Skip to main content

Style corner: How to wear a blazer with jeans

The best smart casual trick in your closet

Man in gray tweed and jeans
The Manual

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.

Recommended Videos

Wear it with a collared shirt

Man in hat, sportcoat, and blazer
The Manual

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

Man in blazer and jeans
The Manual

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

dress denim edit
The Manual

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.

Mark McKee
Mark is a full-time freelance writer and men's coach. He spent time as a style consultant and bespoke suit salesman before…
An expert from Moose Knuckles explains this year’s long coat obsession
Industry expert helps us with the long winter coat
man in long coat

When I walked around New York City throughout the month of February, I noticed a trend that seemed to overtake the entire island of Manhatten: The men's long winter coat. Around every corner during New York Men's Day and New York Fashion Week were puffer coats extending all the way to the mid-shins or lower. While the Big Apple is one of the colder big cities, I was surprised to see a melting pot of a city entirely overtaken by one overwhelming trend. In an attempt to understand the phenomenon, I reached out to Ryan Lewis, Director of Community & Culture at Moose Knuckles, one of the brands with the most significant footprint among the bundled-up masses.
Why the long coat?

The key to wearing a coat and remaining stylish is to strike a balance between something fashionable and something functional. You need to be protected from the winds, rains, snows, and ice, but that doesn't mean you can't look as good as you feel. Lewis believes that is partially what drove that explosion this season.

Read more
Vince. wants you to leave an OOO ‘Gone Fishin’
Get the gone fishin' vibe with Vince.
Vince Gone Fishin

Growing up, there was always a surefire sign that spring was on the way. Of course, the weather would change, and I would put the sweaters away and break out the summer wardrobe, but there was another more instinctual sign. Like it was some kind of sixth sense, my father and my grandfather would begin to dress as if they were an hour away from hooking up the boat and heading out to the lake or the river for the fishing season. While I may not be saying you should start wearing your father or grandfather's fishing vest with extra fishhook and lures, Vince. has a new focus this spring. The Vince 'Gone Fishin' line is an elevated version of what my father and grandfather would salivate over every year.
Complete with the loafers

Any good fishing ensemble the men and women in my family wore as they left for the fishing boat included a pair of breathable cargo pants. The cotton-linen cargo pants are perfect for the day on the lake. The natural fibers breathe, and the extra storage is just what any good fisherman needs. Pair those cargo pants with a good, short-sleeve button-up, and you have the look any good fisherman has in his closet. Vince. has a good collection of short-sleeve button-ups to choose from, but their 100% hemp option is perfect for the day on the water. Finally, no good fishing outfit would be good without the perfect loafer. While they have a couple of great options, picking up their jelly sandals is the perfect finishing touch to get you ready for fishing season.
Vince.

Read more
Want to put together amazing concert outfits? The best rock ‘n’ roll fashion brands
These brands will keep you ready to rock out on stage or jump in the crowd for the pit
Man playing guitar

You know the look we're talking about. The look of a man who stands on a stage in front of thousands of people and transports them to another dimension with some of the most iconic music we have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. When you are front and center, you have to have impeccable style. You have to project who you are and what you are about simply by your appearance. Having the right look can do that for you. Of course, if you want to have the look of a front man you have to start with discovering your own personal style, and then find a good brand for concert outfits.

Of course, you don't want to just copy your favorite rock-and-roll legend's rock clothes, as it would never work for you the way it works for them. Hell, the whole point of wearing these unique pieces is to pull together a look that is so unapologetically you that there is no way anyone else could pull it off. But to be able to do that, you will have to find the right rock-and-roll-focused clothing brand that speaks to you. Luckily for you, that is right up our alley, and we compiled a list of our favorite brands that will keep you Living on a Prayer and rocking the perfect concert outfit.

Read more