Blazer facts for kids
A blazer is a special kind of lightweight jacket. It is often made of navy blue or striped wool or linen fabric. Blazers are usually known for their metal buttons on the front and sleeves. When thinking about how fancy clothes are, a blazer looks dressier than other sports jackets. However, it is not as formal as a suit jacket.
Blazers first appeared in the 1860s. They were bright red jackets worn for boating or cricket. Over time, especially by the 1930s, blazers became popular for everyday wear, not just sports. The double-breasted navy blue blazer became an important part of classic fashion. It fit in between casual tweed jackets and formal dark suits. Soon, it became a symbol of a sophisticated style. However, brightly colored blazers are still worn for some sports activities, like after cricket or rowing games.
A "nautical blazer" is a navy blue jacket with two rows of buttons, often gold or silver, like those on a naval uniform. "Rowing" or "cricket blazers" are usually brightly colored with stripes. They often have a badge on the chest pocket showing which club or school they belong to. Other blazers might have a different colored trim along the collar edges. These are worn for more formal events, such as giving out awards.
Blazers are also commonly worn as part of uniforms. For example, airline employees, school students, sports clubs, and competitive teams often wear them.
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How People Wear Blazers Today
Blazers can be worn with many different types of clothes. You can wear them with a dress shirt and necktie, an open-necked polo shirt, or even a simple t-shirt. They look good with trousers of all colors and fabrics. This includes classic white cotton or linen, grey flannel, brown or beige chinos, and even jeans.
A well-fitting, classic navy blue blazer with two rows of navy-style buttons is a popular design. Sometimes it is called a "reefer" blazer. In places like North America and the UK, it is often worn for business casual events.
Blazers in School Uniforms
Many schools in countries that were once part of the British Empire use blazers as part of their school uniforms. Students in Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa often wear them daily. These are traditional blazers, usually with one row of buttons, and often in bright colors or with colored trim. Some boat clubs, like those at Cambridge or Oxford, also wear this style. The trimmed version is saved for special events, like a club dinner. In these cases, the trim is in the club's colors, and special buttons are used. You can see this traditional style in many old movies set around the early 1900s.
Blazers in Sports and Clubs
When a blazer is part of a school, college, sports club, or former military members' group, it is common to have a badge sewn onto the chest pocket. In schools, this badge might change depending on a student's grade level or if they have achieved something special in academics or sports. Many groups for former military members also wear "regimental blazers" with a similar badge, often made of wire, and sometimes special buttons.
In the British Army, officers usually do not wear badges on their blazers. Two blazers from different military groups will rarely look exactly the same. This is because they are bought from different stores and not given out by the military itself. This happens because the members are no longer serving soldiers but civilians who still share a bond. The usual color is navy blue, but some groups wear different colors, like rifle green for rifle regiments.
Blazers were once commonly worn for traditional "gentlemen's sports." Today, they are still seen in some games. For example, tennis players sometimes wear them. In cricket, during professional matches like international test matches, it is customary for the captain to wear a blazer. This blazer often has the team's logo or national symbol on the chest pocket, at least during the coin toss at the start of the match.
Two sporting events where blazers show victory are the Congressional Cup Regatta in California and the Masters golf tournament in Georgia. The winner of the regatta receives a crimson (deep red) blazer. The winner of the Masters golf tournament receives a green blazer.
The Interesting History of Blazers
Where Did the Name "Blazer" Come From?
The word blazer first referred to the bright red boating jackets. These were worn by members of the Lady Margaret Boat Club (founded in 1825). This was the rowing club of St John's College at Cambridge.
A writer named Walter Wren wrote to a newspaper in 1889. He explained that a blazer was specifically the red flannel boating jacket worn by the Lady Margaret Boat Club. He noted that by then, the word was starting to mean any colored flannel jacket for sports or seaside wear.
Some stories say the name came from a ship called HMS Blazer. However, old records do not fully support this idea. It is reported that before the Royal Navy decided on one uniform for everyone, the crew of HMS Blazer wore "striped blue and white jackets." This was supposedly in response to another ship's crew wearing colorful suits. As late as 1837, the small boat crew of HMS Blazer wore blue and white striped jackets. It is from this that the word blazer, meaning a striped jacket, may have entered the language.
The "reefer jacket" came from naval origins. It was a short jacket with two rows of buttons worn by sailors in bad weather. They wore it while doing jobs like reefing (folding) the sails. Modern dark blazers, with one or two rows of buttons and often metal buttons, are like the updated versions of these reefer jackets.
Blazers and Fashion Trends
Striped blazers became very popular among British "Mods" in the early 1960s. The "Mods" were a youth fashion trend. This style became popular again during the "Mod revival" in the late 1970s. These blazers often had thick and thin stripes in three colors. They usually had three buttons on the front, vents at the back, and multiple buttons on the cuffs. Photos from the mid-1960s show London Mods wearing boating blazers. Famous bands like the Who and Small Faces also wore striped blazers. Other bands, such as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, wore striped blazers or later, brightly colored blazers with wide white or light edges. These later blazers often had non-metal buttons. The earlier striped style can be seen in the film Quadrophenia. The later bright style was famously adopted by the character Austin Powers for his Swinging-London look.
By the late 2000s, the blazer became a popular fashion trend for women. These blazers often had shorter lengths, rolled-up sleeves, different collar styles, and bright colors.
See Also
In Spanish: Bléiser para niños
