Trust me, you’ll wear this blazer all winter
HOW TO DRESS LIKE A GROWN UP
YOU may already have got the message loud and clear that a blazer is what you need for now and the foreseeable future.
Wear it with jeans to smarten them up, with trousers to go one smarter, or over a longish dress to keep it from getting too flyaway romantic. It’s a go-with-everything look sharpener.
So why bring up blazers yet again? Surely there’s nothing left to say on the subject?
Well, just this: that while a plain navy blazer is a classic that will never let you down, a check blazer opens up new areas of possibility.
uniform I give look you from Dior’s its autumn/ school winter 2020 catwalk. Most of it — knee socks, shirt and tie, the very short grey skirt — is of no use to us, but the brown and cream check doublebreasted blazer, now that we could do business with.
Not that exact one, of course, but one like it. Worn with a crisp shirt, a longer A-line skirt, boots instead of fishnet socks, this is a look that could take us to work and, with the skirt swapped for jeans or trousers, out at the weekend.
Yes, your dark blazer would work too, but checks — especially in blurred neutrals — are more preppy, playful and a lot less predictable.
THIS sort of blazer has a different feel — warmer and less slick. Wear it with a soft hoody or a buttoned-up blouse, and sling a cross-body bag with a decorative web strap over the front (the way it was shown at Dior), and you’re into fashion-forward territory. The bigger blanket checks are the most versatile, but be careful of strong plaids or gingham patterns, which can look busy. A monochrome houndstooth is a good place to start if you’re unsure. Massimo Dutti does a double-breasted style (£129, massimodutti. com), while Zara does a blazer with small black and white checks (£49.99, zara.com).
Grey Prince of Wales check is similarly entry level; maybe even easier. The best at the moment are from Zara (£69.99, zara.com) and Jaeger (£199, jaeger.co.uk).
You can’t go far wrong with black, white and grey, but the more contemporary look, and the one you could wear more easily at the weekend, is Me+Em’s emerald and cream houndstooth check (£ 275, meandem.com). It’s a onebutton style and it gets the brand’s designer Clare hornby’s vote. (She’s pictured wearing it with jeans on Me+Em’s website — see above.)
The label also offers a similar version with patch pockets, available in caramel and dark brown (£192, meandem.com).
M& S Collection does a good brown mix houndstooth (£79, marksand spencer.com), which has all the ‘ heritage’ hallmarks including boneeffect cuff buttons.
I’m more taken with Massimo Dutti’s double-breasted wool blazer in a mouse brown and pale heather check (£ 149, massimodutti.com). A check like this softens everything, so if you were thinking of wearing black leather trousers, for instance, this would be the perfect companion.
Mind you, a bit of colour goes a long way with a check blazer: Massimo Dutti has one in a check shot through with hot pink, but for versatility you are better off sticking with soft, earthy colours; you’ll also avoid those 1980s flashbacks.
Another good bet is Zara’s blazer in a smaller camel check with a classic, old- school men’s suiting feel (£ 69.99, zara.com). It’s got excellent go-with- everything potential and it’s a good length, too.
As always, the cut should be masculine: strong-shouldered and long in the body. The cuffs should graze the top of your hand. And do wear it a bit oversized.
Zara has an extra oversized, single-breasted, brown check blazer, like a subtle tweed (£59.99, zara.com), which would look as good with track pants as a tonal wool or corduroy skirt. A check blazer is the surefire way to office-proof your jeans, too. And Other Stories does something similar but more fitted, and with a trace of blue (£135, stories.com).
Actual tweed is ageing on anyone over 40, and won’t have the same ‘ easy to wear with everything’ appeal.