28/04/2022
By binternet
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This 19th century piece will be one of spring's must-haves, the stars have already adopted it<

Looking back

The blazer, the famous long double-breasted jacket, a combination of the traditional jacket and the sports jacket, is so popular that its very origin is highly disputed! Some people date it back to the 1820s when it was worn by sports associations within prestigious English universities, in particular by the famous nautical team of St John's College in Cambridge. Its widened cut allows unprecedented freedom of movement and it has the advantage of being able to be worn over several layers of clothing in order to face the cold. The name "blazer" comes simply from the English verb "to blaze" which means "flame". Indeed, this jacket was colored at the time and sometimes provided with wide stripes in order to distinguish the different rowing, cricket, tennis or golf clubs. Another version maintains that the blazer was born in 1837 in the English navy, alluding to a visit by Queen Victoria on the ship HMS Blazer, the captain having made his crew wear navy double-breasted jackets for the occasion. adorned with Royal Navy copper buttons. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became unisex with the suffragettes who used it during demonstrations and appreciated, beyond its practical aspect, that it also symbolized a feminist position.

Cette pièce née au 19ème siècle sera un des must-have du printemps, les stars l'ont déjà adoptée

The 80's wear it to the skies

In the 50's, the blazer became more democratic, it was no longer reserved for an elite or a function, but became the traditional school uniform. Under the influence of the "mod" subculture, British teenagers in search of their identity hijacked it by adopting a 3-button cut and customizing it, often embroidering their initials in Roman letters on the cover. To its undeniably British origin, we must add that it later became one of the fundamentals of the American “preppy” style. The 70's made it reappear in particular thanks to the couturier Giorgio Armani who declined it profusely in his collections, offering a style that was both modern and elegant, and to Yves Saint Laurent who then invented all kinds of women's jackets which he associated with trousers, thus reconnecting with the origins of costume. His famous tuxedo has remained in everyone's memory. But the decade that made it a favorite piece was undoubtedly the 80s when we saw the blazer reinvent itself in cuts, materials, colors and patterns. It is worn loose with wide shoulder pads and crystallizes the silhouette of the masculine/feminine spirit of the "working girl", symbol of a certain seizure of power by women. But it was also during this decade that he changed his cut to wear it curved and short, as he returns to us today. The 2000s decline it in all tones, when it is not worn on an evening dress, it becomes a dress itself!

The blazer seen in the catwalks

Many couturiers have made it one of the key pieces of the spring-summer 2021 season. Among them, Chanel and Saint Laurent, but also Alexander McQueen and of course, Giorgio Armani.