It's Blazin'!




When it comes to blazers, there is a fine line between business and casual. Often when the line is crossed, we usually wind up in a hodgepodge we'd like to dodge. Who wants to appear in a financial meeting adorned in a Thom Browne pastel whale suit and who chooses to emulate a law intern in Condé Nast? I believe everyone - or perhaps most of us who aren't a part of a comedy show - would like to avoid this nasty situation, unless you really like to get fired.

And in fashion, we definitely do not wish to transpire as law or business interns. In fact, we'd love to be in a Thom Browne suit. We'd adore and even kill to be in one. So what drives us so enthused (sometimes with unwanted homicidal intent) to put on suits when it has been internationally and prehistorically known as a formal formal (double emphasised, so not to be mistaken with casual formal) dress code? Is it its evolution? Or is it its subtle chicness we could achieve when worn with the right cut? If we factor out the blacks, greys, whites and navies from the array of suits out there in the market or in tailor shops, we would find ourselves thrown with a whole ton of suits we'd like to wear when we are virgin fashion interns. And if you'd find yourself stuck with the aforementioned four colour schemes - often black - because you are simply not strategically resourceful enough to scout for the perfect multi-coloured tartan suit or any other excuse you'd like to insert here, perhaps I'd relieve some of your stress and introduce a high-waisted wide leg pants to replace your original bottom.

But can we often keep up with the 'Match It' game?

There'll definitely be a time whereby our wallets dry up and our suits being continuously used and abused. You'll have to choose rent over man-suiting. Tommy Ton or the Sartorialist might not even bother searching for you in the sea of colours adorned in the latest fashion. You start to keep your suit in the closet and then what, let it turn old, then mouldy and eventually pulling it out and self-label it as 'vintage'? Or can we, skillfully filter out the two piece suit and fully exploit the pants? Since we're on this topic, what about the blazer?

When menswear slowly and progressively traipsed into women's ready to wear, there was just this aura of poise and confidence channeled out when the models strutted down adorned in blazers. I believe that blazers implies feminism. Really strong feminism. It allows her to carry herself well, elevate her confidence (not to forget the court heels too) and not to forget those crazy huge shoulder pads that not only satisfy her sartorially but also intelligently. Also, woman also triumph in terms of having the ability to make use of both gender closets because no one would judge no one when they do so! That's like a plus point on a plus point!

Nevertheless, blazers have been a huge part of me (even though it doesn't seem that way but in reality, it is) and I still firmly believe that those shoulder pads are the ones that play a huge part in changing one's look. Without them, the whole look would collapse. But with shoulder pads in built to bequeath the blazer that structured formal look and at the same time, be patched in black and white houndstooth print combination, could we still solitarily divide such blazers into two separate entities as aforementioned: business or casual? If shoulder padded and printed blazers are spontaneously ubiquitous all over fast fashion now, I couldn't help but wonder: Do we often walk on that fine line?

Because I know I'd always do.

Topman houndstooth blazer, COS used and abused white t-shirt, Topman shorts, Zara minaudière, Superga sneakers

Image credits Imran