There is that thin line of difference that every man ought to understand when it comes to wearing suit jackets (alone) without the matching suit trousers and still keeping them smart and formal enough for the occasion. Ideally, a sports coat does the job great, but not all suit jackets or blazers can become a sports coat.
So, here is the quick checklist you can rely upon to check whether or not the jacket you’ve chosen qualifies to be worn as a separate element in your ensemble or counted as a sports jacket.
Checklist for wearing a separate suit jacket
- The weave of the fabric
The perfectly tailored suits with the matching blazers and trousers are often made of fine and smooth weaves. For example, super wool and twill fabrics. These types of woven fabrics are not suitable for separates.
Instead, choose a different weave or textured suit fabrics like flannel, corduroy, linen, tweed, etc. that can stand alone as separates and can match any trouser or denim pants. Even matching them with another tailor-made pair of trousers would work perfectly and complete the look. In other words, if your jacket features rough, textured, and more visible weaves, it qualifies as a sport coat or separate jacket.
- The jacket color
Certainly, the more formal the colors are, the less suitable the jackets are for separates. Thus, choosing a navy or charcoal jacket needs matching trousers. Whereas, when you go for alternate and unique colors like olive, cherry wood, mustard, nude, etc., you can pair them with any trousers. Thus, they are considered the best choices for separates.
- The pattern on the jacket
The fine patterns on professional suits like pinstripes, chalkstripes, graph checks, glen checks, etc., are more formally inclined and do not feature the characteristics of a sport coat. The separately worn sports coat features loud, bold, and larger patterns like window pane plaids, buffalo checks, houndstooth, awning stripes, etc., and is considered less formal. This makes it ideal to become a sports jacket and thus can be worn on its own.
- The buttons
In general, a formal blazer or a suit jacket features at least four buttons on the sleeves. This clarifies that any such jacket does not qualify for a sports coat. So, pick a suit jacket with three or fewer buttons on the sleeves that looks casual and like a sports coat.
- The pockets
As everyone knows, the flap is the most common type of front pocket on professional or formal suits. So, do not choose them for separates. Alternatively, pick suits with patch pockets. They are less formal and more casual, thus it is easier to convert into a stand-alone coat.
- The tailored silhouette
Undoubtedly, the structure of the suit decides the formality of the attire. The more structured and heavily padded blazers look stiffer and formal than minimally structured and padded blazers. Thus, choose a suit jacket tailored with the most relaxed fit, slight padding, and slacked silhouettes. This ensures they can pair with any pair of trousers without the need for regular matching trousers.
Conclusion
Still, uncertain about how to differentiate between regular ‘suit jackets’ and ‘separates’? Never mind. Our team of expert men’s suit designers is here to guide you through this whole concept. Reach out to us—we’re one of the leading men’s bespoke suit designers in the country.