Men wear fewer suits today, as we all know. But they retain the need for a jacket, if only to appear smart or professional.
Two of my friends, a doctor and a teacher, are particular examples. Their jobs do not require them to wear a suit, yet a jacket is very useful to have on the back of the chair (or, better, on a hanger on the door), to be put on for a meeting or consultation.
They do not know what this jacket should be. The materials are unfamiliar and the possible retail locations unknown. Men in their position often end up wearing either a suit jacket (shudder) or a tweed jacket (perhaps not smart enough).
Here is my advice.
The classic solution would be a navy blazer. Without gold buttons (dark blue or dark brown instead) and made out of a soft, pliable cloth like cashmere, lambswool or angora, or in a supple weave like hopsack.
Suit jackets are made from wool that has been treated (worsted) to make it smooth and sharp. It is too smooth and sharp to go with the cotton of your khakis, jeans or moleskin trousers.
Navy is the smartest colour, but it is too formal for some people’s needs. It is also less versatile, not quite making the transition from office to pub. For these men, the colours they should look for are light grey and brown. In the same soft cloths, perhaps with a herringbone pattern or Donegal tweed (the spotty one) to give some surface interest.
So where do you get one? If you can afford it, go to a tailor. After all, as you are only getting a jacket, the price will be about a third less than a suit. At Graham Browne you’d be talking around £600.
If you can’t afford a tailor, Ralph Lauren is the default choice. I have a beautiful, pale-grey camelhair model from there that has only got better with age. Then try Brooks Brothers, Brioni or Kiton. Trunk Clothiers stocks the best range of casual jackets from brands like Piombo, Aspesi and Caruso. And designers like Gucci and YSl do good unlined versions. Among the best of British are Paul Smith and Dunhill.
Go to a tailor if you can though. Take a look through Harrisons’ Moonbeam bunch and have something made with patch pockets, a half lining and variegated horn buttons.
Combination at top courtesy of Brunello Cucinelli
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Hi Simon,
ReplyDeleteYou read my mind...as an academic I rarely wear suits but frequently need a good blazer. I actually have an appointment with Graham Browne tomorrow morning, and this post gave me just the reinforcement I needed that I'm making the right choice!
You hit the nail on the head! I complain routinely to my wife about many of our male colleagues at the small university where we teach, who sorely need a nice blazer or two. It would make them look a bit more presentable to say the least.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Ulrich von B.
Hi Simon,
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about integrating a blazer into my work wear, but I'm a bit unclear on the do's and don'ts in terms of matching (or not) blazers with trousers.
I generally wear a shirt (plain white or blue) and tie, and grey or black wool slacks, with a cashmere pullover or cardigan on cooler days. What colour blazer(s) could work in place of the pullover/cardigan?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Pale grey would work with black, while almost anything (navy, brown, tan) would work with mid-grey trousers. The first is probably the hardest colour to match with and the second the easiest.
ReplyDeleteNow just make sure the blazer is casual enough.
Simon
Simon,
ReplyDeleteWhy no gold buttons on the navy blazer? I always thought it was a traditinal and classy look?
Thanks,
Jonathan
Traditional, yes, but not to my taste. They are a little too showy and require everything else to be pared down. Have a search on the blog for 'When style becomes costume'.
ReplyDeleteI would perhaps gold buttons on your third blazer, once your wardrobe is a lot bigger. Get this one first and then an ultra-light, unlined hopsack one from Rubinacci or Kiton.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteYou read my mind, too. I was just thinking of buying a blazer. Thanks for the advices!
Regards
i find it unnecessary to advise a person on getting a single jacket. if they can't even determine that basic thing of manhood, they should just ask their wife or mom to buy it for them (i do not say partner as i suspect a homosexual would have at least some modicum of taste). either way, they wouldn't know how to wear it properly even if it was a bespoke number.
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly. As a student, I never have a reason to wear suits and ties, but as an American with a deep interest and love of British tailoring, that does not stop me. However, I find it far more practical to wear a blue blazer (or sport coats of various colors) and trousers during the school week and on the weekend, as they provide the look I am going for while allowing one to be able to wear trousers that can be laundered after each wear (I prefer cotton trousers and a wool blend that I found a few years ago). But I must add, as someone who uses Blazers multiple times a week, I recommend having at least two, as I have worn out (as in, large rips and wholes in fabric, in places like the sleeves and the back) at least two, if not three, Blue blazers,
ReplyDeleteSean - a student wearing a blazer? Surely not. You'd look and sound like Michael J Fox from Family Ties talking about Republican trickle-down economics.
ReplyDeleteMr. Crompton,
ReplyDeleteCan you elaborate on two areas for me? First, why do you prefer horn buttons? Second, what are the benefits of a half-lining? Does it affect longevity? Furthermore, as for buttons, how dark should they be on Navy hopsack:
Like this:
http://grunwald-true-style.com/Clothes-Care/Brown-Horn-Buttons-for-Suits-and-Sports-Jackets.html
Or darker, closer to this:
http://grunwald-true-style.com/Clothes-Care/Dark-Brown-Horn-Buttons-for-Suits.html
Thanks again so much
I generally prefer horn buttons because they have a matte finish that is different to ready to wear (though of course horn can also be polished) and a nice, natural variation in the grain. In a dark blue button, however, the difference is pretty minor. Most Neapolitans prefer corozo. Both are natural materials, if that matters to you.
ReplyDeleteA half lining should be cooler, and some prefer it aesthetically, but as the material has less protection it could affect longevity, yes.
The darkness of the buttons on navy is up to you. Think about the shoes you are likely to wear it with. If black, go very dark. If it's a blazer that might be worn with pale flannels or even white trousers, go very pale.
Simon
Hi Simon I made my first visit to a tailor, probably in no small part to reading your blog! I seemed to be ok in discussing most aspects of what I was after, apart from in perhaps the key area of selecting a cloth. The bewildering number of choices put me a state of utter confusion and my lack of knowledge on different types of wool was woefully exposed ..I found it difficult to imagine the small square of cloth on a jacket and judge how heavy it would feel. Would you be able to guide me to any resources or perhaps a previous posting of your on this site which I may have missed? To be perfectly honest I don't really even understand the system of 120s vs 130s vs 150s properly and whether it refers to a yarn count or weight? I have also read people refer to weight such as 11gramms vs 15 Gramms and so on which I find confusing as how much c,oth is this a measure of ? Thanks Micheal
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteThe 130, 150 etc refers to how fine the thread is. Don't worry about that, you should ignore it for a first suit. It makes the wool finer but it won't last as long, plus you will pay a lot more.
Just concentrate on weight. An 11 ounce (not grammes!) suit will be wearable most of the year in England, everything but a hot summer. A 13 ounce will wear better and is probably a better choice for a first suit. You may have to go without the jacket on a warm day, but most British men do that anyway.
Make that choice, then focus on pattern. Go for plain wool, not mohair or anything.
I may extend this for a first post. There is much to learn here.
Cheers
Simon
Thanks Simon, I think this area has the capacity t be a real minefield for a novice coming into bespoke or made to measure tailoring, if you did decide to do a piece on it I think it would be very much appreciated by guys like me who want to engage in decision making with a tailor and make informed choices.
DeleteYour above response clarifies a lot and is very helpful, out of curiosity the weight of the cloth in ounces is measured against a certain area of fabric?
One other issue with the cloth was were the tailor was talking about hopsack material? Is this the way the material is actually woven to crate a textured matt fabric as compared t worsted which is flat stranded fabric? Are there more categories which I should be aware of?
There are lots of different weaves, but they are mostly just weaves. Don't worry too much, but perhaps don't start with hopsack as it is light and not that hard wearing
DeleteHi Simon,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for this post; it's made me realise that this is the piece I've been missing to properly dress up a casual outfit.
One thing I'd like to ask: does it matter if the blazer is lined/structured? I've been in the shops looking at navy blazers and all of them at the minute seem to be a similar affair: just a cotton shell, unlined, no structure to the shoulders or chest. Is this is the sort of thing I should be looking at or are they a bit too casual? Would something canvassed and lined be more appropriate for more situations.
Many thanks.
It depends on how formal you want it, and in what situations you will wear it. Unlined cotton is as informal as they come. Lined wool would be the smartest
DeleteThanks. Do you think that wearing it with a shirt and tie, but with jeans on the bottom as is shown in the picture at the top, works well? Or is a tie too formal with the jeans? I like the look but don't know whether I could 'pull it off' as they say. I also really like the shot at the top of this post from Trunk, and that seems to be uncanvassed too: http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2012/07/reader-question-what-should-i-buy-in.html
Deleteit definitely can Jeremy, you just have to get the colour and texture of the shirt and tie right. Blue is either than white in a shirt (as less smart) and a woven or cotton tie, for instance, again is less smart.
DeleteI'll do a full post on that at some point
Simon,
ReplyDeleteDo you think the suggested Navy hopsack jacket above (although not with patch pockets) can go with a pair of heavy grey flannel trousers. I'm talking 390-420 gram flannel?
Absolutely, nice combination
DeleteSimon,
ReplyDeleteA fantastic blog, and I've been an avid reader for some time now.
A blazer question. I have a standard week day uniform - jacket, shirt, tie, jumper/cardigan and jeans.
My two blazers are a mid grey flannel and a navy cotton (fully lined and structured). Recently I'm thinking perhaps I shouldn't wear cotton in autumn/winter, and should add a navy hopsack version. Do you agree or as the look is sharp but informal, can cotton (if it keeps me warm used in a layered look) work all year round?
There's nothing wrong with sticking to cotton. If you are going to get something else, though, don't go for hopsack. It's a summer cloth just like cotton, and will be significantly more formal. Try tweed or a heavy cashmere/merino/lambswool instead.
DeleteSimon
hi simon, ive been re-reading some of your articles as i go through the process of building out my wardrobe ..
ReplyDeleteyou mentioned harrisons moonbeam bunch .. 10/11 oz lambswool/angora mix seems like it may be a little delicate (esp the angora part), any experience with this cloth and how it holds up to wear and tear?
Andy
It holds up well, as good or better than cashmere. I have two jackets in it (a Graham Browne brown and a Cifonelli grey - search the blog for those)
Delete