THE
BLACK
BLUE
TAN
OR
BLAZER W H AT C A N I T E L L Y O U A B O U T A B L A Z E R T H AT Y O U D O N ’ T A L R E A D Y K N O W ? T H E N U A N C E S
W I L L S U R P R I S E Y O U . G I V E N A C C E S S T O T H E L A R R I M O R ’ S D R E A M T E A M O F FA S H I O N , L E D B Y C A R L S L E S I N G E R , H E R E ’ S W H AT I L E A R N E D A B O U T T H I S S P R I N G ’ S U LT I M AT E P I E C E O F MENSWEAR. THE BLAZER. FIND OUT WHY BLAZERS ARE THE EPITOME OF ANY MAN’S WA R D R O B E A N D W H Y O N E I S N E V E R E N O U G H .
B Y
C A L L Y
J A M I S
V E N N A R E
THERE IS A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN A SPORT COAT AND
weave providing year-round comfort. Or Trofeo – a high performance
A BLAZER. The blazer, quite simply, is the epitome of a man’s cross-over
fabric that’s a Zegna trademark. There are pure wool and pure
wardrobe from suits to sportswear. And it can be many things. Most
cashmere varieties in every size. All are available in navy or black.
people envision a navy blue jacket. Period. The structured, sartorial
LARRIMOR’S HAS BLAZERS IN 2 OR 3 BUTTON MODELS. Choose pewter,
garment. But there is so much more. In actuality, a blazer can be black,
enamel or logo buttons. Side or center vented. Versatile inside pock-
green or red. And in spring or summer, it can be natural or tan in color.
ets for pens, passports, wallets, cell phones or keys. And beautiful
A blazer can have an organized neat pattern, like herringbone or bas-
silk linings that add that certain “panache.” “You know... with most
ket weave, but is always a solid color. And it can be as formal as a suit
men,” remarks Larrimor’s Tim Seabolt, “you don’t discover their wild
when you accessorize it with furnishings like dark grey trousers. Add
side... until you know them on the inside.”
a dress shirt with French cuffs. An elegant tie and a pocket square.
The finishing touches extend to the “furnishings”. You drive the fash-
Take a moment to visualize it. You immediately get the idea.
ion perspective through accessories. We begin with ties. This spring
Now Carl gets a certain gleam in his eye. More details follow. “There
Larrimor’s is revealing a selection of print ties with beautifully silk-
are blazers that are sartorial in construction, with a solid, full canvas
screened patterns in soft – but not subtle – metallic colors like silver,
chest. Or there are blazers with very soft con-
light beige and gray.
struction, almost like a sweater jacket.” I am
The look can change even more dramatically
asked to imagine the feeling of very little pad-
with your selection of shirt. Tim brings in sev-
ding in the shoulder and a distinct softness in
eral samples to illustrate the point. They are all
the chest. More like a sweater than a suit coat.
beautifully tailored with stripes of all sizes and
Larrimor’s sells both styles of course. In Carl’s
colors. “Look at these shirts. There are fine or
words, “We don’t see a difference. It’s all in the
bold striped shirts, with or without French cuffs,”
way we create a total look for our customers.
adds Tim. “There are fly front [hidden buttons]
How ever they want to feel. How ever they want
or the convention button front. In colors that
to be transformed. How ever they want to be
perfectly accent your tie of choice. Of course.”
dressed for a particular audience. Customer or
LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THERE ARE
prospective customer. In Pittsburgh, London,
THE TROUSERS. Available in simple, under-
New York or Tokyo. It’s a look that can be as
stated patterns with a corded effect. Richly
formal or as casual as the occasion demands.
textured tropical wool (lightweight for year-
That’s the versatility of a great blazer... and
round wear) and lighter casual cotton are the
that’s why one is never enough.”
fabrics for spring. Plain front trousers provide
LET’S TALK MORE ABOUT OPTIONS. BLAZER
a cleaner, trimmer – not tighter – look. New ad-
OPTIONS THAT IS. Larrimor’s spring lines are
vances in technology create fabrics with natu-
from Burberry, Hickey Freeman, Ermenegildo
ral stretch, for better day-to-day wear, as well
Zegna, Oxxford and Brioni. They range in price
as non-wrinkle and stain-resistant benefits.
from $795 to $3545. Carl is excited about Zegna, in particular.
Two hours have passed. I’ve seen dozens of blazers and accessories. The
“Zegna has developed a new fabric that we are quite excited about
possibilities are endless, and that’s the core message. The most impor-
for this spring. It has the texture of a sweater, but looks more like a
tant tailored clothing item a man can own, after a good business suit, is
tailored sport coat. You can wear it year-round. And it travels beauti-
a navy or black blazer. It is the basis of a man’s dressy to casual ward-
fully. It’s available in black.”
robe. And you can put it together in different ways. It’s not cookie cut-
A RANGE OF FABRICS ENSURES A CUSTOMIZED LOOK AND FEEL.
ter. That’s what Larrimor’s can offer its clientele. We don’t try to tell
You can opt for versatile fabrics like Serge – an even-sided twill
you what to wear, but we know our customers. We’re like an old friend.