5 Ways to Style the Boyfriend Blazer
The boyfriend blazer, inspired by menswear tailoring, is integral to any hard-working capsule wardrobe. In recent seasons in particular, the oversized silhouette of a boyfriend blazer has become the go-to piece for completing a look, whether that’s top-to-toe tailoring or Nineties-inspired athleisure.
To make the trend more wearable, our design experts have taken all the signature aspects of the boyfriend blazer and adapted them to ensure it's still flattering on a female figure. Slim lapels, a cut that comes in slightly at the waist and deep, fully-lined cuffs that can be turned back to shorten the sleeve length if needed, all ensure that this modern wardrobe staple performs in real life.
In classic ME+EM style, we’ve worked tirelessly to make sure that if you invest in a designer boyfriend blazer, you can wear it in copious different ways, from day to night. Here, we break down five contemporary ways you can use a boyfriend blazer to respin your favorite closet staples.
Sports-Luxe
Once upon a time, the pant suit was the epitome of empowering workwear style. Then the pandemic happened and the trend towards more relaxed office dress codes was accelerated as working women were reminded that they could dress comfortably and still be professionally successful.
Reimagine the pant suit for now by opting for mismatched or athleisure-minded pieces. The key is to pick a pant that is smart enough to carry an outfit on its own, so that should you want to de-layer the blazer you won’t lose any of the polish.
A sporty track pant in an elevated fabric that makes a statement with an exaggerated silhouette or bold pop of color is ideal. Add a simple white tee to keep the look pared back, but a white blouse can easily be substituted in for added polish.
Polished-Pared-Back
For work and for play, a blazer paired with a jean is a fail-safe combination: classic, chic and effortless. And thanks to the fact that any jean silhouette will achieve the same polished result, it’s an easy look to make your own.
A straight-leg cut will lend an androgynous feel whilst a slim-leg crop creates definition. The high-rise, wide-leg silhouette of our Ultimate Wide-Leg Jean serves to visually elongate legs and adds a Seventies-inspired edge that never loses its appeal.
Texture Clash
The emphasis we place on finding just the right luxury fabric for each piece is something that we always use to our advantage when it comes to styling. Allowing the variety of textures we have to take center stage is a surefire way to give any outfit AM-PM versatility.
Contrast the soft woven fabric of a designer blazer, like the Window Pane check tailoring of this season’s hero piece, with a soft knit or a leather pant. Instantly, simple pieces and classic designs take on new life and give an outfit impact whilst requiring little to no effort on your part.
On-to-Off-Duty
While we find a hybrid balance, working from home has led to a definitive shift towards casual 9-to-5 dressing, but constant video calls have meant we can’t entirely forgo old workwear habits; we still have to maintain some semblance of professionalism. Throwing a designer blazer over a classic Breton stripe or knit immediately puts your outfit and your mentality into work mode.
Rather than investing in two separate wardrobes for the home/office split, a tailored blazer single-handedly works to take you from one to the other and back again.
Over Dresses
Whether you’re heading from the office to dinner with friends or looking for the perfect cover-up for an event, contrasting the floaty femininity of a summer dress with the structured polish of a sharp blazer lends an outfit a contemporary sensibility.
With the proportions of dress to blazer already taken care of by our design team, you’re free to play with color, print and texture to give your look added interest.
