The Sportcoat: Concerts, Dinner and Everything in Between

I’ve always believed a great sportcoat is one of the most versatile pieces a man can own. You can wear it with jeans, with trousers, with a t-shirt, with a button-down, with loafers, with boots, and with sneakers – my personal favorite.

It can make you look polished. It can make you look relaxed. It can make you look intentional.

That’s a pretty special piece of clothing.

Not Just for Work
I think a lot of guys still think sportcoats are just for work or for dressy occasions. But that’s never how I’ve worn them.

I wear sportcoats to dinner. I wear them when I travel. I wear them out at night. I wear them to concerts. Especially to concerts.

There’s something about wearing a great sportcoat with denim and a great shirt to a concert that just feels right. It’s put together, but not stiff. It stands out, but it doesn’t look like you’re trying too hard.

It’s the right amount of dressed up and dressed down at the same time.

Fabric Is Everything
What really separates a great sportcoat from an average one is the fabric.

The best sportcoats are the ones where you notice the fabric first—the texture, the pattern, the way the colors work together. Sometimes it’s a bold pattern, sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes it’s a beautiful neutral with just a little bit of interest when you get up close.

That’s why I’m so particular about the sportcoats we carry at Herschede.

Why Byron and Jack Victor
The two sportcoat lines I carry the most of in the store are Byron and Jack Victor, and there’s a reason for that.

Both of those companies do an incredible job with fabrics, patterns, and construction. The attention to detail is there. The fabrics are interesting without being costume-y. The fit is comfortable. And the value for what you get is outstanding.

You can put one on and immediately feel the difference.

And more importantly, you’ll actually want to wear it.

If You’ve Never Been a Sportcoat Guy
A lot of guys come into the store and say, “I’m not really a sportcoat guy.”

I usually tell them the same thing: you just haven’t found the right one yet.

Because when you find the right sportcoat—the right fabric, the right fit, the right feel—it changes the way you look and the way you feel when you walk into a room.

It gives you a little presence. A little confidence.

And like most things in style, once you get comfortable in it, you start to wonder why you didn’t start wearing one sooner.

— Eric