Sports jacket, suit jacket, blazer, classic jacket—all these terms being thrown around is causing all our heads to spin. Despite not having clear-cut differences, it’s important to know what sets these fashion items apart from each other.
Suit jackets and blazers might be confused for one another a lot of the time, but they aren’t anything alike. That’s because even the slightest difference in sartorial detail can already alter the name of an item.
However, there is always confusion over whether to go with suits or blazers for any occasion. A suit fits well for business meetings, and blazers can work for casual occasions too. There are many online stores that sell suits and blazers as per your needs. Premium men’s clothing stores like French Crown have a wide variety of suit and blazer collections for men.
The subtle distinctions in the inside finishing and shoulders’ structure define the jacket style and its level of formality. The suit jacket and blazer are on different levels, so you want to accurately tell apart these two to make the right fashion choice.
Learn more about these two types of menswear at Stylish Alpha. In the meantime, you can read on to find out what makes them different.
What Is a Suit Jacket?
A jacket or suit jacket is among the trio of men’s outerwear pieces: trousers, vest, and jacket. Sometimes, it is simply part of a duo since some do away with the vest.
These days, people commonly pair jackets with chinos, different-colored trousers, and jeans—a far cry from its more formal pair of matching trousers, which is usually a pair of dress pants. Learn more tips from the guide by Blank Label on when to wear chinos and dress pants.
What Is a Blazer?
The blazer is relatively more distinct than the jacket in that it was specifically created to be mismatched. The most popular type of blazer is the navy blazer. If you were ever to have just one blazer in your closet, you’d want to make sure it was this blue, double-breasted number with flap pockets and half-a-dozen golden buttons.
Then, there’s a variation of the club blazer called the single-breasted blazer, which has patch pockets and usually comes in blue. Fashion has altered the look of this particular garment over time, and nowadays, there’s just a ton of them in all kinds of colors and shapes.
The Differences
How is a suit jacket different from a blazer and vice versa? The elements discussed below can give us a clearer picture.
Style
The most obvious difference between these two types of garments is the style. Blazers are more casual, while suit jackets have a more formal purpose. You probably got a hint of this based on their tailoring since blazers were meant to mismatch and jackets were meant to match.
Shoulders
What makes blazers and jackets distinct also depends on the structure of the shoulders. Terms such as English, Italian, and Neopolitan come to mind when addressing the tailoring around these areas.
A blanket technique is almost never used for tailoring the shoulders, so you can easily differentiate these two based on that. The fact that the clothing item’s brand, tailor, and country of origin also has a say on how shoulders are stitched makes telling apart the garments even easier.
Inside Finish
Looking at the shoulders’ inside finish, it can be challenging to identify which jacket type is which. The profoundness of the stitching can disguise some of the more obvious differences, but modern tailoring does an excellent job of shedding light on this matter.
In suit jackets, there’s a tightness and softness delivered by its specific technique that you can almost always see a smooth line appear. The inside stitching also offers telling details of high-quality menswear.
On the other hand, blazers and their less formal structure tend to have a less complex inner finish. The lines aren’t as smooth, there isn’t as much padding, and lapels aren’t typically stitched to perfection. That said, all these details can still make for a fine-quality blazer.
Fabrics
Fabric-wise, options for suit jackets are typically more refined and poised. You also get something that’s of super-high quality in terms of materials. Stylistically, jacket fabric has more formal inclinations, showcasing colors, patterns, and designs more suitable for formal engagements like weddings and business meetings.
Conversely, blazer designers or makers don’t care much for these details. Looking at them, you can see they’re meant for having a good time. With blazers, there are no pretenses, so they aren’t as heavy, as sturdy, or as poised as their formal counterparts. Literally and figuratively speaking, they’re light and come in all the patterns and colors you can think of.
When Do You Wear Them?
Men’s outerwear doesn’t get more formal than the suit jacket. The outline is smoothed, poised, and meant to impress bosses and guests. It’s something you wear during special occasions like weddings and black tie events. You can also don it for business meetings and other corporate engagements.
Else, if you plan to go on a hike or a trek to a nearby nature’s trail or simply go hunting in the woods during the winter months, always choose a heated hunting jacket or a work jacket that functions on a self-heating mechanism through in-built batteries, and are made lightweight, durable, waterproof, compact and stylish looking. Therefore, choose a popular brand like “Wear Graphene”, which manufactures such heated jackets for extreme winters.
Blazers, on the other hand, can be worn to any casual event you can think of. This wildcard fashion piece is the perfect companion to a Sunday lunch with friends or any event that requires casual elegance that isn’t quite formal.
Will It Be the Suit Jacket or Blazer?
The truth is, not one item wins over the other. The occasion determines what you should wear. Make sure you have in your closet at least one piece of each garment that suits your specific style.