One of the most common conundrums regarding menswear is the difference between the suit jacket and the sports jacket. Many of our clients have asked if it is acceptable to wear the suit jacket separately with other pants other than the suit pant. Another common question is what kind of fabrics will be ideal for a versatile sports jacket. Let us put to rest those nagging questions with our answers in today's Q-kipedia:
The Suit Jacket
The suit jacket is the most formal and the sports jacket is on the other end of the spectrum, informal. The suit jacket and pant is cut with the same fabric to become a suit. It is usually well-fitted to the wearer's body for a sharp and smart silhouette suited for formalwear.
Suit jacket fabrics are often drapey, crisp and flat to create a clean silhouette. They are worn together with the pants to avoid the jacket color from being washed out over time. Thus, it is not recommended to wear the suit jacket separately from the suit pants.
The Sports Jacket
On the other hand, the sports jacket are usually thicker in material, coarser and worn commonly by itself with chinos, linen or jeans. Cut and fit wise, it is more slack than the suit jacket but, base on your preference, you can choose to have a looser, more comfortable fit or a slimmer fit. There can be a wide range of design options for the sports jacket as it is meant to be worn in a more casual setting. You can choose to add an elbow patch, do a patch pocket instead of a formal flap pocket etc. In recent years, we see a trend towards contemporary sport jacket styles such as the bomber jacket, shacket and the zip-up blouson jacket. You can learn more about these contemporary styles and how to wear them here.
Regarding fabrics, the sports jacket comes in a wide range of flannel, wool blends, tweed, hopsack, seersuckers. Most importantly, the fabric must have some kind of texture or pattern to create a contrast between the jacket and the pants. It is not recommended to wear the jacket and pants in similar color tones: black with black.
Armed with technical fabric knowledge and design skills, the Q Team will be happy to help you out with making your ideal suit / sports jacket. Do drop us a message and chat with us!