# Repurposing a navy suit coat as a blazer ...



## demondeac (Aug 2, 2010)

Hi everyone,

What are your thoughts on turning a navy suit coat into a blazer by adding brass buttons to it?

After reviewing several OTR options, I've found that the Land's End Year Rounder Tailored Fit 39R is a near perfect fit. Unfortunately, Land's End only offers even sizes (ie: 38 or 40) in their Tailored blazer. Therefore, I was wondering if it would be acceptable to buy a navy Year Rounder suit jacket in a 39R and add my own brass buttons to it. In fact, no matter which blazer I purchase, I will be adding my own buttons as I have a nice set from my alma mater.

Therefore, is this acceptable or should I consider another option? Below are links to the jackets in question:

Men's Regular Tailored Fit 2-button Year 'rounder Suitcoathttps://www.landsend.com/pp/StylePage-381995_A8.html

Men's Regular Tailored Fit 2-button Year 'Round Wool Blazer

Thanks!


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## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

It worked for me. Hickey Freeman Madison suit jacket with brass buttons. Can't tell it was a suit jacket.


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## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)




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## SCsailor (Jul 2, 2008)

Good question. I've wondered the same thing myself. I am interested to hear from others on this.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

I'd like to know how many men can really tell the difference between a two button suit coat and a two button odd jacket if the pockets are the same. I read a lot of puffery on the subject but am extremely skeptical. I know that I just re-buttoned my Nordstrom blue jacket into a blazer. The price was $12.


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## arkirshner (May 10, 2005)

Decades ago, when pants wore out before jackets, it was common for men, after the pants wore out, to convert the jackets of navy suits into blazers. As the most important factor for any garment is fit, the OP's course is clear.


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## david809 (Jul 1, 2003)

I am going to lean to the side of saying no, with some exceptions. When I think of a classic blazer, I think hopsack or doeskin. The suit jacket in the link looks like a flat worsted, so it does not "read" like a blazer to me. This doesn't stop some companies from making blazers with regular worsted fabric, but I think of blazers as having a different texture.

Honestly, 99% of people would not care, so if you want to do it, go for it.


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## RM Bantista (May 30, 2009)

demondeac said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> What are your thoughts on turning a navy suit coat into a blazer by adding brass buttons to it?
> 
> ...


Well, it certainly looks like what they have done here, There are other threads related to the subject of turning a suit coat into a blazer which do not support the conversion generally. For very sound reasons, which ought to raise the question of why lands end would support the controversial option in this instance.
For the more classic ideal one might wish to seek the council of our host, Mr. Andy himself, who has spoken eloquently on this subject.
Others may advise that odd jackets were once the foundation of blazer style, but one would not lightly disagree with our foundation and backbone of expertise and guidance which is himself, Mr. Andy.
See wise councilors, young padawan.
Regards to you all, Oldsarge in particular, as he has met the man and shopped with him, and generally as he has been there and done that.
rudy


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## smmrfld (May 22, 2007)

RM Bantista said:


> Well, it certainly looks like what they have done here, There are other threads related to the subject of turning a suit coat into a blazer which do not support the conversion generally. For very sound reasons, which ought to raise the question of why lands end would support the controversial option in this instance.
> For the more classic ideal one might wish to seek the council of our host, Mr. Andy himself, who has spoken eloquently on this subject.
> Others may advise that odd jackets were once the foundation of blazer style, but one would not lightly disagree with our foundation and backbone of expertise and guidance which is himself, Mr. Andy.
> See wise councilors, young padawan.
> ...


I have no idea what any of that means (I've tried taking out every second or third word from some of these posts to no avail), but if he's trying to say that nobody will know the damn difference if you wear it as a blazer, he's right. Go for it.


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## RM Bantista (May 30, 2009)

smmrfld said:


> I have no idea what any of that means (I've tried taking out every second or third word from some of these posts to no avail), but if he's trying to say that nobody will know the damn difference if you wear it as a blazer, he's right. Go for it.


Actually, not. Blazers should more typically have patch pockets, as one example of the classic style. But you may find that opinions vary on this point.
One has many blazers in a variety of colors and cuts by a variety of makers.
However, Mr. Andy is the authority here, to whose reference text it is recommended the other gentleman should refer as a guide.
Good evening to you,
rudy


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

Gentlemen

There is nothing wrong with what you plan to do. No laws or rules!
I use my navy suit jacket with a stripe as a blazer. It makes a nice look with stripe dress shirt, blues. And jeans.
My advice, wear it as you wish.
I am 60, have never, never seen rules. Except here!
Nice day my friends
Jim


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

OK I am going to throw gasoline on the fire here and pose a simple question:

Is it OK for a suit jacket to have patch pockets? 

I think I saw such a thing in Neiman Marcus yesterday, it was a Brioni. But maybe it really was a sports coat, I don't remember for sure, just that it was quite elegant.

But I was thinking about it later, would that help it to do double duty as a sports coat?

So what's the deal, can a suit jacket have patch pockets?

Yea or nay? ? ?

P.S. Just ordered a MTM suit yesterday so I need to know!

:icon_hailthee:


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## SCsailor (Jul 2, 2008)

I think the fabric used in blazers is different than that used in suits. Looking at my own navy blazers and navy suit coats, I don't think just adding brass buttons to a suit coat would work. However, I think very few people would ever notice. Even fewer would care.


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## leisureclass (Jan 31, 2011)

Hopsack, flannel, doeskin - yeah probably fine.

Flat worsted - probably not okay.

Other posters are right, most people won't notice either way, but menswear - trad or no - is a details game, and those that pay attention to these sorts of things will spot the switch done to the wrong jacket from a mile away.


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

zzdoc
You got a blazer my friend.Brioni is high end stuff, and very nice.
No on suits with patch sleeves.

Not even on wool suits. Hunting suits such as Logsdail stuff.
Brioni is very nice, expensive.
I love their shirts, one of the Italian shirtmakers I like

You have nice day my friend


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## caravan70 (Mar 18, 2010)

I don't see any problem with it as long as you replace the suit coat buttons. I would assume that's not the last blazer you're going to acquire anyway, through thrifting or whichever route you choose - blue blazers are legion at thrift stores and on eBay - so if you buy the suit and the jacket fits well, making it a staple in your wardrobe, absolutely nothing wrong with that.


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Thanks Jimmy.

I am somewhat excited about my MTM suit, the order for which I finalized yesterday with Mr. Hemranjani at mytailor.com. As mentioned elsewhere, a few of us convened there the other day for window shopping and I went back yesterday.

The fabric looks like this but a little darker and with a subtle windowpane, my idea is to use it like a plain navy suit.


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## filfoster (Aug 23, 2011)

zzdocxx said:


> OK I am going to throw gasoline on the fire here and pose a simple question:
> 
> Is it OK for a suit jacket to have patch pockets?
> 
> ...


I think some vintage suits had these and it does lend the jacket for use as a sports or 'odd' jacket but it's not a particularly 'trad' look, is it?


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## Charles Saturn (May 27, 2010)

leisureclass said:


> Hopsack, flannel, doeskin - yeah probably fine.
> 
> Flat worsted - probably not okay.


Isn't the 1818 Sack worsted? And if I am not mistaken, isn't O'Connell's house blazer, and the Southwick blazers they sell all worsted? What's wrong with worsted?


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Nothing. A blazer is defined as a coat with metal buttons. That's all. While a hundred years ago they were first brought out in hopsack that was a hundred years ago. Even Trad evolves, yanno.


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## arkirshner (May 10, 2005)

zzdocxx said:


> OK I am going to throw gasoline on the fire here and pose a simple question:
> 
> Is it OK for a suit jacket to have patch pockets?


It certainly can. Harry Truman was particularly partial towards them in DB. It must be noted that the jetted pocket is most formal, followed by flap pocket, with patch pocket the least formal.


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## arkirshner (May 10, 2005)

Charles Saturn said:


> Isn't the 1818 Sack worsted? And if I am not mistaken, isn't O'Connell's house blazer, and the Southwick blazers they sell all worsted? What's wrong with worsted?


Worsted is just a method of spinning yarn. Worsted yarn can be woven into any number of different cloths.


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## leisureclass (Jan 31, 2011)

Charles Saturn said:


> Isn't the 1818 Sack worsted? And if I am not mistaken, isn't O'Connell's house blazer, and the Southwick blazers they sell all worsted? What's wrong with worsted?


I wasn't trying to imply any sort of hard and fast rules, hence the probably modifiers and the part I wrote after what you quoted. There are many different types of worsted fabric. Let me see if i can be more specific, you know when you're in a thrift store and you find a great jacket in your size, but its pretty obvious that it's an orphaned jacket. Instead of taking it home and switching the buttons, I'll try and find the pants. Usually when this happens to me its with something in a worsted material. That's what I was thinking of, hopefully that clears it up.

In the end what should matter to the OP is that he feels comfortable in what he's going to wear, not if there's some sort of rule saying one thing or the other.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Pinstripe ok?


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Well that's why I posted the pic of the fabric of my MTM suit, as it is a subtle check with a windowpane. 

My thought was that might make it more suitable for an odd jacket in the future, so maybe the patch pockets would be OK, etc etc.

I suppose patch pockets would just make it less formal, which I think would be OK for San Diego and my purposes.

But I don't even know if it is a suitable color for a sports coat, or does it even matter?


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## frosejr (Mar 27, 2010)

I have bought two navy double-breasted Joseph Abboud blazers from Nordstrom over the years. Neither had gold buttons, both had navy buttons (plastic I guess). Is that wrong?


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## caravan70 (Mar 18, 2010)

frosejr said:


> I have bought two navy double-breasted Joseph Abboud blazers from Nordstrom over the years. Neither had gold buttons, both had navy buttons (plastic I guess). Is that wrong?


I don't think it's necessarily wrong. It seems to me that it's the contrast that's important. A suit is minimalist, you have to sort of hope, while a blazer accentuates itself and you simultaneously - it should call attention to itself as the top-off on what you're wearing that day (except, possibly, for your shoes). And you don't have to have gold-colored buttons - hell, I prefer brass, really. You don't want to look like Judge Smails in "Caddyshack," or, worse, Danny in the same film when he goes to the Judge's yacht club.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Any metal button makes a jacket a blazer. Mine has pewter. Still metallic but a bit more restrained.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Trip English said:


>


Please, speak your mind.



Bjorn said:


> Pinstripe ok?


I wouldn't recommend it.


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## Steve Smith (Jan 12, 2008)

Blazers come in all types of fabrics. Put the right buttons on a navy orphan and you now have a blazer.


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## RM Bantista (May 30, 2009)

zzdocxx said:


> Well that's why I posted the pic of the fabric of my MTM suit, as it is a subtle check with a windowpane.
> 
> My thought was that might make it more suitable for an odd jacket in the future, so maybe the patch pockets would be OK, etc etc.
> 
> ...


Seems perfectly fine for an odd jacket. Blazers are generally in solid colors with metal buttons. Odd jackets, sporting jackets, and suit coats may all have somewhat different features generally, and custom is up to the one doing the ordering. A sport coat tends to have features which lend them to some particular activity, but that is tendency, not beyond bending. Odd jackets may be almost anything which is serviceable but lacks corresponding trousers. It isn't a suit. It may have been part of a suit. It may not have been. It doesn't matter. But they usually should not have metal buttons. One cannot say that someone may not have made a non-solid color coat into a blazer because they could, but that does not mean that one should do so. Better to change the buttons to some more versatile thing, and go forth in an odd jacket. Some people put blazer buttons on suits from the start, which is very strange, but probably descends from naval and military dress uniforms into civilian thought about what should be done to best present one's person.
The pattern also would be fine for a suit.
One does not presently have a suit with patch pockets, but one is always questing. And if President Truman was ok with it... One should also respect a president of the nation, even were he to be wrong, which one should not lightly presume to assume is the case.
Imagine a jacket one might wear riding in hunt club with club buttons in club colors and patterns. There is much latitude with some creative visualization; like school coats, there is room for variety.
Good fortune,
rudy


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Rudy, in _Dressing the Man_, Alan Flusser shows an illustration from a mid-30's _Apparel Arts_ where a gentleman, rather obviously in a tropical resort (Florida, Cuba, Mazatlan, etc) is wearing a double breasted dinner jacket in midnight blue with cream trousers and it has gold buttons. Unusual? I'll say! Dashing? Surely!


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## cglex (Oct 23, 2006)

Suit coat to blazer is always a bad idea and never works.

A Blazer is cut differntly than a suit coat, or s/b. It is more than just brass buttons.


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

cglex said:


> A Blazer is cut differntly than a suit coat, or s/b.


How so, can you tell me specifically?

Thanks.

:icon_hailthee:


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

cglex: I refute that statement. There is no conclusive proof that they are always cut differently. Sport coats and blazers sometimes have_ details_ that suits don't often have such as a throat latch, leather buttons, patch pockets, etc. but that's about it. The most obvious counter-example to this myth is the current Brooks Brothers lineup. There are Madison/Regent/Fitzgerald/Milano fit suits _and_ sport coats.


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## RM Bantista (May 30, 2009)

Oldsarge said:


> Rudy, in _Dressing the Man_, Alan Flusser shows an illustration from a mid-30's _Apparel Arts_ where a gentleman, rather obviously in a tropical resort (Florida, Cuba, Mazatlan, etc) is wearing a double breasted dinner jacket in midnight blue with cream trousers and it has gold buttons. Unusual? I'll say! Dashing? Surely!


Thank you, I'd be pleased to do something like that myself. Unfortunately it is only the text which I have seen. Someday it may cross my path as well as some other iconic texts one has in mind to have in hand. Just have a link to an older reference for that text at present, picture not included unfortunately. (One Doesn't do online shopping for reasons that are sufficient to the day.) However, does seem like the days when men did those things much more freely than in our own present time. What else may you say to describe the ensemble? 
Have also seen a photo of Mr. Sammy Davis, Jr., wearing a suit without a tie on stage, which on anyone else is an odd thing to carry-off. One imagines that it was part of his performance to remove his tie. Mr. Bobby Darin used to do things like that as well, and he was never one to be underestimated.
Regards,
rudy


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Jovan said:


> I wouldn't recommend it.


But where then does the regatta or boating blazer fit into this? It is the warm weather alternative to a blazer, and I would think a half lined chalk/pinstriped navy blazer in for example Irish linen could be evocative of that kind of summer striped blazer without the garish striping the full regatta blazer has.

Or is it the gilt button/stripe combo that bugs you? I would think silver buttons would be discreet enough and toned down enough that the stripe/button combo would work while stil being genuine blazer buttons. Patch pockets would be possible if they can get the stripes to line up properly.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

I don't recommend it because it would look like a bad hybrid. Boating blazers have distinct enough stripes that they don't look like you misplaced matching trousers. It's easier to get away with splitting up the coat and trousers to a solid or plaid suit (though I still wouldn't do it) but pin/chalk stripes look like they belong to a suit.

Just my two cents.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Jovan said:


> I don't recommend it because it would look like a bad hybrid. Boating blazers have distinct enough stripes that they don't look like you misplaced matching trousers. It's easier to get away with splitting up the coat and trousers to a solid or plaid suit (though I still wouldn't do it) but pin/chalk stripes look like they belong to a suit.
> 
> Just my two cents.


Ah this old story again 

As I really don't mind the suit jacket/odd trouser look at all, I am mainly concerned with how it looks besides that particular issue...

I'm also thinking that patch pockets would make that jacket sufficiently far from suit jacket to lessen even that issue for anyone who has it.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

I still wouldn't do it.


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## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

Jovan said:


> I still wouldn't do it.


FWIW, Bjorn, I might. A navy chalkstripe linen sportcoat with patch pockets sounds pretty cool to me...

Then again, I freely admit that Jovan is better dressed than I am. :icon_smile_big:


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

A kind member of this site referred me to a discussion on another mens' clothing site where "Manton" had made for himself three suits with all patch pockets, he called it the "BlazerSuit" I believe.

It did garner favorable response, though I think I can see how it is not as sleek as a suit with the regular type of pockets, and so how some people would not think it looked good.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

I thought it looked good and was superbly versatile. For a man on a budget it provided a complete wardrobe for a minimum of expense. AAAC Forumites might be put off by the small number of clothes involved but everyone has to start somewhere. We can't all fill an entire walk-in closet, however much we might want to.


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## RM Bantista (May 30, 2009)

Oldsarge said:


> We can't all fill an entire walk-in closet, however much we might want to.


And many may not wish to do so; there are many gentlemen who employ the strategy of minimal clothes for maximal use. And in the past, the best dressed man in America had (what was it?, four suits?); so there is a base for you. Any situation may be met with only a few options and be successful. Just pick a few standard pieces and employ your imagination to impart variety and all will be well.
Regards,
rudy
(Three closets and several boxes of stuff that aren't hats or shoes. But who keeps count?}


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

In 'History of Men's Fashion', Nicholas Storey states that '[a] blazer sometimes has patch pockets but the reefer jacket standard coat pockets are rather smarter for general use'.


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## Steve Smith (Jan 12, 2008)

Jovan said:


> cglex: I refute that statement. There is no conclusive proof that they are always cut differently. Sport coats and blazers sometimes have_ details_ that suits don't often have such as a throat latch, leather buttons, patch pockets, etc. but that's about it. The most obvious counter-example to this myth is the current Brooks Brothers lineup. There are Madison/Regent/Fitzgerald/Milano fit suits _and_ sport coats.
> 
> View attachment 3806


Correct. There is no "cut differently" between blazers and sport coats. That is one of those statements which has been repeated so many times that it has become a "fact". But the supporting specifics are never presented.

And there are plenty of blazers made of fabrics which would work equally well for suits. Here is an example:


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Bjorn said:


> In 'History of Men's Fashion', Nicholas Storey states that '[a] blazer sometimes has patch pockets but the reefer jacket standard coat pockets are rather smarter for general use'.





Wikipedia said:


> The reefer jacket was of naval origin, and described the short double breasted jacket worn by sailors in harsh weather, when they perform duties such as reefing the sails. It is descendants of this which are now commonly described by the term _blazer_. Originally with black horn buttons, these jackets evolved to the modern dark blazer, now single as well as double breasted, and with metallic buttons.


Never heard that term before so I had to look it up, always learning something new here!



Steve Smith said:


> Correct. There is no "cut differently" between blazers and sport coats. That is one of those statements which has been repeated so many times that it has become a "fact". But the supporting specifics are never presented.
> 
> And there are plenty of blazers made of fabrics which would work equally well for suits. Here is an example:


Steve I notice the label says "soft jacket". One of the tailors to whom I've spoken here in San Diego has used the term "unstructured jacket" for a sports coat I have. I am guessing those are the same thing?

I also assumed that referred to less shoulder padding vs. I don't know what -- less shape built into to the chest?

But obviously not all sports coats are unstructured, right?

Even though to the veterans this subject must seem done to death :deadhorse-a: I find this topic very interesting and informative.

(Poor horse, I've been waiting for the chance to use that emoticon, I hope at least someone gets a good pair of shoes out of the hind quarters!)

:icon_viking:


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## Steve Smith (Jan 12, 2008)

^Less shoulder padding. Brooks Brothers Soft Jackets have little and sometime no shoulder padding.


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