Blazers and sport coats are some of the most popular items of men's clothing, but they can be tricky to choose, and some men aren't sure when to wear sport coats. It's not a suit jacket, and it's not a hoodie; a sport coat is somewhere in between, not really casual and not totally formal either. How do you walk that fine line while staying stylish and appropriate? This men's blazer and sport coat buying guide will show you how to buy sport coats and blazers that will suit your needs and your style.
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, blazers and sport coats are two (subtly) different things. Blazers have nautical roots, and the details of a blazer reflect it. Think sea captain: brass buttons, decorative crests on the chest and fabric of either navy blue or something bright that would make a sailor easy to find if he were to fall overboard. Sport coats, on the other hand, have their roots in hunting. The time-honored muted tones of tweeds and wools have a woodsy foxhunter look, and the traditional leather patches on the shoulders (decoratively matched on the elbows) were there to protect the jacket from shotgun kickback.
Today, the details and colors of blazers and sport coats aren't limited to their pasts. Unless you're wearing a navy blue blazer with brass buttons on your yacht or a leather-patched tweed sport coat in the woods, you can call it whichever you like.
Likewise, the difference between a sport coat and a suit jacket is also subtle but worth noting. The main difference: A suit jacket has a matching pair of pants and a sport coat does not. Also, the sport coat is usually made of more casual fabrics than a suit jacket, and sometimes a sport coat has a looser, more casual fit.
Like all of your clothing, you'll want to choose a sport coat with an overall look that you like, but here are a few details that you may want to be aware of. These can change the way a sport coat looks on you and how it feels when you're wearing it.
Vents
Blazers may have one center vent, two side vents or no vents at all. Single vents are the most common, while double vents allow more freedom of movement. Blazers without vents are uncommon and can restrict movement.
Breasts
You'll see more single-breasted blazers than double-breasted. Double-breasted blazers have a very traditional nautical feeling which is fairly formal.
Buttons
Number: You'll see some single button blazers, but double and triple button blazers are the ones you'll see most. Double button blazers have a classic look that will always be in style. Triple button blazers used to be worn only by the more fashion forward, but are becoming more common.
Color: Blazer buttons will either be metallic (like those brass buttons on traditional blazers), or they'll be a color that matches the blazer color. For everyday wear, you'll probably want blazers with the more subtle buttons.
The sizes of sport coats and blazers are just like suit jackets. If you're not familiar with that sizing, here's what you need to know:
The first part of a blazer size is a number; this is your chest measurement or your over-arm measurement minus 7 inches. (Read the Overstock.com Men's Measurement Guide to see how to take these measurements.) If these two numbers are about the same, you'll use your chest measurement as your sport coat size. If the measurement over your arms is larger than your chest, use your over-arm measurement (minus 7) as your size.
The second part of the blazer size is a word or letter; this designates whether the sport coat is short, regular or long, and it may just be the first letter: S, R or L. The letter or word refers to your overall height, but these measurements are flexible. Be aware of your overall body proportions and choose the sport coat length that covers your rear end without going any farther. For example, if you're 5'10" but you have a long torso, then you may want to shop for a long sport coat.
Short: 5'5" to 5'7"
Regular: 5'8" to 5'10"
Long: 5'11" to 6'2"
If the sizes don't fit you perfectly, remember that you can take your blazers to a tailor. As long as the shoulders fit, your tailor can adjust the waist, the length of the sleeves and the overall length.
Blazers can be business apparel, or they can be your cool weather jacket. The more you need to dress up, the more blazers you'll want to have in your closet. Here are the basic blazers you'll want to consider shopping for:
Corduroy: Every man could use a corduroy blazer in his wardrobe. A corduroy blazer is the perfect jacket when you want to be casual but smartly dressed. Even if you don't wear sport coats too often, you'll want to have one of these.
Camel: Camel hair sport coats are a classic, and they work well for cooler weather. More lunch at the country club than evening out with friends, a camel hair blazer can be worn over a polo shirt or a button-down shirt. The light brown color lets these blazers work well with dark brown or navy pants.
Navy: If you're looking for the preppy, nautical look that typifies blazers, a navy blazer -- with or without brass buttons -- is the perfect choice. Wear a navy blazer with almost any color of pants: grey, brown, tan, even olive. If you do opt for the brass buttons, be sure to wear a gold watch and belt buckle to coordinate.
Grey: Grey sport coats have a bit more of a dressed up feeling (unless you choose one of the modern distressed sport coats). If you need a sport coat you can wear to the office or to a holiday party, look for a grey blazer in wool.
Velvet: Many men bemoan the lack of excitement among men's clothing, but velvet sport coats are one of the few times men can indulge in fashion. Try wearing a velvet sport coat with corduroy pants to a holiday party.
Linen: Linen is the perfect weight of fabric for hot weather, so if you need to wear a sport coat when the temperatures are rising, a linen blazer would be perfect for you.
Every sport jacket and blazer should be dry cleaned. Unless you've spilled on your sport jacket, try to only dry clean it every fives or six times you wear it. Otherwise, just brush it off before you hang it back in the closet. Make sure you have quality hangers for your blazers and sport coats, like wooden ones with a wide shoulder bar. No wire hangers -- they won't support the shoulders well enough.
If I'm not wearing my suit, I'm usually pretty casual -- a jeans and tee shirt kind of guy. When would I need a blazer?
A blazer is perfect for the times when you need to wear something a little dressier than normal, but you would be overdressed in a suit. You may want to have a sport coat in your closet for a casual dinner where you want to make a good impression, for a lunch at a nice restaurant or to work on a casual Friday when you still need to meet with clients. Luckily for casual guys like you, these are probably all situations where you can wear your sport coat with your nicest pair of dark jeans.
Can I create my own suit with a blazer and matching pants?
Unless the sport coat and pants were made from the same piece of fabric, they just aren't going to match. If the fabrics and color are very close but not quite identical, it will be more visually distracting than if you wear pants that are obviously different from your sport coat. You don't want people to wonder if their eyes are playing tricks on them.
Then what pants should I wear with my blazers?
You can match the colors of your sport coat and pants if the textures are different, like corduroy and velvet, but not if the textures are similar. Otherwise, you really don't have too many limitations. Avoid wearing sport coats with loungewear, and at the other extreme, with suit pants. Here are a few ways to wear a sport coat:
Wear nice dress pants with your sport coat when you need to look dressed up. Wool is an excellent option, especially in a darker tone of the same color as your blazer.
Khaki pants always looks great with navy blazers, and they work well with dark brown sport coats, too.
A more casual blazer can be worn with your jeans for a look that's a few steps up from a sweatshirt (or layer it over the sweatshirt to be stylish and casual).
A corduroy blazer is incredibly versatile and can be worn with trousers or more casual pants.
Complete the look
Now that you know how to choose your sport coat, you'll want to shop for pants to wear with them. From the casual twill cargo pants you'll wear with a grey sport coat to the smart wool trousers to wear with your corduroy blazer, you'll find the men's pants that will complement your new sport coats when you're shopping on Overstock.com.
Under your blazer
A blazer needs some kind of men's shirt to be worn underneath, and you can find the shirts you want to wear when you're online shopping on Overstock.com. For a casual, downtown look, try a blazer over a tee shirt. When you're headed uptown and need a more dressed up look, choose from our selection of men's dress shirts. No matter what look you're going for, you'll be right in style when you shop for men's clothing here.
The final touch
While you're updating your wardrobe, make sure you have some great men's shoes to wear. If you're dressing up in a blazer, then you won't want to wear worn-out sneakers. Find a new pair of loafers, some stylish athletic-inspired shoes, a pair of classy oxfords or any other men's shoes you may want. Have your new men's shoes shipped with your new sport coats and save even more with our low, flat shipping rate. Overstock.com is your online outlet for all the men's clothing you want to wear.
