Navy blazers are underrated and underappreciated.

By blazer, I don't mean any old sports jacket or sport coat, whatever you want to call it. I don't even mean the erroneous term of "suit blazer", which should just be called a suit jacket and is part of a matching set including trousers or skirt. I mean specifically the solid colour tailored jacket that is usually but not always finished with metal or mother-of-pearl buttons. Those block striped regatta/rowing/boating blazers are a subcategory that I'm not discussing here, they're dandyish and can look pretty nice, but they're not so versatile. There are also countless colours for blazers, including hunter green and even purple! But I'm going to pare down this discussion here and focus on what most people think of when they picture a classic blazer: solid navy with metal, usually brass, buttons.

Double breasted navy blazers with brass buttons make a statement. Ralph Lauren has several of them to choose from at the moment.

Back before I transitioned, I owned a few different navy blazers. The first and most unfortunate was a thrifted polyester hopsack that was seventies-tastic in a bad way, which I never posted here on this blog since I gave it away to someone else before it began. Another was a Brooks Brothers three-roll-two sack number, which has been pictured on this blog. The second one fit me much better, though eventually I ditched the "American trad" look as my body changed shape and didn't look quite as good in straight-cut tailored jackets without darting. This is to say nothing of my changing relationship with the kind of men who often wear "trad" clothing. (Namely cisgender, heterosexual men who aggressively attack the LGBTQIA+ community simply because of their own insecurities.) Later, I got a double breasted six button, two to close blazer from Burberry. That would be the last navy blazer I owned. Like the Brooks Brothers one, this one also got too snug for me over time. I also didn't wear it that much since the shoulders were borderline too narrow for my own to begin with and the low-fastening front looked a little dated. Crucially, the last two blazers I owned were secondhand clothing purchased online from men who previously loved them and wanted to pass them on to a deserving owner. I'm not really made of Burberry money, especially since they've shifted from pricey, but well made, to just plain pricey designer tosh. (A reason I'm clinging to my pre-all-caps, full length, proper Burberry trench coat for dear life, they're becoming harder to find as time goes on.) I also reviewed Anderson-Little's navy blazer on this blog a decade and half ago, finding it to be acceptable for the price apart from the lack of a lapel buttonhole.

Brooks Brothers "No. 1 Sack Blazer"—very similar to what I used to own apart from the hooked vent.

Alas, the last decade has been hard on the venerable navy blazer. They're not often seen in fashion anymore after the short-lived preppy trend of the 2010s, have a reputation of looking like part of a cheap uniform, and most damningly they look old fashioned or old mannish. Most bizarrely, I was told I look like a ship captain by a young store clerk when wearing the Burberry one with a pair of Breton red chinos. Not a very ship captain look in my opinion! Then again, I used to call tweed sports jackets "old man suits" in all my ill-educated teenage wisdom, so I don't really fault anyone for having that perception at a glance. Recently though, I've seen navy blazers come back a little bit. Many clothing retailers never stopped selling them, but definitely cut back on the variety. Brooks Brothers literally only has one women's navy blazer with brass buttons. Talk about gender disparity! They need to catch up to Ralphie's lineup.

Single breasted navy blazers are still a sound choice for anyone of any gender, such as this womenswear example with hacking pockets from Brooks Brothers.

Let's go back to Polo Ralph Lauren for a second, though. I recently stopped by one of their factory stores and had a look around. Found a great herringbone sports jacket and... it actually fit me! This almost never happens with women's tailored clothing, but thankfully the proportions were just right in the shoulder and sleeve. A few days later, the subject of my friend Matt's Spaiser Blazer Mk IV came up, referring to the gorgeous garment gifted to him by Alan David Custom. I had admired it since he talked about and shared pictures of it with me, then posted it on his blog last year. Coincidentally, I saw a pretty striking blazer on the Ralph Lauren website when going into one of my autistic rabbit holes of looking up as many inspirations, references, and mental bookmarks as I could with a Google search of "double breasted navy blazer". Could something like this be what I actually need in my wardrobe now?

Matt's bespoke blazer from Alan David Custom, complete with sew-through metal buttons and single button link cuffs. Immaculate.

Right now, I have little need for suits. While I'm a bridal seamstress, my outfits consists of little more than a black top and black trousers, since black or neutral colours are the uniform of where I work. Sometimes I'll spice things up with a casual black dress, but not too often and only when I'm not doing any fittings. (I'm required to bend, sit, or crouch down to mark hems... I don't think my customers would appreciate a flash of panties while worrying about their upcoming nuptials.) Additionally, I own a few special occasion dresses which will fit the bill just fine without the need for a two- or three-piece suit. I have a couple women's cut suits that were made-to-measure, but they barely fit me now since I got, well, let's just say a few more curves than expected in the last couple years. I blame the anti-anxiety medication. They can probably be let out enough. I'll do it eventually, I swear! But why should I spend all that money to do that right now when there's no reason? There are also issues with how they're constructed and detailed, including pockets less than half as deep as on the men's equivalent, failure to include suspender buttons when asked for, no pen or card pockets, and next to no inner construction to speak of.

Okay, sorry for the tangent. My point is, I can easily wear a dress and heels now and know for a fact that I'll look good for an occasion. Meanwhile, I own a few different colours and styles of jeans, chinos, and skirts. A navy blazer could be just the thing for those. Slightly chilly, need a touch of warmth over a dress? Slip one on and wear a light scarf. Need to dress up ordinary casual attire? Once again, the navy blazer excels at all tasks. One could argue that there are a number of other sports jacket options out there, but a navy blazer works in just about any environment and can dress up or down depending on how it's worn. Double breasted is a little harder to justify for some people, but it's definitely for me. While not necessarily more formal, it's definitely eye-catching, sartorial, more niche. I think they look good on anyone, contrary to what some claim. The only downside is that it usually needs to be closed to look good and remain closed while seated. It could be argued that, worn casually, it's not as bad to let it flap around. But I'll let you decide if this works outside of a carefully staged photoshoot.

Same blazer as the first image, worn open with a devil-may-care attitude.

Ralph Lauren's designers have a particular fixation on double breasted closure right now, they make up the majority of the women's blazers with metal buttons. Even Roger Moore might have told them they need to tone it down a bit!

The double breasted blazer was a signature look of Roger Moore in his personal life.

Rather humorously, my friend recently remarked, "I feel like even more than other types of jackets, DB immediately changes the vibe of a blazer. Single breasted button two navy blazer? It's giving frat bro, it's giving wannabe old money, it's giving 'still wishes Ivy never went out of style but hates that everyone wears it these days'. DB, especially worn without a tie? Playboy, cool, relaxed summer outfit." I don't know if I quite agree with what she said about two button blazers, but they definitely aren't as unique in a sea of two button suits and sports jackets. I personally like the brass buttons and embrace the look. I own a vintage military bridge coat that still has all the brass buttons attached. It gets me noticed for sure, but it's positive attention. But for those who think it's too much bling, you can tone it down with antiqued brass. Failing that, silver or gunmetal are good alternatives. Better still, do what Matt did with his Proper Cloth blazer and get smoked mother-of-pearl buttons. (Real ones, if you can.) The wonderful thing about buttons is that they're the easiest thing to change and most everyone can sew them on or knows a friend who can.

What are your thoughts on navy blazers? Still relevant or hopelessly old-fashioned? How do you like to wear them if you own one or more?