Q&A: How to Wear a Sports Jacket Without Looking Old
September 26th, 2007
Q: My sister got me a great brown sports jacket, but when I wear it with a white collared shirt and blue jeans, it makes me look like a professor instead of a college student. What can I wear it with the jacket to better suit my age?
By Colleen Geary, fashion stylist and image consultant
A: How sweet of your sister to buy you such a useful wardrobe staple!
To make the sports jacket more age appropriate, pair it with a casual top. The graphic tee plus sports jacket is one of the oldest looks in the book, but there’s a reason why it’s a classic. For a look that’s a little more "street," you can wear a hoodie with the sports jacket and tee. To kick the style quotient up a notch, pair it with a deep-buttoned henley or a light weight v-neck sweater.
What colors to wear with brown? Cream, robin’s egg blue, shades of green, and even orange all pair well with brown.
Enjoy your blazer, and do wear it as you take your sister out to dinner when you’re back at home.
Pictured: Herringbone Blazer | $88 at Gap.
Have a great tip about how to wear a sports jacket without looking old?
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5 Comments
1. Anon | September 27th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
personally, i think the graphic t-shirt look makes you look TOO young…i mean, what are you trying to do anyway, dress up a t-shirt or dress down a blazer??
with all due respect to the omiru staff, i think you still can (and should) wear a button down shirt without making you look too old. think sophisticated, here, not OLD.
you can tailor your blazer so you show some sleeve length, you could try buying a sports shirt with a high collar (like the italians wear!) and maybe try the “brad pitt in ocean’s 11” look (i.e. have to shirt collar out over the blazer.
you could punch up your look with a pocket square. find one that complements your shirt and blazer, not one that matches your shirt.
and don’t wear jeans. yeah, it’s an ok look, but EVERYONE does it. be different. buy navy PANTS instead of jeans. the texture of a high quality chino will make you look sophisticated.
if you wear sneakers, make sure they are lowtops and white. you don’t want to look like jerry seinfeld did in the 90s.
whatever you do, PLEASE button your blazer ANY time you are not sitting down. Even if you get up to go to the bathroom, button it. You will automatically be more gentlemanly (top button if its a two button blazer, middle button if its three; never button more than one button) and seem more refined
2. Trisha | September 28th, 2007 at 2:14 am
Excellent points–thanks so much for adding to the discussion! You really have a point about making a distinction between sophisticated and old.
3. John | September 30th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Armani Exchange online has a “shop by lifestyle” category; search under “sophisticated,” to get a sense of it. The website says tailored, clean and simple is pure sophistication. They’re right.
4. Trisha | October 4th, 2007 at 11:34 am
Thanks for the tip, John!
5. Don | October 31st, 2007 at 2:04 pm
If your hanging out in a pair of jeans and a graphic Tee the look works. I preferr a solid Tee layered under a patterned button down shirt. The most important thing to remember about a blazer is that it is a casual look. Blazers are meant to upgrade your appearance instantly. That is all.
One mistake to avoid, is wearing a nice suit jacket as a blazer. That is, a suit jacket that clearly is missing the pants. The more casual the blazer is the more options you have on pairing. Also, it is always the top buttons that are fastened (If they must be fastened). Not the bottom button.