By CATHERINE HOLAHAN
North Jersey Media Group
Blazers were once a boring staple of the man's dress wardrobe.
Uniformly cut from the same navy cloth and stamped with gold buttons, blazers were mass-produced for semiformal functions and business attire.
Designers ignored them. Little boys -- the frequent victims of sailor-influenced versions -- abhorred them.
But now these jackets are having their day, and they're anything but traditional.
Blazers range from "a bright orange jacket to a black velvet jacket and everything in between," said Joseph Kadi, designer of the Joseph Cloak line sold in stores such as Atrium and Beau Brummel. "We are going through a fashion revolution."
Pop stars were at the forefront of the recent blazer reinterpretation, said Kelly Rae, Stuff magazine's fashion and grooming director.
Fashion-forward young celebrities such as R&B singer Usher and music mogul-designer Sean Combs began wearing blazers over jeans.
"It made young men aware that blazers are not necessarily only to be worn as a suit," Rae said. "You can break it up and mix and match."
Taking their cue from music videos, teens and young twentysomethings were soon wearing blazers over hooded sweat shirts, Rae said. Older guys paired the jackets with jeans or cords.
"The advantage of the blazer is you can dress it up or you can dress it down," said Sunder Daswani, president and founder of Elegant Rochees Hong Kong Tailors, a Virginia-based store that sells custom-tailored blazers around the nation. (He sets up shop at Teaneck's Marriott at Glenpointe and Park Ridge's Marriott about every six weeks.)
"You can wear it with jeans, you can wear it with dress pants, you can wear it with a button-down shirt, with or without a tie," he said. "You can even wear it with a bow tie."
As the blazer has become more versatile, designers have gotten creative.
At J. Crew -- where blazers range from $128 to $300 -- designers fashioned jackets from English tweeds and luxurious fabrics such as velvet and cotton cashmere blends, said Todd Snyder, vice president of men's design.
Blazers are now "the piece for men's wear," Snyder said.
Designers for Casual Male Big & Tall used high-tech, wrinkle-resistant stretch fabrics to enable men to fold their arms comfortably and relax in their blazers, said David Levin, the chain's CEO.
Recently, designers have cropped jackets and narrowed lapels. Added and subtracted buttons. Lined the blazer with signature patterns. Thrown in pockets for cellphones and MP3 players.
With so many varieties, it can be difficult for a man to pick the right blazer.
"The nice thing about blazers is that they can accentuate all body types, whether you are a little portly, taller, or even if you are short," Snyder said. "But it is really important to get a jacket that fits well."
Here are some tips for picking out the perfect blazer for your body type.
AVERAGE
Average guys can don most ready-to-wear blazers. But getting the right length is important.
Whatever your size, jackets should reach to the knuckles when arms are relaxed and hanging at the side, Snyder said. Sleeves should rest about half an inch below the wrist bone.
Daswani recommends men of average height and weight look for two- or three-button blazers. "Two is for people who are conservative and three for people who like the latest style," he said.
Snyder added that two buttons are coming back, but three have been the "go-to for the last five or six years." Snyder also said guys should ensure that the shoulders on the blazer are not too square, which looks antiquated.
For dressier occasions, regular-size guys can opt to be daring this year with velvet blazers. "Velvet is huge this fall season," Rae said, adding that it is a bit more refined than the tweed blazer/sport coat.
"The velvet blazer is more Fred Astaire," she said. "If you are going to wear a velvet blazer with jeans, you don't wear sneakers. You invest in a nice pair of dress shoes."
SHORT AND SWEET
"If you are a shorter person it is important for the blazer not to look too big -- like you borrowed it from your dad," Snyder said.
Luckily, shorter men are the perfect body type to wear this season's one-button, slightly cropped blazers, Rae said.
"One-button blazers are making a strong statement this year, and those are good for smaller, slighter guys as well."
TALL AND LEAN
Blazers are particularly flattering to thin people because they can give the illusion of broad shoulders, Kadi said. "It's cheaper than a gym membership at Gold's," he added.
For most men of this body type, Daswani suggests a three-button, double-breasted style, which gives extra bulk. "If he is a young man, tall, slim and very fashion-conscious, he should take a four-button single-breasted," he said.
BIG AND HEFTY
Stockier guys should stick to slimming, single-breasted versions, Daswani said. He added that a person with a slight belly should opt for two buttons. "If he takes three buttons, the third button may not fall flat on the chest," he said.
Levin suggests bigger men try looser-fitting twill and microsuede blazers. "There is no padding in the shoulders," he explained. "It is a much more relaxed, casual fit."
Buying the right blazer
Catherine Holahan
FOR ALL BODY TYPES: Sleeves should reach about half an inch below the wrist bone. Side vents should be positioned in the back so that, when hands are in the pockets, the jacket doesn't lift up.
FOR SHORTER MEN: Opt for cropped blazers with narrower lapels and one button, to give the illusion of length.
FOR LEAN MEN: Double-breasted jackets give extra bulk. Slightly padded shoulders help square out the shape. Three or four buttons decorate a long torso.
FOR STOCKY MEN: Opt for single-breasted, one- to two-button blazers to ensure the jacket falls flat on the chest and doesn't hug the stomach.
Blazer do's and don'ts
Do pair a fancy, velvet blazer with jeans.
Don't wear a velvet blazer with sneakers.
Do feel free to wear a T-shirt and different colored shirts under blazers.
Don't wear patterned shirts with patterned tweed blazers. "You don't want to be all striped or plaided out," said designer Joseph Kadi.
Do be daring with color. Blazers need not be just navy, black or olive.
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