Dress codes are the bane of our existence. So many of them are vague and indecipherable to the everyday man. But there are tricks you can implement into your wardrobe that will give you versatility and help you navigate the world of dress codes. One of the greatest tricks you can learn is to wear a blazer or sports coat with a good pair of jeans. Adding a sports coat will elevate your denim look and take you from casual to smart casual.
Swapping denim out for your dress pants with your sports coat will take you from business professional to smart casual. The combination of a blazer and jeans will be your number one trick in your wardrobe if you do it right. And here at The Manual, we are all about helping you do it right.
Wear it with a collared shirt
The first step to wearing a blazer with jeans is to get the right version of both. To keep it simple, dark dress denim is the go-to. This look aims to keep everything as elevated and elegant as possible. So keep the denim dark and less casual. As for the jacket, you can get away with almost any of the kinds of blazers or sports coats that are in your closet. If they are structured, then feel free to have fun. If they are unstructured, keep in mind those are more casual.
As for the shirt, the most obvious option is to go with the collared shirt. The dress shirt is the best way to keep the entire look elevated. A crisp dress shirt tucked into dark dress denim is a great base to pair with a blazer. Opting for a pattern is the best way to keep the shirt from looking too dressed up. Another option you can go with to keep this look more casual is to go with a polo. The polo will look more put together if it has a stiff dress collar, but the right combination will always look great.
Wear it with a sweater
When you are wearing a blazer with denim, you are either dressing up the denim or dressing down the jacket. Whichever way you are looking to lean toward, the shirt will make all the difference. If you are wearing a dress shirt, then you are leaning toward dressing everything down with denim. If you are wearing a polo, you are leaning in the other direction and dressing down the jacket. There are different ways to dress the jacket look down, and that is with the fitting sweater. Here is a great way to accomplish that feat.
- Wear it with a crew neck sweater. The crew neck sweater is the most casual of the options, making the look an elevated version of casual. A crew neck is best when paired with tweed or herringbone, the more casual or “country” element.
- Wear it with a v-neck sweater. The v-neck sweater is the dressiest option in this look. While the sweater itself isn’t dressier than the crew neck, its structure makes it only appropriate if you wear a dress shirt underneath it. Depending on how deep the v is, it can show way too much chest, ruining the elevation of the look.
- Wear it with a turtleneck. This is the best combination of the two above options. It can look dressy with a double-breasted jacket, or it can look casual with a tweed or herringbone. If you are starting out with this trick, be careful not to adopt the Ron Burgundy look.
Wear it with a tee
Finally, we come to the boldest look paired with jeans and a blazer. It is the boldest because the point of the blazer is to elevate a look, and the tee is the most casual shirt that you have in the wardrobe. Of course, there is a right way and a wrong way to do this, and we will do our best to help you nail the look. Here are a few tips to keep it looking great:
- Opt for high-quality tees. The worst thing you can do is wear a thin and cheap t-shirt, which keeps the entire look casual. Using a thicker, high-quality tee elevates the entire look.
- Basic, solid colors work best. While we can admit that bright colors are a fun look sometimes if you want to wear a blazer with jeans in an elevated way, stick to a darker dress tee. Black, navy, or charcoal will be the best choices.
- A v-neck tee looks more modern. A crew neck tee can look more like an undershirt than an elevated layer. A v-neck gives the look of a designer tee that is at home under a blazer.
Wearing a blazer with jeans is one of the most versatile looks you can utilize in your wardrobe. Whether it is a casual Friday at work or a first date, this is the look to go for.
