Blazer vs Sport jacket | distinctive differences

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The sartorial term blazer originated with the red "blazers" of the Lady Margaret Boat Club, the rowing club of St. John's College, Cambridge.

A blazer is defined by its solid colour and metal buttons. Oftentimes, those buttons feature a nautical motif as the blazer dates back to the 19th century when Britain’s Royal Navy standardized its uniform to feature a simple navy jacket.

Historically, a blazer was a sign of membership in a group. The term, a blazer is attributed to the “blazing red” jackets worn by Cambridge’s Lady Margaret Boat Club. They served as a status symbol as rowers began wearing their blazers on dry land and around colleges.

In today’s terms, the blazer is almost always a solid colour—with blue or black being the most common, adding to their formality. Typically bedecked with silver, gold or brass metal buttons.

The term sports coat originated in the 19th century when men wore special coats for outdoor sports, such as hunting and fishing. The jacket was called Norfolk jacket, it was made of tweed, had three or four buttons, had a belt, and bellows pockets. In the 1920s, these tweed jackets lost the belt and the folds. Men started wearing them not only on their hunting trips but also in their free time instead of a suit.

Unlike blazers (which are distinguished by a solid colour fabric), sport coats are made using a patterned cloth. Like blazers, sport coats are worn with coordinating trousers, typically a solid complimentary fabric. Sportcoats also come in different weights and textures for fall, winter, spring and summer.