To Susan

delectual — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:32:16 -0500

Would you like to be a contributor on The Fashionable Housewife blog? I've been reading your posts and I think you have some great content.

Email me and let me know...

sarah [at] thefashionablehousewife [dot] com

Sincerely,

Sarah-Jean Ballard

Mispost! Sorry!

kbm — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:03:22 -0600

Whoops! Posted that comment to the wrong article!! Sorry! [goes to move it now...]

Kate

Four Funny Kids

What to wear with a three-quarter sleeve blazer

Susan Wagner — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:10:15 -0600

I just bought a Halogen three-quarter sleeve blazer. Of course, I am cheap, and didn't buy anything to match. What should I wear this with? It looks good with my nice jeans and ok with my khakis. I am wondering about a skirt, or maybe black pants. It looks weird with all the skirts I own, and I currently don't own black pants.

Nancy

A three-quarter sleeve blazer is a perfect balance between casual and professional, and with the current trends toward 60s inspired women's wear, it's a fashion forward look that will work for every closet.

The most versatile three-quarter sleeve blazer is one made of a slightly dressier fabric, like silk or wool, which can be dressed up or down; pair a wool blazer with a tweed skirt for a work or with jeans for the weekend. A cotton jacket, on the other hand, is essentially a casual piece, and will work best with other casual pieces.

Halogen blazer, Nordstrom (currently unavailable)

The jacket pictured here is perfect for women with larger chests, because the slightly higher stance and the detailing under the bust will offer some visual support to the chest. Be sure that you can BUTTON every single button on a jacket before you buy it, even if you never intend to wear it buttoned; if you cannot close the front, the jacket is too small, and will always look that way on you.

This particular jacket is great with jeans, as Nancy points out, but also with corduroys. Chinos or khakis will be harder to pair with this jacket, because it is already a cotton fabric; instead, opt for trousers in a slightly heavier or more textured material. But keep it casual; because this is a cotton blend, it is not a dressy piece but a great casual item. Wool trousers will overwhelm this jacket, both in terms of weight and style.

Nancy will have a wider range of skirt options; this jacket would be great with a basic denim or corduroy skirt, or with a suede skirt, or even a washable silk. Because the jacket has a clean, simple line, she can pair it with a slimmer skirt, like a pencil shape, or with an A-line, as long as it's not too voluminous, depending on her shape. Again, keep the skirt casual; a denim or cotton-blend pencil skirt is a perfect foil for this jacket. Wear with pointy-toed flats for a spiffed up weekend look.

Nancy can layer this jacket over a tank for the clean, simple look the model has here, or over a tee for a more casual look. She can wear it over a collared shirt for a slightly dressier look, although she should keep the collar in the same kind of rounded family as the jacket's. I like a ruffly blouse under a jacket like this, to add some femininity. She can opt for a short sleeved or sleeveless blouse, but a long sleeved piece is out; having a sleeve sticking out at the wrist makes the jacket look like it doesn't fit.

Looking for more style advice?

The girls at Omiru talk us through how to wear a short sleeved blazer.

Lindsay North at My Fashion Life dishes about what to wear out when you don't know where you're going (the outfit includes a blazer! of course).

And The Fashionable Housewife tells us what NOT to wear from the Fall '08 collections (stick with the three-quarter sleeve blazer).

Susan Wagner writes about fashion at Friday Style and The Working Closet and Fashion Find. Send her your style questions at fridaystyle.susan@gmail.com.

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To Susan

Mispost! Sorry!

What to wear with a three-quarter sleeve blazer