As we head in to Autumn, a blazer is a wardrobe essential that will smarten up your look with minimal effort.

Every man should own a blazer, whether you plan to wear it causally with jeans on a night out (a look that should be attempted with caution, as it can go from right to wrong in the blink of an eye) or you want to look smart for a day’s work in the office. If it's not something your normally wear, give it a try one day, even on your day off, and you'll notice how it not only alters your look but your confidence with it, and watch how people respond to that.

No matter the occasion, a blazer will be something that you wear again and again, so if you plan on getting one, you should set aside a good portion of your clothing budget for it. It can make an otherwise inexpensive outfit look like a million dollars, or, if done wrong, you’ll look like you’re wearing your dad’s clothes on a night out.

Thankfully, the Man Cave is here to help with a few suggestions for every budget, whether you’re on a spending spree or keeping a tight hold of your finances ahead of the Christmas period. Check out the gallery below for all the looks and pieces mentioned. 

The luxury item

Tom Ford

There's no doubting that the American designer is the man of choice for Hollywood A-listers when it comes to the red carpet, and if you've got eh budget, then putting his up market threads on your shoulders is the first option. However, as you may well be aware, the price tag is not going to be easy on the pocket with this checked number setting you back just over $1,600 (€1,250). We can dream, though...

Affluent but affordable

Hackett

The quintessentially British brand manages to capture all that is best about their rich heritage of fine tailoring and adds a touch of the contemporary to it with everything they do, from shirts to chinos, but when it comes to blazers we reserve a special place at the top of our wish list for a piece from Hackett every year.
It’s at the upper end of the budget range for high street, there’s no two ways around that, but it’s worth every penny, and when you invest in a piece like this, it’s going to occupy pride of place in your wardrobe for a long time, not to mention you’ll look for any excuse to wear it that you can.

One of this season’s trends is the check look, and as you might expect, there’s no shortage of it in most collections. Hackett have two particularly good ones that we’re fond of, the Scottish Check jacket and this Windowpane check pieces that will instantly get you noticed.

Hilfiger

For some reason, on these shores, Hilfiger has been associated (incorrectly) with bootcut jeans and plain shirts, and that’s something that they’ve been working hard to fight against. Their collections for this season once again bring the preppy and academic stylistic influences that the brand is based on to the forefront. We find ourselves repeating it often, but go for a fitted look, it will compliment your shape much more than something that’s baggy and shapeless or something that’s too tight.

The Butch TS Fitted blazer captures tones of grey and blue, and introduces brown and sandy tones in through the check pattern that make it that little bit different.

Bang for your buck

Marks and Spencer

If those price tags are a little too high for your budget, that doesn’t mean you can’t own a seriously great blazer. Marks & Spencer’s Collezione range features a number of pieces that should be on your wish list, and none more so than this check number. It’s made from wool and as a natural fabric that not only means that it’s breathable, but it’s one of the best fabrics for keeping you warm, even when it’s wet. Trust us, when you go for something artificial, it not only looks bad (not to mention cheap, no matter what you pay for it) but it will have you sweating like you wouldn’t believe. You don’t want that, in case that wasn’t obvious already.

Gagliardi

Another of our favourite menswear brands here in the Man Cave, Gagliardi always give you serious value for your budget. Quality European tailoring and the finest materials go in to everything that they make, and when it comes to blazers you have a world of options. If you want a statement piece then you can choose something brightly coloured that will inject some vibrancy in to your winter wardrobe (match with more neutral tones on the trousers to balance it out) while something like this brown Tattersall check is a timeless piece.

Our pick of the bunch when it is this blue dogstooth jacket that is still understated, whilst introducing an element of flair with the pattern. 

The wallet-friendly options

Pennys

Pennys have been upping their game on the style front for guys in a big way in the last few years, attempting to catch up with the huge selection they have on offer for women, and with the Autumn/Winter collection this year, they’ve introduced some genuine Harris Tweed, one of the most iconic brands around when it comes to producing that fabric. At €99 for the blazer, you’d be hard-pushed to beat that when it comes to value.

Zara

While some of Zara’s collection can be a bit more off the wall, they also mix in some pieces that are more traditional and classic the choice is yours. If you want something a bit brighter, then this tweed blazer with a multi-coloured speck in it will be right up your street while this combined tweed jacket is something a bit more down the usual route.

For something that can combine the two, this blue dotted number will add a bit of colour and a pattern to your blazer without being incredibly loud and too hard to coordinate with your other pieces. You can even add the matching waistcoat to complete the look.