2 Brace yourself for the big personality blazers

IF YOU’RE FROM the minimalist school of thought when it comes to getting dressed, brace yourself for bad news. The blazer – that neutrally coloured bastion of chic that anchors so many of your outfits – is a complete turncoat this season. It’s finally found some personality – and it’s big.

The blazer 2.0 was out in full force last week – not least on street-style star and TANK Magazine fashion director and publisher Caroline Issa, who wore a strawberry-red blazer to sit front row at Dior’s Marrakech show. ‘I love a statement blazer. Whether it’s in a romantic duskyrose or a loud print, it gives real finish to a look, like a cherry on top,’ she says, namechecking Dior, Racil and Blazé Milano as her favourite blazer labels. You also can’t have missed the 1,000 examples, in a spectrum of ice-cream shades, on display in Taylor Swift’s new video (see page 28).

Of course, politicians have long been sold on the idea of a big personality blazer. Theresa May favours eye-poppingly loud blues and reds that do the best they can to distract from her coughing fits, while Angela Merkel practically has one in every colour of the rainbow.

But the spring catwalks prove that now the jazzy blazer has had a fashion makeover, too. The cool New York label R13 went highlighter-bright in traffic cone-orange, Max Mara plumped for egg yolk-yellow, and Gucci chose a highly pigmented purple. Luckily, the trend has trickled down to the high street. Say hello to Pepto-bismol pinks (& Other Stories), sweet primrose yellows (Arket) and watermelon red (Mango).

So how to wear one in real life without looking like you’ve RSVP’D to a Heathersthemed fancy dress party? The key is sticking to tonal colours – a red blazer with a pleated pink skirt à la Caroline for the office – or paring back the rest of your outfit to jeans and ankle boots. The weather might be soggy, but that doesn’t mean your top half can’t look sunny.