Sport Coat / Blazer Advice

I am a bit older than you. IMO, if you are speaking before a group, you ought to present yourself well. No, a Brioni suit is not necessary. Slacks and a sport coat should suffice.
I, personally disagree with jeans. I really don't know what you are speaking about. Nevertheless, you are assuming an authoritative role. If you want to make it more casual, then a pair of khakis and a navy blazer will be rather appropriate. You can get a nice matching suit for a reasonable amount of money. You can get some very good deals at Jos A Bank. It is always better to appear more professional rather than less, even at 17 y/o.

 

Hey. I'll give you some advice: search the sale racks, get something that fits well, YOU think looks good, and doesn't cost a lot (Think B.R., Gap, Nordstrom sale rack). There is NO reason to spend a lot at all; that doesn't have any corrolation to looking good.

 

I second the no jeans thing. get some tan slacks and a navy blazer. single breast if you are med build, but if you are on the thinner side, get a double breast with gold buttons - very classy and you can wear it with anything... yes even jeans.

you can check out TJ MACKS, I like Filenes basement - good quality at good prices. When you are dressing for business - less is more. Stick with the classics you cant go wrong.

 

spirot is spotlessly spot-on. IMHO, Navy Blazer should be tropical weight - *navy blazer khaki slacks* netted this article. Read it to understand how versatile a true classic will forever be . . . without being stodgy or expensive.

http://www.wisebread.com/mens-fashion-3-classic-items-for-nearly-any-occasion?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wisebread%2Fmyscha-theriault+%28Wise+Bread+%28Myscha+Theriault%29%29

Deals & tips here.
http://www.overstock.com/guides/Mens-Blazers-Buying-Guide

 

+1.

Buy the navy blazer. Should be a year round weight wool, or a decent wool blend. I found one at Lands End a year or two ago on clearance for about $75. I can wear it anywhere, dress it up or down. Don't buy junk and you can wear it for years.

I'd suggest Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, Off Fifth, or the large online retailers.

 

Look around for a Men's Resale Shop.........not exactly "common' but they are out there.

I'm amazed at what the one here has.........

Good luck and above advice is good!

Navy blazer/tan slacks is almost a uniform in some professions...and especially go with something cool on the brass buttons.

MINE are replicas of the uniform buttons of the short lived Texas Navy (when we were an independent country) ...but look at Ben Silver and you'll get an idea....

 

Another place to look is Ebay. I buy many clothes from them. Picked up an Armani sport coat for $200.
Don

 

the traditional sportcoat is a little heavy for a seventeen year old.

You want that's cut a little slimmer (or you run the risk of looking a little stiff and stody, like a youngster awkwardly stuck in his dad's suit), steer clear of tweeds or boxy cuts for now. No elbow pads unless that's the look you're channeling.

Light weight black, navy, charcoal, and khaki is great. Emporio Armani is decent quality and is designed for the younger market.

But I agree with the others, TJMaxx, Marshalls, Nordstrom Rack, Newman Marcus Last Call, Leohmann's, etc etc.

 

You need to know your audience and you need to know yourself above everything else. I am in the "ultra luxury" fashion business and am better equipped to answer this question as a purveyor of the "best of the best". Think Ferrari, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin... you get the point, but in clothing.

With that said you need to understand not only who you are speaking to and what will get their attention and responsiveness, but you need to know what will make you feel comfortable and confident as that will show through in both conscious and subconscious ways.

Buy the best quality you can afford and invest in good tailoring! Whatever you "cheat" on quality can be made up for by investing in good tailoring. Nothing looks less impressive than poorly fitting clothes. Just because a man is wearing a Brioni suit, by way of example, does not mean he is dressed well if the suit fits him completely wrong.

If you are speaking to a younger crowd and think that slacks will separate you too much from the audience then you could get away with jeans. But, if you wear jeans make sure to buy a slim fitting pair, and make sure they are dark denim! Don't get cute or clever with them. Let them disappear and not be a focal point whatsoever. Also, if you do wear jeans, definitely wear a sportcoat. If you think the sportcoat is "too formal", then definitely wear slacks and do not wear jeans. It is about balancing the formality of the look and the appropriateness for the audience and the message.

Always invest in the best shoes you can. Nothing can destroy a look like a bad pair of shoes, pay special attention to yours.

If you want to learn more about how to dress well you can PM me and I can either help you or point you in the right direction for more resources.

Best of luck!

Ian

 

Whatever you do, if you get a sport coat or a button down shirt, get them both tailored by a good tailor.

If you don't get them tailored, you might as well wear a t-shirt.

Before buying the sport coat or shirts, make sure they fit properly. Especially in the shoulder area, neck and sleeve. If they are a bit large around the waist, the tailor will fix it up. A tailor shouldn't have to fix up the neck or shoulder area, though. You should choose something that fits properly in those areas to start with.

Read these:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4584134_mens-suitcoatsportcoat-that-fits-properly.html

http://www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip_200/239_fashion_advice.html

If you have a v-shaped torso and you have a couple button down shirts, ask the tailor to put "darts" in one of the button down shirts (it will cost extra) when you get them tailored to see if you like the fit and style. Only do it on non-striped shirts.

Here's a pic I just made of one of my tailored shirts as an example. Arrows point to the darts.

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/eef9e2b383.jpg

If I were you, I'd try Men's warehouse. They have reasonable prices and a decent selection. For a young crowd, you can do jeans with a button down shirt and sport coat since you're 17. If you were older or if it was a formal crowd, you'd be in slacks but I think you've got the balance correct between informal and formal for this one. I wouldn't go with a blue blazer with jeans myself since with jeans, it looks like a mix of formal and informal. I'd go for a coat that matched the jeans you'd be wearing. Something like this:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_18Xf16ZCpdY/S1nE4QG61RI/AAAAAAAAAv4/PT6-7SZnj9k/s400/calvin-klein-unconstructed-sport-coat.jpg

 

Very well said.

good tailoring is key... I've bought super expensive suits and had them tailored and they look spectacular... also have bought bargan basement suits - again had them tailored and got the same reaction... so its not the cost of the clothes but how they fit you. No matter you size good tailoring can make you look 10x better.

 

As has been so well covered by previous posters, good tailoring is absolutely essential. Nothing looks worse than a poorly tailored suit/jacket, no matter how expensive they are. As you're a young guy, get a nice jacket taken in at the back and ensure it isn't scrunching around the shoulders. The neck is an often neglected area when jackets are tailored, you don't want it to sit off your collar.

If I were you I would avoid the khakis/navy jacket thing. It is a very old school image.

If you want a "cool", semi-formal look, why not a pair of fitted black jeans, boots, and a nice, contemporary tailored jacket?