A Fistful of Style

The detail on a jacket of unknown provenience

So a couple days ago, I posted that I got a pretty incredible (presumably bespoke) jacket.  No tags of any kind, so at the very least the material is a mystery (I believe it to be some kind of linen & cotton or wool blend), it has a nice hand either way.

I am posting these details for two main reasons. First? Compliments.  

Tuesday night I went out to (of all things) a poetry slam.  Mostly baggy sweatshirts/tees and a sort of “hobo-hemian” vibe.  I got at least half a dozen compliments, all specifically on the jacket.  From the moment I walked in (when someone tapped my shoulder to compliment the jacket as I walked by) to the moment I left (when I complimented a poet wearing a baggy t-shirt who then said “thanks, oh, and great jacket man!).

Now I get compliments from time to time, (I do kind of stand out in Portland ME) but this is by far the most clustered and specific they’ve ever been.  I never realized the power of a truly beautifully tailored item.  I can only hope that someday I’ll have the scrill to get something of my own made, because (I’ll admit it) it feels even better to get compliments in real life than it does on Tumblr (but don’t worry guys, you’re who I’m really getting dressed for).

But there’s another point, a year ago (when I started not just dressing-up, but actually taking a keen interest in what I was wearing) I wouldn’t have recognized any of these details.  Sure I might have thought it was an awesome jacket (I’ve surprised myself with my own decent taste before), but I wouldn’t have had the eye for details, or the specific knowledge of what I’m looking at.  I’d like to thank all of you #menswear bloggers (and anyone else who’s ever dropped some knowledge on me) for that.  It’s a pretty good feeling to know what you’re talking about (especially for someone who talks out his ass as much as I do).

So without further ado. The (fantastic) details.

Basics:

Mother of Pearl buttons

surgeons cuffs

the faintest pick stitching I’ve ever seen

hand sewn button-holes.

And the “advanced” details.  These are the ones that I would absolutely not have known, and am so so SO glad that I can identify thanks to the internet.

lapel roll

Shoulder roping (I believe this is correct, it’s difficult to see here because the jacket is flat on the table, but when being worn there is a noticeable “ridge” at the sleeve head, please correct me if I’m using this term incorrectly).

And my personal favorite

I had both buttons buttoned in the pic at top.  This isn’t me being sprezzy!  I buttoned the top button when I first put the jacket on and went “this seems an inch too high… hmmm…” then I looked in the mirror and realized that the buttons were placed closer together than my other jackets.  Then I remembered there’s a specific cut of bespoke jacket where both buttons are meant to be buttoned.  This one buttons about an inch above my belly button (or 2” above my natural waist) and (presumably) is meant to have both buttons buttoned.  It certainly doesn’t distort the line of the jacket.

Here’s my plaid fresco (that I’ve been wearing in practically every wiwt this summer) for comparison.

Needless to say I am extremely excited about this acquisition, and only wish it had come earlier in the summer.  Fortunately this jacket will probably last me the next 15 or 20 years if I treat it right.

So that’s pretty awesome.