# Navy blazer: best buttons?



## srmd22 (Jun 30, 2009)

My old navy blazer is still in great shape. It fits okay, but not as well as it could, had I purchased it after discovering this forum.

It has brass colored buttons, which I never noticed, again, until joining this forum. I have recently started wondering, would it be more versatile and appropriate with different buttons, and if so, what kind? Tortoise, brown, black? What type of buttons do people prefer on their blazers?


----------



## Hitch (Apr 25, 2012)

srmd22 said:


> My old navy blazer is still in great shape. It fits okay, but not as well as it could, had I purchased it after discovering this forum.
> 
> It has brass colored buttons, which I never noticed, again, until joining this forum. I have recently started wondering, would it be more versatile and appropriate with different buttons, and if so, what kind? Tortoise, brown, black? What type of buttons do people prefer on their blazers?


A defining characteristic of a blazer is metal buttons.


----------



## Haffman (Oct 11, 2010)

My sole 'proper' blue blazer has silver buttons. My preference with watches, wedding band and other jewellery is silver, steel or platinum so I would avoid brass or gold detailing myself. I also have a hopsack blazer with tortoise buttons which is a nice subtle choice. I think it depends how you want to use the blazer and how conspicuous you want it to be.

I assume your blazer is single breasted?


----------



## Ivanov (Nov 7, 2012)

Get silver ones...if you want to be moderne.


----------



## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Pewter is good, too. It fulfills the metal button requirement but with a more subdued approach. Dann makes some good one.


----------



## srmd22 (Jun 30, 2009)

Yup it's single breasted. I guess I just would like a bit more subdued of a look. Pewter would work.


----------



## Malabar (Nov 9, 2012)

I had for the years a blazer buttons set from Benson and Clegg from London, but now they are totally scratched, shanged four coats. )) And I`d want to buy shiny gold trim buttons, but with the enamel center, red or navy. 
Something like this:









But preferably without college insignia, there I did not studied of course.


----------



## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

You mentioned tortoiseshell - that might be interesting.


----------



## dks202 (Jun 20, 2008)

Stick with gold colored buttons, that's what makes it a "blazer". You can wear a blazer with just about anything, it will always be around..


----------



## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

Oldsarge said:


> Pewter is good, too. It fulfills the metal button requirement but with a more subdued approach. Dann makes some good one.


I agree. If you dont like "gold" colored buttons....you can retain the authenticity of the garment by sticking at least with metal buttons. I replaced mine with Pewter and like it much more now.


----------



## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

srmd22 said:


> ...I have recently started wondering, would it be more versatile and appropriate with different buttons, and if so, what kind? Tortoise, brown, black? What type of buttons do people prefer on their blazers?


I doubt you could make it more versatile than it is currently, gold buttons being the standard already. If your blazer is a hopsack or doeskin, you could make it more "rustic" by using leather or horn buttons in shades of brown, but it would be decidedly less blazeresque and more of a sport coat. If it's a lightweight blazer in silk and/or linen, mother of pearl buttons would be equally appropriate and add a touch of whimsy without losing the "blazer" look. If it's a worsted, I'd stick with the other metal options already mentioned.


----------



## Grayson (Feb 29, 2008)

My 3-season navy blazer has dark pewter buttons, while my navy cashmere (for fall/winter - more accurately not a blazer but a sportcoat) has black/charcoal horn buttons. In both cases the lower-contrast buttons allow the coat to be dressed up or down as the occasion dictates. 

Gold is indeed traditional for blazers, but to my eye shiny buttons make it not as good for more casually-themed outfits we leverage it for these days.


----------



## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

dks202 said:


> Stick with gold colored buttons, that's what makes it a "blazer". You can wear a blazer with just about anything, it will always be around..


Agree


----------



## Balfour (Mar 23, 2012)

I favour either a blazer with metal buttons (gilt by personal preference, silver-based colours acceptable) or a blue odd jacket with brown horn buttons. The former is more versatile, in that it is more appropriate to wear into the evening (at a suitably casual event).


----------



## srmd22 (Jun 30, 2009)

This is interesting actually-- I had in my mind that a blazer was basically just a navy SC. Is the difference just the degree of formality-- I mean, couldn't you wear a navy SC in the evening just as well? Or is the idea that a SC is just not evening wear-- you need to be in a suit?

Btw, the CEO of the corporate conglomerate that owns my lab practice came by today, so I dressed up in a charcoal Armani for the occasion. I swear, his suit looked like a $200 special jobby-- and was a black herringbone. Shoes looked pretty low key as well, for a billionaire. (The surprising thing is, actually, that I can now tell this). He is from Japan, and squeezed his visit in between a bunch of other business meetings. I don't think he noticed my suit (my colleague, who accompanied us, was wearing chino's, a ratty white button down with an ugly tie, and worn out, rubber soled black shoes). Everyone in the room had black shoes on. I consider my suit to be charcoal, but the other guy at the meeting, a lab manager, had on a black pinstripe suite as well. Interesting (to a clothing geek, anyway).


----------



## Balfour (Mar 23, 2012)

srmd22 said:


> This is interesting actually-- I had in my mind that a blazer was basically just a navy SC. Is the difference just the degree of formality-- I mean, couldn't you wear a navy SC in the evening just as well? Or is the idea that a SC is just not evening wear-- you need to be in a suit?


The navy odd jacket versus blazer thing has been debated to death: I use "blazer" to refer to an odd jacket with metal buttons and normally in navy and "blue odd jacket" to refer to, well, a blue odd jacket that is not a blazer.

In my view, brown horn buttons lower the formality of the blue odd jacket. A blue odd jacket with brown buttons would be more appropriate to a casual evening event compared to a tweedy jacket in country colours. But a blazer, grey flannels, white shirt and black shoes would be more appropriate.


----------



## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Hitch said:


> A defining characteristic of a blazer is metal buttons.


Let's not go there again. NO, it is not a defining characteristic at all, not in the UK at any rate. Plenty boating blazers have horn buttons.


----------



## 12345Michael54321 (Mar 6, 2008)

srmd22 said:


> Btw, the CEO of the corporate conglomerate that owns my lab practice came by today, so I dressed up in a charcoal Armani for the occasion. I swear, his suit looked like a $200 special jobby-- and was a black herringbone. Shoes looked pretty low key as well, for a billionaire.


Successful billionaire CEO's of large corporations can get away with wearing whatever they like. They'll rarely be criticized for dressing inappropriately; instead, they'll be applauded for their individuality, their refreshing unconventionality, and their willingness to break the rules. That's why they can get away with wearing jeans, a turtleneck, and sneakers, to stockholder meetings.

For those few of us who are not yet successful billionaire CEO's of large corporations, somewhat more attention to traditional guidelines as to what constitutes appropriate dress may be indicated.

It's sort of how when wealthy, aged, great-aunt Agatha chooses to care for a dozen stray cats and spends hour after hour discussing with them how the younger generation tends not to know how to prepare a proper cup of tea, she's being delightfully eccentric. But when the street lady with the stolen Kroger shopping cart behaves similarly, she's a victim of mental illness (probably schizophrenia).
-- 
Michael


----------



## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Let's not go there again. NO, it is not a defining characteristic at all, not in the UK at any rate. Plenty boating blazers have horn buttons.


In the UK, perhaps not. But on this side of the pond, ever since Brooks Brothers imported the concept nearly a hundred years ago, it is. Nothing wrong with blue SC's, let me emphasize, but blazer in the U.S. means metal buttons. After all, in the UK, blazers often are loudly striped, something you don't see here at all, to my knowledge.


----------



## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

Oldsarge said:


> After all, in the UK, blazers often are loudly striped, something you don't see here at all, to my knowledge.


I see them every year during reunion weekend.


----------



## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Ah, a Right Coast thing, then. :icon_smile_wink:


----------



## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

Your school, club, fraternal organization or whatever may well have blazer buttons available. A subtle way of showing support.


----------



## Josey (Apr 30, 2008)

These are exquisite:


----------



## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

Josey said:


> These are exquisite:


At $18 bucks each, they should be exquisite...wow!!


----------



## Balfour (Mar 23, 2012)

Not cheap, but high quality and better value than H&S:


----------

