THE SMART YOUNGER BROTHER OF THE TRADITIONAL BLAZER.

A sports jacket is a smart jacket option that gives versatility to the smart casual and business casual side of a man’s wardrobe. It sits between a casual jacket like a bomber or denim jacket and a blazer, making it the ideal jacket to wear when someone tells you to wear ‘jeans and a nice shirt’ or gives you the lofty dress code of ‘smart casual’.

Many of my first-time clients don’t have a classic sports jacket in their wardrobe and that’s usually because they just haven’t experienced owning one before and trust me, once a well-fitting sports jacket has been experienced – they’re addictive!

Would you like to learn how to fit your sports jacket perfectly?

The classic sports jacket is suitable for smart casual and business casual events and has the look of a blazer but isn’t made with suiting fabric. It’s a touch more casual.

HOW TO WEAR A SPORTS JACKET

When picking a sports jacket, always think about how you intend to wear it before deciding on what colour you’ll get. Let’s break it down into categories:

TEE’S, SHIRTS & KNITS

The perfect company for a sports jacket is a relaxed layer underneath. This could mean a simple t-shirt with a crew or v-neckline, a button up shirt (with the collar of the shirt sitting on the inside of the collar of the jacket) or a knit in the mid-season.

You don’t need to wear the sports jacket buttoned up, but if you do decide to button it, only button the top button. Speaking of buttons, when wearing a button up shirt under it, you have the choice to either tuck your shirt in or leave it out. Tuck it if you’d like to appear taller and longer, leave it out if you want to make the jacket look even more casual.

HOW TO WEAR A SPORTS JACKET WITH JEANS OR CHINOS

With a sports jacket, you can wear both jeans and chinos and still look smart and not overdressed. Avoid suit trousers and this will look like you mismatched your suit – we don’t want that. Instead, pick a well-fitted pair of jeans or a chino in a core colour like blue or khaki and hit the streets looking fab!

When wearing pants with your sports jacket, if you’re tucking your shirt in or wearing a shorter style garment with it like a knitted jumper or a t-shirt, wear a belt that compliments your shoe or jacket colour.

WHAT COLOUR SPORTS JACKET DO YOU NEED?

When choosing a sports jacket, if it’s your first, choose a versatile colour like charcoal, dark brown or navy. These will see you through all four seasons and won’t make you look too formal, or too summery like tan or black would.

If you’re trying to create a longer, leaner shape for your figure; try wearing different shades of the same colour head to toe. For example, a navy sports jacket, light blue shirt and jeans can elongate your body like nothing else can!

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR SPORTS JACKET

Now that you’ve invested in a long-term staple for your wardrobe, you should care for it just like you would your car or a lovely timber deck at home. There’s a few ways you can care for your jacket and I’ve helped narrow those down with some frequently asked questions below:

CAN I WASH MY SPORTS JACKET?

A sports jacket is best cleaned at a dry cleaner or steamed with a garment steamer between wears. Never put your sports jacket in a washing machine as you may shrink or felt the fabric leading to it no longer fitting your body.

CAN I IRON MY SPORTS JACKET?

It’s not a good idea to iron jackets in general. Much of the time the interlining (which is what’s between the lining and the fabric on the exterior of the jacket) has glue on it which can make the jacket bubble in areas. Other times, if it’s a high-quality jacket, it has reinforced canvassing which is made from horsehair inside it that burns when an iron or extreme heat touches it. Using an iron on wool and linen is especially damaging. When you want to get creases out of your sports jacket, you should use a garment steamer instead.

HOW SHOULD I STORE MY SPORTS JACKET?

A sports jacket should be hung in your wardrobe on a hanger that is thick, like a wooden hanger. When you’re travelling with your jacket, if you have a big enough bag, lay it flat in the bag. If you only have a small bag or carry on luggage, a suit bag is an excellent accessory and ideal travel companion, you can also gently fold the jacket in half vertically.

WHEN IS A SPORTS JACKET APPROPRIATE TO WEAR?

The sports jacket paired with jeans or chinos treads the perfect line between dressy and casual. This makes it ideal for dates, travel, catching up with mates, parties and when paired with chinos work for even those more serious occasions like attending a wedding, funerals, job interviews and work functions.

Have I convinced you that a sports jacket is a great go-to for your wardrobe yet? I hope so and I hope your next sports jacket day is a stylish one!