First Blazer, where should I start?

[David G]

So I'm looking to buy my first "official blazer". So I have just a few questions and limitations I have to abide by. I would prefer a navy one and one whose fabric would allow me to wear it as much as possible throughout the year (I live in the Midwest). In addition I would also prefer (unless someone thinks otherwise) about purchasing a slim fit blazer. I'm a college student so money is tight for me, but I would be willing to spend a little bit more on a good blazer. I would do not really know what the different tiers are for blazers are in regards to price and quality. If I could find out a price that worked for me I would defiantly be able to wait around and scoop it up on sale or with sales and the whatnot I'm in no rush to buy one today. If someone would take the time to enlighten me I would appreciate it greatly, thank you and God Bless.

[alan]

By blazer, you mean with brass buttons and all?

[Acousticfoodie]

For a first navy blazer I would suggest the target merona one that was featured here last week. It's cheap, breathes easy for the weather, has a slim cut at the waist and wil allow you to "get comfortable" with wearing a blazer to see if you really like it without breaking the bank.

[nicholascrawford]

Thrift stores, my man. I'm 2 for 3 at finding and buying great fitting navy blazers with brass buttons on my last couple thrift store stops.





$5. Took me about 10 minutes to find it in the store.


I also bought the Target Merona blazer, but I'm not on a college student budget, so I don't recommend my spending habits! With thrifting, I would go to 2 or 3 stores and not buy anything. Just look at what they have, try on a bunch of jackets, and see what's out there. Every store will have navy blazers...you're goal is to find the best one. I opted for one that had really high armholes with trim sleeves. Then, consider the fabric. I passed on one that had cigarette burns before landing on the one pictured above. This one is 100% wool (which you want) and is a heavier wool - I bought one today that's a much lighter weight. The heavier wool will look better overall but isn't wearable year-round.


The Target Merona jacket is not really a blazer in the strictest sense of the word. But it's a great way to dress up a look for 3 seasons a year.

[alan]

I'm with NC if what you're genuinely looking for is a blazer. If you're really just looking for a navy sportcoat, I'd echo Acoustic's advice. The Merona at Target is a fine entry level sportcoat. You can also check Marshall's, but make sure you're not buying polyester. They carry many names and some are better than others.

[David G]

I will give the Merona blazer a look. Outside of Dapper I've never really seen Target as a reliable place to purchase anything but I will look into it. I'll also try my luck at the thrift stores next chance I get.

[bremersm]

Check out the JCrew factory.

[alan]

David, we'll be able to help more if we knew whether or not you wanted a blazer or a sport coat. Not many young people looking for blazers (though there's certainly nothing wrong with them).

[jicarv]

If you are a 46R, this may be a good option with coupon code: FEBFAMILY

http://www.cladmen.com/on-sale/wool-two-button-blazer.html


or this one which is available in more sizes:

http://www.jcrew.com/mens_factory_ca...DUUrp9tvOWK5CQ

Use code SHOPNOW to take 30% off


or another option:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/65145?feat=505931-GN3

15% off your entire order with code BOOT15

[alan]

Also, what's your budget? Thrift prices are always agreeable (unless you're at my crazy local Salvation Army), but there's usually a trade-off between cost and quality. We can help you find the most for your money, but it would help to know what your limit is.

[David G]

@Alan I am looking at a blazer, not a sports coat. My budget I suppose would maybe around $200-ish. I say "ish" because I think I have a little wiggle room on that but if a there isn't a significant difference between say a $150 one and a $200 one I would probably go with the cheaper one.


@Juan the JCrew one is an interesting option but I'm just trying to get an idea of what exactly to look for and not ready to pull the trigger for at least a little bit.

[alan]

Well a lot of people here (myself included) would still say to check thrift stores first, but after that, you can get a lot for $200. I thought you were going to be looking for something in the $80-100 range from the way you started this thread. :-)


The key is to NOT get a $150 blazer for $150 or a $200 blazer for $200. What you want is a $300 or $400 blazer for $150 or $200. Clothing stores like J Crew and Banana Republic are all well and good for a particular look and fall within the middle tier for quality, but I expect you can find an absolutely first-rate blazer with your budget.


What's your size?

[David G]

I will defiantly do some looking at the thrift stores. Well I figure that I will not have much use for multiple blazers for a few years, thus I could get buy with one really nice one. That being said I could probably get by with a $80 one too. I suppose I was a little misleading with the college budget phrase. I might be on a college budget but I still squirrel some cash away for the rare big purchase.

[hornsup84]

How often do you plan on wearing this? And for what type of occasions? (are you Greek? i.e., semi-formals. or other events? in lieu of having a suit?) Also would be helpful to know what you want to wear it with. As Alan said, classic navy is ... well, classic, but if you're in the market for other sport coats (i.e., non-metal buttons and not necessarily navy), you have color and pattern options.

[alan]

I'll preface by saying that Ralph Lauren has several lines, and this one is their bottom tier. But if you like this one:


http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=227217929&sellerid=30067071


I've seen it at Marshalls for half this price.