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It was a notably chilly Saturday in New York City when I walked into The Real Real’s SoHo boutique and fell hopelessly in love with a black collarless Bottega Veneta blazer. It was crafted out of a heavyweight wool-crepe with a trio of buttons running down the front of bodice. It had sharp shoulders, a low scoop-neck, and a torso that tapered into an hourglass shape with a slight peplum in the back. The jacket was in immaculate condition and even had all its original tags. The Italian size 38 fit me like a glove, with a little breathing room to spare. I simply had to have it.
Not one to give into the whim of an impulse buy—especially not for a blazer, which is far from my fashion kryptonite—I sensed the first ripple of an impending style shift. On my way home, I wondered, why, and why now?
As a garment of utility, but also emotion, the blazer offers a sense of maturity and polish that isn’t always as strongly conveyed with a simple T-shirt or knit—a look that’s become my default. (If you see me in the office these days, chances are I’m wearing a light grey Casasola crewneck with a little white T-shirt underneath.) I never want to feel like I’m trying too hard, and the sweater-and-tee combo brings that easy polish and ‘undoneness’ that I’m always striving for when getting dressed. But relying too much on a formula can take the joy out of getting dressed, and sometimes you need a jolt to keep things exciting—which is how I’ve been feeling lately. I still stand behind the power of uniform dressing, but it’s also nice to embrace something new-ish from time to time.
I emphasize the –ish part because throughout my teenage years, blazers were my default. In college, I was deep in an Isabel Marant phase, obsessed with how the label’s blazers looked with miniskirts and dresses (as they were styles for the runway). For years, I wore a black Sandro blazer with snow-leopard lining any chance I could. My favorite way to style it was with a mini skirt, a slubby linen tee, and short suede cowboy boots. I grew out of my blazers literally and figuratively after graduate school—too put-together, too try hard—and now own just one By Malene Birger relaxed stye (a Matches purchase from last fall, RIP). I like it enough, but it doesn’t give me that me twinkle-in-the-eye confidence as it once did.
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