St.

So I am a carry-on only traveler who usually travels to hot climates which usually don't have air conditioning (if it matters both high and low humidity heat but if I can only choose one for whatever reason I travel to low humidity heat slightly more often). For most of the trip I can wear company issued technical polo shirts or short sleeve button downs like Icebreaker Departures. However, I am beginning to need a slightly more formal look (but not as formal as a suit) to wear for one day on the trip. So I am looking for recommendations for a sports coat/blazer that will handle travel and not kill me in hot temperatures.

So my requirements:

1) Must not kill me in 100F+/38C+ weather.

2) Must be able to avoid wrinkles as I am sometimes remote enough to not have electricity (for an iron), hot water (for a shower steam), or both.

3) Color and style flexible but leaning towards a classic style. In particular if it has to have a million pockets in order to get the wrinkle free properties, at least have the million pockets somewhere where people can't see them and I can ignore them.

4) I want to minimize how many clothes I pack (so no suit) and the sports coat/blazer must look good with the pants I pack (Bluffworks in Khaki and Gray). I only will wear it once so it can fit with either color.

5) This is something I would only wear ~6 times a year so I don't feel the need to have a high end budget. Lets say for a starting point, $200USD or less (on sale or regular price) with some flexibility if there is a "perfect" option just outside my budget.



And if you are fashionably inclined and want to suggest options to complete the look feel free. I am leaning towards a Wool and Prince oxford because it is merino wool and I have good experiences with merino wool in warm weather (I like the color of their red oxford but might wimp out to the classic light blue). Either no tie or a travel friendly bow-tie, depending on what looks best in the mirror. As mentioned above, Bluffworks in either Khaki or Gray as they are my go-to travel pants and I don't intend to pack a third pair. For shoes, in order to avoid traveling with a second pair something that can be versatile, maybe a brown leather chukka?

OnThePlaneAgain

This one is currently on clearance (supposedly $498 down to $249). I don't own it, so I can't tell you much more. I did just order one to see how it fits and if I like it.

Brooks Brothers Fitzgerald Fit Hopsack Blazer:

"Two-button blazer, made from wool, woven in Italy at Reda Mill. Open weave fabric is ideal for warmer weather. Crafted in our trimmer Fitzgerald fit, it features slimmer lines, narrower lapels and higher, hand-finished upper armholes. Half canvas. Half lined with novelty striping. Slanted interior pocket for mobile phone. Imitation buttonholes. Center vent. Dry clean. Imported."

Hoyaheel

This might not be a dressy enough option for you, but I just got my husband the Eddie Bauer Voyager II jacket and he LOVES it. It goes on sale fairly often too. I got it for just over $100 in late May when all the Travex clothing was on sale. It's a technical fabric not a natural fabric, which gives it a bit of a sheen. But of course - that helps it repel wrinkles as well. Early in the season it was available in a few colors - we bought the navy. There was a stone, and then the slate grey appears to be all that's left now.

http://www.eddiebauer.com/product/me...og10002_en__US

IsleOfMan

I've had pretty good luck with the Jos A Bank Tropical blend, and they're usually some of the first to go on clearance as well. It takes some effort to get wrinkles out of them, but also takes some effort to get them all that wrinkled in the first place.

Mellonc

You should look for fresco wool fabric. The link below is an example, though not in your price range. You should look for similar fabric....

http://www.sidmashburn.com/shop/tail...rn-blazer.html

TWA884

The Tilley City Travel Blazer gets good reviews.

Orvis has a similar jacket in its collection.

greycap7

You'll want something that is cotton and unlined. Those are your best bets. J Crew has a good sale going on, their Italian cotton blazer for under 150 with the coupon code.

https://www.jcrew.com/mens_category/...tsandvests.jsp

Drummer

I have one of these and like it a lot.
http://www.uniqlo.com/us/product/men...le/outerwear/~
It is extremely lightweight, and looks pretty good.

Hoyaheel

Saw that in a store over the weekend and while it looks good for the price, I'm glad I "splurged" on the Eddie Bauer version.

At the same time, I'm bummed I got a packable down coat a few years ago and this year's Uniqlo option has that same DRY coating on it to shed water

TPACjv

I second the uniqlo recommendation. The price to performance ratio is quite good. They have great blazer options in linen, cotton, and synthetic "dry" moisture wicking fabrics. I've got 2 of the synthetics and they hardly wrinkle and are comfortable in heat and humidity.

As always, ymmv, so get to the shops and start trying stuff on

=)

osamede

Massimo Dutti has on sale right now a linen blazer with cotton lining. Comes in beige and pale blue.

The think with the linen is if you keep it rolled up or packed tightly then at worst it will be slight rumpled at elbows etc but wont looked wrinkled per se. Also much more suitable to hot weather than wool.

I got one on sale for 59 Euro in Spain a week or two ago. Regular price is about 2 or 3 times that much.

pvn

Second the opinion on wool fresco. It's basically a wool mesh. It's open enough that air moves freely through it (you can see through it when you hold it up to the light but tight enough that it looks like a solid weave when you have it on.

I have an older brooks brothers model in navy that they apparently don't make anymore (but you should be able to find something similar), and it's fantastic for hot, humid climates. You can barely feel it, and it resists wrinkles much better than cotton.

Note that current brooks brothers designs (other than the "regent" fit) are cut a lot shorter than traditional menswear.

St.

As a followup:

I went with Uniqlo as they were running a sale at the time and I picked up the recommended blazer ($50) and a pink easy care shirt ($10). I figured even if they were terrible I could get a Jos A Banks or similar on season end clearance and still make it under my budget.

With the usual caveats of I just got it and haven't run them through the paces yet, the easy care shirt seems to be a no-brainier at the $10 I paid. Worst case scenario is it doesn't shrug off wrinkles enough to be used as a travel shirt and I use it for normal wear.

The jacket I am on the fence about. If it was something I would wear every week I would return it but I think for wearing it a handful of times a year it will be fine. It is certainly a slim fit, modern cut. I would almost say I needed to size up if it weren't for the fact that it fits my shoulders and arms as well as any off the rack blazer and the jacket specs claim to be right at my normal chest and waist size. There is no telltale x when I button the top button though I wonder if that is only because of the stretch material being more forgiving. It might motivate me to lose a couple of pounds for a better look and fit.

The pictures on the webpage show it being worn unbuttoned and I feel like it was made to wear that way despite the tradition to always have the top button of a jacket buttoned.

It is extremely lightweight and I could easily see how it would add no additional discomfort in hot climates. The material is very synthetic feeling though from normal viewing distance I don't think it looks any worse than any other jacket in the $100-200 price range.

tide

Thanks for the review. I am thinking of getting one myself. If I may ask, did you get the blazer in the same size as your Uniqlo shirt?