Ebony and Ivory: The Versatile Boyfriend Blazer

There is one piece everyone should have this fall: the boyfriend blazer. This versatile jacket deserves a place in every woman’s closet.

Boyfriend blazers, in addition to being cut slightly larger than a traditional women’s blazer, are tailored in such a way that renders them extremely flattering. They bring some finesse to a simple jeans and tee-shirt outfit, while still retaining a sense of low-key comfort.

And the ebony and ivory? More about that later. But for now, that’s a song that sticks in my head. I have often found myself singing it my doggies–yes, I am one of THOSE people. Since our Schnauzer mix, Sargeant is black with a white cravat, and Lulu our Norwich/French Bulldog is blonde, they definitely fit the description.

It’s funny how some songs just pop into your head when the occasion arises. Like this song, Ebony and Ivory, by Michael Jackson. Yes, he made some strange and unwise choices in his adult years, but he was quite the phenom, wasn’t he? Who among you remembers him as a little boy with the Jackson Five? And how about his Thriller video?  Pretty groundbreaking at the time.

Anyway…the boyfriend blazer outfits I’m styling today are my version of ebony and ivory.

The Versatile Boyfriend Blazer

The ease of styling these versatile jackets makes them a wardrobe essential. They look just as good with jeans as they do with dress pants. Of course, you can also style one over a pencil skirt or culotte pants. Since they always make your outfit look put together, it makes sense to have more than one. Like a black one. And an ivory one.

A black and white combination is crisp and neat and always looks right. A new coworker started work in our office and had no idea what to wear for her first day. A friend gave her some great advice. She told her to go with black and white as you can’t go wrong. That gave her at least a day to get a sense of the office dress norms. She looked perfectly appropriate for her first day!

The Black Boyfriend Blazer

A black blazer of any kind is a must-have piece. I’ll bet you have at least one, if not more. I inventoried my own collection and discovered a cropped version, a single-button hip-length jacket, and a double-breasted blazer in black. I guess you can say I like them a lot! Lol!

Here I’ve styled it simply with an ivory lace-trimmed cami and black jeans. By changing them out for dress pants, you can a perfect workplace outfit!

The black jeans are the same Wit & Wisdom I’ve been wearing. Love the fit, as you can see, since I style them all the time! Haha!

Boyfriend Blazer | Black Jeans | Camisole | Belt | Open-toe Booties | Chain Necklace | Cuff Bracelet (similar)

To punch up this basic outfit, I added a leopard-print calf-hair belt, open-toed booties, and simple gold jewelry. Simple yet elegant.

Boyfriend Blazer in Ivory

For the ivory version, black jeans and a white cami made up this black and white combo. For a slimming look, all-black looks great under a white or tan jacket as it gives a long, lean line.

The same shoes and accessories completed the look.

If you are looking for a versatile piece that will carry you through fall, whether for work or casual wear, a boyfriend blazer is a great choice. If you don’t already have one, give one a try.