Sports Jacket vs Suit Jacket

Cheong Gin Hao
Mar 22, 2016
5 min read

Welcome back ! For today's blog , we will be looking at the differences between a sports jacket and a suit jacket , and under which circumstances would you wear one instead of the other , and can you wear one in replacement of the other. Today , we will be covering on all of them.

The Sports Jacket

Originated from the hunting jacket and the Norfolk Jacket, the sports jacket is the most casual type of classic jackets out there ( Bomber jackets , nylon jackets, Denim jackets etc not included ) . It used to come in a heavy tweed material with leather / suede patches on the elbow and under the lapels. Those actually have a purpose for it. They protect the wearer from the elements and from falls. The tweed material , because it is so thick, they offer decent protection whenever the wearer falls from a slope or is exposed in the rain. The thick leather under the lapel offers some form of protection from animal bites and even sword attacks . Will the attack still hurt? Of course,no doubt about it , but it is definately better than losing your head isn't it ? Sports jackets today can be found in a wide variety of fabrics . Cotton, Linen,Corduroy, Polyester (avoid if you can ), velvet , flannel... you name it, they have a sports jacket for it. The sports jacket has become a very popular choice of garment for the modern gentleman because of the wide variety of fabric options and designs, but it is in my opinion , that it is not a business dress attire. It falls in the realm of business casual .

( 2nd from left , the hunting jacket is worn by the duck hunters of the 1940s . After this era, people wore leftover military surplus jackets instead and the sports jacket began to lose its practical use. )

( Author's remarks : Alot of young men today think seem to have a misconception of the defination of business casual. They think that business casual means a dress shirt, neck tie, slacks and dress shoes. You see it all the time, on school campuses , Internship and even some white collar company employees . Most people are going to be complimented with a jacket for business casual dress codes . )

Modern sports jackets also come with some of the traditional details that the hunting jacket used to have. But please note , the suede patches are mostly decorative so please, do not take your modern sports jackets out hunting, hiking etc and think that it will protect you like the hunting jacket will. It wouldn't . The jacket would probably rip apart and be in pieces if you ever take a rough and tumble in the woods.

When and how to wear the sports jacket

The sports jacket can be worn in a wide variety of occasions , from your casual friday wardrobe, to after office happy hour and even to social / weekend events. The Sports jacket's level of dress varies with the combinations that goes with it.

Wear a crisp white oxford , dark denim and a pair of brown wingtip oxfords with a dark brown sports jacket and you have yourself a comtemporary and modern look.

Wear the same Jacket with a chambray shirt , fitted flat front beige khakis and some tasteful spectator derbys and you have yourself a really nice and casual weekend look .

The Suit Jacket

A suit is a suit when it has a jacket and matching pants. It can be made up of any material , you have suits made from cotton , denim ( aka , the Canadian Tuxedo ) , Velvet and even linen and seer-sucker. Today, we will be covering specifically on the standard suit , the worsted wool suit. Not some fancy suit made from linen , seersucker and other casual materials.

The history of the traditional suit originates from the 1990s. During the end of the Victorian era. That is when the era of comfort began. The Suit was traditionally called the "Lounge Suit " . Some suits today are also called lounge suits and they are considered more casual than regular suit. The reason for this invention is primarily because during the Victorian times, the morning coat and all that comes with it was

1. Uncomfortable

2. Inpractical

3. Being a big hassle to the men in the palace to put them on everyday.

( Victorian Era menswear : Morning coats and Morning Dress )

Very elegant , but it's not quite practical and relatively uncomfortable.

( Original Lounge Suit. The predecesor of the modern business suit)

credits :http://www.victoriana.com/Fashion/victorianclothing/howtodressvictorianman.html

( The lounge suit evolved into this modern version of a business attire. The Suit has not changed much since. )

They need an option , a garment that combines good looks with comfort and ease. Introduce : the suit. And that combination of a jacket and pants with a white shirt haven't changed much since.

The suit in modern day is the epitomie of a Business attire. If you work as a CEO of a company, a financial consultant , a banker ....etc, a suit is what you would wear ( most of the time). Alternatively, if the dress code states " Business attire " , then , that means, like Barney Stinson said " Suit Up! "

Can I Wear A Suit Jacket As A Sports Jacket

The quick answer: Depends . Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself before pulling the look off.

1. Is it my only suit : Yes

Ok , stop here. Don't do it , ever ! Get yourself a sport jacket instead. Your suit as a set is much more valuable than it is as a sport coat. When you wear your only suit jacket out , the UV rays of the sun along with the chemicals from dry cleaning will begin to deteriorate the wool to a certan degree. At first , it would'nt be very obvious, do that a few more times, and you will soon find out that the colors don't match up. Which is in turn going to be such a shame .

2. Is the fabic too dressy ?

Fabric like solid black worsted wool , charcoal grey solid worsted wool / wool blend , fabrics with any form of stripes ( Pinstripe , Chalkstripe ) etc, those are going to be far too dressy for being a sport coat and the combination will almost always result in you looking a little bit odd. For a navy solid worsted wool and brown glen plaid , those are my only exceptions to wearing an orphaned suit jacket as a sport coat . Reason being that the navy jacket easily passes off as a blazer if it has horn buttons on it and the brown jacket easily passes off as a regular sport coat.

3. Is the style appropriate ?

This requires a bit of style IQ and EQ . The question here is really, does the jacket scream : " 1980s Disco Dance Party " If so , be very careful about that jacket. The last thing you want is to look like you wore your grandfather's suit jacket (No offense intended ). But what I'm alluding to is to check for timeless and simple details, nothing that makes the jacket stand out alot. That is particularly important if you are at a Goodwill store or a Thrift Store . Alot of the jackets there do not have the timeless details needed, so be very careful.

There, now you know the differences between a sport coat and a suit jacket . I hope you have enjoyed this and until next time,

Stay dapper!