The sport coat, or blazer (distinction here), has lost a bit of relevance recently. As styles have turned more casual, even this traditionally casual garment can be seen as an overly-dressy piece for men in most situations. But most men also don’t know how to wear a sport coat in today’s world.
We usually set aside our sport coats for more formal occasions, when in reality we could wear them more often for casual situations. This piece offers many benefits, including making you look slimmer in the waist, broader in the shoulders, and more put-together and dignified. Let’s explore how to wear this piece to take advantage of its clear benefits.
Benefits of a sport coat or blazer
Before we dig into how we can improve our personal style by wearing sport coats more often, let’s look at some of the benefits of this piece.
As mentioned before, a sport coat visually complements the masculine features of your upper body. The lines of the garment go from the center of your torso out to the shoulders and hips, giving your shoulders a broader appearance while slimming the waist. This can also lengthen your frame if the jacket hits at the right length, which would ideally land the end of the jacket halfway between the top of the jacket and the ground.
In addition to these visual benefits, the sport coat gives you a more polished, put-together, and mature appearance. Even a more casual leaning sport coat can elevate a standard polo/button-down and jeans/chinos look that the masses have adopted. While some of you may want to keep your more casual looks dressed-down, many of us wouldn’t mind putting a more serious impression into the world when the time is right.
These benefits only really work if your sport coat fits properly, however. Read this article for more details on dialing in the fit of your jacket. For a brief summary, see the points below.
Fit
- The shoulder seam should hit just over your shoulder joint. If your shoulder muscle sticks out from under the seam, the jacket is too small. If the jacket shoulder hangs over your shoulder and causes a divot under the shoulder seam, the jacket is too big.
- The sides should curve inward to accentuate your natural v-shape without constricting your movement. If your jacket is too tight, it will cause the dreaded “X” pull of fabric, which leads to a sloppy and uncomfortable appearance. If your jacket is boxy and balloons out in the middle, you can take it to a tailor to bring the sides in to give your upper body some shape. More relaxed, casual styles don’t need to be as tailored on the sides, but you still want to avoid an overly boxy fit regardless of the jacket.
- The sleeves should not go past your wrists when standing up straight, and you should allow a tiny bit of your dress shirt to peek out from under the sleeve. A tailor can usually adjust the sleeve length fairly easily. The length of the jacket should hit about mid-palm (more casual styles can wear a little shorter).
- The collar should hug the back of your neck. Any gap between your shirt collar and the jacket collar will look sloppy. Avoid this if you can.
Make sure your style matures with you
As you get older, your style should mature with you. As a man, you’ll hopefully encounter more serious situations where people will rely on you for guidance and leadership. People will expect more of you as you get older and advance your career, attract a lifelong partner, and grow and lead a family. You’ll need to give off a more mature air and take things a bit more seriously (but not too much so). It helps when others take you seriously too.
I’m not saying a sport coat will magically transform you into a different person. Far from it. But your style should reflect your personality to the outside world. A sport coat or blazer is typically associated with more serious undertakings and can help project the maturation of your life into the world. Basically, a more mature style can leave a different, more polished impression. More people will trust a man who dresses appropriately vs. a guy always wearing Star Wars graphic t-shirts, hoodies, and oversized cargo shorts, for instance.
If you rarely or never wear sport coats, you should not start wearing them all the time. It’s a piece that you need to integrate slowly into your attire. We’ll explore this in more detail in the next section.
Look for more regular situations to wear a sport coat
Now that we’ve covered why you should wear a sport coat more often, let’s dig into how to wear a sport coat more often. We know that more casual dress has become the norm, so you don’t want to start by wearing a sport coat all the time – it will come off as too big of an initial shift. If you’re not used to wearing a sport coat, the key is to start with special occasions to try out this style, so you don’t feel overdressed or out of place while you get used to this look.
For example, if you have a nice dinner out with your partner and they decide to dress up, a sport coat or blazer is an easy way to match their dressiness and “special-ness” of the event without going over the top. An outfit like chinos, a polo shirt, and a blazer or a blazer with jeans are great ways to dress up a bit while keeping a relaxed vibe.
This article offers some additional advice on matching a sport coat with different types of pants. You can even throw in your everyday chino colors to match your sport coat, or branch out with some bolder colors for a more fun, relaxed look.
If you work in a business casual environment and others wear blazers, you can throw one on if you have a special presentation or meeting. Beware not to overdo it in this situation if no one else wears one.
Special gatherings also present an opportunity to wear this garment when you otherwise may not. A wedding rehearsal dinner, a graduation, or any situation where the men default to slacks and dress shirt and maybe a tie. You’ll instantly look a cut above in a well-fitting sport coat, some slacks/chinos, and a dress shirt (or polo if the event is more relaxed), without looking too stuffy.
Branch out
You will not seem out of place and will likely feel more confident wearing a sport coat in these situations. Once you develop a certain comfort level with this garment, you can start branching out a bit. Getting some drinks with your friends, a first date, a house party, a cooler day at work – many regular situations like these offer you the chance to take advantage of the benefits of wearing a sport coat.
Try a more casual sport coat
When starting to mature your style, you should still stick to the aesthetic for which you are most comfortable and confident. If you typically wear rugged clothes, for instance, throwing a very dressy blazer into your rotation will probably not feel right. The same is true if your style leans casual (jeans and t-shirts).
When you start to wear this piece more often for dressier situations, it’s fine to wear a dressier blazer. But if you want to make this piece a part of your more regular attire, a more casually leaning sport coat can bring out the best of your current wardrobe without veering too far from your already established style. Not every blazer or sport coat needs hard shoulders and shiny gold buttons.
What makes a sport coat more casual? Coarser or textured fabrics (cotton, linen blends, hopsack weave), patch pockets, non-business colors (olive/tan/bright blue as opposed to navy or dark grey), patterned fabric, and less structure (little or no lining and/or padding).
More casual styles can fit different aesthetics too – some sport coats work well with more rugged styles, while some work great with more typical casual styles, and others can remain a bit dressy without being to business-y or serious, and still others come in bold colors and styles to inject a little fun into your look.
The key to any style is to make sure it lets your personality shine. The best part about a casual sport coat is how it allows you to clean up and elevate your look, without coming off as too stuffy.
Conclusion
When thinking of how to wear a sport coat in today’s increasingly casual world, you should start slowly if you don’t normally wear this piece. If you feel comfortable in this garment, you’ll be able to reap clear benefits in your style and appearance.
