I frequently wear a sports coat as well as a blazer, and feel equally comfortable wearing a tie with both, depending on the occasion/location.
The Decline of the Sport Coat
- Thread starter Jarick
- Start date
Yes, you will be surprised at what you can find at some of these thrift stores.
Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. are GREAT places to look for sport jackets and blazers. I often do. The prices are very low, down to just a few dollars in some cases. Of course, you have to look through, as sizes and styles are all mixed up, and something new with tags may be right next to something that belongs in the trash. Just know your size and/or try things on.
Very true. I found a very nice navy blazer with brass buttons that fit me perfectly
The sports coat is taking some time to find one that fits well. It just means more hunting. Prices are low, from $8.00.
They're loaded with this kind of stuff. Two things to remember. First, try everything on regardless of the marked size. It may have been altered. Second, never, ever put your hand in a pocket without looking first.
+1 on both counts!!
The Thrifts are excellent for finding well-made clothing. They have tons of quality items. That is where mine go. If you find the initials WCA in a coat, thank me!
Find something that is close to a decent fit and TAKE. IT. TO. A. TAILOR. You can wear an inexpensive, well-tailored suit and look better than in a $10,000 badly-tailored suit (and I have seen them).
The cost of the find at the Thrift Shop is not important, except that you should always check to see what is used as the lining agent that dictates the "fall" of the suit. Stay away from glue as a bonding agent for the two pieces of cloth. If it's canvas, it's a good quality suit. Otherwise, don't buy it. You will be able to feel the difference. Spend the extra cash with a tailor to make a $25.00 jacket look like a million.
This thread is a great primer for you younger guys that are just starting to realize your personal style in the workplace. Everyone here has a valid point. What I see as the overriding theme is:
1) Buy what you can best afford, and buying pre-owned is a great substitute if you can only afford a couple hundred on a new suit/jacket.
2) Let your instincts guide and watch those that you respect.
3) if #2 isn't working for you, go to a men's shop and ask (do NOT look for professional dress tips in GQ, Playboy or YouTube). They are always helpful, even if you are not buying.
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A nice topic for sure. Indeed, you don't see the typical sport jacket or coat nearly as often as you used to. I was reminded of this a year or so ago when I went to lunch with my mum and uncle. A very casual, food-pub type place but my uncle had a simple light blue button down on with a very light brown/not quite tan sport jacket on. You know what? It really looked the part. Nothing fancy, nothing loud. It simply struck me as a nice touch to the event.
Another thing to remember. Much like skirts and dresses hide many 'flaws' that women think they have, a decent fitting jacket can most assuredly help out those of us who have managed to become a bit less athletic looking that we were in our primes. Ahem... Anyroad, I like Jarick's last post with the photos. You can make a LOT of different looks and attend a lot of different functions with a smattering of those jackets.
Another thing to remember. Much like skirts and dresses hide many 'flaws' that women think they have, a decent fitting jacket can most assuredly help out those of us who have managed to become a bit less athletic looking that we were in our primes. Ahem... Anyroad, I like Jarick's last post with the photos. You can make a LOT of different looks and attend a lot of different functions with a smattering of those jackets.
I chimed in earlier on this, but forgot another point. Besides adding some style/panache to your wardrobe, sport jackets provide a couple of pockets when out and about. I'm not advocating that it become a replacement for a back pack, but it is nice to have a pocket or two for a wallet, etc. I used to have my suit jackets fitted with my wallet (thin) in one of the inside pockets so that it would not show, but was a little less precise with sport jackets because of heavier fabrics and the fact that I buttoned them less often.
The traditional blazer is ok but gets boring real quick. More interesting to go with fabrics that have a bit of texture and with patterns (within limits).
The traditional blazer is ok but gets boring real quick. More interesting to go with fabrics that have a bit of texture and with patterns (within limits).
- Thread starter
- #49
If you really want to see some strange cross sections of men's style, go to a wedding. My wife was a bridesmaid this weekend at an outdoor wedding.
I was told the groom and groomsmen weren't wearing ties, so it would be more casual. Decided on my light grey cotton-linen sport coat with a white oxford button down and white linen pocket square, wool navy trousers, brown AE Bleecker St boots, and my Bulova dive watch. Skipped the tie.
Turned out the groom was in a suit, but groomsmen wore button downs with grey slacks. Many of the guests showed up in untucked collared shirts with jeans and sneakers. Some wore ties with no jackets. There were a few stylish gents in the mix. One wore an olive plaid tweed suit (worked well for a fall outdoor wedding). Another had a nice blue jacket with a tie and dark slacks. I did notice again a few of the older gents had sport coats and skipped the suits. A good look I think.
I was pretty happy with the sport coat though. For the wedding, a more put-together look. For the reception, outside in the sun, jacket on the chair and roll up the sleeves. When the sun set and the temp dropped, jacket back on.
I was told the groom and groomsmen weren't wearing ties, so it would be more casual. Decided on my light grey cotton-linen sport coat with a white oxford button down and white linen pocket square, wool navy trousers, brown AE Bleecker St boots, and my Bulova dive watch. Skipped the tie.
Turned out the groom was in a suit, but groomsmen wore button downs with grey slacks. Many of the guests showed up in untucked collared shirts with jeans and sneakers. Some wore ties with no jackets. There were a few stylish gents in the mix. One wore an olive plaid tweed suit (worked well for a fall outdoor wedding). Another had a nice blue jacket with a tie and dark slacks. I did notice again a few of the older gents had sport coats and skipped the suits. A good look I think.
I was pretty happy with the sport coat though. For the wedding, a more put-together look. For the reception, outside in the sun, jacket on the chair and roll up the sleeves. When the sun set and the temp dropped, jacket back on.
I wear my sport coat to work about every day. In my division, three of us commonly wear a suit or sport coat most of the time. The other 40 folks? Not so much.
I have a fall wedding to attend. It is "casual country...wear your boots" per the bride. I will be wearing dark blue jeans, brown Allen Edmonds chukas and matching belt, ecru shirt, Harris tweed sportcoat with patch pockets, and a festive bow tie. A man without a sportcoat or jacket just looks incomplete to me. I'm not going to be "that guy".
I have a fall wedding to attend. It is "casual country...wear your boots" per the bride. I will be wearing dark blue jeans, brown Allen Edmonds chukas and matching belt, ecru shirt, Harris tweed sportcoat with patch pockets, and a festive bow tie. A man without a sportcoat or jacket just looks incomplete to me. I'm not going to be "that guy".
- Thread starter
- #51
That's an excellent setup.
Before my wife said "no jeans", I was thinking about dark blue denim with a red-and-blue gingham shirt, chunky casual chukkas with a wide leather belt, and a jacket. I don't have a Harris tweed jacket (yet but it's on my short list) but that would have been my first choice.
A sport coat can really dress up jeans well.
Before my wife said "no jeans", I was thinking about dark blue denim with a red-and-blue gingham shirt, chunky casual chukkas with a wide leather belt, and a jacket. I don't have a Harris tweed jacket (yet but it's on my short list) but that would have been my first choice.
A sport coat can really dress up jeans well.
I'm an incomplete work in progress, will always be "that guy".
A most interesting discussion, a glimpse into foreign territory, thanks!
dave
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That's okay, we are all works in progress ... or at least we are all imperfect. The key (for everyone, myself included) is to never believe that you have attained "perfection" or some other sort of personal nirvana and can stop working toward progress and personal improvement.
Thank you for your interest!!
If you want to get "old school" about it, you should always wear a tie or similar item at the neck with a blazer, sports jacket, &c. (What that "similar item" should be ... ascot, cravat, kerchief, heck even a turtleneck sweater ... in any given situation is tricky ... what works for one look/situation doesn't work for another and vice versa.)
But then again, in the present day the "jacket, shirt, no tie" look has become so common at to generally be accepted as a form of casual dress. So really, if you want to wear a blazer or sports jacket without tie &c, so long as it fits the occasion on the formality scale, go for it. If you want to wear a tie, go for it too.
It's a fascinating subject.
I personally prefer to keep the jacket on, always. I know that puts me in the minority, but it really does add something to the 'look' and to the personal confidence that results.
Give it a try, guys!!
The I'm trying too hard look
The I can pull off a pinstripe suit look
Bow ties are cool
The I can pull off a pinstripe suit look
Bow ties are cool
The I'm trying too hard look
The "oh dear lord, what has Wardrobe saddled me with ... well, at least my final words won't be something pointless like 'carrot juice' or some such nonsense" look.
I can appreciate comments about a sports/suit jacket being part of the ensemble but I think the modern office/industrial building works against this in some cases. Both in the obvious trend of a more casual dress workplace and the (hopefully) less common trend of packing more people into the same space without good environmental controls. I have visited a number of generic glass walled buildings designed to be quickly reconfigurable to hold one or more tenants. Where the future tenant might decide install walled offices, open air cubicles, etc, and the HVAC system is not adequately updated to handle the different configurations. Resulting in big temperature variations between the space near windows (thermal heating) as compared to near the thermostat. Making a jacket or undershirt uncomfortable in one area, while a sweater is needed elsewhere. Harder to dress nicely in that environment.
+1, although in my experience the problem is not so much that the building has been reconfigured recently, but rather that it wasn't reconfigured properly 10 years ago and no one could be bothered to fix it in all that time. "No, that's just the way this building works. Never mind that the meeting room is a hypothermia risk and the adjacent window offices are so hot that shorts and t shirts are mandatory. You'll get used to it. "
Was going to sport coat it up today, but decided it looked too much like torrential rain, so work emblazoned jacket instead.
Once the weather changes for good, I will be sport coated until Spring. Been thinking through the blazer option and decided the best option is a brown sport coat to replace the one that finally died last spring.
Once the weather changes for good, I will be sport coated until Spring. Been thinking through the blazer option and decided the best option is a brown sport coat to replace the one that finally died last spring.
So for a guy that is 32, 5'10", 166lbs roughly a 41R that has the standard Two-button Navy side vent blazer. What would be good versatile next options? I have a couple that I can't seem to fit into the rotation, (goodwill finds that don't quite fit me, nor do they look overly modern).
-If starting my own thread would better suit this question I will happily do so.
-If starting my own thread would better suit this question I will happily do so.
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