The summer blazer

In the 1920s, the nautical navy blazer was adapted to become the sports blazer, a popular item for men whether on the tennis court or watching from the bleachers. French tennis player Rene Lacoste even had a blazer with his now-famous crocodile motif on the pocket. College types loved the loose lines and had patch pockets with their university crests. In the 1930s, cricketers also wore striped blazers with their team colours and crests. In the 1980s, oversized blazers were popular womenswear, with their shoulder pads, rolled-up sleeves and bright colours. Working Girl, anyone?

Why you need it now

We can still blame Balmain for blazermania, after it sent out its fierce, peaked-shouldered jackets in autumn last year. Since then, blazers have continued to ascend but have softened up considerably. The current preppy sportif trend has popularised the summer blazer again and even for those less-sporty versions, lightweight fabrics and spring colours lift this otherwise "working" wardrobe piece into casual, weekend territory. Tommy Hilfiger's recent spring-summer show featured the best example of this preppy styling. Antipodean designers have also embraced the summer blazer, with loose tailored styles found at labels including Fleur Wood, Karen Walker and Yeojin Bae.

What to look for

Loose-fitting styles mean you can roll up those sleeves for all play, no work. Similarly, fabrics such as cotton, denim, linen and that summer favourite, seersucker, give you a relaxed edge that will pair perfectly with jeans, shorts or your favourite breezy summer dress. Stripes are perfectly preppy, as are contrasting trims around lapels, sleeves, hems and crest pockets. For colours, the season's hottest shades of nude are fabulous, as are gelato shades of pale pink, blue, mint and lavender. Prints also add a fun twist to this lightweight (and light-hearted) item.