Suit Jacket, Blazer, Sport Jacket – What’s the Difference?

In today’s post, I’m going to talk about the differences between a sport jacket a blazer and a suit jacket. I’ll also cover whether or not you can wear a suit jacket as a sport jacket.

OK guys so there seems to be a lot of confusion about the differences between a suit jacket, a sport jacket, and a blazer. Part of the problem is that a lot of people seem to mix up the terminology. For example people will call a sport jacket a blazer and vice versa. Even Men’s retailers and big menswear YouTube channels get this wrong  so I just want to clear up any confusion.

OK, first up is the suit jacket. Suit jackets are the most formal of the three and they’re manufactured with a matching pair of trousers that’s cut from the same exact material so they match perfectly. Suit jackets are going to be more fitting to your body and made from a finer material then a blazer or a sport jacket. Sometimes the suit will have a slight shine to it as well.

As a general rule, I would say not to wear a suit jacket as a sport jacket, but it can be done in some cases. Suit jackets just look a little off for example like trying to wear one more casually with jeans. You can just tell it’s a suit jacket especially if it’s a solid color with little pattern.

The only exception I might say here is that if the suit jacket has significant pattern to it, it could more closely be pulled off as a sport jacket. For example, this is a very inexpensive suit I purchased a few years ago solely for the purpose of being worn to an event. It was a Alice in Wonderland/Kentucky derby themed party and I thought it worked pretty well. Because of the bolt pattern and the less expensive fabric, I feel every once in a while it can be worn as a sport jacket. The risk that you run when wearing a suit separately, is color fading. So I would recommend it if you wear the trousers separately or the jacket separately that when you have them dry cleaned you bring them in together even if one hasn’t been worn. This Will make sure that any color fading of both parts is even.

Next, let’s move onto Blazers. The telltale sign that it is technically a blazer, are the shiny metal buttons most commonly in gold or silver with a nautical theme. Most Blazers are going to come in A solid color most likely navy blue, and have no pattern, unless it’s some type of country club blazer or regatta blazer.
Blazers are one step down in formality from a suit jacket and they pair very nicely with nicer trousers or even a nicer denim.

Now let’s move onto the most casual of the three, the sports jacket. Sport jackets are a little looser fitting so you can actually layer clothing underneath it. Sport Jackets come in lots of different weight fabrics like tweed, wool, cotton and even linen to cover the range of seasons, and some will even come with elbow patches.
Sport jackets are incredibly versatile because they come in so many different colors, patterns, and fabrics. They pair easily with nice trousers or even denim. They can easily be dressed up or dressed down, and it’s a great go-to item for tons of different situations.