one of men's wear's most confusing and aggravating subjects is understanding the key differences between suit jackets Blazers and sport coats Blazers and sport coats in particular are often conflated despite their technical differences this comes as no surprise given that many modern menswear brands have marketed their products in such a way that confuses their customers which certainly doesn't help despite this subject's rather pretentious nature I think it can be important to understand the differences between these class classic menswar pieces because depending on what you need to wear or spend your hard-earned money on each of them
can become more or less appropriate depending on the types of occasions you need to dress for what's up guys I'm Chandler you're watching gentleman's flare and today we're going over the differences between a suit jacket Blazer and sport coat [Music] by the end of this video you should be able to understand the key differences between these three classic Men's Wear pieces when in how best to wear them and even some of the most common mistakes that we men should probably avoid kicking things off with the most formal of the three we have the suit jacket
a suit is formally defined as a garment that is comprised of a jacket and a pair of trousers both of which match one another in fabric pattern and color simply put both items are constru constucted from the same materials men's suits can be made of all sorts of fabrics however most suits are made from worsted wool which is lighter stronger smoother and finely woven wool that can sometimes give off a kind of Sheen or shininess to the material these suits can be more structured in that they often come with full or half canvas lining and
some padding in the shoulders adding to the overall level of formality every man should have at least one well-fitting suit in his closet preferably in a solid neutral color such as navy blue or a shade of gray suits should be reserved for weddings funerals job interviews and any other event which calls for higher standards of formality a Blazer is the most specific of these garments in that it technically must meet a particular set of criteria so it's no secret why this jacket type trips people up the most before we unravel what qualifies as a Blazer
we need to have a general understanding of where the term Blazer com comes from the Blazer's precise origin has been somewhat lost to history however the Garment can be traced back to a variety of organizations the most popular being that of the lady Margaret Boating Club of St John's College in Cambridge England during the 1820s each of the club members was described to have worn bright red flannel jackets that were said to have been a blaze thus the rowing Riata Blazers were born as well as a stylish menswear staple that was meant to stand out
and be seen a blazer is between a suit jacket and a sport coat the latter of which I will discuss here in a bit it is a standalone piece that can have similar characteristics to typical suits such as padded shoulders and canvas constructions though they can also be unstructured and unlined as well what makes a Blazer fundamentally different is that it does not come with a matching set of trousers it typically has contrasted buttons of some type traditionally bright brass or white mother of pearl and also sorts of additional features that make it more casual
in nature it is important to note that if a jacket that matches all these criteria also comes with matching trousers constructed of the same colors patterns and weave it would be by definition a suit it's that straightforward Blazers can be made of material such as flannel hopsack and any other type of thick wool due to their construction hopsack and flannel add a more visible texture and are thus considered much less formal than worsted wool materials with that sort of shininess that I mentioned earlier Blazers can come in various patterns but in the purest sense they
aren't as many pattern options for them as there are for sport codes Blazers can be a solid color most notably navy blue striped or even a solid color with contrasting piping along the edges in the old days many Blazers came with some sort of ornamentation such as a School Crest but you won't find many of those left outside of private institutions as pre previously mentioned Blazers are less formal than suits but can still be formal enough to be worn for specific occasions that warrant dressier clothing such as networking events business settings dates and even weddings
depending on the type of wedding that is the sport coat or sports jacket is the most casual of these three garments and just like the Blazer it is a standalone piece unlike the Blazer however the sport coat has a reasonably concise history all you need to know is that traditionally wore this garment while sporting hunting or fishing in the countryside hence the name sport coats can be made from all sorts of fabrics from wool to cashmere cotton to flannel the list goes on a particularly sharp and classic material for sport coats is tweed which is
reasonably rugged and Hardy though this might be a bit too old school for some guys the wide array of patterns and Designs are what makes the sport coat fundamentally different from a blazer sport coats can have Herring bone window pain checked or hounds tooth patterns Etc they often have patched pockets and are unlined with little to no cassing further casualized the Garment altogether the sport code is best worn when you want to look put together without dressing too formally perfect for dates reunions nights out with friends or casual parties it is the quintessential casual jacket
for any gentleman who wants to be the Best Dressed Man in the room without trying too hard even if he secretly is in most cases Blazers and sport coats are marketed by many Men's Wear Brands as the same type of jacket because as you can probably tell the details of what makes them fundamentally different can be much too dizzying and largely uninteresting to most guys but for those of you who like me care about these details hopefully what I've shared with you today has dispelled any confusion here are some frequently asked questions regarding this topic
that have most likely burned your brain at some point in the past can you wear AIT suit jacket as a Blazer or sport coat some traditionalists will answer no but really it depends if your fabric of choice has an apparent Sheen that is commensurate with most formal suits then my recommendation would be not to do so this will make it look like you are trying too hard to do more with an orphan suit jacket than is necessary by mixing formal with casual pieces and trust me it isn't appealing to the eyes it just looks off
however suppose your suit jacket has an intricate pattern and the material is a wool weave like hopsack or flannel that has an apparent texture to it well in that case the nature of the suit jacket is already a little more casual than worsted wool resembling a Blazer or a sport coat and therefore you could very well pull it off but again it depends on the fabric can you wear a blazer or sport coat as a suit jacket yes but only if that jacket comes with a matching set of trousers again this would be by definition
a suit because of that fact alone such garments have been known to exist take for instance this Tweed sport coat that I'm wearing right now it is a part of a full suit because I have a matching set of trousers to go along with it I can wear the pants and the jacket together or as effective suit separates the same can be said for another suit that I own which is a hopsack Navy wool suit the pants and jacket can be broken up very easily because of how I've chosen to build it with the jacket
meeting all the specific criteria for a Navy Blazer now suppose you were to take a navy blue blazer like the one I've just described and pair it with some conventional navy blue chinos or dress pants that are navy blue but in a different type of fabric in that case the subtle differences in the weave and color will be slightly off and make you appear as though you were trying to make a suit which disrupts the Harmony in The Ensemble potentially making you look silly so don't go this route can you wear jeans with any of
the three jacket types generally speaking yes dark wash jeans can look excellent with a sport coat or Blazer medium wash jeans can also look great with both as well however it's white jeans that look particularly Regal in most cases and I would encourage any man to try incorporating more white pants into his outfit rotation altogether but what matters most is a tasteful pairing of the garments that fit the occasion and a pair of denim that's completely devoid of distressing rips tear hairs or holes however wearing a suit jacket with jeans can be a bit trickier
again I recommend abstaining from wearing shinier Wool with jeans because mixing casual pieces with extremely formal ones doesn't always work in fact some would argue that it never does and this can seriously backfire on you much of what I have just described is and isn't all that important you know arguing about specific terminology like this can be truly snobbish depending on who you're talking to the important thing is that we understand the differences between each of these jacket types well enough to dress for the right occasions and find the garments that resonate with us complimenting
our personal Styles after all knowledge is power right so long as the decisions that are made remain tasteful and in the spirit of quality menswear there is often little to be worried about as always if you liked this video and want to see more then consider subscribing to our Channel giving the video a like and maybe leaving a comment below really helps us out you know this channel just passed 1,000 subscribers and I cannot thank all of you enough for taking an interest in our work until next time stay stylish and stay blessed
