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Dappered Classics: The differences between a sportcoat, blazer, and suit jacket

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From the Mailbag:  What’s the difference between a sportcoat, blazer, and suit jacket?

Originally Published 2/11/11

Above, with close contemporary relatives if applicable: Old Navy Wool Mix Sportcoat – $30.00 on sale (Current Version – O.N. Wool Mix Blazer, $49.50) ,  GAP Solid Navy Cotton Blazer, which needs to be pressed badly – $59.99 on sale (Current Version – GAP Pinstriped  Cotton Blazer, $98.00) , Indochino Jacket – $369 for the suit.


Hey Joe,

Long time reader, first time emailer. So I’ve searched the internet far and wide but I can’t seem to find out what the difference is between sport coats, blazers, and suit jackets.  To be honest, it seems like the difference is pretty subtle.  I was wondering if you could shed light as to what the difference is if any? Aside from the fact that blazers tend to have gold buttons and suit jackets have matching pants.

Also, it seems like people frown upon wearing a suit jacket with say jeans or pants other than the pants that came with the suit itself.  I was wondering why this is so?

– Eugene

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Eugene asks a great question, especially when a well tailored jacket of any kind (sportcoat, blazer, or suit) can make you look 10x better than any other guy in the room without one.  Here’s how it breaks down, and hang on, this gets real bumpy:
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Sportcoats:  L.L. Bean Signature Tweed Sportcoat – $195 | J. Crew Chino Sportcoat – $138

Usually made of thicker, rougher fabric and hearken to a time when men wore jackets while doing “sporting” activities.  Pommel horse?  No.  Fox hunt?  Yeah.  But now “sportcoat” is just the accepted term for a less structured, casual jacket.  Sometimes they look an awful lot like the original (the L.L. Bean).  Sometimes they’re just made of free moving cotton chino and go really well with jeans like the J. Crew, or, the oft mentioned Old Navy Blazer.  Yep… Old Navy calls theirs a blazer.  And so does L.L. Bean, despite the fact that the dude looks like he just came from the field, & could easily be holding a dead duck in his left hand.  Confused?  Me too.  Moving on.
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Blazers: Calvin Klein Wool Blazer – $150 | Lands’ End Canvas Wool Blazer – $179.00

Once made only from wool, these traditionally are a step up in formality/dressiness when compared to sportcoats.  Follow me here:  “After Jeeves came in from the Fox Hunt, he’d often kiss Muffy on the cheek, go to the boudoir, and trade his tweed sportcoat for his favorite wool blazer for a casual dinner at home.”  But again, that’s just tradition, and the line has gotten fuzzier over time.  That wrinkled mess of a thing in the middle at the top of the page?  That’s my go to blazer.  It’s solid navy, made from cotton, and doesn’t have the traditional gold buttons.  It’s got some structure, it’s dressy enough, and I’ll usually wear it with an outfit like this.  But I’ve also worn it with jeans before, and I’ll wear it with jeans again.  But if it were wool?  I don’t think I’d wear it with denim.
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Suit Jackets:  Indochino Classic Navy – $349.00 | J. Crew Cotton Ludlow – $366.00

Almost always from wool with a few cotton and linen summer versions thrown in for good measure, suit jackets come with matching pants.  Even if they’re sold as suit separates (where you get to pick your pant size, there’s no married match you’re stuck with) they’re intended to be purchased and worn together.  These are usually more structured (have a stronger shape) and are made from finely woven fabric which looks too texturally different from jeans to work together.  A suit jacket and jeans combo is the El Camino of the style world.  It’s just tough to flow smoothly from passenger vehicle into truck bed.
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Final Notes – The hard and fast rules: A suit jacket is a suit jacket.  But if a jacket doesn’t have matching pants?  Then most will be fine with using the terms blazer and sportcoat interchangeably.  Unless it’s navy and has gold buttons.  Then… it’s a blazer.

If you’ve made it this far, well done.  Feedback, observations, additions, debate, etc… all goes below.

Comments

  4. By far the best explanation of the subtleties in style difference between sport coat and blazer I’ve seen. Well done!

  6. I found a 20% coupon code for the GAP…code: GAPKB20 (expires 2/11/11)
    so that navy blazer would be $78.40 and free shipping c:

  10. I wear my Brooks Brothers Navy Saxxon wool blazer with Jeans from time to time and I think it looks great… Perhaps you wouldn’t, though it’s a lot more textured than most blazers I’ve seen.

  11. Just picked up the Gap Classic Blazer in chino (http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=48873&vid=1&pid=814551&scid=814551022) color the other day. I believe Joe reviewed the black and navy options awhile back. The chino is very comparable to the J. Crew option above – Gap’s online picture is inaccurate. Biggest difference is that Gap has side vents, which I prefer. Fit is fantastic off the rack (5’10”, 160 pounds = size small), just need to have the sleeves taken up a bit.

    $73.50 now, along with all of their blazer options (navy pinstripe, classic black, grey and “clay?”). Highly recommended for anyone in the market.

  12. Joe, I have requested that Valet Mag do a piece on this for quite a while now.  To no avail, so thank you very much for finally clearing this up in layman’s terms.  Made my head a bit less jumbled on this jumbly day.

  13. Thanks.  My wife and many work colleagues are from other countries and they sometimes ask me the kinds of questions that make me think, “Dang, I am surprised that I don’t know that.  I thought I was worldly!”  My colleague from China asked me about this, and now I’ve just realized I’ve been calling all my blazers “sport jackets”.  Of course, in this day and age, there is less of a difference, but still – I once again had my ignorance revealed by someone asking a simple question.  This is why I believe we should limit immigration! 😉

  15. I’ve got this 1960s vintage blue suit I bought at a yardsale for $4 with 2 pair of pants. It’s a nicely textured, but finely woven lightweight fabric. Might be wool, but it’s more spring/summer weight. The jacket fits well, could maybe use to have the sides taken in a little. The pants were an inch or so too wide at the waist. I took in one pair myself, but mostly I just wear the jacket. Given the color and texture, I think it looks great with jeans, better for sure than with the ill fitting pants. I know I need to get the whole thing tailored, but I really don’t get the el camino thing. I think this suit jacket looks great with jeans.

  16. I know this post is ancient but why wouldn’t you wear a wool blazer with denim? I’v seen white denim or even dark navy, navy blazer, and light pink button down look pretty cool.