Blazer for somewhat more formal events?

[cd1]

So, it has come to my attention that I am lacking a proper blazer suited for such occasions as dinner at country clubs that require a certain formality of attire, and other similar events.

my chest is around 35 inches, waist ~30 inches and i am about 5'7"

I am not very well aware of proper blazer etiquette, so I dont know what to look for- such as the number of buttons, material, color, venting, etc

I would be looking for something more slim fitting and modern, that could also be worn casually. Djrajio and Fuuma come to mind with their casual interpretations, but as I mentioned above, I know little about blazers so I am not too sure about what is acceptable in a more formal situation

Lad Musician immediately comes to mind due to the sizing, though I dont really know if what they offer is suitable

Could I get some enlightenment as to what would be proper for my circumstances or possibly just overall blazer etiquette in general, as well as some brand or item examples?

[Servo2000]

Just make sure you're polite to the blazer.

[djrajio]

I'll take a stab at this.

I think the most important criteria you should look into is your budget/how much you're willing to spend. 3-4 years ago, finding a slim fitted well made blazer was practically impossible, but thanks to Mr. Hedi, slim blazers are a dime a dozen at most retailers now since the look has become such a staple.

Next, is the occassion. I recommend you stick to one-button or two-button for formal events, dinner parties, as a three-button tends to draw too much to your upper frame and create a corporate-silhouette, but there are exceptions, for example the Spring 07-08 DSquared 3-button jackets got the proportions just right in my opinion. But if you want to get more wear from a blazer a two-button is the best option IMO.

Next is the material and color. Black wool is obvious. But there are plethora of hybrids, silk/cotton/wool/rayon/etc. I personally like silk/wool blends and cotton/wool blends because they tend to have a unique finish/shiness that allows your jacket stand out from sea of worsted wool jackets.

Next is lapel type, vent. Most people say that its absolutely essential to have vents, but due to the trend in shorting of jackets, having vent on such short jackets tends to make the silhouette really odd in some cases. Good examples of vent-less short jackets are Dior and Balenciaga. But some labels got it right with short jackets and vents, such as Lad Musician. If you do vents, I think a single vent is best, since it goes well w/ jeans and different colored slacks. Double vents tend to look odd w/ jeans and looks better w/ a full suit. In terms of label type, I recommend either a peaked lapel or a notched lapel. Recently a lot of labels have tried to revive the wide 70's lapel style, i.e. Gucci, and Lad. Other labels labels like Raf are into a very slim, cut-away notched lapel, which looks un-natural in my opinion. A sign that the jacket is made well is if there is top-stitching on the lapels. and if a peaked label, turn it around and notice if there is external stitching connecting the neck of the lapel to the peak. Another sign of a well made jacket is if the underside of the lapel is lined and stitched well. Lots of cheap brands will forego this or do it shitty since it isn't visible.

Next, is cut. This is absolutely the most important criteria for a jacket. The jacket should fit snug on the shoulders and only a fist length should rest between the jacket and your chest (I prefer half a fist length) when fully closed. I prefer a slight nip, tug in the silhouette when buttoned but that's my own preference. Be sure that it fits snug, since there is no way for a tailor to make the jacket fit better through alterations at the shoulder. If they tell you they can adjust it, they are lying. Jackets can only be made snugger from the waist.

Also check out the lining, if the jacket is fully lined (for winter jackets). You can tell a cheap jacket if its not fully lined or lined in a cheap material and not lined well.

In addition, check if the jacket has roped shoulders, that is, they have a slight rolled/bump where the shoulder and arm meets. A well made jacket will have roped shoulders.

Finally, care. When caring for the jacket, always have it rest on a solid hanger that the jacket can huge onto. Don't hang the jacket on a shitty wire hanger, as the wool can malform over use. This is especially true of fused jackets that have been to the dry-cleaners a few too many times.

My favorite jackets are from Julius because of the cut, which is quite unique. They tend to be longer in the front and shorter in the back with a nice flared cut. The lapels are also peaked but curved as well. Very unique and look awesome. Dior, which I still believe make the best formal/dinner jackets, especially their one-button/two-button standard peaked-lapel jackets. Lad, because they can make a short, vented, clean jacket that isn't too expensive. Ralph Lauren, because they make a very gentlemanly/timeless jacket with a lapel that is just wide enough to look classic but slim enough to look modern.

Labels I absolutely hate are Raf Simons, largely because the cut is too extreme, especially the lapels. Ann D., because the quality isn't worth the price.

[homme.homme]

Solid advice from Rajio... I can't agree more that a 2 button is a must - much more versatile and suitable to all body shapes.

[hollaforadolla]

how are hare blazers? ive always been interested because of the price and the slim fit. i hear the quality isnt very good but it doesnt seem bad enough to not justify it

[Servo2000]

how are hare blazers? ive always been interested because of the price and the slim fit. i hear the quality isnt very good but it doesnt seem bad enough to not justify it

I would not at all be surprised if the quality was bad enough to not justify it. I've seen some Hare goods in person, and even some of the more expensive stuff just feels iffy, most of the time.

You never know, though. Might have a surprise up their sleeve.

[black.shadow]

my best suggestion is to go out and try on as many blazers as possible, not necessarily buy the first that seems to fit alright but really see what you like and dislike the most out of many different ones.

[djrajio]

how are hare blazers? ive always been interested because of the price and the slim fit. i hear the quality isnt very good but it doesnt seem bad enough to not justify it

You get what you pay for. If you pay 50 bucks for a blazer, you're going to get a 50 dollar worth blazer.

[test]

if i were to get my first blazer, would you reccomend buying it from brand names or tailoring a custom made one?

[the breaks]

I'd get a cheapo h&m one and get it tailored.. no point in going all out on something you most likely will not be wearing a year from now.

[wEstSidE]

I'd get a cheapo h&m one and get it tailored.. no point in going all out on something you most likely will not be wearing a year from now.

menz wearhouse

[MiniW]

just to add to the great advice by djrajio, if it is indeed a country club you are needing this jacket for, I would go with a dark navy blue one (with or without gold buttons). dark blue can go well with white or khaki pants, black is a great color but imo goes well with only jeans and black pants (if those combos are accepted at your club then by all means get a black blazer). A great blazer can make you look like a million bucks so definitely spend some time to find the right one (or five) for you. Wear one most of the time you go out at night if it's not too damn hot, you will get more compliments i think with a blazer and tee than a dress shirt and tie sans jacket (this is debatable I know).

also lots of sufu'ers rock good looking shit in waywt, so just PM some people and ask about what they are wearing. Not only will they be flattered if your question is not stupid (i.e. where can i cop this steez?!) , but in most cases they will know a good bit about the brand they got because they tried on different sizes and may have gotten the piece altered and can explain why. hope this helps

[Remy]

There is a guide that helped me with buying a suit. It mainly looks at the fit of the jacket and can be a big help. I know its not the best because its not a sports jacket blazer but its a start.

http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/landing?id=content_4800

Justy follow the video link.

There is also an even better video that talks about lengths of jackets, widths of lapels, arm lengths and even the amount of cuff showing for different body shapes. Agian follow the link that says video.

http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_5771

Hope this helps

[Fuuma]

Good contribution from DjRajio, let me expand a bit on some points and offer clarifications where needed.

Lining: you can indeed find a lot about a jacket by its lining; however it is untrue to say that non-fully lined jackets are cheap. Half-lining is a much appreciated feature in high quality light jackets made for summer weight (think Tropical wool). Silk is usually considered the most luxurious material but Bemberg gives it a run for its money and is more durable.

Roped shoulders: This is just one of the many shoulder options and not the mark of a high quality jacket, that’s like saying peak lapel=luxury. I honestly don’t think roped shoulders look good on most jackets (to say nothing of wearers), however they’re a must and indeed appear exquisite on a Pagoda shoulder style (Carol Christian Poell jackets and coats have Pagoda shoulders, it is a typical Saville Row flourish).

Other ways to spot a well made jacket:

Working buttonholes (you can undo the sleeve buttons). Keep in mind those also make the jacket harder to alter as the sleeve length will have to be taken in at the shoulder. Some cheaper suits now offer machine made buttonholes, those are still a nice touch IMHO.

Full/half-canvas VS fused: You have some sort of structure in the chest and lapels giving shape to a suit, it can be either fused (glued) or a canvas can be stitched inside (a lot more costly). You can tell if a suit is canvassed by pinching the fabric above the chest pocket, a fused suit will feel thicker there than say in the back or the sleeves. Half-canvassed suits have fused chest but canvassed lapels, just use the same test on the lapel…

Quality buttons: Horn buttons are nicer than plastic ones.

I think that what is really important (beside your budget, as Rajio pointed out) is the occasions the blazer will be worn. What you see me wearing is usually pretty fashion forward and might not be “appropriate†depending on the formality level needed and the audience concerned (supposing you wish to fit in/conform). Thankfully, high society Americans have a tendency to dress like butchers who won the lotto while their kids emulate 50 cents on a yacht cruise. Consequently I’m pretty sure you’ll get approving glances because you figured your jacket wasn’t a pair of pants and had to be worn on top.

It is important to distinguish:

Suits: Self explanatory, it is sometimes inappropriate to wear them when something else is the rigueur, the point is to avoid the office worker/business look. That’s probably why you dig the slim suit look, it makes you look young, hip and carefree and definitely not like a guy that didn’t have time to change after work. I may have been joking about American lack of style (and I think butchers rule, especially Eastern European ones) but there is one thing WASPs will really look down on and that is a person who does not understand the difference between office and leisure wear. Sometimes dressing up is not enough…

Blazers: I know we use the term for jackets not part of a suit but in reality they’re usually restricted to navy (sometimes black, white and even green if you’re Irish or a talented golfer) jackets with gold buttons, they look old mannish and are only fine if you’re on your yacht in Saint-Tropez with a girl that looks like a young Brigitte Bardot on your arm, wearing a bikini and your too big for her captain hat cocked to the side. Even then you’ll probably be dead by the end of the film while she cavorts with a handsome, young sailor who definitely does not wear a blazer.

Formalwear: Tuxedos, morning coats and tails. The latest is only appropriate for the most formal of occasions (meeting the King of Spain). If you need help about the other ones, just PM me but I doubt that’s what you’re looking for. I like the look of a very formal piece (say a tuxedo jacket) with casual wear like jeans, tees and sneakers, I used to do it with tails and combat boots but it seems I am mellowing. If the idea intrigues you, feel free to try it but don’t pursue the formalwear road if you only plan to have 1-2 jackets.

Sportscoat: That’s what you want, right!!!?? Since you’re looking for a nice jacket that you can dress up or down I’ll explore two categories:

1) You really need your jacket to be conservative, as the occasions will be quite important and the audience unforgiving. Black is out of the question (reserved for formalwear), blazers are awful for the reasons enumerated so I’d go with a navy or charcoal (common colours and stripes or other motives are less versatile and will make everyone notice you’re always wearing the same jacket) sports coat in a nice, all season wool (so you can wear it year long). You will still need to distinguish yourself with the cut fit and quality of your jacket but the feature will be as standard as they go; notch lapel (peak is either for formalwear or double-breasted), 2 buttons (3 looks too much like an orphaned suit jacket, 1 is somewhat rarer and either a formalwear or eccentric feature, I like 2 ½ but don’t feel like explaining what it is), single or double vented (both work fine depending on what you like, SV is more common in the US). I’d try to avoid the sack look and get something that is either:

A)columnar in nature (so very slim all the way like Dior Homme, Rajio says he likes half a fist of space in the chest and I’m like him as I prefer 1-2 inches instead of the standard 3-4â€) or

B)gives you a more masculine physique (so somewhat structured at the shoulders and chest, with a tapered waist). Length should be just enough to cover your rear, sleeves should be adjusted to show some cuffs but not too much (you’re not very tall). The jacket should indeed be slightly longer in the front than back (no straight line), just like the sleeve hems should be longer in the back, cause your arms are curved, m’kay. The key is to chose well and get it tailored for an even better fit.

2) You have some leeway, yay!!! I’ll explore this in a later post, I'll also start suggesting brands and maybe explore how to "build" a sportcoat collection.

[constant struggle]

this is the blazer I have... while this might not be the most popular around here, I find it good for the office and for a more formal setting, that isn't wearing a suit... its somewhat classic, somewhat modern, just take it alittle bit in on the waist, the shoulders fit great and everything...

i'm not too much into blazers, but this is all i can add

its from jcrew... if you can get it on sale that'd be a decent price, if you want a mix between classic/modern, and decent quality

[cd1]

great replies, thanks for all the good information