3 Ways to Style a Colorful Plaid Blazer

Plaid blazers couldn’t be more classic, but the latest ones are brighter and more colorful than we’re used to. It’s got many wondering, what do you wear with it?

Here’s a cute Talbots jacket I picked up in very playful colors, and I styled it in three ways.

1. Look # 1 – Traditional – Toned Down

If you are not used to wearing many colors, the easiest way to style a colorful plaid blazer is to tone it down with a darker, classic color worn underneath.

My plaid jacket is a combination of dusty brights: dusty green, blue, orange, and purple. I wear a dark, rusted sweater to quiet down this unusual mix and make the outfit look more conservative.

The rust isn’t a complete match to the orange—that would be pretty bright—but it is close enough and works. I’ve also added rust-brown booties to ground the look. Suede is the perfect texture to complement this Shetland tweed.

Style Tip: solid dark top + colorful pattern blazer  = Toned Down.

2. Creative and Fun – Get Creative and Have Fun Mix Colorful Prints

For every gal I’ve ever met who likes a conservative look, there is always another who is just the opposite and likes a very creative look. How innovative can you get with a plaid jacket? All you need to do is mix prints. I mixed checks with a busy Fair Isle pattern sweater, and it works.

This kind of mixing can seem intimidating to some, but you need to remember to keep the colors similar and mix prints of different sizes.

All the colors in the jacket match the colors in the sweater, and the print in the jacket ( checks) is tiny, while the print in the shirt is much larger. Remember these two things when you go to pattern mix, and you will have no problem. Tip: Colorful pattern top + colorful pattern blazer = creative and fun.

3. Mostly Modern

The third way I am styling this jacket I call, mostly modern. What’s that? It’s this classic check jacket in these fresh, new colors with of these new colors worn underneath.

I could have worn blue, purple, or orange since all these colors are in the jacket, but I liked the green since it suited my coloring. This look is between toned down and creative. It’s a little fashion-forward, so mostly modern.

Here’s this sweater without the blazer. It’s a bright green cashmere V-neck from Nordstrom and comes in some other pretty colors, too. Remember:  Solid bright top + colorful pattern blazer = mostly modern.

Notice that the top was the only thing I changed about all of these looks. The result is three different looks with three different vibes. Are you Traditional-Toned Down, Creative and fun, or Mostly Modern? Maybe all three, depending on your mood.

I’d love to know.