Jackets and blazers

A brief history of the sport coat

A sport coat is a jacket that is not part of a suit. It is made of a separate fabric, usually with less formal details, and designed for use in ensembles. Suit jackets can also be worn as sport coats if their design is appropriate for this purpose. The sport coat predates the suit. As the author of Rowing Blazers, Jack Carlson, tells us, it first appeared in the early 19th century in the form of a rowing blazer. It was originally made of bright fabrics for use in smart sports. After a period of rapid popularity, it evolved into a club outfit for a group of men who showed their membership of an organisation through the jacket.