A guide to the men’s blazer and its wonderful versatility.
The Single-breasted Blazer
The men’s blazer is by definition an independent or stand alone jacket, a jacket that has been cut separately without a matching pair of trousers, clearly differentiating it from a suit. The blazer is a great way to add a whole new dimension to your wardrobe and can be paired with anything from a pair of jeans to a different coloured trouser.
The versatility of the men’s blazer is apparent when you have to go to more than one place in a day and don’t feel like running home to change. You can wear a blazer with grey trousers and a tie to work, and then remove the tie and throw on some jeans for a dinner date in the city.
Details of the Men’s Blazer
The first detail, albeit obvious, to note is that the blazer is not part of a suit. NEVER TRY TO WEAR SIMILAR COLOURED TROUSERS WITH YOUR BLAZER, the two garments won’t be cut from the same fabric and there is always a slight difference in texture or shade – it will look like you are trying to make a suit.
Colour
The colour of a blazer really has no limits. However, a bright green or red blazer says a lot about you – subtle & sophisticated it is not, but daring and full of ideas is not always a bad thing. First consider your colouring and the clothes you have in your wardrobe when deciding on the colour of your new blazer. Next decide is the blazer going to be a neutral so that you can wear it for both work and casual or is it a fun weekend item?
GREY / NEUTRAL TWEED
If you have lots of navy trousers, black pants and blue jeans a neutral grey or subtle tweed blazer would contrast and tone nicely with your bottoms, giving you maximum wearability.
NAVY / AIRFORCE BLUE
If on the other hand, you have lots of greys and dark wash denim, a subtle navy or airforce blue would be ideal. Select a blue that is in harmony with your skin tone as it will probably be the most useful colour. Remember when building your wardrobe you must think about how to get the most mileage out of all of your purchases.
SHAPE
The most useful blazer is the single-breasted, it is very wearable, flattering to all body structures and less formal that the double breasted.
LAPEL
Select a lapel that is in harmony with your facial structure – is you are very angular you could try a pointed lapel for everyone else the classic knotched lapel is a safe choice.
BUTTONS
When choosing the number of buttons, 2 or 3 remains the standard or classic/timeless choice – having 1 button or having more than 3 buttons is venturing into a “trend” so be sure you are confident with your selection.
FIT
Remember to check the fit across your chest, raise and lower your arms and look at the creases across your back, does it need a small alteration to improve the fit, finally check sleeve length and body length.
PERSONALITY
Add your personal style and change the formality of the blazer with your accessories – a pocket handkerchief, shoes, belt, tie, shirt or t-shirt.
Finally the ideal blazer will last for years so select a good one – and have fun.
