Blazer for Mike

[alden]

clip_image002_010_000 by The London Lounge, on Flickr

Gentlemen ( ), when you can bring Style to the plate like this fellow, you will have arrived. I post this picture because I just did something I thought I would never do. I made myself a DB Blazer with gold metal buttons. Not just any buttons though, vintage from the 60s showing The Prince of Wales Feathers, from Button Queen in London. 500 gms cavalry twill fabric, 6 x 2 of pure Blazer bliss coming to your screens soon.

Are there any gold button blazer guys here?

Cheers

[mimile]

I am one Michael. And I like it very much. I bet you will get used to it and even better, use it often.

[davidhuh]

Dear Michael,

great project. When I went for my blue blazer with the navy Mistral, I decided against the gold buttons for a simple reason: I wanted this blazer no 1 to be as versatile as possible. I often travel with it, use it for work and occasionally tune it up for theatre or opera. Such use would not be possible with metal buttons. An option could be to switch buttons, but then things get a bit complicated. If I do a second blue blazer, I would reconsider, of course.

Cheers, David

[mimile]

A blazer is a DB coat with metal buttons. No metal buttons: no blazer, just a DB coat.

[davidhuh]

A blazer is a DB coat with metal buttons. No metal buttons: no blazer, just a DB coat.

Dear Mimile,

some people like limitations like the one you mention. Some others decide differently, and a few even know what they are doing and why. Quoting Bruce Boyer: "Since it’s a summer outfit, the d-b navy blazer is a polished cotton; I always use plain black buttons on my blazers because I like the simplicity of them and don’t like any sort of jewelry except my wedding ring and discreet wristwatch."

Cheers, David

[mimile]

Dear Davidhuh,
Relativity and confusion are some of the characteristics of our times. The blazer originated from Royal Navy wear. Their navy coats had (still have? I am not certain) metal buttons. This is the blazer. Blazers blaze (shine) only because of metal, otherwise they would not. Mr Boyer can and is free to call what you described a blazer, this is not accurate. The best description of what he wore would be 'a cotton DB with black buttons'. And since we are supposed to be well informed on this forum and know what we are talking about, this had to be said.
IMHO, a man who has confidence can wear metal buttons with much ease. I have been doing that for 8 years. I have sometimes received compliments, never ever a reproach. And this is because people around us still see some 'real' blazers from time to time, so they are not surprised. And since metal buttons are a typical feature of a blazer, people do not consider them as 'jewelry'. At least here I am taking about the North American context.

[andy57]

A blazer is a DB coat with metal buttons. No metal buttons: no blazer, just a DB coat.

Channeling Crocodile Dundee: that's not a blazer...now this is a blazer:

[aston]

My SB blazer, with plain gold buttons, is one of the most versatile items of clothing I own.

Worn with a white OCBD shirt, faded denim jeans, espresso suede loafers and, maybe, scarlet socks, it is at home anywhere on the casual spectrum.

With mid to dark grey flannel, a pale to mid blue shirt, with dark green or blue grenadine tie and black calf lightly brogued shoes, it goes anywhere on business where the most formal of lounge suits is not needed.

[couch]

Yep. Plain gold shanked buttons on dark navy worsted flannel SB, cut by John Kent for the old Hawes and Curtis, 1984. Soon to be replaced by a new milled navy worsted SB by Edwin at Steed, plain gold shanked buttons. My warm-weather SB navy Piuma blazer has medium natural flashed horn buttons, but I happily surrender the right to call it a blazer.

On the other hand, an increasing number of people seem not to know the term odd jacket or sport jacket, or simply jacket, and call everything a blazer. I just saw an ad from Brooks Brothers for a quilted nylon "blazer." How the mighty are fallen . . . .

[alden]

Mimile I believe is correct in saying that a Blazer refers to a DB or Reefer (longer) coat with gold buttons but as Couch says the term has lost much of its initial meaning especially in the US.

Strangely enough, I have never thought of gold buttons as being jewelry and still do not. I did think metal buttons made the coat heavy and it wasn't until I stumbled into Button Queen that I found this vintage set that appealed to me greatly. I have to say that I made the coat for the buttons. They are big. They are bold. They are gold. And they are clanky. But I like em. Since I made the coat in a sumptuous Gorina cavalry twill at a solid 500 gms, I won't be trying it on for the LL video cameras for a few months. But stay tuned, I am sure you guys are going to love this coat as much as I do. And my tailor did an incredible job. Wow.

Cheers

[hectorm]

Are there any gold button blazer guys here?

I might not ever be brave enough for big shiny gold buttons on my blazers. So far, my halfhearted approach to the topic has been modest sized brass buttons with black patina. I´ve got a beautiful vintage SB set during the early 90´s and they have been hopping into the latest commission ever since. They are in their 3rd. tour already.

[davidhuh]

Dear Davidhuh,
The blazer originated from Royal Navy wear. Their navy coats had (still have? I am not certain) metal buttons. This is the blazer.

IMHO, a man who has confidence can wear metal buttons with much ease.

Dear Mimile,

it may not have been the best idea to provoke you in such manner as I did. Please accept my apologies. I'm aware of the blazer's history, and I think we can assume the same for Mr Boyer

I just tried to make you understand that rules can be broken in an informed way. Mr Boyer has his reasons, I had mine. Please, wear your metal buttons with pride As I said, I may consider the option in the future. For the first version, I went for a very dark brown horn, paying reference to the origins by limiting the sleeve buttons to three. I wanted my first blazer to be as versatile as possible, and Mr Mahon gave his blessing

Cheers, David

[alden]

"There's gold on them there jacket, prospector!"

princemichael1ya8 by The London Lounge, on Flickr

If you have the stuff to pull it off, the DB Blazer looks great. Prince Michael has it in spades.

And Princess Michael sneaking in with a few goldies of her own on what looks like a Chanel tailleur in a stunning shade of green. Molto Elegante!

Cheers

[alden]

For the first version, I went for a very dark brown horn

You made a good choice David.

Dark brown horn looks so much better than black on blues. You will rarely find an elegant Italian wearing anything but dark brown horn with their blue odd jackets. And they look great.

Cheers

[angelo]

couch wrote:On the other hand, an increasing number of people seem not to know the term odd jacket or sport jacket, or simply jacket, and call everything a blazer.

Perfectly right. Indeed the blazer term identifies a coat with metal buttons and/or a crest attached to the breast pocket that indicates the membership of a given Club or Sport Society. According to the the above common characteristics many type of blazers, differing in colors and style, can be identified,within the classical male dressing universe: yacht/nautical blazer,rowing blazer, cricket blazer, golf blazer and tennis blazer.

mimile wrote:The blazer originated from Royal Navy wear. Their navy coats had (still have? I am not certain) metal buttons. This is the blazer. Blazers blaze (shine) only because of metal, otherwise they would not.

It is likely, as reported by Mr. Giancarlo Maresca (a deep italian connoisseur of the male dressing history) that the rowing blazer may represent the first example of this kind of coat, as documented by the appearance in 1825 of a red jacket adopted by the members of the Lady Margaret boat club, founded in the same year.The visit of Queen Victoria to the HMS Blazer ship , that gave origin to the nautical blazer, can be dated to 1837.

mimile wrote:
A blazer is a DB coat with metal buttons. No metal buttons: no blazer, just a DB coat.

alden wrote:
Mimile I believe is correct in saying that a Blazer refers to a DB or Reefer (longer) coat with gold buttons but as Couch says the term has lost much of its initial meaning especially in the US.

http://www.gettyimages.it/license/112064935

The attached picture shows the Duke of York (future King George V) and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia at Cowes’ Royal Regatta in 1910. The royal cousins wear blazers and white flannel trousers, tailored by Davies & Son. The Tsar Nicholas II' s blazer is a SB whereas the George V' s one is a DB coat. These two jackets can be considered as the paradigms of "yacht "or " nautical" blazers , thus giving validity to both styles (SB and DB).

Angelo