Are these jackets or blazers? - YouLookFab Forum

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Are these jackets or blazers?

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I am still confused. What makes something a blazer? I have Googled it but am still not clear. I thought it may be the buttons but Google says no. Is my most worn black Scope soft jacket a blazer, and what about its cousin the bright Scope cityscape jacket?
Then there is the "black with bright colours" cotton jacket ( both front and back shown, love all the coloured zigzag stitches and the polka dots).
The new cobalt collarless floral jacket, worn once so far?
Finally the 2 winter ones, the tweed one that has matching ballet flats and the soft warm wool one, Sabatini with chevron stripes. I am not sure of any of these. I am only certain that I've owned 3 blazers in the past, two navy and one red, bought in the 90s and given away long ago. I decided they weren't "me", the first two seemed too formal and the red one was a bit cheap and got crumpled easily. These 6 jackets and my 2 bombers seem more like me. What does the collective wisdom of YLF say these are?

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Dressing

36 replies

Latest reply was from Staysfit

Murph11

Veteran

Thanks for asking, Jenni... I was going to ask the very same question

kkards

Veteran

this is how i define a blazer....a blazer is a jacket that is menswear inspired in shape, and meant to be wear indoors. i think of jackets as something worn outside... and like Angie's term "topper for anything that i think of as an indoor piece that's not a blazer....
so, that being said, i feel the defination is kind of subjective. i'd label #2-6 as blazers, and #1 & #7 as toppers.

Anonymous

Academically and technically speaking, blazer is the name given to a tailored and fitted button-front jacket. The term has loosened over the years to include less fitted and less technically complicated pieces, but - it's still the origin of the item. I often use the term interchangeably, and that comes from my tailoring and academic days - and I know this isn't what most say anymore. If you read or listen to how a Savile Row tailor might describe this piece - the word jacket (think dinner jacket, tuxedo jacket, morning coat etc) is still used. I think most people use the word jacket to describe an outerwear piece, or a less constructed topper.

The pictures you show above look like jackets to me - and not technically blazers.

Anyways - that's my 2c.

Anonymous

What LisaP described above is correct to my knowledge. However, over the years, I have come to more loosely define blazers as indoor wear and jackets as outdoor wear. For example, I own this garment below. Somewhat boxy. No buttons. I define it as a blazer for my purposes. To me that means I wear it indoors to business functions. I have never worn it as outer wear.

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Column

Veteran

I don't know, but yours are gorgeous!

Bijou

Veteran

Hi Jenni, you have a great collection. In my finds, I would call the first topper with pineapples a blazer (because of the menswear style and lapels) and the second a jacket. Personally I prefer to wear jackets more than blazers, because I find on me blazers work best with pants and jeans whereas jackets tend to be more versatile and can be worn with my skirts and dresses as well as pants and jeans.

Campbell Italian linen blazer in Ratti painted pineapple

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Top Pick

1

Kate Spade New York textured tweed jacket

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7

shiny

Veteran

I use the two terms interchangeably and have never considered there is a difference. I just thought they were synonyms for each other.

rachylou

Veteran

Those are jackets. It's clearer with men's clothing:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/.....ifference/

LaPed

Veteran

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"...

JAileen

Veteran

A blazer *is* a jacket. IMO, a blazer is in the style of a man's suit jacket.

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.

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Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

#3 and #6 are blazers.

Laura G

Veteran

Love your jackets, espcially #2 and #6, but wouldn't call any of them blazers.

LaP -- Eureka! That's why blazers don't work for me--it's a menswear style. Ok, giving up now...

Gaylene

Veteran

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.

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.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

#3 IS pushing blazer-boundaries, Gaylene. Agreed.

Echo

Veteran

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.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

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.
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.
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.
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.
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

unfrumped

Veteran

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.

Liz

Veteran

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).

rachylou

Veteran

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...

Jenni NZ

Veteran

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.

Liz

Veteran

It is 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.)

Brooklyn

Veteran

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.

binkle

Veteran

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.

A blazer is like a men's suit jacket - tailored, with lapels. Fitted at the waist to some degree. Google "hacking jacket."

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!

Your jackets are are more of the classic Chanel type, to me.

Joy

Veteran

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.

Gaylene

Veteran

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.

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!

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.

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!

shiny

Veteran

Gaylene, I think you are the expert here but I am still totally confused. Can you show examples of each?

Gaylene

Veteran

OK, Shiny, here’s what I learned from my dad:
#1. The progression of formality
#2. The naval blazer
#3 The school blazer
#4 The rowing/club blazer
#5 The Norfolk sports jacket
#6. The shawl collared dinner jacket—always worn with a bow tie according to my dad.

And just because YLF is a woman’s fashion site
#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.

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Jenni NZ

Veteran

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.

Anonymous

I learned the word "topper" on YLF. I have never seen or heard it used in real life. I adopted the word as a category in my spreadsheet because it made categorization so much easier.

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