Defining Different Types of Coats

I received this question from a reader:

What’s the difference between a blazer, sport coat, and my suit coat?

This is what I shared with them:

To define the different types of coats, it’s easiest to look at their traditional usage.

• A blazer comes from navy traditions. It typically has patch pockets on the outside and metallic buttons, both on the front and on the coat sleeves. Dark colors are common, with navy blue predominating.
• A sport coat comes from country living in England (particularly hunting), and is often made of twilled cotton or tweed. Sport coats tend to include rustic shades of brown, but may include a variety of colors.
• A suit coat is made of wool and is more formal than the other two. Although naturally it matches your suit’s trousers, many suit coats can also be coordinated with other dressy trousers. Suit coats come in a variety of colors; traditional choices are gray, dark blue, or tan.