Blazer

A blazer is a type of jacket, worn as smart casual dress. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable (14oz.), because it is an outdoor sports jacket. Stylistically, blazers often are uniform garments, i.e. airline, school, and yachting, and rowing clubs. The term blazer identifies two distinct jackets; the first, original blazer, was a single-breasted boat club jacket, worn for rowing, of brightly-coloured, often striped cloth, with contrasting piping; essentially an early sports jacket. The second blazer is a fitted, classically-cut, double-breasted navy blue jacket, originally called reefer jacket, now an occasional usage. As men discontinued wearing the original boat-club blazer, the term then applied solely to the double-breasted naval version dressed with metal buttons; the military originals were black.