Despite the fact that the groundhog saw his shadow, that there is this slushy, icy snowstorm going on outside my window, and I'm about ready to burn my down coat, spring is coming. I promise. The sun will shine again and it will get warm. In fact, it may already be warm and sunny where you live. If it is, me and my seriously depleted vitamin D body that is suffering from cabin fever envies you. Do you have a guest room?
When spring starts to poke its head out I get really excited, not only because winter is finally in the rear view mirror, but because I get to get enthusiastic about fashion again. While most find transitional dressing confusing, I quite enjoy it. I love to add layers to my looks, which is the best solution for getting dressed when the weather is in flux. One of the things I enjoy wearing are casual blazers. They're so sharp, make great outerwear pieces and can really pull a look together beautifully. With the promise of warmer weather to come, here are some tips on how to wear casual blazers to give you some inspiration and dressing tips on how to pull these looks together for yourself.
How to Wear Casual Blazers
Outfit #1
I love a blazer with a casual pair of jeans, like this orangey-red Boden cropped jacket styled with a pair of distressed boyfriend jeans from the Gap. The casual feel of the jeans and the polished look of the blazer creates an elegant weekend balance that is still carefree. Plus, it is colorful, especially with this yellow striped breton top layered underneath, this printed scarf from Vivienne Westwood and orange earrings from Max & Chloe. The outfit is finished with a pair of soft blue driving loafers from Coach and brown Michael Kors handbag.
On those early spring days where it's not yet warm enough to dress all colorfully, but you don't need to necessarily wear a heavy coat, using a basic blazer, like this grey one from J. Crew, can act like an outerwear piece. In fact, I just suggested this to a client of mine this weekend while I was helping her pack for a business trip to San Francisco.
Outfit #4
In this simple outfit, I styled the blazer with a crisp white non-iron shirt from Brooks Brothers and ponte pants from T. Tahari. The outfit is finished with a pair of cognac Frye riding boots, a bib necklace from Bauble Bar, a gold handbag and rust colored blanket scarf from Urban Outfitters that can be draped over the blazer for more warmth. This type of look would also be gorgeous in the early fall months too.
Outfit #5
I was inspired to use this navy and white polka dot blazer from Reiss when I received an email from a reader asking me about styling this navy and white blazer from Pendleton as seen in the photo, with a chambray shirt. While this makes an excellent outfit, I told her she could treat this navy and white patterned blazer like a solid navy one and wear it with any color, just like I am styling this Reiss blazer above. When you have a jacket in a neutral and white, whatever the pattern may be, the colors you can wear with it are quite limitless. Here, for example, I layered a purple Modcloth t-shirt under the jacket, added white cropped pants from Boden, a pair of gold flats from Isaac Mizrahi, and finished the outfit with a green handbag from Kenneth Cole and a simple pair of gold drop earrings from Talbots.
Yellow may not be everyone's favorite color, but I really love how this Vince Camuto blazer worked with these olive casual skinny pants from J. Crew, especially when layered with this grey basic Ann Taylor top underneath. During transitional months, it's not uncommon to see women wearing a jacket with a pair of sandals, which is why I added this brown pair from Reef and finished the outfit with a cognac tote from Modcloth and colorful Bauble Bar necklace.
If you really want to embrace the changing weather, a printed blazer, like this one from Tory Burch, definitely works. Plus, the colors in the print is like a road map for adding additional colors. Styled with these boot cut jeans, I added this mint green top from Banana Republic, a soft blue bag from Topshop, a pair of sea green drop earrings from Max & Chloe and navy flats from Anthropologie. Everything in the outfit harmoniously stands out.
Shop for casual blazers
Looking to add some blazers for spring to your wardrobe? Check out these styles.
