An easy but sometimes overlooked outfit is: all black with a colorful blazer. We usually have tons of black clothes, so why not transform your all black outfit by spicing it up with a colorful blazer. As women in science, we sometimes feel that we shouldn’t incorporate color into our outfits because it might seem 'unprofessional' and we might not be taken 'seriously'. If you love creating colorful outfits, you shouldn’t feel the need to stop just because you are a woman in STEM...
If you are used to wearing monochrome outfits, and might not want to dive head first into the colorful outfit realm, a simple and easy way to incorporate color into your outfit is by adding a colorful blazer to an all black outfit. It’s so easy to get used to wearing all black outfits because they are usually easy to put together and they don’t require much thought on making sure everything in the outfit goes together and matches. Luckily, all you need to do in order to not wear an all black outfit, is to 1.)have an all black outfit and 2.) throw a colorful blazer on it.
Your all black outfit could be a black blouse and black pants, a black blouse and a black skirt, or even a black dress! You can personalize this outfit based on your preference. In the summertime, you can wear a sleeveless blouse inside the blazer and in the winter time, you can wear a long sleeve blouse inside the blazer. You can wear this outfit in any season! This outfit is extremely versatile and you can wear it to a networking event, conference, speaking engagement etc. I know some people might say that color can be distracting, but pairing a colorful blazer with all black, gives that fun pop of color without being distracting. Think of it like this: the blazer is hot and the all black is cool, and when paired together, you get the perfect temperature!
It’s sometimes scary to step out of our comfort zones, especially when it comes to things like fashion. If you are not used to incorporating color into your outfits, but you are thinking about it, adding a colorful blazer to your wardrobe is a step in the right direction. You might even be surprised that someone will remember you at conference because of the color of your blazer!
Helpful Tips:
- You should make sure that you always feel comfortable in your outfit, pick a blazer color that you feel comfortable and confident in.
- Depending on what the general lighting of the event will be, you may want to avoid fluorescent and neon colors. Eg. if you will be on stage speaking and a spotlight will be shining on you, you might want to wear a softer color or a pastel color and avoid neon colors.
- DO NOT think that you have to put a dent in your pockets buying a colorful blazer.
Try checking your local thrift store for colorful blazers.
- Another affordable way to buy a colorful blazer is to buy one on sale. In the U.S, some great places to find an affordable blazer on sale are H&M, Loft, Old Navy, Ann Taylor, NY & CO., and so many others!
Let us know in the comments where you like to shop for blazers!