menswear how to
So we’re still in lockdown, quarantine, whatever weird way of living this January can be classified as, yet fashion is still happening and trends are very much alive. While the “It Girl” trends may include moon boots, combat boots, the oversized catholic school girl outfit, and teeny tiny glasses, blazers are having a moment. This closet staple has never really gone out of style but the fashion spotlight is on blazers once again. The pastel sets, stunning white suits, professorial patchwork blazers, and houndstooth blazers are some of my favorite ways to wear this wardrobe essential.
While I’d personally love to rock a Christian Siriano powersuit in a fun color, I simply don’t have the occasion or cash for it. However, theres nothing like a good set to make you feel like you’ve got you shit together, so today I’ll teach you how to find the pant mates to suit jackets, the importance of a good blazer and when to throw down for tailoring (deconstructing and reconstructing a blazer aint cheap!).
MAKING OVERSIZED WORK:
Say you find a blazer that checks all the boxes except it being the right size. Don’t hang it back on the rack just yet. Here’s how to make bigger sizes work for you.
BALANCE: Pair oversized with fitted to make it seem like the outfit was designed to be boxy on top and form fitting on the bottom.
REWORK: Get it taken in by a professional.
COMMIT: If its not a structured material, pair the loose fitting blazer with slouchy longer pants for a Celine Dion at the 1999 Oscars look and lean all the way into the oversized style.
The Hugo Boss suit blazer I’m wearing is a size 10 yet I’m a size 4/6. While I could get it tailored to fit me perfectly, I made it work by finding form fitting pants that also happened to be Hugo Boss and were in my size and matching material. Had they been a size 10 I probably would’ve skipped buying them and tried to find a matching pant online. I got lucky with finding this set in apart from each other yet in the same store. If you’re as determined as I am in finding a blazer’s better half here are a few tips that have worked for me.
Determine if it was part of a suit. If it’s from the 80’s or newer it should have a matching mate.
Match the fabric color and material. If its silk, look for a silk-(its brand name)-(color)-pants. I’ve done this for printed pajama sets and suit sets. It takes searching on Google, Ebay, The Real Real, Depop and Poshmark but if you want to find its better half, thats how you do it.
If shopping IRL, you come upon a killer blazer go check the pants section including the mens (sometimes pants just get stuck there by default) and look for the exact color and material it would be in. Thats how I found this crepe stretch Boss suit.
Lastly, if you can only find its matching piece thats a size two or three bigger than you, take that shit to a tailor. Even if they can make it look a size and a half smaller so it looks naturally oversized, can be worth it. Getting suit pants taken in and hemmed is considerably cheaper than taking apart a blazer when its sleeves go past your palms and its shoulder width makes it look like you’re in a Talking Heads video. If a blazer is one or two sizes bigger, taking it in at the waist shouldn’t cost too much but a suit jacket over haul will run you around $300. So the choice is really up to you.
STYLING: I personally love a blazer with jeans, or complete with its matching pair of pants/slacks but blazers can be paired with almost anything. I haven’t seen a blazer & overall combo just yet but someone has probably attempted it on a runway somewhere. In real life, treat a blazer the way you would any jacket. Does your sundress need a little professional upgrade, add a blazer. You’re almost ready to go out during non covid times, in a top, heels and your best jeans. Add a fun colored or textured blazer. Think your moto leather jacket could use a break from being worn out all the time? Add a patchwork blazer. I deeply underestimated the power a good blazer adds to any outfit until I dated someone who expresses a deep love for them regularly. Off the top of my head I have about 2 blazers and statement 3 suit jackets I like adding to outfits when the occasion calls for it. They’ve only been broken out a few times in quarantine but come spring, expect an uncoordinated video from me teaching you how I style them!
