What's The Difference Between a Blazer and a Sport Coat?

Sport Coat vs Blazer: which one is more casual?

Are the blazer and the sport coat the same thing? Not. Often there is no clear vision of what the different types of men's jackets are. This involves very common mistakes, such as wearing unsuitable garments on a given occasion or making a mistake in combining fabrics and colors. There is certainly a wide choice but today we will talk in detail about the sport jacket and blazer, especially for those who are new to it! It starts with the ABC.

• What is a sport coat?
• Sport coat's characteristics
• What is a blazer?
• Blazer's characteristics
• When to wear the sport coat and when to wear the blazer?
• Eduardo De Simone's jacket

What is a sport coat?

The sports coat (alias sport jacket) originated around the 19th century when men needed to wear different coats for outdoor sports, such as hunting and fishing. In particular, it became usual not to combine the jacket with the trousers, and the tweed jacket with three/four buttons, belt, and large bellows pockets was of great use. From the 70s onwards, the sports jacket has become the male garment par excellence. Its use has become increasingly widespread also for work occasions.

Sport coat's characteristics

The sports jacket is recognized because it is made with less formal fabrics, namely tweed with herringbone or cheviot pattern, houndstooth, covert or Bedford Cord. It can have patches on the elbows (usually of different fabric and a darker color than the jacket) and large pockets.

What is a blazer?

We covered the subject in our previous blog post, but it is worth reminding that the blazer was a garment that left its mark in the history of men's fashion, becoming a symbol of belonging to a specific community, both in the academic and sports world. The quintessential blazer can only be navy blue. Formal or casual, depending on the style - double or single-breasted - and with details such as the type of buttons and pockets.

Blazer's characteristics

Of the blazer, there are both the single-breasted two-button version and the double-breasted six-button version, usually in metal. The pockets, of course, are patched. Unlike a suit jacket, a blazer is often made with shirt shoulders (“a camicia”), so-called because the same technique is used for shirts. This will make it look softer and follow the natural shape of the shoulders. The blazer should be slightly snug.

When to wear the sport coat and when to wear the blazer?

Once we have realized the main differences between the two garments, we can say that both belong to a type of casual and informal clothing. Unlike the suit jacket, which is to be worn on formal occasions, both the blazer and the sport coat can be worn for informal occasions. For example, match it with a turtleneck or with a sweater and shirt. The trousers should be complimentary and in harmonious shades of colors, such as dark green jackets, grey dolce vita and earth-colored trousers.

Eduardo De Simone's jacket

Both the sport coat and the blazer are two types of jackets that have become part of the men's tailoring world. Eduardo de Simone, within his collections of handmade clothing made in Napoli, has created blazers and jackets that are contemporary but timeless, reflecting a great attention to detail and the research of raw materials.