The TF Style feature is new for us here at Technical Fowl, but we’re happy to kick it off like we would have a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
In my first quest to find something that blends boardroom and con floor, I found the Darth Vader blazer, an exclusive from the wonderful minds over at ThinkGeek. Officially Star Wars licensed, this blazer will make you hear the Imperial March in your head with every step you take. Having been such a person to have blared this tune from my office while summoning my people in for their performance evaluations, this was instantly a wardrobe item that was right up my alley. It pays homage to a character that really knew how to make an entrance – one who found others’ lack of faith disturbing. One who entered a room with some serious force.
So even if you’re not traveling with imperial guards in tow, the Darth Vader blazer is definitely one to check out.
The first thing you notice is the satin finish lapel, which is something I only see on my tuxedos (yes mine and plural), so it did have a bit of an extra fancy feel to it. There are more cut-and-sew satin accents on the shoulders to match, mimicking the top part of Lord Vader’s suit, with his light panel embroidered on the left chest pocket in red and blue. The subtle design definitely lets you show your geek colors without being in a full out head to toe cosplay, and is light enough to wear from fall through spring. Unlike my tuxedos, this jacket features a single vent, and the 2-button design is accented with 3-button sleeve cuffs. As far as utility, there are two inside breast pockets as well as two exterior flap pockets, so there’s plenty of space for my phone, shades, cash, and cards should I be conducting some business. The exterior flap pockets also have a satin lining along the top to match the rest of the jacket and the flaps are narrow enough to fold into the pockets. This is something I’m really glad for because some jackets don’t have that, and flapless pockets are a great casual look.
As they say though, “the Darth is in the details,” and…
Wait. Is that right?
You know what? It is today.
The designers really paid attention to those details while putting this piece together. The lining inside the jacket is silver and grey and the sharp-eyed and well-memoried will immediately recognize that it matches the lighting pattern inside the Death Star. The buttons themselves aren’t standard issue either but are instead Imperial cog symbols – great accents that put you in just the perfect mindset to deal with rebel scum.
What’s really nice about this is how well it works with multiple options underneath. I traditionally like wearing blazers on graphic t-shirts, but given the styling of this blazer, even wearing it on a plain shirt works really well. And of course, the corporate standard shirt and tie really makes you feel like the Senior Vice President of the Dark Side himself.
I normally wear a large and was test driving a large for fair comparison. For fit, wearing this on just a t shirt was great – it felt just loose enough and the top button was able to be closed without issue true to its sizing. With a couple layers on though, the top button was just a bit tight to close. Granted, it can be said that I am built like a barrel so for most guys who are more traditionally proportioned this won’t cause any issue. To athletes or guys that have bigger builds though, you may want to size up one. The jacket’s available from small through 3X so there should be a size to cover most men.
This by no measure means that I won’t wear it though. It is still very comfortable and works perfectly well unbuttoned. Even if with layers it’s a bit snug to button, this isn’t a slim fit, so if that’s what you’re used to you may find the arm holes cut a bit too low and loose.
Overall this is a comfortable blazer that would be a great fun add to your wardrobe. You can pick it up at ThinkGeek for $119.99 here. It also comes in a ladies’ cut so that dark side feel is available to all.
You know how it goes – villains always have the cooler threads. Never underestimate the power of the dark side.
