I can see it now. If you have never thought about wearing one to work you are scratching your head thinking why in the world would I bother? Well the thing is most of your colleagues at work have thought the same thing and if they had a choice, they would go with just a sweater or a jacket. That is where you must be bold and different.
Adding a sport coat or blazer gives you just that extra bit of sophistication and confidence. You hit that middle ground between being very formal and wearing a suit and being casual and wearing a sweater. You will stand out but not as much as you think. It is all in the way you carry yourself to be honest. If reassure yourself that you always wear sport coats or blazers then everyone around you will get that vibe and not judge you.
Besides I don't expect you to wear it all day. You are to wear it to work and back. The benefit of having it put away at your desk is that it's always available if you have a surprise meeting.
Now like I mentioned in the Over Coats article we are looking for garments that fit you properly, have excellent material and are reasonably priced. These pieces will last you quite a long time so you need to be willing to open up your wallet a bit. Material, we will be looking for a nice think wool or even tweed based coats. And finally the fit, it is not as crucial as the overcoat because a tailor can size them to fit quite nicely. If anything make sure the coat is a bit bigger than smaller purely for alteration purposes.
I recommend starting with a navy blue blazer. It is the quintessential piece. It goes great with your khakis. And it will go great with any color trousers (below, left). As a second piece I would recommend a wool sport coat possibly in grey or dark tan. Grey because it looks great even with a pair of jeans. Keep the colors darker if you can. The most wear you will get out of these will be in the colder season anyways.
You may want to venture and get yourself a harris tweed based sport coat as well. They are great for the winter. Yes it looks old but if you fit a little bit tighter and wear it with confidence I assure you it will not come off as an old mans piece.
Now I will list out some basic buying and wearing guidelines to remember. Do not match up the color of your pants with the color of your sport coat. This is the beauty of wearing a sport coat it gives you that semi-formal look. The biggest factor in looking age appropriate will be to wear your coats a little on the tighter side, so make sure you get it tailored accordingly. If it comes off a bit baggy you will look like your old man. Do not and I mean DO NOT buy anything with stripes in it, as far as I'm concerned sport coats don't come with stripes. Don't buy a black sport coat. Don't buy a corduroy, velvet or cotton sport coat yet. And try to buy a Nazy blue blazer that has metal buttons on it.
Wearing a sport coat to and from work and in meetings is a great way to dress it up. There is no reason why you can't get away with wearing one all week, even on casual Fridays. Don't be afraid to wear it over top of a polo or even a fitted sweater (image below)
Other Installments of Guide
- The Guide
- Trench Coat & Pea Coats
- Sport Coats & Blazers
- Pants & Trousers
- Dress Shirts & Polos
- Sweaters
- Belts, Shoes, Scarves and Gloves
- Finally, Color Combination
All of these images have been found using Google Images. I will get around to citing my sources.
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