Sure, we all know what basics 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.
This week’s “The Hunt” features that perennial office basic — the black jacket you can throw on over anything and it looks great.
This one was a surprisingly challenging hunt because we wanted to feature jackets that were intended as separates, not ones that were part of a suit (although that is always a valid choice as well).
The black jacket is particularly great for the summertime — come in wearing a sheath dress or a casual t-shirt and, when you get to the office, put your black jacket on. You’re instantly more professional (and warmer).
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2023 Update: Some of our favorite blazers to wear as separates include:

This post was last updated August 2020 except where otherwise noted.
Elle
If you’re going to have to wear the jacket with pants, and you don’t have an absolutely perfect butt, be sure that the length covers your butt. There is nothing uglier than a rear view of a less than perfect butt in pants being accentuated by a jacket that doesn’t cover it.