Q. I prefer a conservative look, and I have a navy blue blazer that is exceptional. However, it has brass buttons that make me feel like Thurston Howell. How much difference in dressiness does ...

Q My uncle gave me his blue blazer. I really like the fit, but something about the brass buttons seems out of place. Do you think I'll ruin the look if I replace the buttons? A Some men like the ...

Buttons of a brass or golden hue are traditional with blazers, and they are perfectly acceptable. But American men tend to consider the blazer more formal than it is. It is not a substitute for a ...

brass buttons - entered standard parlance by the turn of the century. A blazer, then, is simply a reefer in a lighter fabric. Both are worthy of a rank or file in your wardrobe, but because the ...