The Jacket Guide

I thought I’d kick off the New Year with a quick spot-the-difference style guide.

So what exactly is the difference between a sports coat, blazer and suit jacket? Today I thought we’d take a look at the difference between these three items to sort out the confusion once and for all!

Don’t forget that you can see and read more of my ‘Guy Style Guide’ musings on both Twitter and Tumblr.

Blazers

Once upon a time, the members of a school or club wore blazers emblazoned with insignia and/or badges denoting their status. As times have moved on, such affectations have broadly been dropped, and a blazer is generally regarded as a simple, solid-coloured jacket with silver, gold or brass coloured buttons.

Sports Coat

These generally come in fabrics slightly finer than blazers. Due to their roots in outdoor pursuits, sports coats feature extra pockets with flaps covering the openings. These jackets come in a wide variety of colours and considered informalwear. Generally speaking, sports coats tend to be patterned and/or textured.

Suit Jackets

These are the most commonly worn form of outwear, especially in the business realm. Typically made of fine, soft material, suit jackets are (nearly) always partnered with matching legwear.