Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we'll discuss how to
best wear Sport Coats, Blazers, and Jeans as outfits and why those will work best for you.
Now there are very different situational examples where we can
discuss how you might be able to wear sport coats and blazers with jeans.
You can also look at the different times where you might have seen someone at a semi
casual occasion, perhaps, a business meeting or even going out on a date.
Time after time, we've seen men pull out this outfit but only a few do it well.
One of my favorite go-to is actually a burgundy with a light gray checkered blazer. I
sometimes wear that with a button-down shirt usually white, maybe even a light
blue and then a pair of dark jeans and brown boots. I really like going for this,
even though sometimes I wear it out of season, because the color really
complements my skin tone. Now, you might be wondering if you should ever even
pair Blazers or sport coats with your jeans. For more information on that
subject, check out our video here and it'll explain everything.
Now, let's figure out the few key things that you need to be able to wear this outfit
appropriately. Often, we see men think that it's acceptable to wear any kind of
jacket with any pair of jeans; and that will make an acceptable outfit. So, is it
appropriate to wear any pair of jeans with any kind of a jacket? Now, a jacket
is inherently much more dressy than jeans. Jeans always look much more casual.
So, you might be wondering how to best pair those together. Now, in certain
situations this might look appropriate. The main reasons why it would not look
appropriate, are usually due to both fit, and to the overall formality of the
combination. Now, in this video, we're gonna go ahead and assume that you
already have a well-tailored blazer or sport coat, and some great fitting jeans.
If you don't, and you want to find out more of how to find something that fits
you well, you can check out our jean guide here and our blazer guide here.
Here are the Blazer and Sport Coat details to look for on pairing with jeans. Blazers
are not a one size or one style for all situations item. Now, when selecting
details to pair with jeans, you're gonna want to look for things that are gonna
casualize the jacket as much as possible; so you gonna want to look at
fabric weights that are gonna look a little bit
more warm and less like a suit fabric. Now, fabric weight for your jacket or sport
coat is available in a number of different densities depending on the
season, and what you're wearing it, and what outfit you're trying to put
together. That's important for both your temperature, but also for your appearance;
that you pay attention to the overall breathability and the weight of the
fabric you choose to wear for your jacket or sport coat. You also want to
pay attention to the weather and what you plan on wearing your sport coat, make
sure that it seasonally matches and that you are comfortable. Now, for example,
today I'm wearing dark denim with a darker patterned mid-weight jacket; I can
wear this at almost any season throughout the year. I've added the light
sweater; it's not super bulky, but it is able to be worn or an extra layering
piece adds a little bit of color as well too. Now, mid-weight jackets are
beneficial for a number of reasons, but I enjoy because I'm able to wear that
almost any season throughout the year. Now, in the summer months, you could try
wearing a linen or a cotton jacket. This will be much more breathable, much more
comfortable for you when it's warmer outside. And when it gets to be a little
bit cooler outside, you could try wearing something that's
gonna keep you insulated, perhaps a tweed jacket or something a little bit warmer;
this will help the overall outfit to look much more cohesive in that season.
Perhaps, patterns that lay more casual, things like elbow patches, or contrasting
buttons; different details that will help casualize the overall outfit with the
jeans. Now, in addition, you can also look for things like patch pockets and
notch lapels that will help casualize the overall
outfit with your sport coat and jeans combination. For more information on how
to find the differences between Suit Jackets, Blazers and Sport Coats, check
out our video here. And, one of the easiest ways to know what to look for is
to know what to avoid, and one of the first things we're gonna look at is
unnecessary flamboyance. Now, here at Gentlemen's Gazette, we certainly believe
in you being able to express yourself and have a great time with your clothing
but we don't want to cause an accident on the street. Unless the event you are
attending calls for you to be able to wear a lot of extra flair, it's usually
best to operate with the philosophy of less is more. Now, overly flamboyant
things that we're gonna want to avoid, for example, will be some really large
bold patterns; perhaps something like a Paisley or something really bold like
that; maybe some really bright neon colors
or even something in really shiny fabric. It doesn't really add that nice
polished look that usually are gonna want to see when you put together your
blazer or sport coat in your jeans. Now, patterns in smaller doses is much
more acceptable; if you try to go overboard with this, where a lot of
excessive pattern, for example, you run the risk of becoming much more visually
confusing to people in your presence. So, you should avoid wearing things like an
old pinstripe that maybe looks like they're missing their suit pants, and you
should also avoid things like a fast fashion floral print jacket or something
maybe with a metallic fabric to it. The next thing to avoid will be a poor
fit in your jacket or sport coat. It's important that you focus on the overall
fit for your body type when selecting your blazer or sport coat. Don't get too
confused looking at the quality of the fabric or the costs on the price tag. All
of that doesn't matter if it doesn't fit appropriately; It will end up looking
much more sloppy. Now, for general information on how a jacket should be
fitting, check out our video here. The goal here is to casualize your jacket
while elevating and dressing up your jeans, while still meeting in the middle
so that things complement one another. Let's avoid different extremes that
maybe make you look like you're going to the boardroom or out to a club; that is
not the purpose of this outfit. Now, we've covered the top half of the body, now we
can look at the bottom half regarding the jeans for this outfit. Let's look at
some great jean options that will work best with your sport coat or blazer. Now,
the goal here is to make sure that the jeans that we're choosing to wear are
going to look much dressier, that are going to compliment the jacket in
general. Now, what kind of jeans and cuts and details are you going to be looking
for to be able to wear with your sport coat or blazer? Now, number one, the
biggest thing is you're going to want to make sure that you are paying attention
to your body type and finding something that fits you appropriately. If you'd
like to find the best fit for you when it comes to jeans, check out our video
here. Now, there are a wide variety of details which you might be able to see
regarding the jeans that you can choose to wear. But don't get overwhelmed by
those details when selecting something to be able to match with your blazer or
sport coat. Once you've selected a fit that works best for your body type, it's
important to make sure that you find a sport coat or
a blazer that complements the same style of denim you decide to wear. For example,
you don't want to wear a slim fit jacket and really wide-cut jeans. In terms of
the details on the jeans themselves, it's important to remember that less is more.
Jeans by nature are going to look more casual especially when you have things
like whiskering or certain different types of embroidery on the jeans. Now,
there are three details regarding jeans that you're gonna want to avoid when
selecting certain styles to be able to match with your sport coat or blazer. The
first one that we're gonna talk about is distressed jeans. The first thing
that we're gonna look at here, is what distressed jeans usually even look like.
One thing that might signify a distressed Jean is something that's
heavily detailed, heavily whisker all over the leg, maybe some holes in the
knees; things like this are not going to be something that you should be wearing
with a sport coat or blazer. This is usually going to look much better when
you're out casually with a t-shirt, perhaps. However, when we're talking
about jeans to be able to be worn with the Blazer or Sport Coat, we're usually
not talking about distressed jeans. Now, are there some people that are able to
pull off a look of something with distressed jeans and sparkles and
blazers? Yes, but typically these people are looking for more of a trendy look
not necessarily a timeless look. The whole point of having distressed jeans
is to give a very lived-in look to your outfit. However, when you blend this more
casual aspect of the outfit with a more professional aspect of the outfit being
the sport coat or blazer, the entire outfit starts to look much more
incomplete. So, for a timeless look, remember, we
should be skipping the distressed denim when worn with a blazer or sport coat.
A great example is if you look at what I'm wearing today, I've got a clean dark washed
pair of jeans on with my blazer; no frills, no whiskering on there at all, and
it looks quite timeless. Now, the second thing that we're going to look at as to
what you should be avoiding with jeans when worn with a Blazer or sport coat,
are jeans that are far too tight. Now, there are some of us like myself who do
enjoy slim or tapered fit to their jeans. The key is to make sure that, number one,
you have got a fit that matches your body type, and that two, you are finding
something that ideally complements the overall look of your outfit. Now, the
third detail that we're going to want to avoid in our jeans when blending them
with a sport coat or blazer is contrast stitching.
Now, there are certain contrast stitching that is acceptable and actually enhances
the timelessness of your jeans like a small yellow over a dark washed jeans
which you might be seeing on my outfit today. We want to avoid the really loud
enhanced contrast stitching that you might see on more trendy jeans. For
example, we should avoid a contrast stitching that is really enhanced and ornate
on the side seams of the jeans, also certain ornate details on the back
pocket of your jeans as well. Now, that we've discussed the issues that we want
to avoid in sport coats and blazers and also jeans, let's go over three great
outfit ideas which will help you pull together and unique outfit with your
blazer sport coat and jeans. Now, as we go through these outfits, we're going to
start out with the most formal option and then work our way down to something
a little bit more casual. Our first outfit is going to be a timeless option
which combines dark colors and a unique way for a really polished and timeless
look. This look combines wearing a dark washed pair of jeans with leather
dress boots and a neutral colored shirt topped off with a navy jacket. Similar
options could also be a gray jacket with dark washed jeans. Now, why this
works? The neutrality of the colors used in this example, ensure that you appear
professional yet still casual. This would be ideal for a business trip or
local meetings over lunch with colleagues. The second half that we're going to look
at right now is a smart-casual option which combines the best of both aspects
of sport coats, blazers, and jeans. A medium wash pair of jeans with a
lightweight sweater and a small pattern blazer. Similar options to use would be a
dark wash pair of jeans and a neutral color sport coat, maybe with a small to
medium size pattern over on neutral sweater. Why this works, is the outfit
combination plays with the contrast of both the sport coat and the jeans. From
there, using a sweater or cardigan under the support coat,
this relaxes the entire outfit but still allows you to appear distinguished.
The third outfit that we're going to look at right now is the most casual
outfit option on our list.
This outfit is made with a dark wash pair of
jeans and white leather sneakers, a bold colored double-breasted jacket, and a
neutral colored sweater over a patterned shirt. Similar options would include you
swapping out your bold color double-breasted jacket
for a more pattern blazer or sport coat. Why does this work? This is certainly the
most casual outfit out of the three that we've discussed so far. This outfit
allows you to combine a few different elements of style while still giving you
a single outfit that works in many situations. If you're curious about
where to shop for jeans to start building some of these new outfits in
your wardrobe, and maybe you're curious about the different price points and
where to select based on your budget, you can find out more information on our
video about jeans here. If you're looking for further information about
where to shop for blazers and sport coats, stay tuned here at the Gentleman's
Gazette for a future video. So, while pairing a blazer or sport coat
with jeans seems like a very easy thing to do at first, it's important to
remember that if the formality of the ensemble is not working together, overall
you will look mismatched. Today's video, I'm wearing a sport coat and jean
combination, this includes a really dark based gray jacket with some really
unique blue and leather gray tones inside of it, and some really cool Brown
horn buttons, the dark wash jeans are a slim fit that I got from J.Crew, and then
I'm wearing black brogue dress boots. To brighten things up, I'm wearing an
oatmeal-colored sweater over a white slim fit dress shirt as well. My
pocket square pulls it all together. It's from Fort Belvedere and it's got some
really unique rabbit motifs and a blue tone with some really great green
elements to it as well. You can find this pocket square and a variety of many
many others on the Fort Belvedere shop here.