https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:14:34 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers/page/2#post-1851929 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 11:29:32 +0000 Staysfit 1851929@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I just read the article Rachy posted and watched the video, and I’m all sorted. I know what’s what! Thanks Rachy! Very helpful! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers/page/2#post-1851841 Mon, 09 Oct 2017 00:47:42 +0000 Suz 1851841@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am on <b>Gaylene</b>'s wavelength (waves to Gaylene, fellow Canadian) and agree that none of your eclectic and interesting jackets are blazers, although 6 comes closest.&nbsp;</p> <p>I own several blazers and several jackets. I consider the fuchsia J. Crew and the Reiss navy to be blazers. The Emerson Rose and the Trouvé are jackets. The Elie Tahari is more of a blazer than a jacket (it's actually part of a suit) but the detailing makes it a bit ambiguous.&nbsp;</p> <p>I'm not counting denim jackets, moto jackets, or kimono style toppers here. (By the way, I never heard the word topper before I came to YLF either. So it's not commonly used in regular parlance, I don't think.)&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers/page/2#post-1851825 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 22:48:35 +0000 Marina 1851825@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks a lot, Gaylene (these were very useful references for non-English natives). My idea of what is a blazer was right, but I didn't know the term "sportcoat" - now I don't have to say "that sort of less formal blazer" anymore </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers/page/2#post-1851815 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 22:22:39 +0000 binkle 1851815@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Gaylene, I am on your wavelength! Thanks for the visuals! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers/page/2#post-1851721 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 15:46:22 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1851721@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you for asking!</p> <p>Angie's answer when I asked was that a suit jacket is a specific (but unspecified) kind of blazer, so I was planning to give up and just call everything a blazer. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers/page/2#post-1851700 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 14:43:55 +0000 Anonymous 1851700@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Jenni - I like your collection. My favourites are 1 (navy) and 2 (multicolored). </p> <p>For women's wear, if it looks like the jacket is part of a suit, or made of suiting fabric, I'll call it a 'jacket'. 'Blazer' implies a heftier, more durable fabric. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers/page/2#post-1851689 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 14:23:19 +0000 shiny 1851689@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you Gaylene! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851642 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 11:34:30 +0000 Anonymous 1851642@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I learned the word "topper" on YLF. &nbsp;I have never seen or heard it used in real life. &nbsp;I adopted the word as a category in my spreadsheet because it made categorization so much easier. &nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851627 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 08:09:11 +0000 Jenni NZ 1851627@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow Gaylene! Bow down! I am happy that I will keep calling mine "jackets".I like them and I am getting wear out of all except not much for #6. Brilliant pictures. My dad was an insurance clerk, but he would not have liked to get it wrong. He wore suits to work and did talk about his "sports jacket" or even maybe " sports coat" ( I forget exactly). It's quite funny because by the time I remember him, in at least his 40s, he wasn't very sporty at all, though he had enjoyed tennis and cross country running as a young man. I guess I've followed his pattern. I was a bit of a runner in my youth too but stopped in my 20s or 30s.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851616 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 05:50:52 +0000 Gaylene 1851616@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>OK, Shiny, here’s what I learned from my dad:<br /> #1. The progression of formality<br /> #2. The naval blazer<br /> #3 The school blazer<br /> #4 The rowing/club blazer<br /> #5 The Norfolk sports jacket<br /> #6. The shawl collared dinner jacket—always worn with a bow tie according to my dad.</p> <p>And just because YLF is a woman’s fashion site<br /> #7. A traditional woman’s blazer. It’s easy to see the influence of the traditional men’s blazer here. Other blazer styles are also found in woman’s wear. For example, J Crew’s Schoolboy jacket is a version of the traditional school blazer. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851587 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 03:03:26 +0000 shiny 1851587@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Gaylene, I think you are the expert here but I am still totally confused. Can you show examples of each?&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851582 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 02:39:58 +0000 Gaylene 1851582@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I suppose part of the question is how liberal you want to be in using the term “blazer” to describe a jacket with a flat collar and notched lapel which uses a buttoned closure. To me, Jenni NZ, none of your gorgeous jackets are “blazers” since they all offer interesting and unique interpretations of the traditional blazer design. Number 6 is the closest, but since the collar and lapel are styled to be worn forward instead of turned back, it pushes the boundaries of Blazerdom for me. </p> <p>But remember I’m an oldie who was raised in an era when it was standard attire for men to wear suits, hats, and wool topcoats to work. A blazer was considered a less formal jacket since it could be paired with non-matching flannel or twill trousers and was an alternative to a suit for more casual daytime wear. Sports jackets, though, were a totally different jacket; they were usually made of sturdier material like tweed or twill and often referenced their country/hunting heritage in having belts, tabs, and leather patches added. My dad would never have worn his Norfolk sports jacket to an evening event—it would have been like wearing sneakers to the opera. If it was an evening event, he wore a suit—or a dinner jacket. And this man was just a high school teacher!</p> <p>It’s also worth noting that to those of oldies raised in countries which were part of the former British Empire, blazers have both military and upper-class connotations. A blazer was a component of the British naval dress uniform ( sometimes referred to as a “reefer”), as well as the preferred attire for British rowing teams and school uniforms. The upper pocket often sported a house crest, the buttons had special insignias, and the color of the jacket and piping was specific to the school, group, or club. The color combinations for clubs and schools were often quite loud, while the military versions were more subdued. Blazers were quite often worn with regimental and club ties. A woman’s version of the blazer was normally fitted, tailored, and hip length. </p> <p>So, given all my blazer baggage, it’s hard for me to label any of your jackets as a blazer. Number 3, though, is interesting. Replace the collar with a flat collar, add a proper lapel, and remove a couple of buttons—and, voila, you’d have a blazer which resembles some I’ve seen worn by rowing teams. The back pocket might be even be viewed as a useful design feature by those rowers! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851547 Sun, 08 Oct 2017 00:36:17 +0000 Anonymous 1851547@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree with Binkle. Non of your jackets look like blazers but I cannot see the details very well. I also thought of Chanel type jackets looking at your collection. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851531 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 23:41:47 +0000 binkle 1851531@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I can't see alot of detail on my monitor at the moment, but I'd say these are not blazers - they're cropped and don't have lapels. Though hard to see #7 from the photo - does it have lapels? Sorry if I'm miss-seeing the details.</p> <p>A blazer is like a men's suit jacket - tailored, with lapels. Fitted at the waist to some degree. Google "hacking jacket." </p> <p>Usually designed to be long enough to cover the butt, but there are short versions, though these are not boxy. There's always some hint of fit to differentiate between waist and hips. For me, the word "blazer" itself is evocative of the style - almost dandyish sometimes! Google "YSL smoking" or"Bianca Jagger Style." She wore beautiful white suits!</p> <p>Your jackets are are more of the classic Chanel type, to me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851520 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 22:16:28 +0000 Brooklyn 1851520@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Great question! I am still confused. If no 6 is a blazer, why not no 2? No 6 has a notched lapel, which is not very menswear-ish. No 2 has no lapels. Otherwise the shape is pretty similar. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851485 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 20:18:00 +0000 Liz 1851485@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It <i>is</i> quite common on a blog like Recovering Shopaholic or YLF or some other fashion-oriented forum where people discuss their collections of clothing. But it's not a word that I've ever heard used in ordinary daily life. (Maybe if I had fashiony friends who talked about their wardrobe capsules, I'd hear it.)</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851484 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 20:10:51 +0000 Jenni NZ 1851484@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh thanks Liz! I didn't know that. Thought it was quite the commonly used term. It certainly is on YLF. I think it was on Recovering Shopaholic as well, which may be where I first encountered it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851483 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 20:10:17 +0000 rachylou 1851483@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>See, now I wouldn't call either 3 or 6 blazers, because of the pattern and ornamentation. But then again, it's women's wear and 2017, so... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851480 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 19:58:54 +0000 Liz 1851480@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Just noting that 'topper' is not a generally used word in the US to define a certain kind of garment -- I don't think I've ever heard anyone use it in conversation or seen it used in an advertisement, etc. I've only heard the term used in a context like YLF when someone is talking about their collection of clothing -- they have "toppers" (which include blazers, jackets, cardigans, pullovers) that go over some kind of layering piece underneath (blouse, tshirt, shirt). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851479 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 19:57:49 +0000 unfrumped 1851479@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree that blazers need to follow the style of a menswear suit But to add to the melee, since men wear “ suit jackets” and sport coats, the blazer I think derived from a type of sport coat, e.g., “ blue blazer” , so is intended to be a piece that is not matched but can be worn with different bottoms. It’s of course possible to have a matched jacket(!) and pants that work well as separates- in fact that’s a kind of HEWI. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851476 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 19:42:00 +0000 Jenni NZ 1851476@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh wow this is wonderful to wake up to! I wrote the post before I went to sleep last night and this morning here are all these answers! Glad to see I'm not the only confused person.<br /> One thing I realise is the difference between former British colonies ( such as NZ) and the USA. This comes here because we had very British inspired school uniforms for about 100 years where blazers were worn, as Angie said she wore in her schooling. Even by the 70s this was relaxing, I wore a tie at high school but with a soft woollen jumper ( sweater) rather than a blazer and now they often wear polar fleece instead. And ties have gone for girls, thank goodness! And Rachy's article ( thank you Rachy, so informative) fits how my father born in 1922 dressed. He had suit jackets and sports jackets which he varied depending on the desired formality.<br /> In NZ we do not use the word "topper", I only learned that on YLF. Also a jacket definitely doesn't mean an outdoor piece, it is certainly used for an indoor "topper" as well as for outdoors.<br /> Thanks also to Lisap for a great explanation, the relevance of both NZ and Canada being former colonies is apparent there because Savile Row tailoring would have had an influence in both places.<br /> If during Angie and Gaylene's discussion they conclude that #6 is the closest to a blazer then that's funny, because of all those I wear #6 the least. Which shows me I knew my style back in the 90s, that blazers are not really me. I bought #6 to match those ballet flats, couldn't resist at the time. Now I know better. Have only worn them together a handful of times, and also that tweed is more winter and the ballet flats more summery( or at least Spring/Autumn) so seasonally confused. Mrs Matchy-Matchy has been kept under stricter control of late </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851475 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 19:38:46 +0000 Echo 1851475@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'd agree that all blazers are jackets, but not all jackets are blazers. Regardless, I am not sure the precise definitions of the terms matter much, as we know what we like to wear, and most retailers put blazers/jackets in a category together. This is why the term "outerwear" has gained in popularity, IMO, because it distinguishes items intended to be worn outdoors from items that can or are intended to be worn indoors. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851457 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 18:19:55 +0000 Angie 1851457@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>#3 IS pushing blazer-boundaries,<b> Gaylene</b>. Agreed.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851451 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 17:53:39 +0000 Gaylene 1851451@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm going to respectfully disagree with Angie about #3. To me, a blazer needs a tailored, flat collar with a lapel, and a buttoned closure. Unless my eyes are deceiving me, #3 has a ruffled collar which extends into front piece which forms the closure. A very intriguing design rift on the blazer idea, but a concept which puts it in the questionable realm of a blazer. </p> <p>LaP, I think the blazer transferred into women's wear because of its association with school uniforms. Both girls and boys wore blazers as part of their required outfits. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851446 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 17:14:16 +0000 Laura G 1851446@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b></b>Love your jackets, espcially #2 and #6, but wouldn't call any of them blazers.&nbsp;<b></p> <p>LaP&nbsp;</b>-- Eureka! That's why blazers don't work for me--it's a menswear style. Ok, giving up now... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851425 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 15:42:14 +0000 Angie 1851425@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>#3 and #6 are blazers. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851420 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 15:21:40 +0000 JAileen 1851420@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>A blazer *is* a jacket. IMO, a blazer is in the style of a man's suit jacket. </p> <p>Rachy, in your link, I had to laugh about the sport jackets that were worn for "sport," such as shooting/hunting or tennis. Now, people wear such different clothes for those activities. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851419 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 15:20:55 +0000 LaPed 1851419@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think part of the confusion is natural, as we're translating a menswear term into womenswear. To me, I think the essentials for a women's blazer are: lapels, a lower stance, 1-3 buttons. If it buttons all the way to the collar and has a round neckline, it's not a blazer. Other elements -- length, sleeves, back vent, double-breasted, etc. -- can all go either way. I'd be curious from and etymological (and marketing) stance, why "blazer" made its way into womenswear and not "sport coat"... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851417 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 15:09:14 +0000 rachylou 1851417@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Those are jackets. It's clearer with men's clothing:</p> <p><a href="http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/02/25/suit-sport-jacket-blazer-difference/" rel="nofollow">http://www.artofmanliness.com/.....ifference/</a> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-these-jackets-or-blazers#post-1851416 Sat, 07 Oct 2017 15:08:15 +0000 shiny 1851416@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I use the two terms interchangeably and have never considered there is a difference. I just thought they were synonyms for each other.&nbsp; </p>