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It’s On eBay

J. Press Patchwork Tweed Blazer

I will send ten dollars to anyone who buys this and wears it successfully.  I’m thinking cream button-down shirt, maroon rep tie, brown cords?  Oh, yeah, and huge, pendulous, swinging balls.

Starts at $35, ends Monday

I want to marry Permanent Style’s new half-lined, unstructured cashmere jacket.

Q and Answer: What’s the Difference Between a Suit Jacket and an Odd Jacket or Sportcoat?

Mike from Michigan asks: You shouldn’t wear a suit jacket without its matching pants. I understand the rule, but why? What’s the actual difference between a suit jacket and a blazer or odd jacket? What about odd vests? Wouldn’t they almost always come from a three piece suit?

Suit jackets and odd jackets are very different beasts.

A suit jacket is more formal, and generally designed for business.  That means harder, smoother finishes on the fabric (typically worsted wool), more sober colors, business patterning (like pinstripes or chalk stripes), and buttons that roughly match the color of the jacket.

In contrast, odd jackets are more casual - they’re often called sportcoats because they were originally worn for sport.  Patterns and colors can be much bolder.  Fabrics are usually more textured.  For blazers, the fabric may be solid in color, but there is often significant texture, and almost always contrasting buttons (be they metal, horn or even white mother of pearl).  You won’t see stripes on an odd jacket unless they’re the stripes of your boat club and you’re bound for the regatta (like the fellow pictured above). 

There are some suit jackets that can be worn as odd jackets, but if you want a general rule - just don’t do it.  Sometimes a bold country suit - say in corduroy or tweed - could be separated, for example.  Cotton or linen suits can often be separated as well - think of their natural textures as a “goes both ways” feature.  Of course, you then run into the problem of your pants and jacket soiling and wearing at different rates, which you don’t want.

As for odd vests or waistcoats… they certainly can be purchased individually, particularly in the UK.  Generally speaking, wearing an odd vest is such a bold statement that it should only be undertaken if you live across the pond, or if your personal inclination is towards the dandy.  Tattersall waistcoats have a long equestrian history, but otherwise most odd waistcoats are in solid, contrasting colors.  The StyleForum member ManOfKent is a great example of how they’re worn.

What a beautiful print - not quite camoflage and somehow both very mid-20th-century and very contemporary.  By Monitaly, via Selectism.

thisfits:

How to Fit a Suit Jacket - How to Fit Mens Pants - Esquire

A very reasonable guide.

With jackets, you should also note whether the lapel is flush against your shirt, and whether the back covers your rear end.  Sleeve length as well, of course, but that is alterable.

It’s On eBay

New Phineas Cole Sportcoat (44L)

Starts at .99, ends Sunday

It’s On Sale

Woolrich Woolen Mills Field Jacket

This great jacket is one of many items currently on sale in Yoox’s “sample sale.”

$95 from $275 at Yoox (Free shipping with the code enjoydesign)

(via Choosy Beggar)

Q and Answer: Can A Tailor Make It Bigger?

Mike writes: This week, while doing a little vintage shopping at my local thrift store, I discovered a sharp Harris tweed sport coat among the discarded and otherwise cheap-looking jackets. Although the fit was a little snug, given its condition, I couldn’t turn down the $8 price tag, especially since I’m in the process of losing some extra weight anyway. But pot belly or not, the sleeves are still about an inch too short — something that even the best diet won’t fix. In a typical coat, how much extra fabric is there for a tailor to work with, and is it even possible to lengthen sleeves, or any other part of the garment?

Generally, a tailor can’t do much to make clothes bigger.  Good pants usually have an inch or two in the waist to give, but most coat enlargements are impossible.  Even if there’s a bit of fabric available, it can change the shape of the coat in an undesirable way.

Luckily for you, sometimes letting sleeves out is an exception.  You can roll the fabric at the cuff between your fingers to feel whether there’s any extra fabric in there.  Remember that you can only extend it by whatever fabric is folded back inside the lining - the stuff immediately inside the cuff, before the lining starts, needs to be there.  If you’re not sure, you can always take it to the tailor and ask.  Usually half an inch or even an inch is available.

One pitfall to be aware of when trying this maneuver: older coats can get wear at the very end of their sleeves.  This changes the texture of the fabric, and results in a visual line.  Shorten the sleeves, and this line is on the inside where it’s invisible.  Lengthen the sleeve, and the line creeps up the sleeve (relatively) and starts to look like some sort of military insignia.  Make sure there isn’t major wear along that edge before you try anything.