By Nupur Amarnath

Copyright indiatimes

(Clockwise from right): Anamika Khanna’s handembroidered, oversized blazer dress; KGL’s asymmetrical blazer; Cord’s widelapelled, cropped blazer;

“Malgudi Days!” Designer Suket Dhir calls it one of the inspirations to create his signature blazer-over-kurta look. The way Swami and his father would slip a thin blazer in the television series has stayed with Dhir. His grandfather too dressed the same, recalls the creative director of the eponymous label, known for his craft-intensive yet minimal silhouettes. The Delhi-based designer, who dressed economist Abhijit Banerjee for his Nobel Prize ceremony, calls it the perfect case of East meets West. “It’s an effortless pairing that makes the look and feel of the blazer current,” he says. Dhir’s bestseller is his linen blazer, a classic style that’s more than a work staple. It’s tailored in a way that allows movement and fluidity. The blazer, for him, is effortlessly elegant, understated and yet regal. Trend forecasters have announced that we are firmly in the blazer season. Be it Pedro Pascal’s tartan boxy jacket, or Margot Robbie’s Prince of Wales check blazer that she wore with sleeves rolled up, or Julia Roberts and Amanda Seyfried’s intentional twinning at the Venice film festival, the blazer is back in business. Designer Kanika Goyal, known for creating cool, neo-luxury looks, says, “Once a strict emblem of authority, the blazer is now a vehicle for individuality and personal style.” Designers are exploring more fluid, almost architectural silhouettes. Live Events It was in the 1820s that the blazer debuted as a thigh-length, double-breasted jacket, tailored in black or navy flannel with brass buttons. The most common origin story traces it to the red “blazers” or bright sporting jackets, worn by the boating team of St John’s College, Cambridge. But it was still thought of as a sartorial middle child, between the formal suit jacket and the casual sports jacket. The blazer entered the pages of Vogue in June 1893 and, by the 1920s, women were wearing it. In 1975, Giorgio Armani broke the spell of structure the fashion world was under. The architect of softness, he deconstructed the suit, making his clothes move with the body, not against it. Unlined and unironed, Armani’s blazers could be worn like a sweater or a jacket. Armani was crowned the “King of the Blazer” after Richard Gere wore him in the 1980 hit American Gigolo. SYMBOL OF EASE Goyal says the 2025 blazer update has oversized proportions, unstructured or softly padded shoulders, lightweight blends like wool-silk or linen-wool, textural play, unexpected seams, curved lapels and intricate linings—all of which redefines the category. At Kanika Goyal Label (KGL), the blazers are cut for ease, often with deconstructed panels and peekaboo details in sheer fabrics or lapels. Their current bestseller is the embellished blazer vest styled with sheer dresses.”Blazers can be an all-weather look. Choose light linen for summer and heavier fabrics, including silk blends, for cooler months.”— YATAN AHLUWALIA, image, grooming & wardrobe consultant Neha Singh, cofounder of contemporary clothing label Cord, says the blazer has moved far beyond its once-rigid definition of power dressing. “We see the shift as a reflection of how people want their clothes to serve them in everyday life. What was once a symbol of authority is now a symbol of ease, adaptability and personal style,” she says. A reason why fluid silhouettes, softer tailoring and casual pairings are in. In Cord, lightweight blends make the piece less seasonal, and the fit is relaxed often with subtle vintage references in lapels or pockets. Fashion pundits have time and again pinned the popularity of the blazer on its styling potential. The styling has shifted dramatically: now it’s thrown over crop tops, slip dresses, saris, denim.THREE’s longline blazer; Dhir’s printed blazer worn over a kurta; Why So Blue’s handscreen-printed cotton blazer Singh points to the reasons for the change: “First, there is a broader rethinking of gendered dressing where the blazer no longer belongs to one identity or setting. Second, with the rise of versatility in fashion, people are investing in pieces that can move seamlessly from work to leisure, without losing relevance. For younger audiences, the blazer carries history and authority and yet feels fresh when styled casually.” The adoption by women has also helped. Dhir launched his range of “womenswear as menswear” in 2020 with brocade jackets and he’s been seeing an uptick in sales. Ketan Pishe, partner at PN Rao, a Bengaluru-headquartered legacy tailoring brand established in 1923, says his teenage daughter borrows his jacket to wear it as an oversized silhouette. Pishe pins the change to a post-Covid casualisation of dress codes that have made them launch the category Paradigm Stitch, which offers lighter blazers, less structured jackets and fresher cuts. TIMELESS JACKET For designer Rahul Khanna of the designer duo Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna, the change is a reflection of how dressing has evolved—with room for individuality and comfort. “A blazer has become truly seasonless, thanks to fabric choices and fluid silhouettes. What excites me most is how it’s moved beyond traditional gender lines. The modern blazer isn’t about fitting into a category—it’s about expression, comfort and timeless style that suits everyone,” he says. “A good blazer is all about striking that balance where the blazer still commands attention but doesn’t overpower.” Besides the popular oversized blazers, there are belted versions, longlines, cropped variants and blazer vests. Recently AK|OK Anamika Khanna showcased a series of textured blazers at her maiden outing at the London Fashion Week. Then, there are brands like Kinche and Doodlage, which upcycle fabric waste into novelty blazers, among other things.”Designers are exploring more fluid, almost architectural silhouettes, in blazers. Think oversized proportions, unstructured or softly padded shoulders, and lightweight blends like wool-silk or linen-wool that move with the body instead of restraining it”— KANIKA GOYAL, founder, KGL For Shweta Shivkumar, Mumbai-based founder of comfort-first casualwear label Why So Blue, the real gamechanger is the evolution of blazers to an all-weather accessory, thanks to use of lighter fabrics—they have a breezy mulmul blazer. She says, “People want to try new things. Also, with more room to experiment with workwear, alt blazers come to play.” For her, blazers are markers of a confident dresser. Her advice: don’t restrict it to a place and occasion: “With so many variations in styles and fabrics, the blazer now fits seamlessly into different wardrobes and lifestyles. Some of our bestselling festive pieces are ikat or paisley blazers with delicate handwork.” Pallavi Dhyani, founder of contemporary label THREE, where layering is part of design aesthetic, says today’s blazer is free of rules. “This evolution is not really loss of power but rather a redefinition of it, one that makes it more relevant to the contemporary world and its climate.” She feels a blazer can be casually styled over any outfit. “This shift in styling reflects a generation that resists compartmentalisation like masculine vs feminine, workwear vs leisurewear.” Singh says they design blazers that don’t prescribe who should wear them or when. When buying a blazer, Dhir says pick something that will feel relevant for the next 15-20 years. His rule of thumb: “It shouldn’t look generic to you. You should feel special when you try it.” He also advises to check the lining. Dhir uses silk with his own Indian-inspired prints as he feels that elevates the overall experience of wearing it. His blazers come with lifetime warranty for repairs. His style tip: ditch a pocket square in favour of fresh flowers of the season. For image, grooming and wardrobe consultant Yatan Ahluwalia, a structured blazer, fitted with sharp lapels and collars is a must. His one advice for care is to use the right hanger—the wide-shouldered variety to keep the structure intact. Designers love the blazer for its blank-canvas potential—they can cut, shape, colour and style it a hundred ways and still keep it recognisable. Goyal says, styling has become far more democratic and youthful. She adds, “Social media has accelerated that freedom, but it’s also a reflection of a generation that values comfort, self-expression and fluidity over rigid dress codes. The blazer’s true superpower is its ability to anchor a look instantly.” It’s almost like donning a cape.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
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