Men's Fashion Blazer with brown buttons is stylish break with tradition

By Lois Fenton

A navy blue blazer is an essential garment for every man. It's a versatile item that can take him to many occasions and help him feel at ease. Because the style is so versatile, many men own more than one. Each can have a different purpose and attitude.
The most conservative choice is the basic navy blazer with brass buttons. It goes with gray flannel trousers or khaki (and occasionally white) cotton pants. Historically, it is a rather casual outgrowth of the original design worn by yachtsmen.
In recent years, the navy blazer has become even more of a mainstay in a man's wardrobe, but it also has picked up some variations. Today's well-dressed guy might wear one for semi-dressy occasions, for business casual, for blue-jean casual, even for club-dressing. It is a staple that can go in many directions, depending on several factors. Beside the jacket's buttons, the fabric, the cut, and the shirt it covers all influence the overall look.
The buttons can provide a note of dash and style. Brass, though shiny, is the most standard (ordinary). Genuine horn and not-so-genuine plastic buttons come in black, navy or the brown buttons you purchased. Dark buttons offer a note of elegance; black or navy is the most dressy; brown is a bit less so and a bit more stylish.
Blazer fabrics range from fine worsted wool, to nubby hopsacking, to cotton poplin.
The cut can be single- or double-breasted with a single back vent, double English vents, or no vents. Lapels can be notched or peaked. The closing is most often two-button or three-button (and occasionally the super-current one-button).
The shirt worn with the blazer offers unlimited possibilities: cotton knit polos, Oxford cloth solid-color button-downs, dressier broadcloths, bold stripes, splashy plaids, fashion-forward silk knits, even turtlenecks.
A navy blazer with brown buttons works especially well with dress pants in khaki or taupe. For a natty Palm Beach or Newport look, I often suggest having your tailor substitute white pearl buttons -- after Memorial Day and until Labor Day. Of course, not every guy would love this look or care to be bothered taking them back to the tailor when summer ends.
The best way to assure that you won't look as if your navy blazer is the jacket from a blue suit is to wear it with any color pants other than navy: gray, khaki, olive, off-white wool, white cotton "duck," and jeans in white or blue. At Fashion Week in New York recently, I saw navy jackets with black pants, and the combination worked.


Send questions to Lois Fenton, Men's Fashion, c/o The Commercial Appeal, 495 Union, Memphis, 38103, or e-mail Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net.