Wardrobe Essentials – Summer Blazers

A reader emailed me with the fantastic suggestion to share some of my wardrobe essentials on Alterations Needed. After thinking about the task for a little while, I wasn’t quite sure how to approach the subject in a way that hasn’t already been done a million times by magazines, TV talk-shows, and other bloggers. Everyone has a list, and they’re pretty much all the same…the perfect black dress, tailored suit…so what could I possibly bring to the table?

Doing the “Week in Outfits“, I’ve come to realize I have a much more defined personal style than I thought. My general wardrobe essentials can be easily listed, with the actual items changing slightly as the season’s change:

Taking those six basic themes that seem to weave in and out of my wardrobe, I’m going to approach this on a seasonal basis. And since summer clothing is bursting out of stores at the moment, I’ll start with that.

Summer Blazers:

One of my wardrobe essentials, any time of year, are blazers. I’ve always loved the way they look, and the way I feel when wearing them. There is something so polished about tossing on a blazer, and they work with anything, from jeans to dresses.

For petite women, blazers have the ability to help us look our age, which is important for activities where we need to be taken seriously, like at work, or when making big ticket purchases.

Tip: I like looking for blazers that say “shrunken” in the description, because it usually means the length and proportions are a bit shorter.

So when the weather starts to warm up, I don’t give up my blazers…I just pull out more “summery” ones!

Blazers in lighter, brighter colors and lighter fabrics come out to play, like this white Theory blazer made of cotton, and fun, unlined seersucker Theory blazer.

Don’t get me wrong…I don’t toss my dark colored or tweed jackets into the back of the closet just yet. They still get some wear…just a little less than in fall and winter.

To make these blazers warm-weather friendly, I roll the sleeves up to about 3/4 or elbow length. This is also helpful since I often find myself in need of a light cover up in air conditioned buildings.

Luckily, styles like this are all over stores at the moment:

White blazers:
LOFT Petite 3/4 Cotton Blazer
Theory “Landon” Blazer
H&M has one this season

Seersucker blazers:
LOFT Petite Seersucker Jacket
Juicy Couture Seersucker Blazer
H&M has one this season

More Summer Wardrobe Essentials:
Summer Cardigans
Summer Jewelry

What other great summer blazers are out there?

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