black blazer

[davestlouis]

I'm pondering the purchase of a black blazer. I work in a funeral home/cemetery/crematory combination so my color palette is rather limited. I tend to wear either a navy blazer and gray or charcoal trousers, or a dark suit. How would my choices differ with black v. dark blue blazers as far as I what can wear? What color buttons would a "normal" black blazer have? Some I've seen have pewter colored buttons.

 

[donCarlos]

I´ll add one question:
What is called "blazer" in the USA?
As far as I know, only a navy jacket with golden buttons can be called blazer and is to be worn strictly with grey pants.

 

[Torpedo]

Hello Don Carlos,

If I am not wrong, in US and UK usage a blazer applies to any suit-type jacket, either single or double breasted, and any colour.

But indeed, in some European countries it is applied much more restrictively. In Spain, basically to a navy double breasted suit jacket.

As far as the original question is concerned, for a funeral environment I would guess gold or other metal buttons would not be adequate.

Any more opinions?

 

[Max Flash]

I expect the English blazer has its origins in military (esp. naval) dress, hence the traditional brass buttons. It is worn by the older generation with grey trousers, but can be worn equally well with khakis (chinos) or white trousers in the summer. I personally prefer the chino/blazer look as it is fresher and more youthful.

Typically, only a navy blue jacket with brass buttons (single or double breasted) would be called a blazer, although the same item of clothing in other colours might also be called a blazer at the English public (i.e. private) schools at which those colours are the uniform. Also, at universities, a jacket awarded for sports achievements might be called a blazer - at Oxford, if one is awarded a Blue for a sport, one would wear a dark blue or a wide-striped blue and white blazer (being the sporting colours of Oxford). At Cambridge, the colours are white and light blue. Other sporting heritages, particularly rowing, have other colour combinations in their blazers.

Any other type of jacket, known as an odd jacket in the US, would usually be called a sport coat in the UK and would usually be in tweed. These can also be worn with chinos or other tailored trousers. Often they come in other materials, e.g. corduroy, but I would call these sports coats rather than blazers.

I have never seen a black blazer, other than a stroller - a rather antiquated jacket worn with striped trousers as part of the traditional attire of English bankers. Personally, I think it would look strange - I see no reason to wear black simply because of your profession. Wearing a blue blazer would, IMO, be conservative and appropriate without being overly dour.

 

[Tomasso]

Not a blazer!

Here's a black cashmere sportcoat that I wear with various shades of gray flannels, as well as jeans.

Not a big fan of blazers, per se.

 

[Max Flash]

By way of a post script, I think black jackets are more popular in parts of Europe. Certainly in Germany, a black jacket (cut like a suit jacket) and grey trousers was traditionally an acceptable alternative to a suit as conservative business dress.

I have no idea whether this is still the case, and what this would be called. I suspect it is not the same as a blazer, which in England is a more casual item (both in cut and in terms of where it is worn), worn at sporting events (e.g. rowing, yachting) and at daytime social events (e.g. summer garden parties).

 

[Hal]

I expect the English blazer has its origins in military (esp. naval) dress, hence the traditional brass buttons.

Quite right, it does.

Typically, only a navy blue jacket with brass buttons (single or double breasted) would be called a blazer, although the same item of clothing in other colours might also be called a blazer at the English public (i.e. private) schools at which those colours are the uniform. Also, at universities, a jacket awarded for sports achievements might be called a blazer.

Both of these would often have the institution's badge on the breast pocket. Such blazers were and are also worn by pupils in some maintained (i.e. truly public) secondary schools.

Any other type of jacket, known as an odd jacket in the US, would usually be called a sport coat in the UK and would usually be in tweed. These can also be worn with chinos or other tailored trousers. Often they come in other materials, e.g. corduroy, but I would call these sports coats rather than blazers.

Also true, though "sport coat" sounds American to me - the more frequent British term is "sports jacket"

I have never seen a black blazer...I think it would look strange.

Black blazers (called such) were not infrequent in the UK from about 1955 to about 1965. They had white metal buttons (as opposed to brass buttons) and were single-breasted or double-breasted. I had one for several years and it didn't in the least "look strange" then - but it was the only item of men's clothing that was black apart from funeral wear, dinner-jackets and formal clothes.

 

[Max Flash]

Black blazers (called such) were not infrequent in the UK from about 1955 to about 1965. They had white metal buttons (as opposed to brass buttons) and were single-breasted or double-breasted. I had one for several years and it didn't in the least "look strange" then - but it was the only item of men's clothing that was black apart from funeral wear, dinner-jackets and formal clothes.

Hal, you've misquoted me and taken it out of context (although I accept from my original post that it is not entirely clear, so apologies for that). To wear a black jacket and striped trousers (the traditional banker attire) would look strange, especially in a funeral home, due to its antiquated nature. One regularly sees black blazers worn with grey trousers and jeans, etc. However, it regularly leads to a "monochrome" look, while I think that one can wear some conservative, muted colour, despite the original poster's profession.

 

[ortega76]

I'm pondering the purchase of a black blazer. I work in a funeral home/cemetery/crematory combination so my color palette is rather limited. I tend to wear either a navy blazer and gray or charcoal trousers, or a dark suit. How would my choices differ with black v. dark blue blazers as far as I what can wear? What color buttons would a "normal" black blazer have? Some I've seen have pewter colored buttons.

The black sport coat is a very nice addition to a wardrobe, particularly when one wears somber colors. Many stores have a line of suit seperates which makes purchasing just a jacket very easy. Others have found lines of menswear with suit seperates to be ideal since they can be pants and jackets in different colors and be assured they would match fabrics easily.

Colors that go with a black jacket are pretty open. I like the look of a black jacket with a light grey shirt and black/silver tie. A white shirt always looks crisp. The only color I tend to shy away from when wearing black jackets is the "french blue" popular in the 90's. A powder blue does look nice, though.

 

[Lensmaster]

Hello Don Carlos,

If I am not wrong, in US and UK usage a blazer applies to any suit-type jacket, either single or double breasted, and any colour.

But indeed, in some European countries it is applied much more restrictively. In Spain, basically to a navy double breasted suit jacket.

As far as the original question is concerned, for a funeral environment I would guess gold or other metal buttons would not be adequate.

Any more opinions?

As stated previously the original blazer was a jacket in navy blue with metal buttons. A number of schools and sports clubs adopted the style of jacket in various colors. The sad thing is that people keep taking words and generalizing their meaning so they don't have to think and can be lazy in their speech. An example is nowadays it seems any casual pants that aren't denim are called Khakis regardless of material or color. So some people may call any sport coat a blazer.

 

[Hal]

Hal, you've misquoted me and taken it out of context (although I accept from my original post that it is not entirely clear, so apologies for that). To wear a black jacket and striped trousers (the traditional banker attire) would look strange, especially in a funeral home, due to its antiquated nature. One regularly sees black blazers worn with grey trousers and jeans, etc. However, it regularly leads to a "monochrome" look, while I think that one can wear some conservative, muted colour, despite the original poster's profession.

Max Flash, apologies for any misquotation!
A black jacket and striped trousers (sometimes called a "stroller") does look antiquated nowadays, though I was at a wedding a long time ago where the bridegroom, best man and fathers of the bride and groom were so dressed. (How difficult it is to distinguish the traditional/classical from the antiquated/archaic - in all probability no two of us would make the same distinction.) A black blazer with grey trousers needs a coloured shirt and tie if the monochrome look is to be avoided.

 

[avedwards]

Personally I would only wear a black blazer with khakis unless I wanted to very look formal. But if I wanted to look formal I would just wear a suit, so a black blazer would be a little useless for me, though I do have one which I occaisionally wear with smart trousers, a shirt, but no tie for a smart but not too formal look.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

A very elegant (but not formal) look: a black jacket, and trousers with a black/cream (or black/light grey) mid-sized houndstooth check. Black suede oxfords (plain toe or monk strap). A cream or a light grey dress shirt. A foulard or striped tie (purple, lavender, pink, etc.)

.

 

[avedwards]

A very elegant (but not formal) look: a black jacket, and trousers with a black/cream (or black/light grey) mid-sized houndstooth check. Black suede oxfords. A cream or a light grey dress shirt. A foulard or striped tie (purple, lavender, pink, etc.)

.

What sort of hat should be worn?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

What sort of hat should be worn?

Depends on the trousers. If they're a black/cream mid-sized houndstooth check, then wear a cream felt fedora with a black ribbon (or a cream newsboy cap). If the trousers are black/light grey, then wear a light grey felt fedora with a black ribbon (or a light grey newsboy cap).


.

 

[avedwards]

If the trousers are black/light grey, then wear a light grey felt fedora with a black ribbon
.

Would the Stetson Chatham in my avatar be a light enough grey?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Would the Stetson Chatham in my avatar be a light enough grey?

Depends a bit on whether the grey in your houndstooth check trousers would harmonize with it. I'd try to make sure that the greys in both were similar in tone.

.

 

[WH1]

hmm I have the black cashmere sportcoat, the white shirt, the dove gray fedora with black band, and a silver with purple stripe tie now I just need the grey houndstooth trousers/black suede oxfords and I think I have this look. Will have to put it together for evenings out with my lovely wife. she loves feel of the cashmere, cant keep her hands off of it!

 

[WH1]

of course there is always the danger of looking like danny kaye as anatole in The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty. Might not be the effect one was after especially the wife lol

 

[Anachronism]

A black blazer can really dress up a nice pair of dark-denim jeans, on males or females. But i'm not a huge fan of black with tan, it's too close to black and brown, something my eye just doesn't like [huh]

I think a better investment would be a black suit. You can always wear the blazer by itself. But if you're not going to be wearing it as a suit all the time, I would suggest not getting peaked lapels, which would look too formal and out of place when worn with other trousers, imho