The Navy Blue Blazer Jacket – What to Wear with a Men’s Blazer
Introduction to the Men’s Navy Blue Blazer
What a Man wears with a Navy Blazer
Matching Shoes with a Navy Blazer
Matching Trousers to a Men’s Blazer
Matching Dress Shirts to a Navy Blazer
Navy Blazer and Men’s Sweaters
Matching Ties, Pocket Squares, Belts with a Blazer
The Men’s Navy Blazer – In Conclusion
Introduction to the Men’s Navy Blue Blazer
The beauty of the navy blue blazer jacket is that it goes with almost anything. By blazer jacket I mean the classic single-breasted navy wool coat with brass, horn, or plastic buttons.
Over gray flannel slacks, a white button-down oxford shirt and a striped tie, a blazer makes a classic outfit that registers just shy of a suit on the formality scale.
On the weekend, the same blazer over chinos and a polo shirt makes a very smart casual outfit. It would be impossible to list all of the handsome outfits a man can build around his navy blue blazer, but I will discuss some basic means of wearing it for work and leisure.
What a Man wears with a Navy Blazer
If you work in a business casual office, or not in any office at all, the navy blue blazer gives you a simple solution to the tricky problem of dressing respectably without appearing aloof.
In a workplace dominated by polo shirts and khakis, the man who has the class to throw a blazer on over the ensemble looks distinctive without standing out.
A men’s dress shirt with a button-down collar and gray flannels are also worthy accompaniments for a blazer; add a tie to take it up a notch. A point collar shirt formalizes the ensemble a tad more, and here one should stop.
Contrast collars really belong under a suit, and even if the formality of French cuffs were not an issue, having cuff-links next to brass sleeve buttons creates a discordant clash of shininess. For footwear, bluchers, loafers, and monkstraps are all good options.
The blazer outfits described above are also smart choices for dinner in a nice restaurant or a morning religious service. In fact, the blazer will serve you well for most weekend activities, from taking in a play to cheering on a girls’ softball team.
A men’s blazer looks aristocratic and dignified over an ecru turtleneck and your trusty gray flannels; for a laid-back look in the summer wear it with off-white pants and a bright polo.
While it is perfectly acceptable to wear a navy blue blazer with jeans, and indeed the combination can look very stylish, one must take care that pants and coat are not too close in color. This goes for any jacket and pants combination: if it’s not a suit, it shouldn’t look like one from a distance.
Matching Shoes with a Navy Blazer
Brown suede dress shoes match the navy blue blazer in versatility, and anything that looks good with the latter will too with the former (although neither are typically worn by the English).
Black shoes, other than oxfords and wingtips, are also fine complements.
Anytime you wear a blazer, you will do well to wear some sort of patterned socks, whether checked, striped, or argyle.
When you forgo a tie, your socks provide a great opportunity to inject a little pizzazz into your look, especially if you wear a solid shirt.
Matching Trousers to a Men’s Blazer
Bringing our focus to trousers, gray flannels are always an irreproachable choice to wear with a blazer although on days that involve a lot of walking or running you may be more comfortable in cotton chinos.
These may be made with or without pleats; which you choose will be determined by your body type and personal style – either look great with a blue blazer.
Besides the traditional khaki, they can look good in such colors as stone, hunter green, and wine red. On cold days, you will appreciate the added warmth of cavalry twills, while in the summer heat linen pants are a cool and comfortable choice to wear with a blazer.Moving on to dress shirts, as said above a button-down oxford is the classic blazer companion.
Besides solids, a broad variety of stripes and checks, including many that would look garish with a suit, mix well with a blazer. The latter’s dark, solid fabric looks good next to just about anything, and the shiny buttons amply counterweight bold patterns.
For a more casual look, go with a long-sleeve polo shirt or a turtleneck, depending on the climate. The urbane silk tee-shirt and tight-fitting knit shirt tend to clash in their modernity with the blazer’s long heritage, and work better with a suit jacket.
Navy Blazer and Men’s Sweaters
In cooler weather, you will want to don a sweater under your blazer jacket. Look to own sweaters made from wool or cashmere; they do an excellent job of retaining heat and do not add considerable bulk.
If you’re wearing a blazer without a tie, a cable-knit or argyle crew-neck will add some life to the outfit. The V-neck worn over a tie may also be patterned or textured, but can be solid as well.
Sweater vests, buttoned or without buttons, are always an option with a navy blazer.
A quick note on sweater color and pattern – I am an advocate of muted patterns and colors when it comes to knitwear – sweaters that scream with loud color and pattern are too memorable and limited in a wardrobe rotation.
Blues, greens, browns, and other natural tones complement almost any man, match well with a wide range of clothing to include the navy blazer, and are easy to find.
Matching Neckties, Pocket Squares, and Belts with a Navy Blazer
Finally, a few words on neckwear and accessories that should be worn with a navy blazer. Look to keep the tie you wear with a navy blazer sporty; woven silks in polka dots, bold stripes, and other simple patterns do this grandly, as do knits of silk or wool.
The bow tie with white shirt and blue blazer looks sophisticated on the few men who know precisely how and when to wear it, but goofy on most everyone else. Beyond ties, any pocket square that harmonizes with the rest of the outfit adds a dash of style to a blazer. For younger men, it will also ensure that a blazer and white shirt don’t look like a prep school uniform.
For belts, follow the old rule: match leather to leather, metal to metal. That means brown with brown shoes, although it can be a different shade of brown, and black with black. The buckle should be brass to coordinate with the blazer’s buttons.
The Men’s Navy Blazer – In Conclusion
The possibilities of what to wear with a navy blue blazer are endless. It is perhaps the best investment a man can make in his wardrobe, as it doubles the available outfits a man has each morning when he gets dressed. A blazer will serve nobly in a wide range of situations, and it will not go out of style in your lifetime.