What makes a navy blazer look casual or smart?

After a couple of recent discussions about what makes up a smart casual outfit, I thought it'd be helpful to give some examples of various navy blazers and what to look for that makes them more formal or more casual. The differences can be quite subtle, and on the hanger they may look remarkably similar and it's not until you've tried them on you can see the difference.

This makes is slightly tricky though, and is the sort of thing that trips lots of guys up! It means you can't find what you want when you're out clothes shopping, so you get in a huff and go home with nothing! It might even be that you know what you're looking for but just can't articulate it to sales staff or don't know it until you see it.

So here I've chosen 7 navy blazer style jackets and put them in order of how formal they are starting with the most casual. I hope this post helps to shed a little light on the situation!

This is the most casual of the lot, as in fact it's more of a cardigan than a jacket. But it has a blazer shape to it which means it's more formal than a regular cardigan.

Other things to look out for is how smooth the knit is - the smoother the knit, the smarter it will be - eg. if this was a very textured knit like a cable or a basketweave, or if it was a chunkier yarn, it'd make it more casual.

This sort of thing is great for wearing with jeans and can easily be worn with a t-shirt and trainers rather than a formal shirt.

Knitted merino wool blazer - Mr P at Mr Porter - £295

I'm probably cheating a bit with this one too, as it's not really a blazer at all! Since things have gone a lot more casual, post Covid though, this style has almost taken over from a blazer for a lot of guys who don't need to dress up too much.

There's a dizzying variety of these 'chore jacket / overshirt / workwear' styles around in the shops currently, and they could probably have a post of their own!

Mostly they'll be made of cotton (though you can get them in other fabrics too) and if you want it to be a little smarter so it's more like a blazer, then look for one that's darker navy and not too faded, and with non contrasting stitching and no logos. This takes it away from the faded indigo ones that look more like a traditional French workwear jacket.

'Constantin' woven overshirt - Altea at Mr Porter - £575

I thought this was a good option to include as it's described as "in between tailoring and workwear". The high buttoning point and the boxy shape make it a good deal more casual than your regular blazer.

Also, the texture of the seersucker fabric, the lack of structure and lining, or padding in the shoulders are contributing factors too. You can get trousers that match, so if you love a casual suit this could well be it! 

As you can see from the image above it looks good with a shirt, but you could also wear this with a sweater and jeans for a much more casual look.

Unstructured cotton and wool blend seersucker blazer - Universal Works at Mr Porter - £315

Stepping things up a notch here, with a more fitted shaped blazer. This gives it a little more formality as it's closer to a classic suit style.

It's still unlined and unpadded though, and the cotton linen blend and patch pockets ensure it stays on the casual side of things. 

If you get something similar to this, don't try and wear it with navy chinos - you need a contrast in colour otherwise you'll look like you have a mismatched suit on.

Cotton and linen blend suit jacket - Boglioli at Mr Porter - £910

So this is an interesting one and I wasn't quite sure where this should sit on the smart casual scale......I've put it here as I think it's a touch smarter than the previous one, because it's wool rather than cotton, and is lined and lightly padded in the shoulders.

The looser fit takes the formality down a little though, so even though we go back to an unlined one next, it's more fitted which feels smarter. It's not that straightforward is it?!

'Arthus' wool suit jacket - Office Générale at Mr Porter - £495

This one is in a wool linen blend and has a partial lining which gives it a tiny bit more structure in the shoulder area. It's also a slim cut which is more akin to the shape you find in most suits so it becomes a little more formal.

The lovely texture / pattern in the fabric means it doesn't look like half a suit though (and you can wear it with your default navy chinos (hooray!) and again it has patch pockets so it's not completely formal. 

'Kei' slim fit wool blend tweed blazer - Canali at Mr Porter - £1,115

And finally - this is the most formal of my selection. It's got padding in the shoulders which gives is a lot more structure and therefore formality, and it's also in a fairly smooth fabric......though hopsack does have a little bit of texture to it, which personally I really like.

It's still unlined though and has patch pockets which mean it's not as formal as a traditional suit style. I decided not to include that here, but if you want a really formal blazer go for padded structured shoulders, fully lined, a smooth fabric, fitted shape and flap pockets. 

Navy 'Spirit' slim fit wool hopsack blazer - Richard James at Mr Porter - £645

I hope that's helped you define what to look for when you're out shopping, but if you're still not sure then click the link below to have a look at my personal shopping service and give me a shout if you'd like to book in.

"I’m a guy in his early 40s and post pandemic I didn’t know what to wear at work or socially - things had changed!

For work it’s now smart casual instead of a suit and socially I wanted to look smarter (but not boring). I didn’t know where to start, but a shopping trip with Sarah (together with all the amazing prep and follow up she did) means for the first time in my life I have a genuinely nice and varied wardrobe full of clothes suitable for any occasion.

She introduced me to some great stores of varying price points and styles, so I feel confident about adding things on my own. I feel like I’ll be well set for a long time.

Appearance is really important in my line of work, so the value I’ll get from working with Sarah will be huge - money very well spent!

Not to mention that Sarah is great company and fun to spend a day with, although her shopping stamina is something I couldn’t match!

If you’re thinking about working with her, just go for it - the upside is huge."

Like this post and want to learn more? Have a look at these posts too:

What shoes to wear with smart casual outfits for men

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