Blazer v. Suit Jacket... difference?

[empyre.01d2]

Is there honestly a difference between the two? I've just recently started getting into more "professional" clothing if you will, and am a bit confused.

Blazers (or sportcoats) appear to be just jacket separates. Is this right?

If I'm buying a jacket to be specifically worn with jeans, or in a semi-formal fashion, should I buy larger than usual? Or just the same size?

Thanks!

 

[Jared]

The search function is your friend.

Short answer: there's a difference in styling.

 

[alliswell]

and no difference in size. To be specific - a blazer is a blue jacket, one shade lighter than navy, with metal buttons. Any other jacket that's not from a suit is a sportscoat, and the difference is in fabric.

Originally Posted by Jared

The search function is your friend.

Short answer: there's a difference in styling.

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by Jared

The search function is your friend.

Short answer: there's a difference in styling.

Manton says not. I'm inclined to agree. A rough rule of thumb I tend to follow is that if it is a good suiting fabric, it is probably not a good jacketing fabric and vice-versa.

 

[Jonathan Crane]

To be specific - a blazer is a blue jacket, one shade lighter than navy, with metal buttons.

This definition seems limited. Aren't blazers often found a variety of bright and eye-strain causing colors.

 

[empyre.01d2]

Thanks for the replies! I was looking over some of the other threads as well, and no good consensus seems to have been reached.

Disagreements on:
color
size (specifically length)
fabric
even buttons

It sure is confusing. I guess my question is then, should a sportcoat look like a suit jacket? Should someone be able to tell, oh that's obviously a sportcoat rather than a component of a suit? Or is this totally up to owner?

 

[TheFoo]

If by 'blazer' you mean 'sportcoat' or 'odd jacket', I think the best answer is that there is no essential difference. However, certain characteristics are more prevalent with one than the other.

After all, you can have a country suit in tweed--the jacket might even have patch pockets. If the jacket from such a suit were separated from the pants, would it be distinguishable from a dedicated sportcoat made of the same cloth? Also, odd jackets are more casual by their very nature; thus, there aren't really any hard and fast rules dictating how an odd jacket should be styled. Some of us may prefer to incorporate more casual or sporting features (like tweedier cloths and patch pockets), but some may not.

At the end of the day, I think the only clear and consistent distinction has nothing to do with jacket styling; it's whether there's a matching pair of pants.