The short black dress versus the black sequined blazer. What would you pick for a night out? Quite unanimously the answer would be the LBD. The winner hands down. Think again. Pretty soon we might all dump the girlie dress for a strong-shouldered black jacket and skinny shiny trousers. The trend is big, so big that a host of designers have introduced the blazer in a big way in their collection.
Diane von Furstenberg said that her current collection is ‘very masculine’. It depicts the idea of living a man’s life in a woman’s body. The feeling of getting the best of both worlds.
Mark my words, it may not be long before we forgo feminine frills for the ultimate power suit. Yes, even as an evening number. Check out Balmain’s black and gold jacquard double breasted jacket and you will know what I mean. You could wear it with high gloss black trousers or with leather pants and high high hills, sorry heels and you are set for a cocktail, dinner, nightclub; whatever the night brings on.
Boyfriend blazer. Velvet blazer. Sheeted sequined blazer. Embroidered blazers. Bomber jacket. Eton jacket. Bolero. Linen blazer. Cashmere blazer. Solid colour blazer with white edge piping. You name it. It is all out there. Even blazers with high-exaggerated shoulder pads. Something you might say you would not touch with a bargepole. You might change your mind soon. Very soon.
When the women embraced power dressing, say in the 1970’s, it was more to ‘fit’ into the male dominated corporate world. Today if we are choosing a ‘masculine’ style, it is to express the empowerment that lies within, the sense of individuality and confidence which is part of our personality. The fierce essence of freedom, power and strength in a subtle yet convincing way.
I love DKNY’s glitzy black jacket which you can wear all year. In the day for lunch and in the evening as an alternative. Or even for a business meeting to dazzle the client. Why not? The boyfriend blazer was popularised by American brand J Crew. They launched a collection with roll up sleeves on the jackets, once rolled up they revealed a pin stripped lining. The pieces flew off the shelves as they were versatile, could be worn with any bottom really and could be dressed up or down. The key to a successful blazer lies in its cut.
The writer owns a fashion brand based in Europe. She can be reached on info@amishi.eu [1]
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[1] mailto:info@amishi.eu