A Brief History of the Blazer

The blazer has become a stable piece for many wardrobe and adapted to new silhouettes and subcultures.

In the beginning of the 19th Century the first blazers were meant to be worn by rowers in boats from Oxford and Cambridge. They were loose-fitting, single breasted jacket and equivalent to the modern day windbreaker. The main function for this was to keep them warm during the training sessions and early morning races and made in bright striped fabric, so spectators can see them from afar and identify the different teams. The other story is of a captain, who had short double-breasted jackets made in serge for when Queen Victoria visited the ship HMS Blazer.

"The Uniformaity and Timeless quality of the Blazer adds to it universal appeal"

Within womenswear, the blazer gives a wonderfully masculine and boyish look, which is understated and elegant. Chanel took the shape and made it different for women, in choice of silhouette, fabric and trims, but still kept the idea of a blazer/jacket. This has become an icon look for the brand, and still be redesigned in recent seasons.

Another example of this is 'Le Smoking' by Yves Saint Laurent, with it iconically being photographed in French Vogue by Helmet Newton in 1975. At that time (first released in 1966), it was a statement for women to wear the suit as it was considered inappropriate for women to wear trousers and received negative criticism.

Going into the 80s, the shoulder pads were exaggerated and double-breasted jackets/blazers were very popular.