23 Years Later, I’m Hopelessly Devoted to Blazers

Growing up with broad shoulders and athletic, muscular arms (thanks, softball), I thought that blazers were never going to be a fixture in my wardrobe. Every style I tried on in an effort to be slightly business-like in high school and early college fell short. Literally. The sleeves were so short, my biceps felt like they were squeezed like sausages inside of the sleeves, and I just all around felt uncomfortable and not stylish. Over time, as they've shifted in and out of style and the silhouettes became more masculine, I still didn't opt to even try them out, reverting back to my teenage trauma of looking and feeling bad wearing them.

This changed, of course, over the summer while I was home in Western New York for the Fourth of July. I went to H&M with my mom in a desperate effort to find summer clothes that wouldn't make me sweat through the fabric to the point of obscene sheerness. Naturally, the Fall Bitch™ inside of me saw a blazer in the 80-degree heat and decided it had to be mine. I tried it on in the store, two sizes larger than my usual top size, and immediately felt at home. It fit my arms, it settled nicely on my broad shoulders, hit me at a nice spot on the thigh, and made me feel a certain level of chic that I had yet to unlock in my life.

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Despite buying this blazer in the heat of summer, I found days to wear it regardless. If it was even slightly chilly in the morning, I'd pair with some shorts and would subsequently hide the sweat marks making my white t-shirt gradually more see-through as my walk to work continued. I tried making the most out of this one blazer, suddenly obsessed with creating new outfits around it. It made me feel excited about fashion again, styling these new looks with something that I thought I'd never be able to wear due to like, you know, body things and my self-deprecating brain.

I bought my second blazer a few months later, ready to start implementing this piece more regularly into my day to day routine. I've worn them as jackets over t-shirts on warm days, over sweaters, underneath my coats when it's just too cold to go without. They go nicely styled with a-line skirts and knee-high boots. They're such a versatile layering piece, able to be transitioned seamlessly season-to-season when paired with the right pieces and accessories.