How Should a Blazer Fit? A Checklist for Women

The short answer: a well fitted blazer has shoulder seams that end at the edge of your shoulders, a front that buttons flat without pulling into an X, sleeves that end at the wrist bone, and a hem that covers the hip bone. You should be able to lift your arms and cross them without the back straining. Oversized cuts break the shoulder rule by design, and hourglass cuts should sit exactly at your natural waist.

Fit is what separates a blazer that looks expensive from one that looks borrowed. Most of it comes down to five checkpoints. Learn them once and you can judge any jacket in the fitting room, and buy online with far more confidence.

The five-point blazer fit check

Shoulders: the one thing you cannot alter

Start here, because a tailor can shorten sleeves and take in a waist, but the shoulder is almost impossible to change. On a regular blazer, the seam should end exactly where your shoulder does. Press the shoulder pad gently: if your own shoulder ends before it, the jacket is too big; if the sleeve head is dented by your arm, it is too small. On an oversized blazer, the seam is meant to sit slightly beyond your shoulder; it is still wrong if the jacket slides backward when you move.

Chest and buttons

Button the jacket and look in the mirror. The lapels should lie flat against your chest and the front should close smoothly. A pull radiating out from the button in an X shape means the jacket is too tight. This matters even more on a double-breasted blazer, where the overlap cannot be let out; see how to wear a double-breasted blazer.

Waist: depends on the cut

A regular, straight blazer such as the Blazé Milano Everyday Blazer should skim the waist without shaping it. An hourglass blazer such as the Blazé Milano Charmer Blazer should narrow exactly at your natural waist; if the narrowest point sits higher, the body is too short. An oversized blazer such as the Blazé Milano Everynight Blazer should not touch the waist at all. More on shaped jackets in what is an hourglass blazer.

Sleeves

With your arms relaxed by your sides, the sleeve should end around the wrist bone. If you wear a shirt underneath, a little cuff should show. Sleeves are the easiest alteration, so a slightly long sleeve is not a reason to reject an otherwise perfect jacket. Oversized jackets often run a touch long in the sleeve; push them up.

Length

A classic blazer covers the hip bone, which flatters most figures and balances both trousers and skirts. Cropped blazers, like the single-breasted Blazé Milano Shelley Blazer, end at the waist on purpose and work best with high-rise trousers. Oversized blazers are longer. Petite women should look for a hem that falls no lower than the top of the thigh.

The movement test

Before you buy, reach forward as if driving, lift both arms and cross them. The back should not strain across the shoulder blades, and the jacket should settle back into place when you stop. A blazer that only looks good standing still is too small.

How designer sizing works

Luxury labels size differently, so read the size chart and the brand’s fit note before you buy. Some, like Blazé Milano, use their own ladder: Blazé Milano sizes 00, 0, I, II, III and IV convert to UK 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14. Fit advice changes by cut within the same brand. Blazé Milano recommends your usual size in the Everyday, Charmer, Sunfire and Shelley, and one size smaller in the oversized Everynight and Nightbreak. Every Blazé Milano product on Luxury Handbags carries the brand’s own fit note, and our Blazé Milano size guide covers the whole range.

Buying a blazer online: what to measure

When you cannot try a jacket on, measure one you already own that fits well. Lay it flat and record the shoulder width from seam to seam, the chest width from armpit to armpit, the sleeve length from shoulder seam to cuff and the back length from collar seam to hem. Compare these with the brand’s garment measurements, which many luxury labels publish for each size; Blazé Milano publishes a per-size table on many of its pieces, covering shoulders, back length, sleeve length, chest and waist. Matching the shoulder measurement is the most important, for the reason above: it is the one thing a tailor cannot fix.

Read the model note too. A line such as “the model is 177 cm and wears size I” tells you how a size sits on a known body, which is often more useful than a chart.

What a tailor can and cannot fix

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my blazer fits?

The shoulder seams end at your shoulders, the front buttons flat without an X-shaped pull, the sleeves end at the wrist bone and the hem covers the hip bone. You should be able to move your arms freely.

Should a blazer be tight?

Neither. A classic blazer should skim the body; an hourglass blazer should be fitted at the waist; an oversized blazer should be loose by design.

Where should a women’s blazer end?

A classic blazer covers the hip bone. Cropped styles end at the waist, and oversized styles can fall to the upper thigh.

How long should blazer sleeves be?

Around the wrist bone with your arms relaxed, showing a little shirt cuff if you wear one.

Should I size up in a blazer?

Only if the chest is tight, and the same goes for the shoulders. For oversized cuts, many brands recommend sizing down instead.

Can a tailor fix a blazer that is too big?

A tailor can shorten sleeves and take in the waist, but shoulders that are too wide are very hard to fix. Buy for the shoulder.

Keep reading

How to wear an oversized blazer. Which Blazé Milano blazer to buy. How to wear a navy blazer. Browse all designer blazers.