Advice needed on sportcoat&slacks casual fridays

[TheSilentType]

Hello. I recently started to give in to sportcoats/slacks ensembles for casual fridays to blend better with others at the new job (it was suits 5 days a weeks before). I'm liking it a lot, but I need some suggestions. I'm in my early 30s, in case that's a factor.

I guess I'm well set on sportcoats for now (4 total, 2 per season, woolen for winter and cotton blends for summer, 1 navy and 1 brown/tan per season, all patch pocketed on the sides, all solid but textured - eg herringbone, nailhead, twill, etc). Not planning for grey odd jackets anytime soon. The main issue is maybe that I don't have a proper, worsted blazer at the moment, since I'm in a suit and tie for the rest of the week, will extend that to friday if needed, and I like the change of pace of more casual options. Is this nonsense and should I consider getting a proper navy blazer priority number one?

For slacks, I have mid grey flannel for winter, tan linen for summer, plus some decent cotton chinos in khaki and navy. I don't think I'd like worsted wool slacks with the above sportcoats as I feel they would clash in formality. Is there anything I could get in grey for summer which would go well with cotton sportcoats? How could I add variety in general?

For shirts, I obviosly have various dress ones: white/light blue, poplin cotton, semi-spread collars, all MTM. Then I have casual, office-appropriate ones: white/light blue OCBDs for winter, white/light blue linen BDs for summer, some BD bengal stripes, all RTW. The thing is, I feel dress shirts, lacking any kind of texture, are too formal vs the above sportcoats and slacks, while for strong personal preference I don't like ties with BD collars. Currently I wear my BDs and go tieless, but still I'd like to incorporate casual ties in my outfits (knits, wools, linens). Is there anything in beetween dress and casual shirts, spread collared, textured, which would go well with the above sportcoats and slacks? Or should I stop overthinking and use my dress shirts when wearing a casual tie?

I feel I'm very well set on shoes so I won't bother you with those as this became a big wall of text quickly. Thanks to anyone willing to go through it and give advice.

 

[TheSilentType]

bump...
Sorry for this but I'm now wondering if I did anything wrong... did I?

 

[GBR]



bump...
Sorry for this but I'm now wondering if I did anything wrong... did I?

Yes, you assumed that this was a free advice service and are now unrealistically impatient. Have you even tried 'search'? This is a well rehearsed issue.

 

[Caustic Man]

The main issue is maybe that I don't have a proper, worsted blazer at the moment

Most would agree that worsted is not an appropriate fabric for a blazer.

 

[Agatha Crusty]



Most would agree that worsted is not an appropriate fabric for a blazer. 

What would 'most' agree on then? Serge? Try finding that outside of a tailor's. Loads of blazers are made in worsted cloths.

 

[TheSilentType]



Yes, you assumed that this was a free advice service and are now unrealistically impatient. Have you even tried 'search'? This is a well rehearsed issue.

Thanks for answering. What made me impatient was that the post had something like 150 views and no replies, that made wonder if something was wrong, and as I feared the issue is that the topic, like any other beginner issue, has already been exhausted.

Belive it or not, I did use the search function. In fact, the question originated from reading this unbelivably useful (imho) thread http://web.archive.org/web/20120711...erent-combinations-for-beginners#post_5203585

I wanted some specifics on appropriate shirt and trousers choices in terms of coherence in formality, no doubt the answers do already exist in the archives but my luck maxed out with the above thread.

"Use the search button" is still better than silence anyway, so thanks anyway.

 

[Caustic Man]

Loads of blazers are made in worsted cloths.

Loads of blazers are crap.

 

[Caustic Man]

OP, if you are looking for a traditional navy blazer I would stick to hopsack, or alternatively fresco if you are looking for something to wear in warm weather. Worsted wool is a suit fabric and should generally be relegated to suits. Remember the history of these garments. Blazers are casual garments, therefore textured fabrics are more appropriate.

 

[Agatha Crusty]



Loads of blazers are crap.

That's merely your opinion and beside the point. Blazers have been made in worsted cloths for many years, Serge is a twilled worsted cloth; it's common use was in making fine military uniforms.

Worsted doesn't just refer to some thin super 100s cloth.

 

[Caustic Man]

That's merely your opinion

No... No it isn't.

 

[Agatha Crusty]

Yes...yes it is.

 

[TheSilentType]



OP, if you are looking for a traditional navy blazer I would stick to hopsack, or alternatively fresco if you are looking for something to wear in warm weather. Worsted wool is a suit fabric and should generally be relegated to suits. Remember the history of these garments. Blazers are casual garments, therefore textured fabrics are more appropriate. 

Thanks. I actually recently saw an hopsack blazer I think by boglioli on mr.porter recently and it seemed spectacular, never seen one in person tough. I assumed that it had to be considered somewhat informal as I thought a traditional blazer had to be worsted and that's actually the reason why I didn't like the idea in the first place (I wear worsted suits 4 days a week as I said).
Having never seen one I would aks you if an hopsack blazerwould differentiate itself enough from both the flannel and cotton navy sportcoats I already have. I assume it's versatile in terms of seasonality, am I right? Thanks again.

 

[PekkaKarhunen]

@Caustic Man while I see your point about worsted being primarily a suiting fabric, I'm not sure the evidence supports you. By evidence, I mean I looked at a couple of the "usual suspects" for a navy blazer- namely, O'Connells, J.Press, and Brooks Brothers. I know that's American-centric, but my understanding of the blue blazer is that despite its origins in England, it's a more "American" garment in terms of its history and popularity.

Each of the three clothiers referenced carry navy blazers in worsted wool. Now, I don't claim that those three firms, reputable as they are, don't also produce some crap, but in terms of "correctness," I don't think they're "wrong" in using worsted wool. Other popular fabrics from each of those places also include flannel and hopsack- but worsted wool is definitely not merely used by the JC Penneys, Macys, and H&Ms of the clothing world.

 

[TheSilentType]

Sorry for the typos, I'm on mobile

 

[Agatha Crusty]



@Caustic Man
 while I see your point about worsted being primarily a suiting fabric, I'm not sure the evidence supports you. By evidence, I mean I looked at a couple of the "usual suspects" for a navy blazer- namely, O'Connells, J.Press, and Brooks Brothers. I know that's American-centric, but my understanding of the blue blazer is that despite its origins in England, it's a more "American" garment in terms of its history and popularity.

Each of the three clothiers referenced carry navy blazers in worsted wool. Now, I don't claim that those three firms, reputable as they are, don't also produce some crap, but in terms of "correctness," I don't think they're "wrong" in using worsted wool. Other popular fabrics from each of those places also include flannel and hopsack- but worsted wool is definitely not merely used by the JC Penneys, Macys, and H&Ms of the clothing world.

It's a well-worn dispute. What Americans (and now most people) call a 'blazer' was traditionally called a 'reefer' jacket in England. Making these up in Saxony (another worsted cloth) or Serge or flannel was most common. A 'blazer' here in England was very often single-breasted and referred to club jackets (boating, tennis, cricket etc). They didn't have much suppression and were made up in hard cottons or the sort of cotton/wool flannel used for making cricket trousers.

The objection to "worsted" in this thread is misplaced by assuming that it refers to ultra smooth super cloths that most suits are now made up in. Basically there are two main sorts of cloths: woollens and worsteds, the second being combed and more tightly twisted. The weave it takes is something else.