My son's Back to School night had me and other eager parents meeting teachers IRL after nearly 18 months! Naturally, I dressed up for the occasion and put on my new fall must-have: the check blazer. It comes off as both polished and elegant yet it's t-shirt friendly, too. My kind of balance! The hero version, above, is by Balenciaga, but I also like these less pricey iterations from Veronica Beard, Zara, Maje, and Blaze Milano.

Photo: Lisa Aiken