “I’m a doctor” territory pretty easily.
Mary Ellen Jafari
The reference to the lab coat look is funny because right now while I am reading this I am wearing a lab coat! It is freezing in my office in the summer (I work at a hospital) and I often wear a lab coat as an extra layer.
Ms B
I love a white blazer – perfect to lighten up my usual office goth look (hat tip to the poster here who introduced me to that term recently) – but how do I keep it clean? Or is the hidden cost of a white blazer having to get it cleaned often?