“I love blazers, especially the structured shoulder cuts that are all the rage right now. But they don't seem very compatible with my daily uniform, the jeans-sneakers. Is there an in-between? A jacket for every
day
?»
Alice, 32 years old.
To discover
SERVICE: Win a Delonghi espresso machine and six packets of coffee beans
Indeed, nothing like a nice jacket to free up your available brain time, in the morning, in front of your wardrobe.
On “inspiration breakdown” days, just slip it on and you're done.
Especially since it goes (almost) with everything: dress pants, dresses, T-shirts, sweaters… and jeans.
In a single gesture, you are elegant, ready to face the outside world.
This is called
power dressing
.
At the end of the 1970s, some creators became experts in it.
Let's not quote
what Yves Saint Laurent, Thierry Mugler, Giorgio Armani and Max Mara.
More recently, Hedi Slimane, at Celine, and Matthieu Blazy, for Bottega Veneta, took over and cut today's jackets like no one else.
So many timeless that will have their effect for years.
Read alsoQuestion of style: "What sweater to wear under a blazer?"
But let's be honest, dear Alicia, even the most beautiful jacket signed by a big name in fashion, for which you will have to shell out almost a thousand euros, will only be worth the investment if it suits you.
It's all about the cut (adapted to your morphology) and the fabric (adapted to your use).
Thus, your life (and that of so many women) would be easier if you just had to push the door of any tailor, like a man in such a case, to get one to your measurements and according to your desires.
Unfortunately, many of these suit specialists will politely decline your request on the pretext that for a client,
"really dedicated expertise is needed"
, can we read on the website of Julien Scavini, a Parisian tailor who needs no introduction.
Finding a "ladies' suit" is not easy but possible in fact.
Some neighborhood seamstresses will gladly tackle the task.
There are also a few new players in the niche, such as 17H10, a young brand specializing in women's jackets and pants, launched in 2018 by Caroline Rey and Amélie Delacour.
A half-measure service that requires patience and a certain budget (from €495 for a classic model at 17H10) that can be devoted to a special occasion, a wedding or a ceremony, and possibly put back into the "real life.
As for the ready-to-wear offer, you will find all kinds, from the fitted polyester jacket in most
fast fashion
stores to the latest chic blazer, branded by a big house.
All you have to do is avoid traps and prejudices when it comes to fittings.
“First of all, I always advise my clients not to give in to the trend
,” asserts Nathalie Oliver, personal stylist in the private salons of Bon Marché Rive Gauche.
As you have so rightly noticed, fashion is for the “1980s” jacket, shouldered, loose and long.
A form certainly very popular with influencers and podiums, but which does not suit everyone.
And in particular to small jigs.
If this is your case and that despite everything you still wanted to rub shoulders with the trend, a tip: compensate for the off-center visual break between the top and the bottom by wearing pants of the same fabric.
And you will also have to swap your sneakers for a pair of heels…
Read also“Can I keep my Birkenstocks to go back to the office?”
But rest assured, according to the department store expert,
“you can find very nice jackets at Paul & Joe.
With their shimmering fabrics and jacquard prints, they have the merit of not being boring.
Those made by Vanessa Bruno are also very good, especially in tweed.
Otherwise, Ralph Lauren always offers a wide choice of classic shapes that suit more or less all body types and all styles.
To try at the American designer, the blazer with gold buttons in navy blue jersey, cousin of the famous double-breasted jacket with brass buttons worn by the Royal Navy to welcome Queen Victoria aboard the ship in 1837. Easy in style, on the other hand , it is better to display a flat stomach behind its double buttoning.
More generally, in the fitting room, if you struggle to button the coveted model, give up - and forget the
"I was planning to lose two kilos precisely"
or the
"anyway, I'm not going to close it".
Also, prioritize fabric quality over the “brand” – wool blends give better hold.
Detail that is not one: the height of the buttons and the pockets.
A few centimeters too low, and it's a disaster.
Check the rendering on you in the mirror.
Finally, the length of the sleeves is a crucial issue.
Even Natalie Oliver agrees.
“We see too many women in the street or in the subway wearing jackets whose sleeves eat their hands.
It ruins the whole look.”
Fortunately, this small defect can easily be corrected by a good retoucher.
