Blazer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Though the term "blazer" is often used as a synonym for "sportcoat", a blazer or boating jacket specifically refers to a type of jacket, often double-breasted although single-breasted blazers have become more common recently. A blazer resembles a suit jacket except that it usually has patch pockets with no flaps, and metal shank buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually of a durable nature, as it is used in schools and was used for sport.
They often form part of the uniform dress of bodies such as airlines, schools, yacht or rowing clubs, and private security organizations. As sporting dress has become more adapted to the activity, the blazer has become more restricted to clubs' social meetings.
Commonly, blazers are navy blue, but almost every colour and combination of colours has been used, particularly by schools and sporting organizations. In the early 20th century, striped blazers were in fashion, as seen in the 1969 films Women in Love and Chariots of Fire.
Striped boating blazers/jackets became popular among British mods in the early 1960's and again during the mod revival of the late 1970's, particularly in 3-colour thick/thin stripe combinations, with three-button single breasted front, 5 or 6 inch side or centre vents and sleeve-cuffs with multi-buttons. Various photos from 1964/65 exist showing London mods in boating blazers as well as a photo of John Stephen's ground-breaking first male fashion shop in Carnaby Street. Photos of mod-icons The Who from 1964 (as the High Numbers) variously show Pete Townshend, Keith Moon and John Entwistle wearing boating blazers. Another mod band, the Small Faces and other bands liked by mods, such as The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, The Animals, The Yardbirds, The Moody Blues and The Troggs had band members wearing striped boating blazers/jackets or later, brightly-coloured blazers with wide white or other light edging to all edges. Buttons on these later blazers often became non-metal, sometimes in the same colour as the edging. The earlier classic mod striped blazer can be seen in the film Quadrophenia. The later bright style of blazer was affectionately adopted by Austin Powers as part of his Swinging Sixties look.
[edit] Associated conventions
Where the blazer is part of the dress of a school, college, sports club, or armed service veterans' association, it is normal for a badge to be sewn to the breast pocket. In schools, this may vary according to the student's standing in the school; whether a member of the junior or senior school, being a prefect or having been awarded colors. Colors are awarded in recognition of particular achievement in some academic or sporting field. The notion of awarding colors in school is related to that of awarding colors to a regiment.
[edit] Etymology
The term 'blazer' of this variety originated with the red 'blazers' of the Lady Margaret Boat Club, the rowing club of St. John's College, Cambridge. The LMBC jackets were termed 'blazers' due to their bright red 'blazing' color, and the term was adopted for wider use later. Assertions that the name is derived from HMS Blazer are not borne out by contemporary sources.
