Alternatives to Drake's Games Blazer
I recently tried on a Drake's games blazer, and I really like it. It fits me well, and it's very much "my style".
Before I talk myself into spending a lot of money, can anyone recommend any alternatives? In particular: soft, unstructured, generous cut, casual.
Budget: less than Drake's, which means up to about $1200.
Or, are there any places I should check on the secondhand market? They do not seem very common on eBay, etc.
10 Replies
Hi @jfarrell468! The best way to get a good answer is to ask a great question.
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Have you checked out universal works? Somewhat different styling but might be up your lane.
A second, secret option is hunting for a J.Keydge Slack Jacket on eBay - the brand is now defunct but they did pretty much what you’re looking for.
streets are saying the buck mason carry on jacket/romeo pant set (either capitola or seersucker) are similar
de bonne facture painter jacket/one pleat trousers are less suit-like but similarly soft and unstructured (you probably wanna go secondhand to stay under budget)
Thanks for the suggestion. You are referring to Buck Mason, I presume?
ya, that got autocorrected for some reason lol
I'll definitely check out Buck Mason. Being able to try it on first is a big plus.
If you get a substitute it will never be good enough if you really want the real thing.
I went to Buck Mason and tried on the carry-on blazers. The linen and seersucker ones are very nice, and seem like a great deal at $250, if they happen to fit you. Unfortunately, they have surgeon cuffs, so if your arms are the wrong length, as mine are, the sleeves can't be altered and you are completely out of luck.
The "tropic twill" fabric is $200 and doesn't have buttons or cuffs on the sleeves, so it can be altered. The fabric, though, is kinda boring and doesn't drape as nicely. And since these jackets are unstructured and un-lined, you're relying a lot on the fabric itself. I might end up buying one anyway, but I'm not sure. At the moment, it feels like too much of a compromise.
In spite of my momentary annoyance, Buck Mason was an excellent suggestion, and if you're reading this in the future, you should definitely give them a try and see if they fit you.
Thanks, Zeo.
Another update: I went back to (a different) Buck Mason to try on the "tropic twill" blazer to see if I felt any differently about it. I did not buy it. I also mentioned the problem with the cuffs to the clerk, who said that he agreed with me, and had in fact already pointed out this problem to the designers. Apparently this is the first year they've made the carry-on blazers with surgeon cuffs, so perhaps they will revisit their decision next year.
This also opens the possibility of finding the jacket second-hand, although I did not see anything on eBay when I looked.
I was browsing at Uniqlo today and found this Uniqlo:C knitted jacket: https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E480812-000/00
UNIQLO
Knitted Jacket | UNIQLO US
Shop unisex Knitted Jacket at UNIQLO US. Read customer reviews, explore styling ideas, and more.
It was a bit different from what I thought I was looking for, but it ticks all the boxes I mentioned above: soft, unstructured, generous cut, casual.
I picked up 2, in gray and brown.