Sharpen Up Your Look With The Best Blazers For Men

One could be forgiven for wondering whether we really need another full-blown Buyer’s Guide dedicated to, of all items, the (in)famous blazer. The term, often used interchangeably with such synonyms as ‘jacket’ or ‘sportcoat’, refers to a class of tailored clothing which many culture critics have written off as yet another victim of fashion’s ‘casualisation’.

Like so much ephemera you doom-scroll through on the internet, those claims are apocryphal. In truth, the fate of the tailored jacket – fear not, I’ll get to the technical difference between a sportcoat vs. a blazer in just a moment – may be found in the liminal space occupied by casual clothing and formalwear, explaining why so many classic menswear labels have begun to design it with a ‘hybrid’ sensibility.

Below, we go beyond the format of the humble sports jacket to offer you a more comprehensive hitlist of the best blazers for men — the majority of which have been worn and handled by Randy, our Style guy, for added veracity.

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Best Men’s Blazers Overview:

1. Rowing Blazers ‘Gordon’ modern tartan jacket
2. The Armoury x Ring Jacket ‘Model 16’ sportcoat
3. Polo Ralph Lauren corduroy suit jacket
4. Anglo-Italian sport jacket in ‘house’ hopsack
5. Gucci ‘Maxi Horsebit’ cotton jacket
6. Drake’s Game Blazer ‘Mk. VII’ in Harris Tweed
7. M.J. Bale ‘Vigaro’ jacket
8. Giorgio Armani silk blend jacket
9. The Anthology sport jacket in brushed cotton twill
10. Jacquemus ‘La Veste Meio’ blazer
11. Paul Smith ‘Summertime’ glen check blazer

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What’s The Difference Between A Blazer And A Sportcoat?

Before wrapping ourselves up in the nitty-gritty of which brand makes the best athletic fit stretch blazer, smart casual blazer and so on, so forth; it’s crucial to understand that menswear pedants (lovable psychopaths that they are) don’t use the terms interchangeably.

While a sport coat is generally regarded as any odd jacket made in a solid or patterned cloth – using the same sort of cutting, sewing and shaping you’ll find in suit jackets – a blazer is a jacket in navy wool (often, but not always) embellished with metal buttons.

Additionally, while there are no universal prescriptions in relation to decoration, most blazers – considering their historic affiliation with prep schools, university rowing clubs and various masonic societies – will share certain stylistic details: such as navy cloth, crests, patch pockets and gold buttons.

In practice, however, when you’re actually out and about doing your blazer shopping, the vast majority of brands will use the moniker loosely. For that reason, we’ve opted to include a number of sport coats in our round-up of men’s blazers that hew closer to the popular definition: in essence, any piece of smart tailoring, made to be worn with separate trousers, outside of formal occasions (i.e. 95% of daily life) where a suit would simply be too dressy.

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BH Approved: The Best Wool Blazer Overall You Can Buy In Australia Right Now

It’s hardly the most original answer, yet taking into account cost and availability, Suitsupply’s Navy ‘Roma’ pips the top spot on our list of the best blazers for men.

Walking a tightrope between casual tailoring and more formal styles, it is a consummately Italian notion of what the humble blazer should consist of: featuring resolutely classic details like a double vent, jetted pockets and a construction in pure wool (Super 130s by Italian weaver, E. Thomas).

Not quite what you’d call an ‘unstructured blazer’, the Roma still remains an extremely relaxed bit of tailoring. The dark, almost solid navy colour means this can be worn with just about anything – from denim jeans and a knit polo to the full-blown tie and pocket square situation. Here, the jacket model’s style also plays a role; with the Roma offering a flattering, classic fit with more shape in the chest and ease in the shoulder.

If you’re only in the market for one blazer in the foreseeable future – make it this guy.

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The Best Blazers For Men

Rowing Blazers ‘Gordon’ tartan jacket

A ‘neo-prep’ take on the infamous private school uniform, Rowing Blazers’ Gordon is a wool blazer cut to the original blazer ‘pattern’ (i.e. fabric template) that the brand wants you to wear with sneakers and its hype-tastic Seiko 5 collaboration.

Decorated in a blackwatch tartan that wouldn’t look out of place at Henley-on-Thames, details like the triple patch pockets and pick stitching on the lapel’s ‘swelled’ edges give this appeal beyond the rarefied air of the university rowing club.

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The Armoury x Ring Jacket ‘Model 16’ sportcoat

An incredibly luxurious garment with a relaxed feel, this blazer is the latest in an ongoing partnership between Osaka suitmaker Ring Jacket and ‘international classic’ clothier, The Armoury. The ‘Model 16’ is inspired by the eminently classic styles of the 1930s: think soft shoulders, a lowered gorge and razor-sharp, sweeping lapel lines.

Although not quite suitable for year-round wear, this blazer’s sturdy British-made fabric (woven by Fox Brothers) is a joy to handle in the flesh: offering warmth, robust drape and a lightly textured finish that resembles the appearance of selvedge denim.

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Polo Ralph Lauren corduroy suit jacket

The very opposite of anything resembling a ‘formal blazer’, this grey corduroy suit jacket is a considered alternative to all the ubiquitous light blue blazers that are a staple down under.

It’s only when you take the matching pants out of the equation that you start to see just how versatile this joint (from who else but Polo Ralph Lauren) is. With jeans, drawstring trousers and various knit layers, it’s a versatile addition to any casual wardrobe – especially since the whole thing is designed to be machine washable.

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Anglo-Italian sport jacket in ‘house’ hopsack

Among the absolute best blazers to grace our list (in this author’s opinion at any rate) this blazer from London-based Anglo-Italian is the consummate example of how one should never stop refining the classics.

Cut in a gauzy hopsack cloth (made using Super 130 Merino wool) it is, to generalise for a moment, an extremely high-quality riff on the Suitsupply jacket we mentioned at the outset of this ‘best blazers for men’ shortlist.

A classic blazer conceived for a new generation, it is both cool and lightweight enough to be worn in the summer; and yet the navy hopsack harmonizes well with a dressier look – going the distance when worn with a pair of handsome flannels and crunchy knit tie.

There is also, to speak frankly, a rather impressive amount of craft involved: with both the jacket’s collar and notch lapel manually attached by hand. The body is shaped using a full ‘floating’ canvas.

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Gucci ‘Maxi Horsebit’ cotton jacket

One of the last artefacts of Alessandro Michele’s tenure at Gucci, this ‘Maxi Horsebit’ leans into excess and a larger-than-life aesthetic inspired by the Seedy Seventies. Styled with low-slung lapels and padded shoulders, its major appeal is in the eponymous equestrian motif for which it is named.

While it can be worn as part of a suit, fashionistos will no doubt find ways to match it with leather flares or washed denim – both great foils for a jacket that is, on its own, already a massive statement maker.

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Drake’s Game Blazer ‘Mk. VII’ in Harris Tweed

Self-described by Creative Director Michael Hill as “a half-world between super sharp and slouchy” the Drake’s games blazers are surely what you’d get if you asked an abstract painter to design their own idealised sports jacket.

This particular blazer from the brand’s Games Series (dubbed the ‘Mk. VII’) is built around Harris Tweed: a distinctive, hard-wearing cloth that weighs 13.8 oz and, by law, must be dyed and spun in designated workshops in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.

True to the Drake’s penchant for thoughtful, discoverable details; the Mk. VII is built with removable buttons to facilitate cleaning, while the hip pockets utilise a flapped ellipse-like shape that means you can actually store a good range of personal essentials within.

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M.J. Bale ‘Vigaro’ Jacket

Hot off the presses for Aussie clothier M.J. Bale’s Autumn 2023 collection, the ‘Vigaro’ is actually more of a year-round ‘hybrid’ sport coat: that useful kind of garment that you can wear onto the plane, into a nice restaurant, and (depending on your vocation) back into the office pool.

Relative to our other recommendations, it likely possesses the most tailored fit: with a difference of 8 inches (hence the whole ‘Drop 8’ description) between the jacket’s waist and the widest point of the shoulder.

Well-suited to a more athletic build, it also offers a robust value proposition: made up in a versatile wool-silk-linen from one of the most storied fabric houses in the world – Loro Piana.

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Giorgio Armani silk blend jacket

For those wishing to steer clear of the trad wool blazer, Armani’s silk blend jacket – decorated with a three-dimensional canneté effect – is about as far as you can get from the former. Constructed in a bone-white hue, it blends in nicely with the historic Armani perspective on luxury: one in which texture, material innovation and modish proportions collide.

With its high-notch lapel and cropped quarters, this is a great addition to any wardrobe that is already filled with techwear – complementing unconventional tailoring from designers like Umit Benan and Jil Sander.

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The Anthology sport jacket in brushed cotton twill

Made in vertically integrated artisanal workshops on the southern coast of China, The Anthology’s ready-to-wear sports jackets defy that age-old stereotype about crappy garms made in the PRC.

The exemplary taste of Buzz Tang and Andy Chong (The Anthology’s co-founders) finds expression here in numerous ways. First, rather than opting for standard carded cotton, this double-breasted jacket is made in a fabric (sourced from British merchants Holland & Sherry) that has been treated with a brushed, suede-like nap. Combined with the cloth’s weight, this enables it to be worn for the majority of the year: unless of course, you live in a sub-tropical clime like Queensland.

More crucially, The Anthology’s commitment to balancing the best elements of both British and Italian tailoring means that its jacket has a unique ‘house’ style that behooves closer inspection. For example, this DB is cut with a smidge of drape in the chest; and classic optical tricks lifted from Florentine tailors (e.g. the extended shoulder).

The end product is a blazer that flatters a healthy range of body shapes, and one that I’m as excited about wearing in a dressy fashion as I am casually.

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Jacquemus ‘La Veste Meio’ blazer

Yet further proof that a little tailoring goes a really long way, the ‘La Veste Meio’ is Parisian fashion label Jacquemus’s take on the increasingly popular jardigan – combining the pampering comfort of knitwear with a cloth that effectively smartens any outfit.

Made using a comfy moisture wicking linen, this blazer projects a strong chore jacket vibe – just what the doctor ordered if your personal style hews more Casablanca than it does classic menswear.

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Paul Smith ‘Summertime’ glen check blazer

Yet further proof that a little tailoring goes a really long way, the ‘La Veste Meio’ is Parisian fashion label Jacquemus’s take on the increasingly popular jardigan – combining the pampering comfort of knitwear with a cloth that effectively smartens any outfit.

Made using a comfy moisture-wicking linen, this blazer projects a strong chore jacket vibe – just what the doctor ordered if your personal style hews more Casablanca than it does classic menswear.

A worthy recommendation if you’re looking to kick your summertime blazer game up a notch, this unstructured style from Paul Smith dispenses with stiff formality – no one is going to mistake this for an ‘orphaned’ suit jacket – in favour of a breezy aesthetic that answers the question ‘what would Brit invasion rockers wear today?

The casual, sack suit-esque fit is absolutely top-notch when layered alongside sportswear – gaining nearly all of its structure from the wearer’s own physique.