Opinions on this Navy Blazer
I'm starting to venture into fashion, so I'm thinking of getting my very first navy blazer and I've found a Ralph Lauren one on ebay but unsure about pulling the trigger as the lapels seem a bit small for the current style? It's 100% cotton and made in Portugal.
If not this one, where is a good place to get a navy blazer? I'm UK based. Any advice is much appreciated!
23 Replies
probably an ok buy depending on the price, but I'm genuinely not sure if a navy blazer like this is the best move in the UK (especially if you're younger and just getting into 'fashion').
though this will depend on your work/social circles etc
try it on, post a fit pic
I'm actually 29 and I think my dress sense is fine but I'm more into streetwear/relaxedwear and trying to pivot into blazers and chinos/trousers for smarter occasions.It's usually £250 but £150 atm.
Well I don't want to buy it if it's something that looks dated regardless of how it fits on me.
It's not that it looks dated, it's just a particular look that you might not have the other clothes to make work.
I'd personally go for a sport coat over a blazer if you're going this direction, slightly more casual.
Ah okay, thanks for looking out. What's the difference between a sport coat and a blazer? I thought they were the same thing lol
Generally speaking a blazer is navy with gold buttons (though you could probably call any jacket with metal buttons a blazer). Sport coat is really just any odd jacket.
That polo jacket is just fine. Personally, the super high gorge makes its look a bit dated. There are some decent polo jackets on eBay but that one wouldn’t be my first choice.
That polo jacket is just fine. Personally, the super high gorge makes its look a bit dated. There are some decent polo jackets on eBay but that one wouldn’t be my first choice.
I woudln't pay £150 for this tbh. To add to what @spuck said, whilst navy blazer with gold buttons can be styled really well, it's also really easy to do it badly and end up in half-assed "golf club/sport club/masonic dinner" territory, especially given the relative rarity of a gold button blazer outside those contexts in the UK.
Sport coats are generally, but not always, made from a rougher/more casual fabric as well
which pairs well with more casual trousers
derek guy (@dieworkwear)
Ok, now, what's a blazer? I've seen lots of people here mistake suit jackets and sport coats as blazers.
Here is the long history of blazers encapsulated in a neat little chart:
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Ah okay, I'll keep checking to see if there's a more casual style
Yeah I understand, since I'm quite new to it, more chance of it looking wrong.
Thanks for this
Any recommendations for places to buy a sports coat?
Agree that £150 seems high. Been looking at a lot of blazers on eBay, and $75-100 seems more typical, and you can and should offer less than the list price. I got a Brooks Bros golden fleece for $60. Lots of cheap tweeds too.
eBay, but you have to factor in the time and cost of tailoring, and the risk of needing to return. It also really helps to already have a good fitting blazer you can take measurements from.
Still a good deal, IMO. I priced a Canali blazer at Bloomingdales recently. $1500. You can probably get something comparable on eBay for $200-300, and that includes a generous allowance for tailoring and even having to return a couple before you find the right one.
as you're in the UK, I'd recommend having a look around TK Maxx, they normally have a bunch of stuff, generally on steep discount.
US and UK prices can differ a lot
Yeah I've heard of Brooke brothers. I'm not too sure what brands are best for blazers so it's difficult to know what's a good deal. Im just looking at suit suppliers like TM lewin and Charles tyrwhitt for blazers on eBay. I guess US and UK eBay market is very different
I haven't been in Tk maxx in years ever since I watched that panorama on how they get designers to make low quality exclusives for them lol
But I'll check them out tomorrow
Use your phone to check what is an actual maker Vs what is tk maxx own brand, or stick to "gold label" stuff.
Okay will keep an eye out, cheers
well unless they've pulled a fast one on Ralph Lauren, there's a bunch of his jackets in there normally 😛
Not a huge fan of the silhouette it cuts, but it's not bad per se. Cotton is an obviously less formal fabric, and an unstructured unlined cotton jacket will wear reasonably cool and do the job of being obviously a blazer and not a suit jacket. Personally it's not it for me but it certainly can be for you
i remember even ralph lauren were subject to making cheaper goods for department stores
yeah i think im going to skip it for now as the gold buttons might give the wrong connotations so I will look for a more casual blazer/sportscoat
Yeah...when searching eBay, I see a lot of Ralph Lauren and Brooks Bros. So much so that I had to learn a bit about their various lines. I found this for RL: https://samtalksstyle.com/2020/05/27/a-guide-to-ralph-lauren-clothing-sub-brands-and-diffusion-lines/
Sam
SamTalksStyle
A Guide To Ralph Lauren Clothing Sub-Brands and Diffusion Lines
A guide to Ralph Lauren’s array of diffusion lines and sub brands.
The main thing to filter out for RL seems to be "Lauren Ralph Lauren". Maybe also chaps.
So I add this to my search queries: -chaps -"Lauren Ralph Lauren" -lrl
amazing research
thanks
yw. I've been thinking of writing up some of the things I've learned about finding clothing on eBay.
I have a Chaps RL navy blazer I paid $15 for. Is it high quality? Probably not. Is it adequate for $15? Sure. (I am gonna pass it on to the next person as soon as I have a navy blazer I'm satisfied with.)
But yes, Chaps, University Club, and sometimes Rugby were designed for either college students or new graduates who had little money. Some stuff with those labels is actually pretty great, for what it is, especially Rugby, but a lot of it was made cheap back when it was made (often 30+ years ago). Despite being cheap then and cheaper now, plenty of it is decent value today.