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December 23, 2024

What To Wear With a Blazer: Perfect Pairings for Every Style

While blazers are popular picks for the office, they’re also a go-to for formal occasions and an easy way to dress casual yet stylish. They add a modern, tailored look to classic dresses and a sharp edge to relaxed styles. 

With the right inspiration, you can create a blazer outfit for any occasion. Wear them with slacks and skirts, or dress them down with a pair of jeans—these versatile pieces belong in every closet.

Read on to learn what to wear with a blazer and never run out of outfit ideas.

Types of blazers

Different blazers suit unique vibes, personal aesthetics, and occasions. When you find the right one, it’s easy to assemble the perfect outfit. Here are the most common types of blazers:

  • Classic: These are the most traditional blazers, often seen at the office. They sport a basic cut and timeless appeal, and they typically come in wool, linen, or cotton.
A classic black blazer.
  • Cropped: This type has a shorter hemline, whether at the hip or the rib cage. It helps you achieve a more modern look, showcasing statement bottoms and defining the waist.
A black cropped blazer.
  • Oversized: Much like oversized shirts, these blazers should fit about two sizes larger than your usual size and give a relaxed vibe. While you can simply size up your classic blazer, there are also some specifically designed to be loose and baggy for this purpose.
A black oversized blazer.
  • Cape: This type drapes over the shoulders, with wide split sleeves and a billowing silhouette. It’s a stunning statement piece with a bold structure.
A black cape blazer.
  • Peplum: Feminine and alluring, the peplum blazer flares out at the waist with delicate ruffles. This contrasts the sharp style of a classic blazer with a more whimsical aesthetic.
A grey pelplum blazer.
  • Waterfall: These pieces have soft, flowing lapels that loosely drape over your frame. This wave-like design is elegant and suitable for dressy and casual looks.
A grey waterfall blazer.

How to rock a blazer: 9 effortlessly chic outfit ideas

You can easily go formal, laid-back, or business casual with blazers—they answer nearly every outfit dilemma and make a perfect capsule wardrobe addition. Check out our nine favorite outfits to wear with a blazer.

1. Classy casual

A woman wearing a neutral-toned midi dress with a classic blazer, a scarf, a designer bag, and understated pumps.
Image generated by ThredUp’s AI-powered Style Chat

A neutral-toned midi dress with a classic blazer is one of the easiest and most versatile women’s blazer outfits. While this is excellent daily wear, it’s also the perfect nighttime look—a professional style that transitions smoothly to evening drinks.

This foolproof combo goes with anything, but our top accessory recommendations are a scarf, a designer bag, and understated pumps. 

2. Bold and comfortable

A woman wearing green pants, an animal printed blazer, matching boots, a bag, and sunglasses.
Source: Victoria Fox/Shutterstock

Looking for a relaxed look for lunch with friends or a trip to the movies? Try a printed blazer with a white tee and black jeans. Pair this with your favorite sneakers or ballet flats.

This getup is attention-grabbing, colorful yet laidback, and practical—perfect weekend vibes. Our top tip: Get as daring as you want with colors and patterns. A subtle monochrome geometric pattern is hugely versatile, but a bold animal print showcases your distinct style.

3. Sporty style

A woman wearing creamy joggers and an oversized blazer with sneakers and sunglasses, talking on the phone.
Source: iStock/Creative Credit

This on-trend and unique way to style a blazer is one we can’t get over. Wear a sleek black blazer with joggers, a white tee, and a baseball cap for a sporty aesthetic suitable for outdoor dates and daily errands.

For footwear, we’d choose the shoes that go with everything: white sneakers. Accessorize with convenient pieces that add to your adventurous look, like travel-ready crossbody bags.

4. Smooth elegance

A woman wearing a gala outfit made of a dark floor-length gown and a black cape blazer, with a clutch and sunglasses.
Image generated by ThredUp’s AI-powered Style Chat

A traditional blazer paired with a luxurious dress—is it perfectly balanced or a striking contrast? Either way, it’s one of our favorite aesthetics.

For a dazzling gala outfit, pair a dark floor-length gown with a black or beige cape blazer. Grab a clutch bag and add simple strappy heels and fine jewelry to turn some heads.

We recommend trying this look with an informal cocktail dress for less formal occasions. If it’s a summer girls’ night, don’t forget the cute sunnies.

5. Vintage prep

A woman wearing a polo shirt, white tennis skirt with loafers, and a nature textile bag with a white blazer and sunglasses.
Image generated by ThredUp’s AI-powered Style Chat

Blazers are essential to prep fashion and instantly convey a charming academic aesthetic. We love the classic combo of a polo shirt, tennis skirt, and either boat shoes or loafers. For the blazer, we recommend a more traditional, natural textile, like linen or tweed.

Use ThredUp’s detailed filters to find your desired fabric quickly. Open the Material tab, find the type you’re looking for—like 100% wool or linen—check any boxes that apply, and start browsing.

6. Oversized chic

A woman walking down the street wearing an oversized white blazer and matching pants.
Source: Creative Lab/Shutterstock

We adore oversized shirts worn as dresses, and blazers are a daring alternative. Grab a midi-length oversized blazer and add a waist-defining belt for a unique take on these traditional pieces.

Accent this style with sleek ankle boots and a leather handbag for a contemporary edge. For a fall variation, layer a turtleneck and leggings underneath a checked blazer for extra warm pumpkin spice vibes.

7. Easy breezy

A woman wearing a pink blazer with jeans, a black t-shirt and loafers, and a small bag.
Source: iStock/Michael Brave

Can blazers be light, breezy, and sunny? Absolutely. Wear a white tee and cutoffs with a statement blazer in a bright color, like aqua, orange, or coral. This outfit looks equally great with a pair of wide-leg jeans.

We love this idea for any summer fun, like festivals and trips down the boardwalk. It’s also perfect for relaxed evening events—perhaps a date on a bistro patio.

Pro tip: Enhance the flowy aesthetic with a waterfall blazer.

8. Sleek and professional

A woman wearing  a button-down shirt, boots, a classic black blazer with matching pants, and a bag, hat, and sunglasses.
Image generated by ThredUp’s AI-powered Style Chat

There’s no rule against being chic and professional at once. Pair a button-down shirt and slacks with a matching peplum blazer to create a sophisticated look with feminine flair. For a quick variation, swap the slacks for a pencil skirt.

Wear this for office days and meetings or to boost your confidence at an important job interview. Our advice: For more formal settings, match the blazer to the bottoms’ colors, and for more casual ones, choose complementary hues.

9. Cropped and edgy

A woman wearing a black cropped blazer with a skirt and high-knee boots.
Source: iStock/Pawel Szewczyk

We’re obsessed with this combo. A boxy cropped blazer with a mini skirt and knee-high boots perfectly nails the vogue aesthetic. Accessorize with a designer bag and some eye-catching headwear—try a wide-brimmed hat or a beret.

If you want to add more daring charm to this look, opt for a statement blazer in cherry red or leopard print.

Discover limitless blazer outfits on ThredUp

ThredUp is your one-stop shop for flexible, creative blazer outfits. Find classic, cropped, or statement blazers, and complete the look by thrifting essentials like jeans and tees.

Our Improved Search feature will help you zero in on the exact piece you need. It uses natural language, so you can search for phrases and vibes rather than keywords. Try typing something like “cute blazer for a fun date night,” and we’ll find you the ideal piece for your occasion.

Unsure what you’re looking for? Narrow down your endless options with Style Chat. Describe an event or a specific piece you want to style, and our AI will create an outfit and generate it on a model. Tweak the prompt until you love the results, then browse suggested items from our collection.