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Now before any pedantic #menswear dorks get their trousers in a twist out there:

Yes, we know that blazers and Sportcoats aren’t the same thing.

Yet most of us use the terms interchangeably (me too), and that’s fine. Nobody cares.

Second! The Jeans + Jacket look (aka the business mullet) can be executed with both blazers and sportcoats. But for the sake of simplicity, let’s keep the jacket navy blue for now. And while some in the peanut gallery might yap “2014 called, it wants its style back,” our culture is increasingly casual. Have you been on a plane lately? Pajama pants as far as the eye can see. So being that the bar is currently super low, if you keep it simple and smart, a blazer and a nice pair of jeans can still (yes, still) look great. For the blazer, you’ll want something that’s timeless but leans more modern. Meaning:

Of course those are more guidelines instead of actual rules. Patch pockets aren’t a must, and a smooth cotton chino “blazer” (instead of wool) can look great as a cheaper alternative. But the overall point is to meet the jeans in the middle in terms of formality. Too great of a contrast in styles between the jacket and jeans can end up looking weird. And that sword cuts both ways. A nice but not overly stuffy blazer will still look strange if you wear it with light wash, torn up jeans. Therefor the more casual the jeans, the more casual the blazer should lean.

Bottom line: You don’t want want to wear your favorite jeans with a gold-buttoned, hard shouldered, boxy, yacht-club looking thing.

Ready for some style scenarios? MULLET UP LET’S DO THIS:

SHARPEST – With a dress shirt and lace ups

A true example of the “business mullet.” Dress shirt and blazer (business) up top, jeans (party) down below. Keep your jeans dark, your shirt crisp, and your blazer modern and minimalist. Again, no flash. No gold buttons please.

The Blazer: J. Crew Ludlow Legacy blazer in Italian wool flannel – $219.50 ($450). As good a price as you’ll find, but that 51% off sale ends today, 1/16/23. Not final sale yet either. Made from soft, super 120s Vitale Barberis Canonico Italian wool flannel (which would run you $499 at Suitsuppy). Half-lined for extra breathability. The sleeve cuff buttons are non functioning for easier, cheaper tailoring. Now with a 3/2 roll closure. More info here if you’d like it. The worthy investment: Spier & Mackay Neo Cut Dark Navy Hopsack Sportcoat – $398.

The Shirt: Ledbury Made to Order Light Blue Sanders Semi-Spread Non-Iron Twill – $135. Very, very good. But very, very… not cheap. Yet the structured collar, slightly lowered second button (perfect for wearing without a tie), and smooth fabric makes them a worthy investment for some. Reviewed over here in white. The less expensive option: Tie Bar Light Blue Pinpoint Dress Shirt – $55.

The Jeans: Target Goodfellow Comfort Stretch Jeans – $40. A much more affordable alternative to Banana Republic’s Luxe Traveler Jeans. Full review here.

The Watch: Orient Bambino 38mm Silver Dial – $205 ($270). Reviewed here. Really nice. Band it comes with is black, but with 20mm lugs that’s an easy swap out if you require a brown band to match your belt and shoes. But really, again, no one is gonna notice or care.

The Socks: Made in the USA Darn Tough The Standard in Navy – $29. The best, most versatile socks on the market.

The Shoes: Nordstrom Elliott Cap Toe Lace-Up Derby – $99.95. A true oxford with its dressier “closed” lacing could also work here (use what you already own!) but a blucher or derby is a smart step down on the formality scale. Which makes it a perfect match for the business mullet. Same concept. The Splurge: Allen Edmonds Windsor Plain Toe Derbies – $230.30 ($395)

The Belt: Made in the USA L.L. Bean Essential Belt – $44.95. The new standard. Review here.

SMART CASUAL – With a polo or OCBD

The above image was posted to our instagram the other day and the response was really positive. Yet that particular jacket is sold out. It’s an older J. Crew Factory sportcoat. And it is a sportcoat (instead of a blazer) thanks to it’s textured fabric and micro houndstooth pattern. BUT. Let’s do our best here and see what happens. We’re slightly dressing down the business mullet into a more smart-casual yet still polished look. This should do good for some date nights as well as more-casual/creative workplaces:

The Blazer (sportcoat): Rodd & Gunn Wool Blend Shiell Hill Sport Coat – $278.60 ($398). On sale via Nordstrom. Which means it also ships and returns for free. Not quite the same as the original J. Crew Factory sportcoat in the modeled image, but, close enough. Also worth a mention but not that much cheaper: Johnston & Murphy Navy Micro Houndstooth XC Flex Knit Blazer – $269.50 

The Long Sleeve Polo: Charles Tyrwhitt Merino Polo Sweater – $79 ($129). Breathable, smooth, merino wool. Versatile shade of gray that goes with everything. The less expensive options: J. Crew Long-sleeve performance polo shirt – $49.50 ($79.50), or lululemon Evolution Long-Sleeve Polo Shirt – $49 FINAL SALE ($98). The Splurge: Allen Edmonds 100% Cashmere Long Sleeve Sweater Polo – $175 ($278)

The Jeans: Amazon Essentials Men’s Comfort Stretch Slim-Fit Jean – $38 ($44). 98% cotton, 2% elastane. Ships fast thanks to being an Amazon product.

The Watch: Lorier Neptune IV – $499. Won our “Dappy” award for watch of the year. Full review here.

The Socks: Made in the USA Darn Tough The Standard in Navy – $29. Yes, these again.

The Boots: J. Crew Goodyear Welted Kenton Chelsea Boots in “Color Eight” Burgundy – $219.50 ($298). Chelsea boots are a perfect choice for smart-casual outfits. They’re sleek but not overly dressy. And J. Crew’s Kenton line continues to excel for the price when they go on (frequent) sale. Review of these from a few years back can be found here. They were using Horween leather back then. Not sure if they still are. Guessing they aren’t if they’re not still crowing about it.

The Belt: Made in the USA L.L. Bean Essential Belt – $44.95. This again as well. Review here.

CASUAL – With a t-shirt and sneakers

As casual as it gets, but undeniably intentional because you’re, y’know, wearing a blazer. Well, sort of wearing a blazer. The blazers that work best in this scenario are going to be either knit (think sweatshirt fabric) or almost totally unconstructed (little lining, no shoulder pads, etc.) An example of the unconstructed version would be the Bonobos Hopsack. That’s the kind of blazer that can be worn with a button up as well as dressed down with a tee. But anything more polished than that and wearing it with lighter jeans and sneakers will start to look kinda strange.

The Blazer: UNIQLO Knit Comfort Jacket – $89.90. Basically like you’re wearing a sweatshirt. 56% Cotton, 44% Polyester knit jersey material. The jacket doesn’t have to be a “swazer” in this scenario.  The Splurge: Spier & Mackay Unstructured 98% Wool & 2% Elastane Blazer – $358

The Jeans: Bonobos Premium 4-Way Stretch Jeans – $59 FINAL ($149.) Super comfortable, adds a little more contrast than standard dark wash jeans, and they…
“DUDE they’re Dad jeans.”
don’t get smart, sonny.
“bUT cOmE oN thEy’Re DAD jEans.”
… 90s trends are having a moment.
“Listen old man, they’re still”
I DRIVE A DODGE STRATUS. NOW GO TO YOUR ROOM.
“…. jerk.“

The T-Shirt: Banana Republic FACTORY Premium Wash T-Shirt in Maverick Tan – $9.59 FINAL. Cheeaaaaaap. On clearance. Or whatever your favorite, most comfortable tee happens to be.

The Watch: Hamilton Murph 38mm – $895. Major splurge, but there’s hardly a better wear-with-almost-everything watch out there. Terrific backstory too. Eureka.

The Socks: Bombas Merino Wool Blend Calf Socks – $20. Bombas makes LOTS of colors for their merino wool blend socks. No need to get too wild or “matchy-match” here since the outfit is so casual.

The Shoes: Puma Super Liga – $60ish. A classic, cheap alternative to the adidas Samba.

The Belt: GAP Leather Belt – $35ish. An old favorite that does well at an inexpensive price.

BONUS  Nothing over $100 Edition!

This is the sort of outfit which says: “Can I interest you in opening a checking account while I also make you a latte?” It’s any wonder those didn’t catch on. Wait, Bank-Branch/Coffee shop Hybrids didn’t catch on, did they? Anyway, all pre-emptive (self) deprecation aside, the casual blazer, solid colored button up, and dark wash jeans is a uniform a lot of us lean on. Because it works. It still works. No shame in that. Now please let me near that espresso machine/atm hybrid. I’ve got a cappuccino to make and cash to withdraw. HEY HAS ANYONE SEEN SAMUEL L. AROUND?!? Big fan here. Thirty years later and I am still holding onto my butt, which ironically prevents me from telling him what’s in my wallet.

The Blazer: (Amazon Sourced) PJ Paul Jones Casual Stretchy Knit Blazer – $69.99. One of those Amazon pickups that some will find to be a bargain, and some just won’t like. Shell is 53.2% Polyester, 23.5% Lyocell, 23.3% Cotton. Those are some exact percentages.

The Shirt: UNIQLO OCBD – $39.90. One of those items that you’ll use over and over and over again. Classic. Affordable.

The Jeans: GAP Slim Jeans with GapFlex – $55 ($69.50). Or whatever your favorite dark wash denim happens to be.

The Watch: Casio Diver – $50ish on a Crown & Buckle Black and Desert Supreme NATO – $34. Full review of the Casio here. While Crown & Buckle’s watch straps are spendy compared to something cheap you could get off Amazon, they’re really nice. The fabric and hardware are absolutely worth the extra dollars.

The Socks: Polo Ralph Lauren Argyle Wool Blend Crew Socks – $26. A little bit of color, a little bit of pattern, zero shipping fees (because they ship and return for free from Nordstrom).

The Shoes: Nordstrom Blaine Chukkas in Brown Falcon Suede – $83.99 ($119.95). Affordable. Studded rubber sole for traction. Ships/returns for free. Full review can be found here.

The Belt: Allen Edmonds Atlantic Street Belt – $55.97 ($98). Part of their ongoing Warehouse Sale. Crafted in the USA.