Hip Sport Jacket/Blazer in Manhattan
August 7, 2013 10:25 AM Subscribe
Can anyone recommend a place in Manhattan to buy a hip sport jacket/blazer?
I don't want a frumpy jacket that makes me look like a dentist on holiday, but I also don't want a super skinny/shiny Italian number appropriate for disco dancing on Ibiza. In other words: hip without being totally embarrassing for a middle-aged dude (harder to find than you'd think!)
I don't want a frumpy jacket that makes me look like a dentist on holiday, but I also don't want a super skinny/shiny Italian number appropriate for disco dancing on Ibiza. In other words: hip without being totally embarrassing for a middle-aged dude (harder to find than you'd think!)
Although keep in mind Uniqlo stuff looks really nice, but a $70 blazer isn't built to last. They had a line called J+ of more upscale stuff, but I haven't seen it in a while.
posted by griphus at 10:38 AM on August 7, 2013
posted by griphus at 10:38 AM on August 7, 2013
Have you tried Barneys? I've gotten a really amazing deconstructed Paul Smith light flannel jacket there, and a sort of seersucker number by maybe Rag and Bone (I can't remember), both of which are great and were on super sale. I picked up a nice Façonnable jacket at Bloomingdale's this spring for a song. I buy a lot of jackets, though I get so hot I rarely wear them.
Uniqlo, per Griph, particularly if they still do the Jil Sander collaboration (that was the J+ thing). That might be over. I have one of those hanging up in my office--just a simple black jacket, but surprisingly well made.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:40 AM on August 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Uniqlo, per Griph, particularly if they still do the Jil Sander collaboration (that was the J+ thing). That might be over. I have one of those hanging up in my office--just a simple black jacket, but surprisingly well made.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:40 AM on August 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
I've been happy with the offerings of Century 21, as they accommodate all sorts of styles. For a little hipper without the overt slim-tiny hipster look, check out Ted Baker in SoHo or the Paul Smith Sale Shop in Brooklyn. Ben Sherman, also in SoHo has similar styles while being less expensive than the other two, but might be a bit too slim, hipsterish.
posted by deanc at 10:42 AM on August 7, 2013
posted by deanc at 10:42 AM on August 7, 2013
Response by poster: Geez, amiral, those sound great. I have to see when the next Barney's super sale is.
I get hot, too. It's a problem. One solution is to wear it with just a t-shirt, but I'm afraid of looking too 80's.....
griphus, I kind of like the idea of disposable jackets. The only problem is that if I find one I actually like, I'd want to wear it a lot, and for a long time!
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:43 AM on August 7, 2013
I get hot, too. It's a problem. One solution is to wear it with just a t-shirt, but I'm afraid of looking too 80's.....
griphus, I kind of like the idea of disposable jackets. The only problem is that if I find one I actually like, I'd want to wear it a lot, and for a long time!
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:43 AM on August 7, 2013
Response by poster: deanc, Thanks. Of course, if I could lose 30 pounds, I'd be much less scornful of skinny jackets....
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:44 AM on August 7, 2013
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:44 AM on August 7, 2013
The Nordstrom Rack in Union Square carries a lot of Ben Sherman stuff. Might be worth checking out, even if it is a bit slim-cut.
posted by bedhead at 10:47 AM on August 7, 2013
posted by bedhead at 10:47 AM on August 7, 2013
If you see something at Uniqlo you like, buy two or three sets of it then and there. It'd be roughly the same price as you'd pay for the same article of clothing in good quality. They do limited runs all the time -- the J+ thing as Haddock notes was one of them -- and except for jeans, there's no guarantee a thing you see there will ever surface again.
(And as long as you're in there, pick up a pair of the AIRism underwear because they are incredible.)
posted by griphus at 10:47 AM on August 7, 2013
(And as long as you're in there, pick up a pair of the AIRism underwear because they are incredible.)
posted by griphus at 10:47 AM on August 7, 2013
Original Penguin?
This is a Zappos link but I know they have at least one brick and mortar in the city.
posted by sweetkid at 10:47 AM on August 7, 2013
This is a Zappos link but I know they have at least one brick and mortar in the city.
posted by sweetkid at 10:47 AM on August 7, 2013
Response by poster: "Original Penguin?"
I like the chambray, but the tropical wool looks like what Adam Sandler wore in The Wedding Singer!
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:50 AM on August 7, 2013
I like the chambray, but the tropical wool looks like what Adam Sandler wore in The Wedding Singer!
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:50 AM on August 7, 2013
How much do you want to spend? I saw this sportcoat at Nordstrom a couple days ago, and was too expensive for me, but it looked really nice.
posted by deanc at 10:52 AM on August 7, 2013
posted by deanc at 10:52 AM on August 7, 2013
Response by poster: Damn that's nice, deanc. And just what I'm looking for (though, yeah, real pricey....no more than Barney's sale items, though). Looks like you've got to be pretty thin to pull it off, though. But I'll definitely try it on.
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:55 AM on August 7, 2013
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:55 AM on August 7, 2013
Best answer: Club Monaco is actually doing really nice-looking men's stuff these days -- not truly well-made, but a couple notches up from Uniqlo in terms of quality.
If you're out poking around, it's always worthwhile to look at the high-end consignment stuff at Ina Men.
posted by neroli at 10:58 AM on August 7, 2013
If you're out poking around, it's always worthwhile to look at the high-end consignment stuff at Ina Men.
posted by neroli at 10:58 AM on August 7, 2013
Response by poster: The Nordstrum coat just sold on ebay last week for $104!
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:58 AM on August 7, 2013
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:58 AM on August 7, 2013
I should also say that Saks has incredible sale racks sometimes. Can you get to one of their Off 5th outlets? Sometimes the deals are amazing.
And don't be too sure about Barneys sale prices... I think I got that Paul Smith jacket for less than $100, marked down from somewhere between $1500-$2000! I will never, ever, get a better deal than that on anything, anywhere. But a lot is less than that $500 Nordstrom jacket.
I've never gotten a great deal at Loehmans, but YMMV.
On the other end of the spectrum, I've gotten a fun jacket or two at H&M. They don't look or fit great, but if you're going to a party on the beach or something, it's fine.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:00 AM on August 7, 2013
And don't be too sure about Barneys sale prices... I think I got that Paul Smith jacket for less than $100, marked down from somewhere between $1500-$2000! I will never, ever, get a better deal than that on anything, anywhere. But a lot is less than that $500 Nordstrom jacket.
I've never gotten a great deal at Loehmans, but YMMV.
On the other end of the spectrum, I've gotten a fun jacket or two at H&M. They don't look or fit great, but if you're going to a party on the beach or something, it's fine.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:00 AM on August 7, 2013
Seize Sur Vingt is nice. They have a sample sale going on right now, but I'm not sure about their supply of jackets.
posted by Shebear at 11:21 AM on August 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Shebear at 11:21 AM on August 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
I think Frank Stella might be a good place to start. They aim for the market niche you describe, which includes me.
Also, Paul Stewart and Ted Baker. I have a couple of Ted Baker sports jackets which I bought at Frank Stella that I get a lot of compliments on.
posted by overhauser at 11:27 AM on August 7, 2013
Also, Paul Stewart and Ted Baker. I have a couple of Ted Baker sports jackets which I bought at Frank Stella that I get a lot of compliments on.
posted by overhauser at 11:27 AM on August 7, 2013
This is going to sound weird but I got a bunch of really great, slim-cut sport coats at Macy's for $30-40 last week (caveat: i'm in LA)... it might be worth a shot.
posted by raihan_ at 11:30 AM on August 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by raihan_ at 11:30 AM on August 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Walk through the men's department at Bloomingdales, and perhaps seek assistance from a sales assistant. They will be happy to help you find what you are looking for.
posted by greta simone at 1:12 PM on August 7, 2013
posted by greta simone at 1:12 PM on August 7, 2013
Response by poster: For the sake of future people browsing this thread, some observations. I need to note that I really appreciate everyone's feedback, and it was interesting to try all these places. I see why certain places would be right for certain people! So no hard feelings, all...I'm obviously tough to please, so don't take it personally.....
Uniqlo: Ikea for clothes. In all the good ways and all the bad ways. I half expected the items to have Swedish names.
Original Penguin: more expensive cheap crap. The XL size jackets were so skimpy on me I was ready to hightail it out to a Big & Tall Man shop (I'm 6 feet and 200 lbs....not slender, but, geez, no Chris Christie).
Seize Sur Vingt: One of those little Soho stores with a small but gem-like array of pricey things. Only problem is they're not gems. Very ordinary stuff.
Ted Baker: There are people who blithely expect to pay $650 for a new jacket. They can go to Ted Baker, and, yep, they've got lots of $650 jackets. Nice, and nicely tailored. But for that price, I want to say "wow", and this is not a place for "wow", it's just a place to drop $650 on a nice jacket. Except......they all have this horrible obtrusive logo sewn in. Ugh.
Macy's: Stuff so unhip it sucked the hipness out of me just being there. These are the sports jackets your uncle, the dentist, wears for prime rib night at the second best steakhouse in some suburban hell. Not quite navy blue numbers with nautical buttons, but close to it. Good sale prices, though. Probably even better on triple coupon days or whatever.
Ina Men (upscale consignment): killer quality and prices. But the store's tiny, which is the wrong biz model. There are only like 3-4 jackets, total, for any given size. It's similar odds to a roulette wheel. I fell in love with a $130 Prada cotton jacket, but it was one size too small. Dammit.
I walked over to Prada, hoping for a sale. Found a similar jacket for over $2000. I guess that's what it takes. Welcome to frickin' America.
I retain my conclusion that all affordable men's sports jackets are either:
1. Snide skimpy shiny little hipster numbers
2. Cheap formless cottony clouds vaguely recalling Miami Vice, and
3. Dentist-ware
I will try Barney's and the rest, later.
posted by Quisp Lover at 7:44 PM on August 13, 2013
Uniqlo: Ikea for clothes. In all the good ways and all the bad ways. I half expected the items to have Swedish names.
Original Penguin: more expensive cheap crap. The XL size jackets were so skimpy on me I was ready to hightail it out to a Big & Tall Man shop (I'm 6 feet and 200 lbs....not slender, but, geez, no Chris Christie).
Seize Sur Vingt: One of those little Soho stores with a small but gem-like array of pricey things. Only problem is they're not gems. Very ordinary stuff.
Ted Baker: There are people who blithely expect to pay $650 for a new jacket. They can go to Ted Baker, and, yep, they've got lots of $650 jackets. Nice, and nicely tailored. But for that price, I want to say "wow", and this is not a place for "wow", it's just a place to drop $650 on a nice jacket. Except......they all have this horrible obtrusive logo sewn in. Ugh.
Macy's: Stuff so unhip it sucked the hipness out of me just being there. These are the sports jackets your uncle, the dentist, wears for prime rib night at the second best steakhouse in some suburban hell. Not quite navy blue numbers with nautical buttons, but close to it. Good sale prices, though. Probably even better on triple coupon days or whatever.
Ina Men (upscale consignment): killer quality and prices. But the store's tiny, which is the wrong biz model. There are only like 3-4 jackets, total, for any given size. It's similar odds to a roulette wheel. I fell in love with a $130 Prada cotton jacket, but it was one size too small. Dammit.
I walked over to Prada, hoping for a sale. Found a similar jacket for over $2000. I guess that's what it takes. Welcome to frickin' America.
I retain my conclusion that all affordable men's sports jackets are either:
1. Snide skimpy shiny little hipster numbers
2. Cheap formless cottony clouds vaguely recalling Miami Vice, and
3. Dentist-ware
I will try Barney's and the rest, later.
posted by Quisp Lover at 7:44 PM on August 13, 2013
You asked for "hip but not too hip" and shot everyone down in turn...go to Paul Smith or Rag and Bome and be done with it, scour menswear blogs and buy your Prada, but otherwise don't leave your quippy takedowns for each and every person suggesting advice for you. Not great AskMe etiquette sir.
posted by sweetkid at 8:54 PM on August 13, 2013
posted by sweetkid at 8:54 PM on August 13, 2013
Response by poster: We're here to advise and inform each other. My effort to give back to the thread by reporting my own experience strikes me as actually the best possible etiquette. When I use this site to research stuff, I appreciate diverse opinions. The resource is not helped if people withhold dissent.
Someday someone will stumble across this thread and see lots of helpful suggestions AND a report of how it actually worked out for me (and I don't imagine my opinion supersedes anyone else's...I'm just another opiner here). That's just more data points. And more data points is good.
I strenuously object to your claim that I left "quippy takedowns for each and every person". I did no such thing. I left quippy takedowns for THE VENUES. As I was careful to note, I really appreciated everyone taking time to post. But I see things differently. Why would you be offended that we happen to have different taste? It certainly doesn't bother me. I'm sure there's other stuff we totally agree on. Clothing's a personal thing, no?
Note that I'm assuming you don't actually work for Original Penguin. If you did, that would certainly explain why you'd take my criticism of their garments so personally.
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:07 PM on August 13, 2013
Someday someone will stumble across this thread and see lots of helpful suggestions AND a report of how it actually worked out for me (and I don't imagine my opinion supersedes anyone else's...I'm just another opiner here). That's just more data points. And more data points is good.
I strenuously object to your claim that I left "quippy takedowns for each and every person". I did no such thing. I left quippy takedowns for THE VENUES. As I was careful to note, I really appreciated everyone taking time to post. But I see things differently. Why would you be offended that we happen to have different taste? It certainly doesn't bother me. I'm sure there's other stuff we totally agree on. Clothing's a personal thing, no?
Note that I'm assuming you don't actually work for Original Penguin. If you did, that would certainly explain why you'd take my criticism of their garments so personally.
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:07 PM on August 13, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Quisp Lover at 10:35 AM on August 7, 2013