Blazer of Glory: Article for Uniform Market News

Just in case you’ve been lying awake nights wondering, there is no difference between a sports coat and a blazer.  Some people will say, “Why, yes, of course this is correct,” while others will insist, “No, this cannot be.”  But the consensus is that there is really no difference between the two. 

The umbrella term “sports coat” is used to define any upper body outerwear that is worn for casual affairs.  Confusing but technically correct, even a mackinaw or a parka could be considered a sports coat.

However, for most people’s and our purposes as well, a sports coat is a lightweight jacket worn with slacks (and/or a skirt in a woman’s case), and while hopefully it has a sense of style and coordination with its bottom counterpart, it need not be made from the same fabric or color, as a suit coat would be.

Simply put, the sports coat evolved from folks who wanted something more casual to wear for sporting events, but still wanted a sense of style and presence; hence, the name.  Before golf, lacrosse, polo shirts and Ralph Lauren, or cardigan sweaters and Nike on the back nine, men were wearing sports coats with ties and plus-fours (knickers for those of you who weren’t around in the first half of the twentieth century). 

For their Saturday jaunts into the woods with a picnic basket, a ride in an automobile to see the circus, or a stroll down the broad way to the tennis match, the sports coat was the “in” symbol of fashion and good taste.   It also became perfect for school attendance and teaching, or any job that required propriety but not necessarily a full dress business suit.  It was perfect for every occasion that wasn’t about a business suit or a tuxedo, but needed a tie for social acceptability. 

Within a milieu of various sports coat styles—some with notch, peak, or rounded lapels; with pockets that were inset or patch, with flaps or without; with various thicknesses of shoulder pads to emphasize a particular fashion focus or time, came a specialized garment that evolved from England (as usual)—the blazer. 

Some will tell you that the blazer was a more relaxed version of a naval coat that could be worn to sea—that it was derived from the HMS Blazer, a frigate from the Victorian era whose captain wanted a coat that was more casual than the standard formal uniform, but had the style and sense of dignity that an officer would wear.  It was originally made in navy blue with metal buttons, was double breasted and had patch pockets. 

Others will adamantly insist that the blazer came about from Lady Margaret’s Boat Club, the rowing team from St. John’s College, Cambridge.  The uniformly matching sports jackets were all in brightest of red; thus, the “blazing” color defined the name.  Who knows? 

Whichever is correct, the blazer, aka the sports coat, has become a staple of our western society.  Especially with colleges and special fraternal orders, they come in solids, stripes, or plaids in order to identify the groups they represent.  They come in all colors, often symbolic, sometimes revealing the hierarchy within a group.  The Masons, for example, display multiple colors as each level of philanthropy elevates an individual up the ladder:  purple, red, grey, royal blue, navy blue, French blue, etc. The Florida Elks and Florida Kiwanis, on the other hand, have blazers that are naval orange to remind us of their flourishing fruit crop.

As for the professional sector, blazers usually come in navy, various shades of grey, and black.  Less frequently, there will be burgundy, red, or khaki.  There are the single breasted or the double breasted, with lapel (notch or peak) or without (cardigan).  Sometimes, they are longer in length, and sometimes, shorter.  One, two, three, or even four-button blazers are possibilities these days. 

Usually, the more conservative corporate look sticks with standard styling and colors in 100% cotton, poly cotton, polyesters, poly-wools, or 100% wools, depending on formality, image, affordability, and the weather.   However, as our world is ever-shrinking, we not only learn about other designs and fabrics from various cultures and workplaces, but we grow accustomed to them and borrow them for ourselves.   These days, it’s not so unusual to see a silk blazer as a uniform, and in a vibrant pink, at that.  Or, something in eggplant, chocolate brown, or rust—especially if it’s an organic, custom dyed fabric.     

Sportswear—the sports coat—has become a permanent part of our society, even though what we think of as more formal or dressy in today’s world was once considered to be very casual.  One would have never thought of going rowing, for example, without a sharp looking jacket and ascot or tie.  And, as a part of this tradition, blazers have become key in our wardrobes.  We use them for everything:  dining out, cocktail parties, work, group identity, image and presentation.  We use them wherever we go and for whatever we do, and as uniform entrepreneurs, we wear them and we sell them all the time.  So, if you do lie awake nights thinking about this ubiquitous item—the sports coat or blazer—hopefully, you can now rest easily, as most if not all of your questions about it have been answered.