Blazers are the quintessential closet staple. However getting the perfect fit can be quite a challenge.
Today we look at how to fit a blazer and we also show you some fabulous blazers currently available online.
How to fit a blazer and which blazer should you get?
Often an effortless finish to a look, the diverse variety of styles, cuts, and colors can be a bit confounding.
But you’ll need the right fit and often a blazer purchased right off the rack will not provide the best fit or flatter you as well as it could.
Tailoring, one of the best wardrobe investments you could make, is key to creating a custom fitting look.
In this article we go over different blazer styles and provide quick tips on how to fit a blazer.
Types of blazers
There are multiple styles of blazers you will encounter. One of my personal favorites is the standard cotton stretch blazer.
This blazer makes any outfit a bit classier (so perfect to wear with jeans and create that casual chic look) and the stretch makes sure that it’s comfortable and a snug fit.
This blazer comes in 5 different colors and is a great classic to add to your wardrobe.
Open front blazer
Open front blazers do not have any buttons enclosing the blazer. They tend to have a draped looked and are very flattering for women with larger bust sizes.
Theory Lindrayia B Good Wool Suit Jacket – Vince Camuto Collarless Open Front Blazer – Mural ‘Curve’ Open Front Shawl Collar
You may also like our article on what to wear to work – a professional work capsule
Belted blazer
Belted blazers tend to have no buttons and are reflective of a more structured open front blazer.
The difference is, as the name implies, that they can be belted. Belted blazers can create either a straight or peplum style silhouette, which can both be very helpful in creating an illusion of a more defined waist.
These tend be especially popular with hourglass shaped women as it emphasizes their waist even more. Rectangle women like them too as it will give them more shape.
Sophie Wrap Sweater Blazer – Keepsake The Label Wrap Kimono Style Blazer – Stella Mccartney Wrap Jacket
Lesley below looks very stylish with her belted blazer worn over a printed dress.
Single breasted blazer
Single breasted blazers have a single row of buttons to close the blazer. Single breasted blazers tend to be universally flattering, as long as the fit is well-tailored.
Eliza J Ruched Sleeve Blazer – 1901 Stretch Cotton Twill Blazer – KAMALIKULTURE Single Breasted Blazer
Greetje looks fabulous in this brighter blue blazer. It gives here a great waist and is very flattering for her inverted triangle shape.
A fitted blazer is a great choice for wide leg pants. Discover how to wear wide leg pants and shop them online.
Double breasted blazer
Double breasted blazers have two rows of buttons that allow the material of one side of the blazer to cross over the other side.
Double breasted blazers tend to be a bit dressier but can also add bulk so are a bit harder to wear.
Topshop Double Breasted Jacket – Kate Spade Modern Blazer – Meraki Women’s Collarless Blazer
There are 6 key areas you should take into account when finding the best fitting blazer:
- Bust
- Buttons
- Lapels
- Length
- Shoulder
- Sleeve
![How to fit a blazer | 40plusstyle.com]()
How to fit the bust
The bust area is often one of the most challenging areas of a blazer to fit. Depending on both the size of your blazer and your bust size, you can wind up with a blazer that is either quite tight or loose across the bust area. The industry standard is that each side of you blazer must be able to go across half of a breast. Buttoning should not cause your blazer to appear (or feel) tight and create a too tight look.
On the other side of the spectrum, your blazer should not be so loose in this area that buttons create an overly draped look or a significant amount of bunching.
What is the best button style on a blazer and where should they be?
A word you will occasionally hear in reference to buttons on a blazer is “stance”. The highest point where the buttons on your blazer are, is considered to be the stance. For a blazer that best fits your body type, you should definitely pay attention to this.
Typically, the higher the stance the more buttons you will find on a blazer.
As an example, you might find three buttons on a blazer that has a high stance while a blazer with a low stance has one button. Some key things to keep in mind is that if you have a larger bust, you might find a better fit with a two or three-button blazer.
Blazer lapels
While it might not be an initial thought, the style and fit of the lapel is essential to the overall look of your blazer.
The bigger the lapel the more bulk it will create on top, and the less lengthening your look will be. Usually, the less petite you are, the more you can get away with wearing larger lapel sides.
Blazer length
There is a myriad of lengths blazers are made in. The length of a traditional blazer is around your hipbone. They tend to be flattering for most body shapes.
Longer and shorter blazer lengths can also be stylish options and depend on your preferences, where you’re wearing the look, current trends and your body shape.
Whichever length you choose, be sure to keep the proportions of your overall look in mind to create the best silhouette for you.
This is a topic that we discuss at length in our style course where we give you easy tips and examples to achieve a golden ratio with your overall outfit for your specific body type.
Traditional length blazers
Traditional length blazers, as mentioned above, fall along the hipbone and are flattering for most shapes.
1901 Stretch Cotton Twill Blazer – Meraki Women’s Collarless Blazer – Vince Camuto Zip Pocket Blazer – Daniel Rainn Floral Blazer
Below is a great example of a standard length blazer that looks fabulous on most women (image credit)
Cropped length blazer
Cropped length blazers look best when paired with pants or skirts that have a higher waist.
Alternatively, wearing them with longer tops also creates an elongating look.
They also are the perfect partner to a well fitting dress.
Scotch & Soda Herringbone Crop Blazer – Rachelle Roy Collection Gathered Blazer – Halogen Tweed Jacket – Eliza J Ruched Sleeve Blazer
Extra long blazer
Extra long blazers are often the boyfriend style blazers that are another effortless layering piece. When wearing a boyfriend style blazer, the key here (for most body shape types) is to balance the oversized look with a more fitted bottom.
As an example, wear an oversized blazer with slim fit jeans for a more balanced silhouette.
Liverpool Boyfriend Ponte Blazer – Liverpool Jeans Company Boyfriend Blazer – Topshop Chuck On Blazer – LINSIS Women’s Blazer
Dorota below wears quite a masculine blazer with a feminine dress. It creates a great contrast and really makes this look special.
How to fit the shoulder of a blazer
Under no circumstances should your blazer feel so tight around your shoulders that you can hardly raise your arms or move around comfortably.
While the look and feel should be fitted, you do not want too loose of a fit around the shoulders (unless the style is intentionally cut that way, which is not universally flattering).
The goal is to have the seams of the shoulder be as close to the end of your shoulders as possible. If a jacket seam does not reach the end of your shoulder it may be too tight. If it goes over your shoulder you will will get the bunching effect on your upper arms which is very unflattering.
We would also recommend that you do not turn your nose up at the idea of shoulder pads. They serve a very functional purpose of maintaining the shoulder shape and fit.
Where should the sleeves of your blazer end?
The sleeves of your blazer are also important to take into account when purchasing or sizing a blazer.
Ideally, the sleeves of your blazers should end at your wrist bone. However, there is always the case of different lengths (as discussed above), which could affect how and where your sleeve hits various points of your arm.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you are going for a professional look, it is not beneficial to have sleeves that hit mid arm or do not quite reach your wrist bone.
Other settings will allow almost any type of sleeve, as long as the look is flattering to your body shape. A ¾-length sleeve tends to work quite well with cropped blazers for example.
Want more direction? Check this video from Ruth!
Are blazers part of your style profile? What are some of your biggest challenges when it comes to getting the right fit?
Like this article? Save it on Pinterest!
Feature image by @no_fear_of_fashion; Photos by @workinglook – @elrincondenagore – @nowshine