In modern fashion, all the listed names of similar but not identical wardrobe items have taken root, both for men and women. So, what is the difference between a jacket and a blazer, or a jacket?
A jacket is part of a classic suit
Traditionally, a jacket is an outer garment that is part of a complete look, or a suit with trousers. They are made of the same fabric. And although today you can see a jacket with elegant trousers of a different color, this is not quite correct. The typical distinctive details of a jacket are as follows:
- Shoulder cut. Although sewing techniques vary depending on the brand, tailor, and national characteristics, in most cases the “rollino” cut is used for the jacket. The shoulder is made by hand using several layers of padding, which gives it a typical rounded look, and the entire jacket as a whole has a clear, structured shape.
- Jackets are usually single-breasted with two or three buttons or double-breasted with six or four buttons. More formal models have slit pockets, while less formal ones have pockets with flaps.
- The classic jacket has a rigid lining, but from the collar to the shoulder line and chest it is thinner, which maintains a smooth transition line to the waist.
- Buttons, both small on the sleeves and large ones, are selected strictly to match the tone of the fabric.
- There are one vent at the back for a single-breasted jacket, and maybe two on the sides for a double-breasted jacket. This makes movement easier.
IMPORTANT! A suit jacket should be worn with matching trousers to maintain a formal appearance. Sleeves should be 1-1.5 cm shorter than the shirt cuff. A single-breasted jacket may have the bottom button undone. It fits quite tightly around the chest, as it is customary to wear only a shirt or a thin sweater under the jacket.
Blazer – an elegant casual option
A blazer is a more casual interpretation of a jacket. It may not have a strictly balanced shape, may be fitted or loose, sometimes sewn without a lining and often without a vent. Any fabric can be used: checkered, patterned, brightly colored, regardless of the color of the trousers. A blazer can be more or less strict in cut, but it allows for such liberties as:
- contrasting color buttons, metal;
- patch pockets are practically a “special feature”;
- piping, inserts, emblems, patches on sleeves.
This is something between a jacket and a light coat, it is comfortable to wear over several things, including a sweater. You can combine a blazer with classic trousers, chinos, jeans. It is suitable for everyday wear to the office and on weekends, when a strict dress code is not required. A frequent synonym for a blazer is a “club jacket”, because at one time this type of clothing appeared as a distinctive feature of members of some club (sports, naval, hunting).
A leather blazer has a softer fit on the figure, a casual look. It can be worn unbuttoned. Over time, it adapted to fashion, and eventually turned into one of the most popular items of men’s wardrobe. Blazers are also used in women’s suits , and the rules for wearing them are almost the same.
It is believed that the first blazer was made specifically for the naval crew of HMS Blazer, a ship of the British Royal Navy, in honor of the visit of Queen Victoria. The Queen was so impressed by the crew’s elegance that she immediately decided to order new jackets, similar to the blazers that would be worn as uniform by all other Royal Navy crews.
Jacket – improvisation on a classic theme
The situation with a jacket is more complicated than with a coat and a blazer. In English, “jacket” means anything: a jacket, a blazer, a coat, and even a light coat. It is unclear how they sort it all out, but most fashion designers are inclined to believe that a jacket is a jacket modified for women’s fashion, allowing for all sorts of deviations from the classic template.
Some fashion experts call all types of outerwear a jacket: a jacket, a blazer, tailored specifically for women. It is hardly appropriate to divide these items by gender, but it must be admitted that a jacket is present only in women’s fashion.
Having borrowed some items of clothing from the men’s wardrobe, women, of course, showed ingenuity and immediately began to remake them in a desire to be different from others. As a result, a jacket can be:
- with any collar: stand-up, apache, with turn-ups, and without a collar at all;
- ultra-short – “bolero”, without a fastener, sometimes without a collar;
- “Basque” type – a popular model, flared from the waist to the hips;
- with a belt, contrasting buttons, made of printed fabric.
A jacket can be part of a trouser suit or a skirt suit, and can also be worn separately with a dress. Women like to experiment, change looks, so the jacket and skirt are sewn in such a way that they can be combined with other things.
So, let’s sum it up. A jacket is part of a classic suit with traditional elements. A leather blazer is, so to speak, a free-style jacket for everyday wear in the “casual” style. Both are equally used in men’s and women’s fashion. A jacket is a modification of this item of clothing for ladies, satisfying their whims and desire to create original images, both in life and in fashion.