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Affordable Men's Style

Style Battle: J. Crew Cotton Sportcoats

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J. Crew Khaki Chino Sportcoat – $138 | Navy Stripe Twill – $158 | Corded Cotton – $148

A well tailored jacket is something isn’t it?  For those that don’t normally wear blazers & sportcoats with jeans or chinos, it can feel a little funny at first.  But after you get used to it you’ll never go back to wearing just a tucked in “sport” shirt at work, or an untucked button up while out on the town.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that look at work or out on a date if you’re comfortable.  It’s just that a jacket gives you the shape you deserve, an extra light layer to work with, and an inside pocket for your cell and cash.

J. Crew makes three reasonably priced (for J. Crew) options, and all come in their slimmest Ludlow fit.  That means a lot of guys could get away without having extra tailoring.  That’s a savings of $25 – $40 depending on the pricing structure of your favorite tailor.

So if you had to pick one, which would you wear?  Here’s an argument for the corded cotton:

  • It’s pretty unique
  • Gives those of us who are a bit wary of white chinos a reason to take that risk
  • And also, there are few cheaper options (albeit not quite the same) for the Navy Stripe and Khaki Chino.

Your turn.  Leave your vote in the comments section below.

J.Crew at ShopStyle

Comments

  1. Corded cotton was my first choice too. The khaki chino looks great but you’re limited on what pants you can wear with it. Anything in the khaki/tan spectrum will end up looking like you tried to make it a suit but came up woefully short.

    Maybe it’s just the monochrome look, but the navy twill stripe looks more like a fall-winter option. The corded cotton looks like a great spring/summer piece and Joe is dead on with the white pants observation. I haven’t been able to pull that trigger but I think with that outfit in mind, I just might be able to.

  2. I originally picked up the Khaki based off an article here, but returned it and got the Navy twill. The navy twill is definitely lightweight, but it’s a good color/pattern (in my opinion) and looks good with a lot of outfits. The chino jacket was nice, but it was limited to certain outfits.