The Style Files: Day of the Jacket

The jacket has been spotted adorning some style savvy gentlemen recently and is definitely making its way into the male fashion consciousness. The blazer, in more recent times, has come to mean anything that has lapels and sleeves and is worn with unmatched trousers but traditionally  a blazer usually means a navy blue jacket with gold or (occasionally) silver buttons and a patch pocket. (Blazers have always been an integral part of a school uniform, hence the preppy connotations).

The sports jacket smacks of fishing and hunting overtones a hangover from when from they were mostly worn while assisting in the untimely end of fish or feathered creatures.  The sports jacket has become a term for anything that's not a blazer or part of a suit and as a modern fashion item it should be of a softer construction than a suit jacket. Finally, a suit jacket will always be made of the finer stuff and smooth to the touch. If you don't already own a well-fitting jacket, it should be the first thing you buy.

The jacket sports or otherwise is one of the most important items in your wardrobe this season. You can transition it from day to night seamlessly, whether you've got business to handle or you're simply hanging out. There are countless ways to style it. It's called a sports jacket for a reason, you can dress it up, but it's meant to be played in and played in hard. It isn't a suit, so don't treat it like one. A plain shirt, monotone t-shirt, anything from slim fit trousers to jeans - it all works. It doesn't need to match anything, and it doesn't need an occasion. It just needs to be worn...and worn...and worn, until it fits you like a second skin.

With a few exceptions, suit jackets can double as sports jackets. The jacket you close deals in during the day can be the same one you close the deal in at night. Just switch what you wear it with. A more laid-back approach to the dressier double-breasted jacket can be smooth if you do it with confidence.

If you choose to wear a double-breasted jacket unbuttoned, the fit should be as slim as possible; you don't want it billowing out. If the jacket isn't too boxy or long and the lapels are slim it will look good—even with jeans.

If in doubt, defer to the Italians, the smoothest men on earth. The Italian take is all about the buttons and soft shoulders. Navy blazers have been on the shoulders of dapper gentlemen for nearly two centuries. They're so versatile they've been adopted by businessmen and rappers alike, more recently.

The one big thing to remember though with wearing a jacket especially in our tropical heat is if you’re going to be outdoors and not in air-conditioned bliss and it’s not part of the dress code, don’t do it, you’ll be hot, sweaty and it can come off looking a tad ridiculous.

By Minoli Ratnayake