As we're gradually wrapping our heads around going back into the office within the next couple of months, I thought I would take a second to answer a question thats guys always ask me about... Why can't I wear a suit jacket with jeans? Nobody can tell the difference, right?
Not so much.
Take a minute and picture the man you commonly see in the airport wearing his suit jacket "casually". You know the type. He probably has an earpiece in and a Blackberry out. He's wearing a beat up dress shoe or a pair of sneakers. Usually he has on a pair of Dockers brand khakis. And on top of that, he's wearing his navy blue suit jacket.Yes, it makes sense with his awesome carry-on packing skills. No, he's not pulling it off.
We all know this look is a little goofy, but why exactly doesn't it work?
Suit jackets and blazers are fundamentally different garments. Here's how:
Styling: Sport coats are more casual. They tend to have a center vent instead of side vents (1 slit in the back not 2).
Length: Blazers/ Sport Coats tend to be shorter than suit jackets.
Shoulders: Blazers have less structure (padding) in the shoulder than a suit jacket.
Pattern: Pin stripe "blazers" are not a thing.
Just a few things to consider the next time you ruin the pants of a suit you love. It's okay to feel like you're parting with a buddy. You guys have been through a lot together. It just doesn't mean you should repurpose it into something that it's not. If you put on the jacket and it looks like it's missing a piece, it probably is.
