Sportcoat/Blazer help

Abdiel · Nov 15, 2009

So I'd like to get a sport coat or two and am hoping for some suggestions.

Looking for something for mostly church wear and the occasional dressing occasion (funerals or weddings and the like) that would be matched with assorted nicer khaki pants or gray or black dress pants, dress shirt, and tie if I'm feeling so inclined.

Mostly looking for material and color recommendations. I'd like to keep it to one coat if possible, maybe two depending on how much cash I can swing.

Jim · Nov 15, 2009

Your age?

Weddings and funerals- a suit is much more appropriate and you should have at least one decent dark suit.
I asked your age, "sport coats" come in many permutations the classic navy blazer, tweed, Silk, herringbone, hounds tooth, corduroy and even (shudder) leather. Are you wearing this to "the club"as in country or banging around downtown?

Abdiel · Nov 15, 2009

24 but not looking for something to go out in aside what I mentioned, and I prefer more traditional styling to young and trendy.

A suit would be nice, but a nice sport coat or two is more appropriate for my current needs and budget.

john parker · Nov 15, 2009

Don't know about your occupation, so I cannot comment on that aspect. And I must admit that I am considerably past your age. However, you are going to eventually need a suit - funerals, weddings, perhaps business, and special events. To begin with, it should be navy blue. Dark gray is a possibility, but navy blue will be best. The suit can be made more versatile with your selection of shirt colors and styles, and ties. And you also need a navy blue blazer for the other events you have in mind. Match it with gray and khaki slacks, and you should be to go. Good luck, John

Before I forget, trendy doesn't last. Conservative always looks good and you don't have to keep buying to stay in style.

Abdiel · Nov 15, 2009

Before I forget, trendy doesn't last. Conservative always looks good and you don't have to keep buying to stay in style.

Agreed, I'm not really trendy in any way, let alone fashion.

Navy blue seems to be the popular choice so I might just go with that, but I generally prefer gray. Does the gray generally match with khaki, black, and gray slacks as a blue?

flabajaba2213 · Nov 15, 2009

Big think for a sport coat. If It's navy blue, get one with gold buttons. It's iconic style.

Greybeard · Nov 15, 2009

Navy blue will complement a wider variety of colors and is dressier. It also goes better with khakis (and even dressy jeans). Single breasted is better than double breasted. No metallic buttons, too preppy or military school. Grey slacks match better than black. Don't wear it with navy blue slacks because it will look like a mismatched suit.

A grey jacket matches black and navy slacks better but that's all and will still not look as dressy as a navy blazer.

- Peter

john parker · Nov 15, 2009

With all due respect, with no metal buttons it is not a blazer. Patch pockets and metal buttons. But check around. Good luck, John

Jim · Nov 15, 2009

Check.... Blazer/sportcoat issue again. :laugh:

If you get only one it could be a Navy Blazer. If you are a traditional guy you can get an awful lot of milage out of a tweed-y sportcoat.

jtoddaz · Nov 15, 2009

I would suggest a medium color gray, blue, brown glenplaid design for a sportcoat. Absolutely versatile. If you're not sure, glenplaid is a light windowpane design over another color.

I have said it before, go high quality and have fewer pieces, and you will not regret it. Especially here, a good versatile blazer/sportcoat will stay in your rotation for years to come.

Midrange quality/price that I would recommend are Brooks Brothers, Corneliani, Hickey Freeman, Zegna. I would suggest looking at clearance/sale items at Off Fifth/Nordstroms Rack/Neimans Last Call. Good bang for your buck. Good luck, my man!

Doc4 · Nov 15, 2009

Jim said:
... If you are a traditional guy you can get an awful lot of milage out of a tweed-y sportcoat.

I'm thinking that you might want to read this thread http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=105206 and consider getting a grey suit. Add on to that a tweed-y sportcoat for the more casual times (let's say something in whichever earthtone colour compliments you best) ... now that's one to wear when you are quaffing a Guinness at your local, or going out to lunch with a certain young lady after church ...

alejandro · Nov 15, 2009

Overall, my advice applies to both sport coats and suits. I agree with others that a navy blue suit is a better option. You can find excellent prices on suits. Anyway...read on...

I won't comment on color since many already have. I have a few pieces of advice to offer. First lets talk about you being on a budget. You can still get a great looking, high quality jacket and be frugal. I have several jackets that at retail would have cost more than $1,000, but because I hit discount stores, I paid $150 to $300 for each.

If you live in a city with discount stores like Ross or Marshall's, or department store outlets like Nordstrom's Off The Rack, go shopping there. Look for an outlet mall. You'll be much better off getting a jacket at those stores, and then taking it to a tailor to have it customized than you would buying a cheap jacket at Men's Wearhouse. The biggest downside to discount stores is they lack employees that can help you out, so it pays to learn a bit. An easy way to learn is first find a tailor and ask him a bunch of questions about what to pick out.

Another option is to first go to a good store and pretend like you are going to buy it there. Let them measure you and offer suggestions. Ask questions about why they are recommending a certain cut or size. Then say you need to think about it and try your luck at a discount store. You never know...you might even walk into a department store during a good sale.

A few last pieces of advice:

If you have a slim figure, then go with a European maker, otherwise find an American or Canadian brand. It will make a difference.
Even though you will use a tailor, it is still important to find a jacket that is as close to fitting perfectly as possible. The less work a tailor has to do, the better.
Two buttons is better than three.
Double breasted is right out...don't even consider it.
No gold buttons.

Have fun, and good luck.

Alex.

WhosYerBob · Nov 16, 2009

Quick rule of thumb:

One dark suit - usually winter weight. Suitable for interviews, funerals and other serious needs.

One light suit - usually summer weight. Suitable for everything else.

I used to have many suits, but they were all built around the variations above. I also had a dark navy blazer and a tweed for rounding out my needs.

blantyre · Nov 16, 2009

Blazer priority: I would go with navy blue, dark buttons (not gold). With dark grey trousers it can work almost as a suit. Then a tweedier style blazer in a grey or tan main color.

As other have said, a basic blue suit with black shoes is pretty versatile and need not be a budget buster. The suit jacket can act like a blazer but will probably be cut a bit more formally than a classic blazer.

Echo · Nov 16, 2009

blantyre said:
blazer priority: I would go with navy blue, dark buttons (not gold). With dark grey trousers it can work almost as a suit. Then a tweedier style blazer in a grey or tan main color.

As other have said, a basic blue suit with black shoes is pretty versatile and need not be a budget buster. The suit jacket can act like a blazer but will probably be cut a bit more formally than a classic blazer.

+1

Protocol · Nov 16, 2009

Every grown man needs a navy blazer. It is a wardrobe basic. Expect to pay ~$250 for a reasonable one you'll want to keep. You can spend more to be sure and there will be a difference, but you should think very carefully before spending any less.

Oh, and stay away from double breasted and gold buttons unless you're into the 18th Century combination of rum, buggery, and the lash.

Miles · Nov 16, 2009

How about a suggestion for a good place to locate a tweed sport coat? I'm interested in adding one to my wardrobe, but don't know where to start.

john parker · Nov 16, 2009

Miles said:
How about a suggestion for a good place to locate a tweed sport coat? I'm interested in adding one to my wardrobe, but don't know where to start.[/QUOT

Check the sites, but for economical see what J.A. Banks and Land's End are offering. Banks has the advantage of a tailor (assuming yours has a good one) and Land's End has a generous return policy. And I am sure it goes up from there. If you want, I could try to find some sites I have looked at in the past for custom Harris tweed (looked at, not purchased).

Protocol · Nov 16, 2009

Miles said:
How about a suggestion for a good place to locate a tweed sport coat? I'm interested in adding one to my wardrobe, but don't know where to start.

A tweed jacket is another one of those wardrobe basics. You can almost certainly find a decent one for around $250 that will last you as long as you don't gain weight. Styles for that sort of thing don't move much, so you'll be wearing that 20 years from now provided you take care of it.

Go through your closet and pull out all the stuff you haven't worn in 2 years and I guarantee you it will add up to more than $250.

As Giorgio Armani put it "buy less, just buy better. In the end you'll spend less money.".

blantyre · Nov 16, 2009

Protocol said:
As Giorgio Armani put it "buy less, just buy better. In the end you'll spend less money.".

Like switching from those overpriced cartridge razors to DE. I must have saved thousands (of old razors that is)!

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Sportcoat/Blazer help

Abdiel

Jim

Abdiel

john parker

Abdiel

flabajaba2213

Greybeard

john parker

Jim

jtoddaz

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather

alejandro

WhosYerBob

blantyre

Echo

Protocol

Miles

john parker

Protocol

blantyre

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