T&C Tried & True: The Perfect Blazer For Travel, For Work, For Day into Evening

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Here at T&C, we pride ourselves on our discerning eye for quality. With Tried & True, our editors will give you an inside look at the pieces they simply cannot live without.

I am—exclusively and unequivocally—carry on only no matter how long or short the trip. How, many ask, can you possibly do that? Don’t you want choices? Don’t you value variation? I am, without apology, a uniform dresser: black cropped pants (from Attersee, Proenza White Label, or a new favorite pair from A Piece Apart), a Manolo BB 70mm suede pump or Vivier boot, a CH Carolina Herrera black silk shell (or my secret Air Essentials black tunic tank from Spanx, so soft!!) and a well tailored, comfortable but structured, day into evening, blazer. Often over the last few years, that blazer has been from a Milan based company called Blaze Milano.

My carry on (Rimowa) almost without fail this year has held three Blaze blazers. A black or navy one, a lilac one, and a cream. The black or navy choice should be obvious, classic and easily repeatable, always sharp. The lilac because a uniform dresser always needs one moment of unexpected color to say, “yes I have more than one blazer, and more than one mood.” But the truth is, the cream Blaze blazer is really my secret weapon in the successful execution of my carry-on only strategy. For day with a black crewneck shell it feels pulled together and slightly dressed up. I do minimal (for me) jewelry and a neutral-colored scarf. Cream, also to be honest, perks up a jet lagged complexion. But it’s the cream blazer evening transformation that really helps packing efficiency. A cream blazer from Blaze with a camisole (I just got one from Carine Gilson that I really like), a black satin Attersee pant, and a jeweled shoe is a slight update on the tuxedo look I favor for cocktail (or with the right jewelry, even for black tie). The cream color lends an instant kind of glamour and confidence (yes Im wearing cream, no I wont spill red wine on it.) I wore this Blaze blazer centered evening look to the home of a legendary New York hostess the other night and she pointed to the piece and I said “I love that Blaze don’t you?”

How did she know? It’s the signature #smileypocket of a Blaze Milano blazer. A detail-pockets on their blazers are all subtly trimmed with an upside down smile like line—that elevates each piece from strict uniform into something that feels feminine and personal. Which is another reason I have come to rely on these blazers so much. They are not rigid, the lines skim the body rather than hug it, but they are not boxy either. The shoulders have some structure but don’t overpower. The three fashion editors and friends that founded the brand were inspired by strong women in doing so, and it's how these blazers make me feel.

In their presentations in Milan, always held at the chicest private residences, Corrada Rodriguez D’Acri, Delfina Pinardi, and Sole Torlonia, exhibit the kind of polish and ease so many of us are hoping for whether after a mad dash in the morning or during those long work trips when no matter how lovely the hotel you feel like your suitcase and your mind have both exploded. In other words, somehow, these Blaze Milano blazers make me feel like I have my look, and my life, pulled together. Next time you see me, I'll more than likely be wearing one.

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