Knitted blazers to smarten up your casual wear
I think the knitted blazer is an excellent invention, though it seems people are divided on this garment.......see this article which set off a bit of a raging debate when I posted it on LinkedIn!
It bridges the gap perfectly between a blazer and a cardigan, and is very useful if you work in a casual environment and want to smarten up your look a little. As fellow stylist Lisa Gillbe put it "My husband works in TV so wants to look relaxed but still look senior."
I'm always looking for this type of sartorial solution for the men I work with, so we can make some tweaks to their casual clothes to smarten them up. And, if they work for themselves or in a profession where they don't need to dress up, they may also be wearing the same thing during the week as at weekends.
So if you think it might make a nice addition to your wardrobe then here are some knitted blazers that I've seen in the shops:
I love Slowear for its great basics like this and their Incotex chinos, plus their more interesting pieces. You can always find a great printed shirt there and this blazer would look amazing with one of those and these denim trousers - another perfect hybrid wardrobe solution!
Single breasted grey merino wool jacket - Zanone by Slowear - £560
Sunspel has many fans for its simple, good quality knitwear and t-shirts. Wear this knitted blazer with a plain white shirt and grey flannel trousers for a modern take on a formal look, or more casually over a striped t-shirt with jeans. And that's just 2 of the many diverse outfits you could put together with this.....which I would put together for you after a personal shopping trip.
Men's merino wool "Milano" blazer - Sunspel - £330
Definitely more on the casual side of the spectrum but I would argue anything with a collar is still a little smarter than a regular cardigan. It's unusual to find this stripe as well so that's why I particularly wanted to include this one. I really like this mustard one too (and the way they've styled it) but thought most of the clients I work with would find it rather too much, so that's why I decided to feature the more subtle one.
Slim fit striped cotton jacquard knitted blazer - Lardini at Mr Porter - £540
This is not strictly a knitted blazer but the pattern and unstructured nature lends itself to one. This looks great on and I nearly bought it with a client but in the end we went for something slightly different. It comes with matching trousers, which are great if you're happy to wear that much texture in one outfit, and if you have big thighs the "fishtail" style that Oliver Spencer does is ideal.
"Solms" navy wool blend jacket - Oliver Spencer at Harvey Nichols - £390
For those on more of a budget, Uniqlo have also done a version of the knitted blazer which comes in grey, navy and black. So if you're not 100% sure if you'll get enough wear from it or are on a tighter budget, then this is the ideal choice. I haven't tried this particular one with any clients yet but have noticed in the past that some Uniqlo jackets come up short in length which is perfect for the shorter clients I have. (I bought a couple of these jersey blazers with a 5'4" client just before Christmas and they were the perfect length.)
Stretch ribbed "Milano" jacket - Uniqlo - £34.90
Do you work in a job where you can dress casually but would like to smarten up a bit? Need some help? Get in touch below:
"I have ideas I never would have thought of that will get me out of my previous drab boring look, nothing radical but nice subtle changes and ideas I can live with."
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