Blazer History

In 1837 the Commander of the frigate H. M. S. Blazer was told that England’s young queen, Victoria, would soon inspect his ship.  He took one look at the unsightly condition of his crew’s dress and decreed that they would get new uniforms.  He decided on a short jacket with Brass Royal Navy buttons.  There is a disagreement as to the color of those first Blazers.  In one account the jackets were striped navy and white, but another reports solid navy serge.   In either case, Victoria was so favorably impressed she required all the Queen’s sailors to be in similar uniform.

Another historical tale (opposed to the seafaring one) recounts that the oarsmen of the Lady Margaret Boat Club, St. John’s College at Cambridge University, first wore the Blazer.  The red striped sport coats on the crew seem to be “ablaze” on the water.

 And even another derivation may be from the 19^th Century British nobility’s practice of “emblazoning” their jackets with family, school and clubs coats of arms.