mfad•15mo ago

help with blazers?

I've always been too intimidated to purchase a blazer. There's so many "rules" out there about what makes a good blazer that I'm paralyzed by it. I feel like unless I'm spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars, any blazer I buy will look cheap to the wrong people.

See pictures. I found this $100 blazer at a retailer. I really liked the pattern and fit. The sleeves were a little loose but I figure I could get that tailored.

My intention is to wear it very casually with a black tee or turtleneck and some black jeans over winter.

Is it a good quality blazer, or does anything about it set off any red flags?

zeometer•9/22/24, 2:41 AM

cost (and MSRP) is not always an effective measure of "quality" - all of my blazers and tailoring are secondhand and the majority were from thrift shops for very little

zeometer•9/22/24, 2:42 AM

the blazer pattern is fine; i think the sleeves are a little long though these aren't ideal pictures to determine fit (front and side shots with it buttoned, arms at sides, ideally said turtleneck to check for any collar gap)

zeometer•9/22/24, 2:43 AM

on a broader level, the blazer guide on the substack is a solid introduction to what to look for/how to wear them https://malefashionadvice.substack.com/p/blazer-guide

Blazer guide

Introduction

zeometer•9/22/24, 2:47 AM

knowing your measurements - chest, sleeve, jacket length at a minimum - will help in finding the best fitting jackets (or ones good enough that you can then alter) and that will generally read as better quality even if you spend less

robbysalzOP•9/22/24, 2:51 AM

Thanks so much for sharing that guide and analysis of my pics. One question–are there any brands you recommend that offer the most quality for cost? I don't necessarily mind spending $300-$400 if it's going to mean I know I'm getting a great reputable product, with great materials, quality and decent fit

zeometer•9/22/24, 2:53 AM

the guide delves into it a little but at retail price places like brooks brothers, polo ralph lauren/ralph lauren, and spier and mackay are good entry level brands. sometimes j.press if they're on sale

zeometer•9/22/24, 2:54 AM

if you know your measurements you can find far better deals shopping at thrift stores or on ebay. putthison has an ebay saved search filter which i adjusted https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?Size%2520Type=Regular&Size=40%7C41&_nkw=%28canali%2C+zegna+milano%2C+cifonelli%2C+partenopea%2C+isaia%2C+kiton%2C+attolini%2C+rubinacci%2C+cucinelli%2C+luciano+barbera%2C+ralph+lauren+purple+label%2C+ring+jacket%2C+sartoria+formosa%2C+brioni%2C+southwick%2C+sid+mashburn%2C+orazio+luciano%2C+caruso%2C+j.+press%2C+j+press%29%29&_sacat=3001&_dcat=3001&Jacket%252FCoat%2520Length=Regular&_sop=10&_svsrch=1

eBay

zeometer•9/22/24, 2:55 AM

if you're using that, just adjust the size and price filter, choose a color and see what options are there