5.11 Formalwear?
I was intrigued when I saw 5.11 Tactical announce their blazer, the Founder’s Jacket, at SHOT Show last year (2024). The company has made dramatic improvements in its discreet clothing over the past few years. So, I was curious to see the approach to this menswear staple.
Since they’d already asked for my opinions on some of their other offerings, I took the opportunity to see if they’d send me the blazer as well.
As I was unpacking one of the packages, I was pleasantly surprised to discover one at the bottom of the box.1
Initial Impressions
There are a couple of companies already making sports jackets out of performance fabrics. They are mostly tailored to the road warrior consultant types that are constantly traveling on and off airplanes, in and out of Ubers, and very well, may go straight from the airport to a business meeting.
There are a few indicators that suggest the 5.11 Founder’s Jacket was built at the request of some DC-based (or adjacent) institution of armed professionals.
The design is very well thought out and executed. There is more storage space than in a traditional sports jacket, yet they still maintain a clean silhouette.
Fabric
This jacket feels great. The 89% Polyester & 11% Elastane shell is insanely comfortable, almost like loungewear. It also breathes well, stretches (obviously), liquid beads off it, and wrinkles fall out easily.
That elastane also gives the wearer the needed mobility to get a good, 2-handed firing grip without the jacket binding up in the shoulders. Previously, armed professionals would have to take their jackets to a tailor to have the sleeves removed, rotated forward, and reattached. This is similar to motorcycle jackets, which are constructed to accommodate an “arms forward” posture instead of arms at the sides.
Synthetic fabrics will retain odors over time more than natural ones. However, with an MSRP of $160, having a couple of these in the rotation isn’t unrealistic if someone is working under professional requirements.
Fit
The fabric offers stretch that allows the cut of the jacket to give a more tailored look, not the boxy “sacks suit” look. The Bravo Travel Blazer features a slightly tapered waist that accentuates the broadness of the wearer’s shoulders and highlights the masculine physique.
I’m not the biggest fan of single-vented jackets, but I can understand the design choice in this case. If the wearer is carrying on or behind the hip, inside or outside the waistband, side vents could get hung up on the grip of the pistol.
Function
When people think “5.11,” they think “pockets,” from their cargo pants to the operator vest, and this blazer is no exception.
It’s clear that this jacket was designed with duty use in mind, mostly due to the inclusion of comm routing at both shoulders.
The one “duty-oriented” feature I really appreciated was the “Utility Webbing” (elastic MOLLE) inside both chest panels of the jacket. These make great places to stash flat EDC items like a tourniquet and flashlight, freeing up pocket space.
In addition to the typical inside chest pocket where most of us keep our phone when wearing a jacket of this type, there are two additional interior “Drop Pockets” at the bottom of each front chest panel.
One might be inclined to keep their phone in that pocket instead, giving the hem of the jacket some weight, similar to the old trick of stitching weight into the lining to improve “hang time” for the draw.
On my last trip, I was able to keep everything in this jacket (phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses, etc.). So, I didn’t have to go through the ordeal of emptying my pockets going through security.
I love that 5.11 chose to label this as a “Travel Blazer” because that’s the perfect description of it. Without going too far down the rabbit hole, travel jackets are precisely that—intended to be worn while traveling. They’re not supposed to be super dressy or formal.
The decision not to include cuff buttons was an interesting design choice, but given the casual nature of the jacket, it’s not something that I’ll lose sleep over.
Final Thoughts
For those in the private sector, this fills a very specific niche. This would not be an appropriate jacket for weddings, funerals, job interviews, or any of the other traditional “suit and tie” situations. For the traveler who sees the benefit of donning a collared shirt and leather shoes instead of pajamas when they get on a plane, this is a welcomed addition.
For more information, please visit 511Tactical.com.
- Disclaimer: While the clothing used for this article was provided at no cost by 5.11 Tactical, there was no requirement or expectation of a positive review in exchange. ↩︎
