According to an academic website,
www.hisclo.com, the blazer has military origins, and it dates from 1837.
It suggests that in preparation for a visit by Queen
Victoria to the British ship, the HMS Blazer, the captain of the ship realized the crew looked very shabby.
The British navy did not have high uniform standards at that time, so he took it upon himself to have short jackets made in navy blue serge that were studded with shiny brass Royal Naval buttons.
And the blazer was born.
These initial blazers were double-breasted – another military inspiration.
Queen
Victoria was so impressed by these jackets and the crew’s appearance that the captain decided to make the jackets a permanent part of his crew’s wardrobe.
The style was passed from ship to ship and adopted by other captains.
These first jackets were inspired by those called “reefers,” which were heavy and thick and worn by all British seamen.
The term “refer” refers to the sailors who wore them while hauling in their reefs – or sails.
No one authority seems able to explain why or when these jackets were adopted by the civilian community.
They were largely single-breasted, although from time to time they have been double-breasted; which is a more difficult style to wear.
The most common style blazer throughout the years has three patch pockets, and in the 1950s, many blazers made for young boys were designed in the
Eton style without lapels.
Although navy blue reigned supreme for blazers, a British fashion columnist wrote in “The Lady’s World”, in 1887, the blazer was a “flamboyant garment”. And, “These jackets are often striped in bright colors and with a school shield or patch on the breast pocket. The blazer is being worn on the river and the cricket field.” At that time, flannel was the fabric of choice.
Most likely it was the neat appearance of the blazer that made it suitable as a school uniform in England and many other countries around the world. The style was widely adopted as proper school attire in the 1920s and continues to this day. It was during the 1920s that school boys began wearing their blazers with short gray pants and knee socks. As the blazer caught on in America, the jackets were most often worn with gray flannel slacks and penny loafers, which completed the ensemble. Chin or khaki pants did not appear with the blazer until the 1970s.
“Two buttons, a notched lapel and a center vent – that’s the classic look,” says men’s clothier Jay Williamson, owner of Williamson & Co. in Napa. “The blazer is the quintessential wardrobe staple. You can dress it up in the classic style or you can wear it with jeans for a more contemporary style. We’re also getting some more English-looking versions in our store right now, with three buttons and side vents. It’s a great versatile piece for any wardrobe.”
You may wonder, if the British navy created the blazer, did it also dictate that Bermuda shorts be worn with it? It seems that at the start of the 20th century, British military forces in London were cutting off their trousers at the knees to get some heat relief. This idea was officially accepted by the British military as they wanted their forces lightly but properly attired for duty in tropical parts of the empire. As there were British regiments stationed in Bermuda, the civilians there started copying the British military uniform shorts – and worn, of course, with the blazer.
Contemporary blazers tend to reflect contemporary fashion. For example, when lapels get wider or narrower in men’s fashion, the classic blazer is also amended. While essential for the preppies among us, the classic blazer retains the basic characteristics of the original model, right down to its navy color and shiny brass military-style buttons.
In Sacramento, haberdasher Steve Benson echoes the same sentiments about the blue blazer’s versatility. “I’m selling more blue blazers now in the last two years than I have in the last four,” he says. “And with the current fashion direction coming in from Europe, the look is going back to the more traditional style, but with very colorful shirts and ties. With California’s climate, we carry a light wool blazer because it works most of the year.”
As a fashion icon, it’s safe to say the navy blazer is bulletproof.
SBenson & Company, 702 57th Street, Sacramento, CA 95819
916-452-4288
