The reefer jacket is also called boating blazer or naval blazer, and it’s a typical British English style elegant suit. This is used mainly for special or sporty occasions, and recently has become a commonly worn item also in the United States. It has surprisingly become a key-fashion suit mainly worn for business casual and also for informal business occasions.
Reefer Jacket History
The creation of the reefer jacket was influenced by the British naval uniform, so one of it’s main colors is in fact generally navy blue. However, there are some associations, such as the Rifle Association which wear military green ones.
The original reefer jacket is a double breasted short jacket, which was in use mostly by sailors, because it gave great resistance against the harsh weather conditions. Another forms of the classic reefer jacket tailoring can be seen on today’s naval and airlines male uniforms.
Reefer Jacket Style
The style which came from reefer jacket and worn today as a double breasted suit is rather called blazer or boating blazer also influenced by the British college school uniform jackets as for the ones used in the boat clubs, also worn for the college boat competitions, for example the world famous traditional Oxford-Cambridge competition, held yearly in Great Britain.
The blazer style of the reefer jacket was originally tailored with black buttons made of horn, then these horn buttons have been finally changed by the metallic ones. There are usually higher number of cuff links on a reefer jacket or boating blazer, normally around 4 per arm. It’s unique feature includes having a badge on the breast pocket which is the common feature of all reefer jackets. Badges can be wire badge or with regimental buttons.
Today there are two styles of the reefer jacket or boat blazer: there is a double breasted style and also there is a single breasted tailoring in use.