Be a trail-blazer

 Did you know that blazers were first worn by rowing teams? Blazers—as the jumped-up nautical versions of sport jackets are called—literally had colour blazing forth from them to help rescuers spot overturned rowers.

This leads directly to the nautical genesis of the modern-day blazer. Like many clothing styles, the blazer underwent a renaissance of sorts in the mid-60s when it became the de rigueur of style with swinging London boutiques like “I was Lord Kitchener’s Valet” and John Stephen’s shops on Carnaby Street reinventing the blazer for the mod look.

Then came peak lapels in the ’70s and the blazer took yet another turn from the traditional. Over the years, it has remained a firm favourite thanks to its versatility and inherent style. In this issue, we take a black cashmere three-button blazer and combine it with different clothes to give you three distinct looks.

Semi-formal look

The cardinal rule: never wear your suit to the office party, or to dinner, or to any other non-formal occasion. Wear the blazer instead, preferably, with a nice shirt and light-coloured flat-front trousers. Try and go for a well-fitted silhouette. A belt is optional.

Cashmere Blazer from Pal Zileri: Rs 72,699
Checked blue shirt from Cadini: Rs 6,900
Trousers from Pal Zileri: Rs 10,999

Formal look

Nothing looks as classy in the boardroom as a black cashmere blazer.

This is the perfect way to break the clutter of the business suit by teaming it with a pair of dark trousers and a powder blue shirt. The three-button blazer brings with it all the gravitas of a suit, without any of its stuffiness.

Cashmere Blazer from Pal Zileri: Rs 72,699
Shirt from Manzoni: Rs 2,200
Tie from Manzoni: Rs 4,500
Trousers from Manzoni: Rs 8,000

Casual look

This is what demonstrates the blazer’s inherent versatility—the fact that it can be worn to great effect even in a casual setting. Wear it with that perennial casual uniform of a black T-shirt and blue jeans and you have a bona fide party look.

Cashmere Blazer from Pal Zileri: Rs 72,699
T-shirt from Tommy Hilfiger: Rs 990
Jeans from Tommy Hilfiger: Rs 4,500