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Navy Blazer - suitable occasions

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34K views 74 replies 19 participants last post by  Balfour  
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#1 ·
What is the formality level signified by a navy blazer? I was visiting a new client and rather than a suit decided to play dressy biz-casual (blazer, tie, PS) and IMO, it worked very well. Just wondering compared to suit or sport coat what is formality level in a blazer? I generally keep it to work or formal related dinners. For going out with personal or work friends, I would consider it a bit formal.

But I am not really sure on what occasions would blazer be appropriate... If I can wear a sport coat on a nice dinner date, would blazer qualify for same? Some folks have mentioned wearing jeans and blazer but I just find it weird. Although blazer and khakis is a very common sight in business wear.

 
#2 ·
How formal or informal the blazer is depends on the context and what you're wearing with it. With grey or tan flannels, white shirt and regimental tie and walnut captoes, it approaches a business suit for all but the most sober financial or legal occasions. With no tie, cream trousers, spectators and an open neck white shirt it is positively rakish. Context is everything, sir, everything.
 
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#4 ·
The navy blazer can be, if you want, the most formal sport coat. You could put together a rig with a gray suit, white shirt, conservative dark tie, and black shoes -- the kind of thing you'd meet the president in -- and if you swapped the jacket for a navy blazer, you'd still be well-dressed, though obviously it wouldn't be as formal as the suit. Doing the same with any other sportcoat would be a horrendous mismatch of formality levels.

It can also be very casual -- I'd go so far as to wear one over a madras shirt or even a white polo, though that's somewhat outside the bounds of conservative good taste, the kind of thing I can get away with because I'm very young. Certainly, an open-collar shirt, tan or cream trousers, and sockless loafers would be uncontroversial (presuming, of course, that you can wear sockless loafers without raising eyebrows).

Basically, the formality levels of everything you're wearing besides the jacket really determine how formal an outfit involving a navy blazer is -- kind of unique. As long as those are coherent, you'll be okay. I don't think you'd want to wear a navy blazer with a full-bore "country" look, but you could get pretty close to one.
 
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#5 ·
I like blazers / blue odd jackets for the reason Youthful gives: a half-way house in formality between an odd jacket in country colours, and a suit. Also, blazer and greys are in colours appropriate for town. I wouldn't wear a gun club check odd jacket in London other than for a walk in park on the weekend.

In the UK, true blazers (i.e. brass buttons) are seen as very much a 'evening / weekend semi-formal' outfit, or for sporting occasions. I understand they are perfectly acceptable for business wear in many circumstances in the United States.

Sadly, UK workplaces are becoming increasingly business casual but the odd jacket is a rare beast. So the position is fairly parlous over here: tieless suits and no jackets at all abound. If a suit was not required I would have no problem wearing a blazer (or a blue odd jacket with brown horn buttons) and grey trousers in preference to a tieless suit or forgoing a tailored jacket.
 
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#6 ·
IMO a lot can depend on the fabric content and the buttons in addition to the rest of the rig. A hopsack blazer or a poplin blazer is less formal than a navy camel hair blazer. To my eye, a blazer wtih gold tone buttons is less formal than a blazer with pewter buttons. A blazer with a cloisonne or enamel type button featuring a sporting motif such as a fish fly is less formal.
 
#7 ·
FiscalDean said:
IMO a lot can depend on the fabric content and the buttons in addition to the rest of the rig. A hopsack blazer or a poplin blazer is less formal than a navy camel hair blazer. To my eye, a blazer wtih gold tone buttons is less formal than a blazer with pewter buttons. A blazer with a cloisonne or enamel type button featuring a sporting motif such as a fish fly is less formal.
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Good point, although over here the most formal blazer would probably be in serge with brass buttons. Of course the blazer isn't very formal at all - if one subscribes to a very traditional view of things here, suitable for only semi-formal occasions such as a relaxed evening dinner, or weekend sporting event.
 
#10 ·
Balfour said:
Surely not equal? Do you mean "perfectly acceptable alternative"? I may be splitting hairs.
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Perhaps splitting hairs - but I'll try to explain where I'm coming from. What I mean is that in my experience, in its most formal assembly, there is no business / professional setting where the navy blazer would be insufficiently formal as compared with a suit. Indeed, I can certainly think of a few suits that would be comparatively less formal. So in the context of the question originally posed (and with the stated qualifiers) they are equal, or occupy the same level of formality, IMO.

For example - in my neck of the woods, at the lower levels of court where counsel are not required to be robed, formally trimmed navy blazers are every bit as common - and every bit as appropriate - as suits. Both meet the level of formality demanded by the occasion equally well.
 
#11 ·
I agree blazer and greys can be more appropriate than, say, a very casual suit.

But I disagree about the breadth of the equivalence you suggest. "[N]o business / professional setting" is quite a boast - I can't speak for Canada, but my understanding in many serious business, professional and political contexts in the United States a suit remains de rigueur. (I illustrate by reference to the US because I acknowledge that the blazer has much wider acceptance as conventional business dress there. It is not seen as such in the UK.)
 
#12 ·
It was not a boast. It was an expression of my opinion based on observations within the legal / corporate professional context over the past two decades. Opinions may differ - particularly those grounded in different countries or continents. I would not presume the expression of a different view to be inherently boastful.
 
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#14 ·
I'll go along with the general agreement that a blazer is a bit of a chamleon in terms of formality: changing to fit its context (setting, what it's paired with, etc.). The basic look is relatively formal, but the association with leisure pursuits, school kids, etc. allow it to be perceived as informal in appropriate contexts.

On the complete side point: I'd say a blazer with gray pants and tie is one, somewhat significant, notch down from a business suit.* At one time there were situations where it was absolutely clear that a business suit was appropriate and a blazer wasn't ... like every single day at work in the 20th Century, for example. Those situations are fewer today, and geographically variable, but they exist. A suit is a thing unto itself.
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*I've mentioned before the slight increase in precision in referring to what we're talking about as a "business suit," which - at least in this context - is what people generally mean when they say "suit." Of course, there are other sorts of suit out there in the world, some clearly not business suits (leisure suits, speed suits, swim suits) and some where the distinction is at least a little more subtle (tweed suits, Chanel suits, groovy black nightclub suits ... okay, the second is kind of the same, but only if you're a woman or possibly Eddie Izzard).
 
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#15 ·
Balfour said:
I didn't mean "boast" in a pejorative sense; more "expansive statement".

For example, when I've been in Washington I find "blazer and slacks" to be common amongst staffers, but the politicians and senior staff are still in suits.
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I tend to agree with this - DC is a bit of a southern town with a more relaxed code of dress than one might imagine. Most politicians are wearing suits although less ties than we used to see.
 
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#16 ·
Oldsarge said:
How formal or informal the blazer is depends on the context and what you're wearing with it. With grey or tan flannels, white shirt and regimental tie and walnut captoes, it approaches a business suit for all but the most sober financial or legal occasions. With no tie, cream trousers, spectators and an open neck white shirt it is positively rakish. Context is everything, sir, everything.
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Thanks Sarge. I was dressed-up yesterday but wasn't sure if the blazer was helping my case or ruining it. I wasn't trying to compete with a suit because that's definitely more formal but I wasn't sure if blazer can be considered somewhat dressy (in a casual work environment). Can one wear navy blazer over jeans?

I work with a bunch of consulting folks from NY and most of them (men) wear a plain black suit without a tie (round-neck undershirt showing). Rest wear a thee tight fit suit and again... no tie. I just don't get it.

I have worn a wool tie/ zip-up woollen jacket to work and (atleast, in my mind) that works better than a black suit without tie.


 
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#17 ·
RogerP said:
It was not a boast. It was an expression of my opinion based on observations within the legal / corporate professional context over the past two decades. Opinions may differ - particularly those grounded in different countries or continents. I would not presume the expression of a different view to be inherently boastful.
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As far as Canada goes, I'm totally in agreement with Roger. Especially so for us lawyers because if for some reason we need to wear robes, it makes changing from barrister to business professional a breeze.
 
#18 ·
Balfour said:
I didn't mean "boast" in a pejorative sense; more "expansive statement".

For example, when I've been in Washington I find "blazer and slacks" to be common amongst staffers, but the politicians and senior staff are still in suits.
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Apologies for my misunderstanding.

Washington politics likely attracts its own set of rules that aren't neccessarily of broad application. You see very few patterned suits - or patterned ties, for that matter. But I wouldn't extrapolate from that circumstance that patterned suits or ties aren't sufficiently formal in the broader professional context. The very conservative conformity of Washinton politicians certainly doesn't correspond with my experience of corporate / legal Canada.
 
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#19 ·
Rick Blaine said:
Can one wear navy blazer over jeans?
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Sure (say I).

As noted in the mandatory concurrent thread on a similar subject, I've seen people wear blue blazers over tennis shorts. It's not exactly a business look, but it doesn't look crazy either.

Completely different topic (regional dress code variation): in Honolulo, lawyers wear shorts and Hawaiian shirts.
 
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#20 ·
RogerP said:
Context is drawn both from the material / cut / furnishings of the navy blazer and from the selection of trousers and accessories. But at its most formal, the blazer is the equal of the suit in a business / professional context, IMO.
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If you were to say "In my part of the world blazers are perceived to be the same level of formality as a suit" it would be one thing. But you did not limit your opinion. Outside your part of the world, and perhaps a few other spots, the blazer is less formal, and far less formal next to a navy or dark grey suit. A few examples, HRH Prince William's wedding uniforms, morning dress, or lounge suit. no blazers. Prime Ministers questions, suits, no blazers. U S State of the Union, suits, no blazers. Prime Minister Harper on serious occasions wears a suit, and on and on.
 
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#24 ·
Rick Blaine said:
Umm... this is just my opinion but a shapeless jacket with brass buttons is not really a suit equivalent.
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A blazer doesn't have to be shapeless nor do its metal buttons have to be brass. A subtly shaped navy jacket with pewter buttons is still a blazer and with the right shirt/tie/trousers combination is certainly suitable for meeting one's financial adviser. Whether he should be wearing one is a different question altogether.
 
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#25 ·
Balfour said:
I agree blazer and greys can be more appropriate than, say, a very casual suit.

But I disagree about the breadth of the equivalence you suggest. "[N]o business / professional setting" is quite a boast - I can't speak for Canada, but my understanding in many serious business, professional and political contexts in the United States a suit remains de rigueur. (I illustrate by reference to the US because I acknowledge that the blazer has much wider acceptance as conventional business dress there. It is not seen as such in the UK.)
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Yes, while the occasions are perhaps not common for most folks, I attend board meetings in a suit and in many of them would look out of place in a blazer and tie, even with PAs and gray flannels.
 
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#26 · (Edited)
RogerP said:
Perhaps splitting hairs - but I'll try to explain where I'm coming from. What I mean is that in my experience, in its most formal assembly, there is no business / professional setting where the navy blazer would be insufficiently formal as compared with a suit. Indeed, I can certainly think of a few suits that would be comparatively less formal. So in the context of the question originally posed (and with the stated qualifiers) they are equal, or occupy the same level of formality, IMO.

For example - in my neck of the woods, at the lower levels of court where counsel are not required to be robed, formally trimmed navy blazers are every bit as common - and every bit as appropriate - as suits. Both meet the level of formality demanded by the occasion equally well.
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Just because one encounters few forums that require the level of formality of a dark business suit as opposed to a blazer and tie does not mean that a dark business suit isn't more formal than a blazer and tie. It most certainly is -- it's just that the ongoing de-formalization of much of the west has reduced the number of forums that require the formality of a dark business suit. When attending a black tie optional function, a dark business suit and a tuxedo are equally acceptable, but that does not make them equally formal.
 
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