Blazers are my hoodie, my wind breaker and even my winter coat. I love a good blazer and live in one most of the year. So when Stefan from Bluffworks blew up my inbox that he was working on funding a machine-washable, wrinkle-free, go-anywhere blazer I was intrigued. You may recall we are a big fan of their travel chinos.
He overnighted me the blazer and it arrived in a medium Fed Ex box. This was laughable. Who would cram a handsome blazer into a tiny Fed Ex box? I opened it up, tried it on and, well, I’ll be damned, it was a perfectly presentable blazer.
Made from 100% polyester, this is the most innovative feature. It’s ability to deliver performance characteristics (breathable, wrinkle-free) plus a wool-like appearance, while being machine washable makes this blazer a travelers dream. It took three years of R&D, a lot of investment, and many failures to get the fabric right.
Other features include:
- 10 pockets including two hidden pockets for cash and credit cards (or for that ring you are about to give her). While it’s not the most accessible there is even a pocket on the inner back flap of the blazer, almost like a duck hunting pocket, were you can stash cash and even documents. The right chest pocket zips shut so when you do ball it up and throw it in the overhead your wallet won’t fall out.
- The blazer is lined with mesh to give it more breathability.
- Just like the chinos, the blazers are made in a New York City factory.
We spoke to Stefan to get a bit more info about how the blazer came to be.
How did you come up with this idea after the pants?
Our customers began to ask for a matching jacket during our first Kickstarter campaign four years ago. But I waited until I could create a blazer that achieved what I wanted to achieve in it.
Where did you source the fabric? Did you help in the design process?
We have a trash heap of not-good-enough materials that failed our wear testing from reputable mills. It was no problem finding a fabric that met some of our criteria, but to have all of the technical characteristics and be machine-washable and with the natural feel… that was extremely hard. I personally test all of our fabrics. Lab results mean little to us. Our breakthrough eventually came from a mill in Asia, but we sew the blazers in NYC.
When can a customer expect to receive their blazer?
Our Kickstarter rewards will begin shipping in December and I imagine we will book all of our production through February on there. So Kickstarter is the best place to order one.
When are you making suits since you now make pants AND blazers? That would be a travelers dream!
We think so too!
The blazer will retail for $295. Back one blazer on Kickstarter, save $50. Back two and save $110.
