Unpacking the autumn/winter 2023 power blazer trend

Unlike the slouchy tailoring the fashion pack favoured post-lockdown, designers made a case for more traditional silhouettes at the autumn/winter 2023 shows, bringing power blazers to the fore.

Saint Laurent’s collection typified the blazer mood of the season. As Vogue’s Mark Holgate noted in his review: “[Anthony] Vaccarello’s look rested on a big exaggerated shoulder jacket, cut into a classic men’s suit jacket, or smoking, or velvet blazer”. The designer’s punchy blazers, which were crafted from menswear fabrics (as Saint Laurent did during his time), featured angular, exaggerated shoulders, sharp notched lapels and elongated hemlines that skimmed the models’ thighs. The definition of a power blazer.

At Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton explored “the anatomy of tailoring”, tracing back to McQueen’s roots on Savile Row. The shoulders of Burton’s blazers were more streamlined, but just as impactful, than Vaccarello’s. Ditto Bottega Veneta’s sculptural hourglass version (look 22) and Stella McCartney’s single-breasted take, worn as a dress with thigh-high boots (look 13).

Amidst colourful faux-fur and naked dresses, Gucci’s design team (who worked in absence of a creative director, before Sabato De Sarno debuts for spring/summer 2024), posited a variety of tailoring options: from dove-grey leather suiting to a tuxedo jacket and a boxy blazer paired with baggy jeans, offering plentiful styling inspiration for the new season.

Further inspiration came courtesy of Chloë Sevigny, who opened Proenza Schouler’s showcase at New York Fashion Week wearing a black blazer cinched at the waist with a knotted leather belt, plus a leather skirt. “This is our most personal collection yet,” reflected Jack McCollough, who founded the brand with Lazaro Hernandez some two decades ago. “It was less revolving around a theme, more looking at the actual women in our lives: What is it they want?”

Thanks to Sevigny, we now want a “means-business” blazer, alongside the nonchalant attitude she served on the catwalk. Money can’t buy the latter, but there are several places to find the former. Scour vintage shops for tailoring with a unique worn-in feel, and the menswear section for oversized silhouettes – don’t hesitate to alter a blazer if the fit isn’t quite right. Scroll on for new season styles to invest in, now.

This article was originally published on British Vogue.