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.
It has been ages since we’ve done a roundup of boyfriend blazers — primarily because it’s been ages since they’ve been in. But it’s one of the must-have trendy pieces of the summer, and so it’s a great piece for both work and play.
The usual way I’m seeing it is worn casually — typically pleated shorts, tiny and/or cropped tank, and a boyfriend blazer. That probably won’t work for most workplaces, but you can adapt it easily — for example, it can become an easy topper for a sheath dress (or even a work-appropriate tank- or t-shirt dress, like this). Another easy work look with a boyfriend blazer is as a topper for the “column of color” — wear a close-fitting top like a bodysuit or fitted layering tee with pants in a matching shade, and then add the boyfriend blazer on top.
Readers, what are your favorite boyfriend blazers of the moment? Are you seeing them both at your office and on the brunch circuit?
{related: The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women}
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{related: the best sweater jackets for the office}
Pictured at top: peach / black / pink / beige
This first option is $69, and available in sizes XS-5X — and it comes in 6 colors! The all-white-on-top look, as styled here, is another great way to wear this to work. It’s from Amazon’s line, The Drop. If you’re looking for more colors at this price point, this blazer from Amazon is $48, has 27 colors (!) and has a lot of promising buyer-submitted pictures — but it only goes up to size XXL.
Another great affordable option: this oversized blazer from Open Edit, which comes in a number of colors and fabrics, some with matching bottoms. I love this happy pink. The blazers are around $47-$79, and available in XXS-3X.
Madewell has 7 colors of this breezy blazer, and it’s mostly on sale — it’s regularly $148, but lots of colors and sizes are marked to $119-$125, plus an extra 30% off with code. Nice! It comes in sizes XXS-4X — I think this peachy windowpane is my favorite of the lot.
Everlane has a fun “80s blazer,” which comes five colors (including a plaid!). If you want to see a boyfriend blazer styled with bike shorts (!), click here — definitely not for work (IMHO) but if you can make it work in your free time, go for it. The blazer is $180, available in sizes 00-16.
(Also in this price range — and with petite options — is Express, which has a number of boyfriend blazers.)
Favorite Daughter is a new brand to me, but they have a bunch of fun blazers at both Anthropologie and Nordstrom. The pictured blazer is $298, and available in sizes XS-XL, at Anthro; Nordstrom has the plaid in two other colors (and they show it over a matching gingham minidress, so NOW you can sing Cake).
Also in this price range: Michael Kors has a bunch of fun boyfriend blazers ($295-$325).
There are a ton of designer options to pick from — including the Rag & Bone blazer that Elizabeth picked for Monday! I think my favorite is this Peter Do blazer, because the styling illustrates another great way to wear it to work, with mixed neutrals and voluminous trousers on the bottom. (I might skip the weird mesh pants, though.) The pictured blazer is $2300 at Neiman Marcus.
Interestingly, some of the higher end blazers are extremely oversized — kind of veering into Talking Heads territory — such as those from Balenciaga, The Row, and Low Classic. Would you ever wear these to work?
Readers, what are your favorite boyfriend blazers for work — and how are you wearing them?
Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!
{related: the best blazers to wear as separates}
Anon
How should I prepare for this meeting? Former supervisor left my company last year, and posted a new role at her new company that I’m interested in. We quickly connected a few weeks ago, and she let me know she has a separation agreement and wouldn’t be able to hire anyone for a couple months still – and that we should keep in touch. She’s since asked me to grab coffee with her next week. Should I be treating this as an informal interview? What questions would you be prepared to answer?
Notagirl
Repost in the PM thread to get more replies, but my first thought is yes it’s probably about the work and she wants to talk to you live in a way that doesn’t leave a trace for the record.
Anonymous
It’s definitely an informal interview so treat it that way. Ask whatever questions you have about the role, the new company, how life is at the new company etc. so you can ascertain whether the role is for you or not. Be prepared to talk about your work – what you did for her [assume she doesn’t have it memorized as she’s been in other places doing other things] + what you’ve done since she left – and how that makes you a good fit for this new role; be prepared to talk about what you’re looking for – i.e. while tailoring it to whatever this new role requires.