The plaid blazer has been making a pretty serious comeback in recent years. Thanks to many top designers, it has been updated with a trimmer, more modern cut and is thus no longer the dominion of your favorite Baby Boomer. I’ve seen a few nice ones in a lighter, summer-appropriate material like cotton or linen, but my favorite ones hands down are fall/winter pieces in a heavier wool (or wool/cashmere blend if you’re feeling particularly luxurious). The plaid blazer is a great addition to anyone’s business casual wardrobe because it’s fun, different, and, perhaps most importantly, can be worn in any number of ways.
Trust me, I know, wearing a plaid blazer to the workplace, or anywhere for that matter, can be a pretty big style leap. For first time buyers/wearers, I would recommend something in a darker, more subtle plaid. This route will make the leap less intimidating, and allows for greater versatility. Over the years, versatility has become a bigger deal to me. I’ll tend to invest more in pieces that I can wear at work, on the weekend, and with a bunch of other things I own. Why spend more and wear less? If I’m going to spend more, I want to wear more.
For this post, I went with a beautiful piece I acquired recently – A black watch tartan blazer from Man 1924 by Carlos Castillo (a Spanish designer based in Madrid). I copped it from Carson Street Clothiers, one of my new favorite stores, down in SoHo. Black watch, a navy/green plaid pattern, gets its name from the Scottish infantry battalion that originally popularized it. It fulfills the criteria I mentioned above — while it’s a plaid and thus inherently bold, it’s still darker and subtler than a lot of other options. It whispers “yo this is dope” rather than screaming “LOOK AT ME BITCHES,” the latter of which is something most of us probably don’t want at work.
The ticket pocket and larger, wider plaid set this blazer apart from others
This blazer stands out compared to others of its kind in a few ways. First, the plaid pattern is larger and wider. Not that there’s anything wrong with a narrower, smaller check, it’s just something that personally stood out to me. Second, you have the ticket pocket, another relatively minor, but very interesting detail. The wool is also a bit heavier and you can really feel its weight. Perfect for fall/winter in NYC. Furthermore, its unlined and unstructured. I like unlined blazers primarily because of their versatility and the more laid back, but still very put together, look they lend their wearers. You can rock this at work (see below), and on the weekend with a pair of jeans, loafers (sockless if the weather permits), and a couple undone buttons up top.
A Simpler look
Anyways, I’m going to show you a couple different work looks that range in terms of difficulty. For beginners, you probably already own everything you need to make this look work. Since you’re already taking a fairly big leap by going the plaid route, no one will blame you for keeping the rest clean and classic. Toss on a crisp, white shirt, some trim navy wool suit pants, a conservative brown belt with a chrome buckle, some matching brown shoes, and you’re ready to walk out the door. This way, you’re easing your plaid blazer into the work rotation.
White shirt. Brown belt. Navy silk tie (optional). You already have what you need to easily rock the plaid blazer.
If you’re so inclined, as I often am, you can also toss on a tie. Something you don’t really have to think about would be a slim, navy silk tie with a subtle pattern like this one here.
My face says it all...the plaid blazer is no laughing matter. It's the real deal.
A MORE complex LOOK
Now for a more challenging look. Because I want to lean a bit more casual, I’m going to swap out my navy wool suit trousers with some soft, washed chinos.
Next, instead of the white dress shirt, I’m going to pull a soft, ecru-colored oxford shirt with a button-down collar. As an aside, some people take issue with a button-down collar in certain contexts, but that’s outside the scope of this post and I’ll likely address that issue in coming weeks. I went with an ecru shirt because it’s an interesting, fresh alternative to stark white but is still subtle enough to fit in perfectly at the workplace.
When you’re already rocking something bolder than normal like a plaid blazer, I sometimes like to double down on boldness. It’s certainly riskier, but the style returns are greater. That’s why I opted for a horizontal striped, silk knit tie. The navy and cream colors in the tie complement the shirt’s ecru and the blazer’s navy, while the daring blocks of red really makes the look pop.
Next, I’m going to take off my standard issue dark brown belt with a chrome buckle, and put on a slightly lighter brown belt with, and here’s the kicker, a brass colored buckle. The devil, as they say, is in the details. By going with a slightly lighter brown and a brass buckle, I’m going with a slightly different take on the standard workplace fare. Its a small change, but it really does make all the difference in finishing off a look right. The other nice thing about this belt is it doubles as an excellent casual weekend piece that works with a ton of stuff. Finally, I’ll pull on some Chelsea boots that don’t exactly match the leather on my belt, and head out the door. To break a rule, you have to know how to do it right. In this case, it’s not like I’m matching a black belt with brown shoes. Here, the leathers are the same overall color (brown) and very similar in terms of shade (a dark chestnut, if you will). That’s the key right there — similarity in color and shade.
And that, my friends, is how you successfully introduce the plaid blazer into your work rotation.
(Huge thanks to Patrick Jamieson for taking these pics, and Jess Tiller for moral support!!)