Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer

Left: Jazz up a vintage jacket with a modern printed tee, fitted stone wash jeans, and stylish tennis shoes.   Right: Garth wears a deep grey pinstriped jacket, with purple striped wrist accents, and the same running down the collar, alongside the front zipper. It's not exactly a blazer, but it is trailblazing. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Blazers fashioned from velvet, the traditional gaberdine, some embellished with more than their fair share of 'bling', brocade on occasion, and so many more textures and fabrics, have taken their place in the wardrobes of Jamaican men as statement pieces, oftentimes paired with jeans, rather than the traditional dress pants.

The blazer is no longer restricted to the classic navy twill with brass buttons (leather inset at elbow), but has taken on a new dynamic and is now available in an array of colours, patterns and fabrics. From Earl 'Biggy' Turner's embellished and often-tattered designs to Carlton Brown's lavish velvet throw-backs, blazers are also being embraced by local designers as they put their spin on the classic sports jacket.

It is an attractive item of clothing because of its versatility. The appropriate design forms a part of the workplace attire. Swing a black blazer over a crisp button-down shirt and you are set for a semi-formal bash. The blazer can add a touch of sartorial elegance faster than you can say "sports jacket!"

More recently, the blazer has become an essential item in stylish casual wear for the fashion-conscious man. Paired with jeans or khakis in a relaxed setting, a blazer may become the defining piece in an outfit rather than a mere complementary piece.

Many have staked their claim on the return of the blazer as a fashionable item of clothing, but regardless of who initiated the trend, Jamaican men, both young and old, have embraced the blazer- with-jeans paradigm as a part of their regular casual wear.

Model, Garth Williams. Outfits available at Shimmer, Milbrook Plaza, 121¹/² Constant Spring Road.

Left: An unconventional blazer paired with a T-shirt and jeans. Outfits by Mossiah.  Right: Sling a fitted blazer over your vest and buttoned down shirt, and you can go from the office a Friday evening lyme faster that you can say 'stylin'! - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer