A man’s wardrobe is incomplete without a sport coat. While most men start with hopsack — which is comfortable for 3-season wear in most areas — there’s a wide range of fabrics and colors to explore.
Whether you’re wearing tweed or flannel, or even corduroy in the winter, a sports coat adds elegance to casual attire and can dress up jeans with ease.
- Versatility
Versatility is a great word to describe any garment that can be worn in a variety of situations. A sport coat can be dressed up with a suit and tie, or it can be worn more casually with chinos or jeans. It’s the perfect choice for a work-and-play wardrobe.
Sport coats are characterized by patterned fabrics like herringbone and seersucker, and they can be found in a wide range of colors. Unlike blazers, which are usually solid in color and are defined by polished brass buttons, many sport jackets feature eye-catching patterns that add interest to any outfit.
Lighter colored sport jackets are a little trickier to coordinate with pants, but it is possible to find pants that work with most of them. The key is to look for trousers that are a few shades lighter or darker than the jacket. This will create a natural balance and make the jacket and pants complement each other without clashing.
- Comfort
Sport coats and blazers offer the perfect mix of dressy and casual, providing a sharp, confident look without the formality of a suit. But whereas the blazer focuses on a limited color palette with minimal patterns, sport coats go even further to embrace rugged elegance with fabrics like wool flannel and herringbone for winter, cotton and linen for spring and summer.
By definition, sport coats are designed to be worn with non-matching trousers (if the pants matched, it would be a suit). They can pair well with khakis, corduroy, moleskin, wool and denim.
If you live in a warm climate, look for a sport coat that’s lightweight and breathable. Choose a tropical wool or linen with an open weave that lets heat escape and creases easily to avoid overheating, or try a breathable cotton twill that’s suitable for cooler weather. These materials also work with lighter-colored shirts, which require less coordination than dark jackets. This is an excellent way to make your wardrobe more versatile.
- Style
A sport coat is distinctly casual, often in patterned fabrics, like tweed and the famed Donegal tweed of Ireland. Houndstooth and shearling are also common, giving a jacket a distinctively relaxed look that can be worn with jeans or khakis to add a touch of sartorial elegance without the formality of a suit.
Unlike a blazer, which can be worn with any pair of pants to up the formality, a sports coat is designed for non-matching trousers (if the jacket were in matching wool flannel and pant, it would be a suit). The casual nature of the garment is also evident by the pocket style. Rather than flapped or jetted pockets, the jacket is likely to feature patch pockets.
The more casual aspect of the sports coat can also be seen in details like elbow patches, throat latches, and bi-swing backs. Depending on the fabric, you can find these details in a range of colors and patterns, from classic solids to bold plaids.
- Value
A good men’s sports coat should be the second investment in a man’s wardrobe, right after a few well-tailored suits. It can be tossed on over a casual tee to elevate a look or worn to a business meeting to make a powerful impression.
The jacket can be paired with non-matching trousers (if they were matched to the coat, it would be a suit). Today’s men’s odd jackets are available in a variety of fabrics including wool, tweed, cotton, corduroy and moleskin, each designed for different seasons and occasion types.
Sport coats were developed to provide a middle ground between formality and true casual dressing, often worn during fox hunting or other sporting activities. They are thicker than blazers but thinner than suit jackets and offer a more rustic style. They can even be worn in the place of a tuxedo jacket for formal events. The master tailors at Oliver Wicks are ready to guide you in the selection of your ideal sports coat.
