Navy Wool Structured Blazer with Notched Lapels

These two blazers capture the twin poles of 1980s power dressing: the American version strips away ornament for pure architectural authority, while the British iteration doubles down on naval tradition with its regimental brass buttons and deeper double-breasted stance. Both share that decade's obsession with shoulder emphasis and structured tailoring, but where the single-breasted blazer whispers corporate competence, the double-breasted one shouts old-money confidence.

These two jackets capture the global reach of 1980s power dressing, but reveal how differently cultures interpreted the mandate for authority through clothing. The American blazer follows the decade's familiar formula—sharp shoulders, structured lapels, and that navy-wool seriousness borrowed directly from men's suiting—while the Korean bolero takes a more subtle approach, using the cropped silhouette and rust silk to suggest strength without abandoning feminine grace.

These two pieces are textbook power dressing, but they reveal the movement's split personality: the blazer plays it straight with its severe navy wool and sharp notched lapels, while the houndstooth skirt whispers subversion through its abbreviated hemline and graphic pattern. Both anchor themselves in masculine tailoring codes—structured shoulders, crisp lines, serious fabrics—yet the mini skirt's proportions suggest that 1980s women weren't content to simply cosplay as men in boardrooms.