Summer jackets 8: Hardy Amies

The final two of my spring and summer jackets features will look at a brace of contemporary labels, one British and one Italian. You will be able to read about Brunello Cucinelli in the next post, but today I focus on what has become a classic British label, Hardy Amies.

Indigo linen fine weave single breasted jacket by Hardy Amies £595
Shirt, Milton Green

We received three jackets from Hardy Amies for our summer jackets and blazers feature. The brand that needs no introduction at all, other than to say that the cool tailoring, beautiful construction and gorgeous fabrics made these a delight. 

The indigo fine weave linen jacket (above) was crisp, lightweight and sharp; the two chevron linen double-breasted jackets (below) with peak lapels were soft, cool, comfortable and fun to wear. I'd sum up as describing them as classic yet very contemporary.

Yolk linen chevron double breasted jacket by Hardy Amies £595
Pocket square, Age of Reason

Grey linen chevron double breasted jacket by Hardy Amies (right) £650
Shirt, Thomas Pink
Pocket square, Deji George

Suppliers
Hardy Amies
Milton Green
Thomas Pink
Age of Reason
Deji George

With infinite thanks to:

Styling - SartoriaLab

Photography - Nick Maroudias

This feature is not sponsored.

Summer jackets 7: Two from Thomas Pink

Thomas Pink not only sent us two summer blazers to try, they also sent some very stylish shirts which were ideal for summer. They have an impressively stylish range of menswear, from suits, shirts and blazers to accessories such as underwear, ties, cuff links and belts. 

These jackets were well-made, cool and comfortable; the navy blue Breakspeare was slightly more formal in cut than the casual cotton of the pale green Hepper jacket. We loved the slub silk navy and cream silk scarf from Marwood, perfect for cooler spring and summer days and evenings. Suppliers' details below.

Thomas Pink Breakspeare linen jacket £425
Thomas Pink shirt

Thomas Pink Hepper cotton jacket £295
Navy & cream slub silk scarf Marwood
Shirt Thomas Pink

Suppliers

Thomas Pink

Marwood

With many thanks to:
Shaun Cole

Styling - SartoriaLab

Photography - Nick Maroudias

Summer Jackets 6: Two from Oliver Sweeney

Oliver Sweeney is in my good books. Its use of an older model for the current spring/summer advertising campaign shows a creative, confident and cool approach to menswear. This is a brand that sees its clothes on men of whatever age and is not afraid to be open about that. I like its products and attitude and urge you to support them.

Oliver Sweeney Beaumont Redwood cotton blazer £295
Shirt, Dundas
Chinos, Spoke London
Egyptian cotton summer socks, Pantherella
Shoes, Cheaney

We were sent two jackets to try for this feature. A neatly-tailored cotton unlined blazer and a navy water-repellant cotton and polyacetate cycling jacket with reflective trim, action back and a number of details such as an attachment for a bike light; ideal for that ride across town for a meeting. Both were nicely-made and well-designed.

Try Oliver Sweeney's new store in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London if you are visiting the capital. There's much to see, enhanced by delights like a bar, interesting collaborations and a display of vintage watches for sale.

Oliver Sweeney Langton navy cycle jacket £295
Jeans Made in England, Quantock
Trainers Made in England, Norman Walsh
Socks, Pantherella

Cycle jacket back detail

Suppliers

Oliver Sweeney
Dundas Shirts

Spoke London

Pantherella

Cheaney

Quantock

Norman Walsh

With infinite thanks to:

Styling - SartoriaLab

Photography - Nick Maroudias

This feature is not sponsored.

Summer jackets 5: linen blazer from award-winning Without Prejudice Menswear

Without Prejuduce. No, this isn't a letter from a firm of lawyers. Without Prejudice Menswear manufactures stylish and quality menswear in Europe. A few weeks ago they showed me round their collection, which is an impressive mix of styles suitable for all ages of man, from business suits, casual jackets and blazers to shirts, ties and pocket squares. Here I feature one of their summer jackets.

Linen jacket Without Prejudice
Shirt & pocket square Tripl Stitched
Jeans Quantock

This linen jacket is cut slightly on the short side, although not too short for my tastes. It has an action back, neatly-detailed buttons and lining and pockets are well-finished. With its patch pockets and sporty style, this is the closest to what I would define as a genuine blazer of all the jackets I feature this week. The bright pale blue linen is good quality, looking nicely crumpled but not cheap. It is half-lined, making it cool to wear on hot days.

I was able to preview this jacket, which will be available soon on the Without Prejudice website and at stockists later in May.

Without Prejudice started small in North West London and is now stocked in many countries around the world and in various shops around the UK, or you can buy online (details below). Their success was recognised when they won Drapers Menswear Brand of the Year Award in 2014 (Drapers is a professional journal for the industry).

They pride themselves on their customer care and are a lovely bunch of people, so give them a try.

Suppliers

Without Prejudice

Tripl Stitched

Quantock Clothing

I was given this jacket by Without Prejudice before this feature was planned. 

Personal styling, Sarah Gilfillan, SartoriaLab

Photography, Nick Maroudias

Summer jackets 2: Marks & Spencer - one budget, one made in Britain

As ever, Marks & Spencer gave us an interesting selection of summer jackets to choose from. We tried one that is the lowest price of all the jackets we tried for this feature and one that is made in Britain as part of their excellent Best of British collection.

M&S Collection slim-fit cotton jacket £69
Shirt Tripl Stitched
Pocket square Age of Reason Scarves

Both jackets are comfortable and well-made. They represent good value and, in the case of the second jacket, give access to British manufacture and a luxurious silk/linen blend at a reasonable price.

Many of our accessories are made in Britain as well. The lace pocket square From Marwood is a thing of exquisite beauty and the Liberty print shirt is for the man who likes to express his personality. Age of Reason pocket squares and Tripl Stitched shirts are personal favourites of mine. A list of suppliers and links is provided below.

I will be featuring summer jackets all this week, so please call back.

Linen/silk blend Best of British collection at M&S £299
Liberty print shirt from Susannah Hall, Tailors
Pocket square, Marwood

Suppliers -

Marks & Spencer

Tripl Stitched

Age of Reason Scarves

Susannah Hall, Tailors

Marwood

Photography - Nick Maroudias

Styling - Sarah Gilfillan, personal stylist of Sartoria Lab

With thanks to Shaun Cole, Course Director at London College of Fashion for modelling for this post.

This feature was not sponsored.

Style for the older man: the unstructured jacket & the rise of smart comfortable wear

The rise of British manufacture has revived skills which are bringing shapes and styles to menswear which have roots in a long heritage. Tailoring has long British traditions in producing formal suits, jackets, blazers. These are all structured garments with lining, internal canvas pieces and a construction that makes them formal and shaped in appearance.

Older man style: an unstructured jacket allows me to wear a suit, but feel comfortable, as if in jumper and jeans

But another style of jacket has been revived in the last few years. It's unstructured, unlined or semi-lined, and comfortable, with soft shoulders, patch pockets and even (as mine above) shirt-style cuffs. It's generally cheaper than a tailored jacket because it has its roots in the working coats that used to be turned out for engine drivers, bus conductors, mechanics, road repair and factory workers.

Workers needed to wear a garment that was cheap to produce and allowed freedom of movement while looking reasonably smart (this was a time when men, however humble, still took pride in their appearance). These characteristics are exactly what younger, middle-aged or older men are now looking for in their search for smart but comfortable casual wear.

The rise in popularity of this style coincides with the deformalisation (if that's a word) of menswear. Men now wear suits for both semi-formal and casual wear, encouraged by the comfort that an unstructured jacket brings. I find I now throw on my Oliver Spencer linen/cotton mix suit (pictured above), with its unlined jacket, as readily as I might a cotton jumper and pair of chinos - and I feel just as relaxed. 

Such styles are available from many menswear labels that design and/or manufacture in the UK including -

Old Town
Tender
Private White V.C.
S.E.H. Kelly 
Albam 
Cro'jack
Universal Works
Oliver Spencer and others.

Try them and you'll find a coat jacket that's immediately comfortable. The tailoring won't be as sharp or the fit as snappy as a structured and lined tailored jacket - but that's the strength of a garment that is fuelling the rise in comfortable, smart casual menswear.

Jackets and blazers for spring and summer

For spring and summer wear, the unstructured jacket, with linen, cotton, silk and even lightweight tweed or flannel components, is ideal. The absence of lining makes it lighter and cooler. Its informal shape means you can take it off and throw it over one arm without worrying about creases; they're all part and parcel of wearing lightweight jackets and, in my view, improve the looks.

Image origins not known - please get in touch if this is yours

Most jackets follow the conventional structured approach, with a lining and internal pockets - the fit is generally looser, thicker and more formed than the unstructured jacket, which has no (or only half) lining, fewer pockets (where do you put the lining? There will instead be external patch pockets).

Being unlined, the fit is usually closer, slimmer and more casual. It will follow the curve of the shoulders more closely and move with the wearer more easily. One of my favourites is an unlined tweed jacket bought at a Ralph Lauren sale. So comfortable is it that I wear it around the house like a familiar old cardigan. 

Image from Esquire

Nothing looks better for semi-formal or casual wear on men of any age than a blue unstructured blazer, cream or khaki chinos or jeans, a pale blue denim shirt, suede brogues or desert boots and a red polka dot pocket square (and some red socks). Add formality with a knitted silk tie in a plain or lightly spotted primary colour. 

Shortly I'll answer a reader's question about where to find unstructured jackets at all price levels.

Hackett half-lined linen Delave blazer from here 

A reader asks - how can I find a jacket that fits me?

Dear Grey Fox,

If you would be so kind, I could do with some help on jacket and blazer sizing. I am trying to find a tweed jacket (Harris if possible and UK/Irish made) and finding it difficult to find something off-the-peg that looks and fits right. 

Jacket length - too short, long, just right?

I am 5'11", 33" waist, 39" chest and 11st 9lbs. What I am finding in the shops looks very long on me, especially compared with the more modern styles modelled on websites where the models seem to go to the other extreme of wearing undersized jackets. Salesmen in gents outfitters tell me that the jacket should cover the seat (their word!) and the jacket bottom falling next to the thumb knuckles.

Your jacket shown on the blog looks good and seems to conform to this advice, but it doesn't look quite right on me. Possibly my tall skinny build might be something to do with the aesthetics. Additionally because my chest is 39", I have tended to go up to 40" rather than down to 38" even though the actual sizes are 4.5 to 5" larger, thus giving room for a sweater without feeling "bunched up". Is this a mistake by your reckoning?

Image The Sartorialist

Possibly I am asking too much of a sports jacket, when I should just get the Barbour or pea-coat out in colder weather. If you can give any advice on the above, even if it's that I need to go bespoke, I will be very grateful. Possibly I need to mentally re-adjust from wearing technical and casual clothing for too long.

I have now got used to wearing the trilby and today bought a flat cap as you advised before (click here). Finally, well done on joining Esquire's top 20 well dressed men on Instagram (see link below). 

Grey Fox replies -

Many thanks for your question and comments. I'd hate you to give up the search for a tweed jacket, so I've asked my tailor, Susannah Hall, for advice. I agree there's a taste for jackets worn short in the body - often, in my view, extremely so - so this may be distorting your expectations. Fit, proportion and comfort are all important when it comes to choosing clothes, so how can you find a jacket that feels right for you?

Susannah suggests that (like me) you are tall and slim, giving problems finding jackets sized to the proportions you need. She says, 

If one is on the taller side, a short jacket will make you look taller; if too long, it will elongate the body, making you look thinner - you can't win! Your proportions mean that you will find it hard to find an off-the-peg jacket, making bespoke the best solution.

Image The Sartorialist

A jacket should cover your 'seat', not everybody likes a 'bumfreezer'. When I judge the length of a jacket I ask the client to cup his fingers so that the jacket edge sits in his hand. This method is less reliable if a client has arms that are proportionately long or short, so I make a judgement based on experience and the balance of the look. I suspect that this judgement needs to be made in your case.

If you buy a jacket a size too large you will find that the shoulders are too large (and possibly too long in the body) and sculpting the waist may still leave the jacket too roomy.

The best option for you would be to buy bespoke and it can be cut to your preference if you like to wear a sweater or waistcoat. I suspect you are a similar build to Grey Fox; he also finds that the ideal fit cannot be found off-the-peg.

Click here to visit the website of Susannah Hall tailors.

Esquire's The 20 Most Stylish Men on Instagram.

The essentials of a classic wardrobe - Part 1 - the jacket or blazer

Nine months into my search for style, what items form the basis of my wardrobe, the classics that are useful for any eventuality? The following are staples - jackets/blazers, chinos, brogues, jumpers, deck shoes, shirts, suits, jeans. I haven't yet sorted out outerwear, so I'll exclude that for the time being.

Let's start with the jacket or blazer. I go for a fairly classical shape (not too short or long, conventional-shape lapels etc) and wear it for all occasions, formal or not. Coming in a wide variety of styles and materials, it can be the most versatile and useful item in the wardrobe. Make sure it fits well, particularly across the shoulders; avoid a baggy fit and over-long sleeves.

I can't remember where I found this picture!

You may want to start with a traditional blue blazer, which will come in any material or weight to suit your use. The most formal have a conventional cut and are lined. The less formal may be unlined and unstructured. A blazer is infinitely adaptable, as it can be worn with formal trousers, jeans or chinos. Try a lightweight wool one (maybe cashmere) which will be wearable in all but the warmest weathers. Later on you could buy a linen blazer for summer use (see below). Wear with brogues, suede shoes, deck shoes, Converse (if you must) etc. Match with a formal shirt with or without a tie, polo shirt (I like this combination) or even a t-shirt if the jacket is of a less-formal cut.

Canali wool blazer, Mr Porter

Paul Weller wears a blazer in anger

Next we have the humble tweed jacket. Definitely cooler weather wear this one - I love the infinite colours of tweed and the popularity of the material means that jackets can, if needed, be bought with modern slim cuts. Otherwise go vintage or borrow your dad's jacket. Wear with any trousers or jeans; best with brogues.

Richard James Donegal tweed blazer, Mr Porter

Mr Mort

Finally, for summer, I love linen. There's something about the crushed look that brings out the relaxed rebel in a man. Often  mixed with cotton or silk, its open weave makes the fabric wearable in the hottest weather.

Oliver Spencer linen suit jacket, Mr Porter

Crumpled linen.

And some blazers in action - photos The Sartorialist and others unknown - you may recognise some of these pictures from elsewhere on the blog.

Now that's what I call a jacket!

This brown blazer jacket was photographed recently by the Sartorialist. One's attention is drawn to the trousers, but look closely at the jacket and you see a beautiful fit and outstanding detail in the stitching and the positioning of the (working) cuff buttons. Is it bespoke? It seems to be made from a linen-based material; is it mixed with cotton or silk?

Look at how this jacket fits across the shoulders and upper arm. Most men (including me) wear badly-fitting jackets. The fabric sags over the shoulders and bellies out across the back. The sleeves are often too long. Off-the-peg clothes are made to fit an average size; mathematically few of us are that ideal shape. I suspect that we tend to select jackets that are too large for us. If you can't afford bespoke, try a size smaller than usual and see if that improves the fit, or ask a tailor to make some alterations.

There's no doubt that well-fitting jacket gives a great sense of style.

Photo The Sartorialist

A year on - another family blog

Quite coincidentally I started this blog one year to the day after my son, a budding geographer and adventurer, started his blog at http://www.exceedpossibility.co.uk/

At the age of 21 he looks good in whatever he wears, something that becomes harder to achieve as a man advances in age.  His taste veers between classic chinos and brogues and baggy track trousers, hoody and trainers.  He wears his clothes in an unselfconscious way.  For me, this underlines the importance of feeling comfortable in ourselves and with what we wear, whatever our age.

Fieldwork in Eskdale, August 2011

Keep out the chill with classic tweeds

There was a time when I would reach for the Gore-Tex, fleece and gilet with the onset of cold weather. In the search for something a little different I sought inspiration from the more traditional clothing worn in the past by those pursuing sport and adventure in snow and ice or or on cold, windy moorlands. Here are pictures that inspired me.

Mallory and Irvine prepare for Everest 1924
courtesy of National Geographic

I've already mentioned tweed, and my first purchase at the beginning of this quest for a personal style was a Nigel Cabourn Tenzing jacket, named obviously after Tenzing Norgay, who climbed Everest in 1952 with Edmund Hillary. (It now seems to be called the Mallory jacket, after George Mallory, pictured top, second from left, before his death with Sandy Irvine, top left, on Everest in 1924).

From Nigel Cabourn

Below I am wearing the jacket on a very chilly December day, walking the dog in the local park. I have never felt cold in this jacket (layered up with woolly jumpers), it is reasonably windproof and the Ventile shoulder patches make if at least showerproof. Tweed wears more comfortably than artificial materials and is silent to wear - no swishing with every movement. I also like it because it is a natural material, why not take environmental issues into account when dressing?

It is difficult to forget the British sporting tradition behind tweed, an added attraction for me. Maybe it looks a little different and more stylish than a warm anorak?

So busy posing I haven't noticed incoming, but at least the jacket is snowball-proof......