Grey corduroy jacket worn under a tweed overcoat

 

This latest article in our Wardrobe Building series is on sports jackets, odd jackets, or just jackets. Whatever you want to call them. 

It’s an area with little understanding. I loved the exchange in The Times that a reader highlighted recently. Apparently someone wrote in, suggesting that with all the video meetings going on, brands should start selling just the top half of suits. Another reader pointed out that these already existed. They are called jackets. 

So, here is my suggestion of five essential jackets for a modern wardrobe. 

As ever, these capsule collections cannot suit every person and working environment. So I have based it on my lifestyle, which is a mix of formal and casual; and then throughout, I’ve suggested ways in which this can be tweaked to be more formal or less formal. more Summer or Winter. 

Some readers will be seeking jackets that can effectively replace suits to the office. Others will be wanting to dress up a T-shirt and jeans wardrobe. Hopefully this method will help both. 

Throughout, I have linked to other PS articles that contain examples of these jackets and details on them. It’s also worth looking through the whole ‘Jackets’ category of the site. 

I haven’t included specific cloth recommendations, just because the number and variety of them would mean that the list would be out of date within weeks. But hopefully there are enough visual examples to enable you to seek out your own. 

 

Casual, wool navy jacket, from Solito
Smart, cashmere navy jacket from Steven Hitchcock
Summer, hopsack navy jacket from Elia Caliendo

1 Navy 

Navy should also be the first choice for a smart jacket. And for a more casual one, I’d argue it should still be in the top five. 

A smart jacket could be in cashmere or a wool/cashmere mix. A more casual one could be in a plain wool, or a hairier wool like tweed. 

A smart summer version is easy: hopsack. Classic and simple. A more casual summer version is harder, but there are nice navy linen herringbones out there. Anglo-Italian has a nice one.

 

Dark-brown Harris Tweed jacket from Elia Caliendo
More formal dark-brown jacket, from Shibumi
Summer dark-brown jacket, from Solito

2 Dark brown

Dark brown should probably be the first choice for a casual jacket.

Brown and green are the more casual, rural equivalents of the city’s navy and grey, and brown is a little easier to wear than green – even with brown shoes.

A lovely casual option is brown tweed, such as my Harris Tweed above. A smarter version would usually be a colder shade of brown, with finer material, like this Rubinacci cashmere jacket. Or perhaps have other smarter colours mixed in, like grey. An example being my Zegna wool jacket above, made by Shibumi. 

In the summer, dark brown is lovely in wool/silk/linen materials, like the Solito jacket pictured. 

Casual summer options are tricker. They are in general for summer jackets – it’s one reason people wear a lot of overshirts and safari jackets, or something like this Mandarin

But there are nice browns out there – if you want something that’s very casual, to wear with jeans and so on, then look at the lighter linens (9oz or below, not 11oz) and things like washed linen. 

 

Smart, checked grey jacket, from Saman Amel
Grey herringbone tweed jacket, from The Anthology
Brown/grey summer jacket, from Biagio Granata

3 Mid-grey

Although grey is a classic colour for formal tailoring, it’s normally used more for suits and trousers. This is partly because grey goes with so many things, and that’s more useful in a trouser than a jacket. 

That said, it can make a useful smart jacket. And having some pattern helps – at the least a herringbone, and perhaps ideally a check, as with the Saman Amel jacket above. Plain grey is trickier – I’ve found my Steven Hitchcock jacket less versatile than I hoped. 

With more casual jackets a mid-grey herringbone is fantastic, and rivals the dark brown for versatility. See my Harris Tweed above, from The Anthology

It’s also easier in winter cloths, but I find warmer, browner shades of grey can be good in the summer. See Biagio Granata jacket pictured. 

 

Dark-green tweed jacket, from Ciro Zizolfi
Summer wool/silk/linen green jacket, from Prologue
Drake’s jacket in an olive Escorial cloth with overcheck

4 Dark green

The other casual, rural staple after brown is green. Wonderful in a dark tweed, as above from Zizolfi. Goes with everything save other greens. 

It’s just as useful as the dark brown in summer too, often with a little check over the top, perhaps pale blue to pick up a shirt colour. Example above from Prologue

Green can also work as a smart jacket, just as navy can work in a casual one: it just needs more careful consideration. You want a colder shade, just like the brown – perhaps like the Drake’s windowpane check pictured. 

 

Eduardo de Simone jacket in mid-brown cashmere
An oatmeal-coloured jacket – in Escorial Tweed cloth
Pale-tan corduroy jacket from Orazio Luciano, at The Armoury

5 Tan and light brown

Those first four colours are the most obvious, the easiest to pick. Number five is a harder. (And of course there’s no reason you’d want five, rather than four or six – it’s just a ‘round’ number.)

Personally, I think the fifth area to look at is lighter browns and tans. For example, my mid-brown cashmere from Eduardo de Simone shown above, on the more casual side. Or my oatmeal Escorial Tweed for something smarter. 

There are also redder browns, like my Richard James. There are paler browns like my linen Caliendo – which is both summer-y and more casual. And there are tan corduroy jackets, like the Armoury one pictured.  

Most readers will find that one jacket in this colour range will make a useful fifth jacket. 

 

Gun-club check from Ciardi

 

A more casual collection

To be honest, I think the jackets above, in their most casual versions, would make a perfect capsule collection, even if you only wore them with jeans and chinos. 

But you could replace the navy with something more obviously casual if you wished, like a gun-club check (see Ciardi jacket above). 

A more formal collection

If you wanted a more formal selection – to wear really just for work, with smart trousers and shoes – then you might want to replace the brown or green with another navy (perhaps a different style, weight or pattern). 

Another option worth considering for a smart wardrobe is a dark grey, a charcoal. It needs some texture to it, perhaps like a donegal, but the darkness of the colour might make it better than a mid-grey.

A bigger collection

Once you had most of these basics, I would expand the wardrobe with colours and patterns, primarily. 

So a pink corduroy jacket is wonderful, for example, but you can’t wear it all the time. Equally a gun-club check: very enjoyable but also highly recognisable. Not to be worn every week. 

A bigger collection would also enable you to have a green corduroy as well as a green tweed. Or a grey cord as well as a grey tweed. 

 

Grey corduroy DB jacket, from Ciardi

Start simple in design, too

As to the designs of these jackets, I would start pretty simple. There’s no point selecting very classic, versatile materials, and then using unusual designs. 

So I would go for all single-breasted jackets – or one double-breasted at the most. 

It seems boring, but an SB will always be more useful – and if you have one style in a DB, there’s a chance you’ll want an SB version of it later. It’s what happened with my navy hopsack jacket from Caliendo, for instance. 

With these first five jackets, my design decisions would be driven just by how formal or casual I want them to be, such as patch pockets on more casual jackets, and flap pockets for smarter ones. 

Questions on all this happily received below. Including specific sets of five jackets for your very specific circumstances.

 

Single-breasted hopsack jacket from Ettore de Cesare
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Nicholas Kyriacou

Hi Simon, nice article. In the last photo are you wearing the navy hopsack with grey flannels? Isn’t that something to avoid? I.e. a “Summer” jacket with “Winter” trousers (and vice versa obviously).

John

Hi Simon,
As to this first question, obviously in the reader’s mind, hopsack as a fabric is merely thought of as being exclusively a Summer stuff. Actually, as you well know hopsack is made in various weights.
When it comes to cashmere, you might be surprised if I said that I’m not at all enamored with the fabric as such. But I nonetheless recommend it to female friends for their blazers.
Finally, gun club jacket can be really muted. I have a RTW one whose fabric was offered by Dormeuil decades ago. I still wear it – mostly at night for pubs! I just can’t give it away. Bruce Boyer would certainly understand such an attachment!
John

Peter O

Ede & Ravenscroft feature now RTM blazers in hopsack. If hopsack in any weight is wind sensitive, then one would consider hopsack inappropriate for winter?

Robin

Brilliant summary !
I think you’ve got it perfect in terms of the colours .
And that Dark-brown Harris Tweed jacket from Elia Caliendo ….. I refer to it as the PS tweed from when I saw it first .

Anybody thinking of rushing out to buy the five will quickly realise they need five more for different seasons in slightly different shades.

Possibly a odd (maybe stupid question) ….why don’t we have jackets that open up at the arms to make sitting at desks and working on computers easier ?
(i.e. the kind worn for shooting which open to allow for shooting a shot gun )
What happens now is you take your jacket off to work at a computer or allow the arms to ride up your wrists.

Carl

Great article. Would you consider your brown escorial “urban tweed” as a good example of a dark brown jacket? Or is it to light?

Anonymous

Having the Escorial brown be a little darker would be more useful for what Simon? A more casual or formal wardrobe?

Anonymous

Would a darker brown steer it further from casual use (jeans, chinos)

Anonymous

Do you think you would make any of the future runs darker, specifically brown or green?

Chris K

Hi Simon, hope all’s well sir.

Right on time with this one I have to say. Despite working in tech, and working from home exclusively now since Covid reared it’s head, I have been slowly (very slowly) building.

I picked up my first bespoke odd trousers yesterday from the tailor (charcoal cav twill). And have my first few shirts from Luca arriving next month.

Now, following on from your very helpful ‘Navy Jacket and Jeans’ post from last month, I’m settled on navy for my first jacket (being my favourite colour also helps). To be precise, it’s Moon PL375 2013-33, Dark navy mix. Just wanted to check, do you think this would serve me well as a first jacket? (on the slightly more casual side). For reference, mid to dark indigo jeans, Charcoal trousers and olive/stone chinos are my defaults.

Thanks and much appreciated as always,
Ck

Ps. The Nubuck tote is a thing of beauty, had I the finances to spare I would have pounced on it.

Matt

Thanks for the article. Are there any jackets you would recommend for working from home that won’t feel “weird” in the way that wearing a business suit around your house would feel strange?

Rob

Superb article, thanks Simon. These capsule pieces are great, as they demonstrate that a great wardrobe is not a large wardrobe, but a well thought-out combination of pieces that pair together. They have certainly helped me to build my wardrobe, where every item is made to count. A capsule wardrobe also inherently lends itself to buying less, but buying quality, which i think appeals to most men. Thank you.

Can i ask if you think this cloth from Anglo-Italian would be a good candidate for a casual, versatile dark brown jacket? https://angloitalian.com/collections/tessuti/products/ait-016

I’m sure it’s hard to say without seeing the cloth, but my concern with going for a darker fabric (such as https://angloitalian.com/collections/tessuti/products/ait-018) is that it appears so dark that it becomes much more formal. Your Harris Tweed jacket from Caliendo above is beautiful as the fabric has so much character, which might be lost if it were too dark. It seems this a fine line to tread.

Thank you again, Simon.

Anonymous

Many thanks Simon, that’s helpful.

Just one additional question, regarding style. I am currently considering either Anglo-Italian (inspired by your review!) or Prologue to make a dark brown blazer for me. Noting the differences in the cut, my assessment is that both are reasonably casual in their style, though AI is perhaps even more casual. Even so, i still thought the Prologue style of wider shoulders, low buttoning point, curved and open quarters below the button lends itself to a casual style. Would you agree?

More generally, i assume that most Italian-style jackets are suitable for casual ware, compared to the more formal English ones?

Many thanks.

Max

Very helpful, thank you Simon.

Unfortunately I have found it hard to find decent cloth books for wool/linen/cashmere in London. I have ended up going for an Irish linen in a blue/grey as my summer jacket, not your recommendation on colour or cloth weight but will find out next summer!

Adam

I just took delivery of a navy herringbone tweed jacket and my hope is that I’ll be able to wear it both casually and more formally and have it as my only separate jacket. It will definitely work with flannels and more formal trousers with or without a tie but I’m still undecided as to how well it works with jeans – it is similar in style to the Solito jacket above but a shade lighter and slightly more structure to the shoulders with just a hint of roll to them.

I would just love to have a jacket made with that Harris tweed, but I probably wouldn’t get much use from a second jacket, and I look better in navy anyways. If anything I’d probably use a summer jacket in navy more than another tweed.

Raymond

Simon,
may I suggest another great color to add to your jacket collection: dark burgundy/wine. I have a wool one with faint gold and blue/green glen plaid and it looks great with grey wool trousers and brown suede brogues. Give it a try.

Carl

I think burgundy/wine works very well as part of a tweed mix, but not as a dominant color. But I also like the Drakes sport coat in tussah silk that is a brown with a touch of wine in it. https://www.drakes.com/clothing/blazers/brown-tussah-silk-jacket

Anonymous

Isn’t the navy herringbone 460 oz Anglo IT fabric you recommend for casual summers a bit too heavy Simon?

Do you have more recommendations navy cloths that are good for lightweight overshirts and shirt jackets for summer? Much appreciated

Anonymous

The website says the Anglo IT navy herringbone is larger in size — do you recommend a smaller herringbone for much shorter people based on the images?

Anonymous

Approximately 5’3?

Anonymous

What’s your recommendation for someone who lives in a relatively sunny, casual climate in Cali that averages usually 22 degrees (and varies b/w 21-29 degrees)? Should one just invest in summer jackets for year-round?

Noel

Great article Simon, I think it sort summarises the philosophy of odd jackets espoused throughout the site.

Just a quick question, will there be a review of the Hitchcock navy jacket ?

Anonymous

Simon would you not recommend costly bespoke shirts because the collar/neck area inevitably gets soiled? Collars can be replaced but what about areas also below the collar which can also get dirty?

Why does that particular area get soiled as opposed to other parts of the body?

Anonymous

I do have 3 MTM shirts now but don’t quite like the fit/look.

I’m a young person starting out my wardrobe and like Wil Whiting’s shirt fits, though they’re expensive… I’ll sturdy cloths with the hope they’ll last 10+ years? I’m thinking of getting around 5 shirts, ditching the old MTM ones… what do you think since I know you recommend cheaper shirts.

Chris

Hi simon – where is that white shirt from that you’re wearing with the blue Stephen Hitchcock jacket? Is it a one piece collar? It’s absolutely spectacular.

CJ

The tweed overcoat in the first image – where is it from?

Thanks!

Jun

Found this a very good read and probably something I would keep coming back to as a reference point, similar to the capsule wardrobe for business suits.

I don’t think I have seen the Steven Hitchcock navy cashmere jacket featured before, may I know if more pictures would be made available in future articles?

M.F

Hi Simon! I have a quedtion related to cloth!
I’m trying to purchase cloth from overseas, I’m particularly interested in a herringbone, tweed cloth from Moon, however, i notice that they only deliver to the UK
This is not the first time that i have encountered this problem
What can be done when there’s no retailers in a given country?
I just find another merchant with similar product?

DE

Hi MF, I would recommend you contact Moon and ask for a UK tailor who deals in their cloth. I’m sure you will be able to find a UK provincial tailor who will be happy to buy the length of tweed you require at their discounted rate and then sell it to you at full price. Shipping will be extra and possibly expensive (depending on how much cloth you need and where you live), but it may help you to get the cloth you want.

Kamikar German

Dear Mr. Crompton, a little bit off-topic but I was wondering whether you intend to do an introduction and/or a review about Sciamat, Milano (bespoke or MTM)? Thank you.
I am reading your articles for a while now, and I am delighted to say that I like what you write & the way you do it.
I appreciate your work very much and wish you all the best.

Jasper

I like articles like this. Thanks very much.
You made your recommendations very specific wich is great. Personally I think it often looks better on paper than in real life though.. . What I mean is for example my brown cotton jacket…I bought it because I thought it would be great to wear as a casual summer jacket for the same reasons you mentioned.. It turned out to be very hard to match with trousers. It came down do trying everything that I already had in my closet to see if there was a match. I only wear it with white trousers now. Looks great but not versitale at all. Thank again!

Johannes P

Great article, and really perfect for me since the most formal clothes I get to wear on a day-to-day basis is a sports jacket. As for the cloth of a navy jacket, where would you put a basket weave in the formality range, is it smarter or more casual than hopsack?

DE

Thanks Simon, lots of great ideas for new jackets here and some really nice styling too. Only you could feature photos of 18 different jackets (I think the Ciardi corduroy is repeated?) in an article titled ‘IF YOU ONLY HAD FIVE JACKETS’!

SK

Hi Simon,

This is a very useful post and very timely as I’m planning to order some sports coats soon!

I’ve been wanting to get something in linen for quite some time. Ideally in a colour that would primarily be worn as a summer sports coat (I am planning to order trousers as well so that I have the added advantage of wearing it as a suit, however the suit would only be worn occasionally). Of the sports coat colours that you’ve mentioned, what would you recommend in linen (even if the resulting suit is more bold / less useful / less versatile)?

As this jacket is likely to be a solid colour, would I be better served simply getting the same colour in a linen-wool-silk, given that the use of the suit is likely to be fairly limited? In other words, would you prefer a linen sports coat coat or a linen-wool-silk sports coat in the same solid colour?

Jan

Great article again, thanks Simon. For a more casual navy summer number, I would also add cotton in a relaxt, unstructured cut and make. Great with jeans and chinos and doable with grey fresco etc as well

Anonymous

Very insightful article, thanks, Simon! Quick question with regard to the grey herringbone tweed: Would you say such an odd jacket would work well with charcoal or perhaps black flannel trousers? Thanks for your advice!

Charles

Simon, I presume you may have heard already, but the SC Holdall is going to be used in the coming Bond movie. Congrats!

Scott

Simon, didn’t you design the SC Holdall? The Bond Experience just did an excellent review of this piece. FYI, the Holdall is featured in the recent Bond trailer.

Anonymous

Charles, what “Coming” Bond movie? The latest one was due to air in April, but was postponed to November because of Covid. The next film in the franchise hasn’t been commissioned yet. So how can you say the Hold-all is going to be used?

Please explain.

James

He (fairly obviously) means the one due to air in April and postponed to November…

Well done Simon. I know you’re rightly of the view, contrary to some menswear writers, that being featured in a Bond film does not make something stylish or cool in and of itself (it is after all effectively product placement much of the time). But it must nonetheless be very exciting to have the World’s Most Famous Spy having his dinner suit (no less) carried in the bag you designed. A piece of history that! More info here

https://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/product/bennett-winch-sc-holdall

Jonny

Not the original poster, but I believe it can be see in ‘Trailer 2’ for No Time To Die. Bond is handed his Tuxedo in the SC Holdall.

M.F

Thanks Simon! One final question: Do you think a navy flannel is a good option for a unstructured casual jacket (soft shoulder, no lining, minimum canvassing)? Does it need to be in a particular weight to work? Or do you think another type of woollen would be more up to the task?

Per S

This touches a long-lasting puzzle of mine: Flannel used to be the go-to material of casual (tailored) trousers. Yet it is allegedly too formal for odd jackets. Why are trousers and jackets different in this respect?

Per S

Great explanation. Thank you.

Peter O

Flannel gets destroyed by perspiration. That means unless you suffer from Prince Andrew’s disorder
no disco or other dancing in flannel.
I learned the hard way despite my inquiry at the flannel manufacturer.

Alexander

Absolutely wonderful article, as always. Enjoy this style of doing the capsule collection – it’s informative, not overwhelming, and allows a bit more room for imagination given the use of 3 pictures per item as a reference.

Got a nice laugh out of the last sentence.

I only wish you put this out a little earlier in the year as I was starting to buy some casual pieces (though it seems like I ended up in a similar place – perhaps because I’ve read enough of your other work). I will say that it is difficult to find good RTW options (well, at least when one is trying to be careful about one’s funds) for the following very specific use case:

business casual outfits during hot humid summers in Northern California. I’ve resorted to linen blends, hopsack, linen DB (all 3 in shades of navy/blue) because good greys are hard to find for summer RTW. I’ll say this, I feel more comfortable with my selections as a starting point after this article, and will use it as a reference.

Chip

Very useful guide, Simon.

What’s your view on the most versatile DB colour ? Navy would be obvious to me but keen to get your thoughts anyway.

JH

For maximum versatility (which is a key objective for a capsule collection), do you have any advice on fabric choices for jackets that work across seasons? Say, for all but the height of summer (and assuming a bit of appropriate layering with knitwear and/or outerwear to see you through winter) here in the UK. This week’s UK weather is a good example: it was warm and sunny at the beginning of the week and will be cool and wet by the end.

I noticed that Anglo-Italian have a “Transitional” category where, from what I can tell, the cloths are similar weights to their AW equivalents but add in a bit of cotton to the mix. Does that make it a little cooler? I’d be interested in any other principles to achieve this versatility across seasons.

Ollie

This is fantastic, Simon. On the topic of ‘number of jackets’, it got me thinking about the number of jackets you have from trying out different tailors. I’m sure you try to keep at a consistent weight, but what do you do when/if you need to get them altered? It must be inconvenient 1. due to the number of different tailors & 2. if they don’t travel to the UK (Liverano etc.).

Ollie

Thanks Simon, that would be great to see!

Jon Bromfield

I had thought there were structural and other tailoring details that made suit coats not quite right for using as sport coats, but Brian Lishak of Richard Anderson Ltd. informs me the differences between their sports coats and suit coats are minor:

“A tad longer is all and a four button cuff rather than two or three. Our style is based on the classic riding coat (from which the sports coat derived) except for our using a single button front.”

Have you discerned any significant differences between the two?

Anonymous

You have to take in consideration the region you live in and the change in seasons. Certain fabrics are more comfortable than others. I would like more information on proper fabrics because to me this makes the whole garment. The fabric, cut, design, and craftsmanship.

Rik

Simon – Would you tend to always have your jackets buttoned up when standing? I’m just wondering about prioritising the fit across shoulders, chest, waist etc with RTW

Anonymous

In London, in which months do you wear a navy wool/cashmere jacket and when a navy hopsack jacket? I ask because I need a jacket for spring, summer and autumn. I am usually in air-conditioned offices and I would like to have a navy jacket that I can wear not only in summer but for as long as possible throughout the rest of the year.

Would a fully lined navy hopsack jacket (9oz) be a solution?

Could you recommend something (fabric/weave type and weight)?

Linden

A very useful edition. The capsule series is super useful.

As I was reading this one on jackets I recalled that I don’t think I’ve seen an article from you on the “shacket”. In the continuing casualisation trend I expect we will be seeing more of this article. I searched your site, and found one article talking about wearing a t-shirt, in which you wore a light fabric blouson, but that is cut differently – shorter for a start – than a shacket.

It strikes me that in a really informal setting, where no one is wearing a jacket, and you want to be a bit smarter, but not quite the odd one out, a shacket can work well. In one way they remind me a bit of the trend in my youth in the late ’80s, into the ’90s of wearing an unbuttoned shirt over a t-shirt. But the shacket, being cut to work more like a jacket, looks so much smarter than that.

I appreciate that as the UK heads into autumn this topic may have missed the seasonal boat for relevance, but I would be very interested if you chose to write on this subject at some future point.

I look at my own small collection of jackets-proper (I live in a tropical climate), and most of them are halfway there already – linen/mix, soft tailoring, unlined. That, here, is already pretty formal. I see more shackets on the horizon.

VincentL

Hi Simon,
I want to buy a brown jacket but I don’t know if the grammage is important with flannel, some people said that you need at least 320 gr.

Tailors know I’m a beginner, so it’s really hard to find the best cloth with my budget, which is not really high for a jacket (850€).

VincentL

I have a lot of blue/beige trousers, so I thought it would be nice to buy a brown jacket.

Like this one from Pini Parma : https://www.piniparma.com/collections/suits/products/brown-wool-jacket-made-in-italy

Anonymous

if your dress shirts keep getting dirty due to sweat especially around the neckline/collar, would wearing a t-shirt underneath help? I’m a bit skeptical that it would unless you have a t shirt with a high collar

Anonymous

Is that a one piece collar with your S. Hitchcock jacket?

Assuming yes, is it possible for a bespoke shirtmaker to make a one piece collar, but not so pronounced like that?

Stanley

Hi Simon

i like the weight and texture from drapers 4ply, but seem most of the cloth from this collection are dedicated for suit

Regarding on jacket pattern, do you think the blue windowpane from this 4ply collection (https://drapersitaly.it/au-en/collection/4238/) will be a right colour and pattern for an odd jacket?

Thank You

Max

Simon,
Starter question for 10. If someone has a brown Donegal tweed and a greyish blue linen jacket what should the third jacket be? I’m leaning towards a grey glen check but I don’t think that two out of three jackets should be on the grey side of things given your post above.

Keep well

Henry

Good Evening Simon,
Not sure if you have already managed the buttoning types, in case, I do apologise…

I am planning my next navy blazer which I would mostly wear with jeans or tailored odd trousers, so informal…spalla camicia, patch pockets, maybe peak lapel(but not defined yet as peak lapel is too bold sometimes) …but I am thinking on the buttoning type…

I am thinking if a single button could be the right choice…3 on 2 is the standard on Neapolitan jackets but at the end only one button is used (if used)….single (dark horn) button might help to keep the line cleaner (and also it would not be “the average Neapolitan blazer”)

What’s your position on single button blazers?

Thanks and best wishes for the festivities.

Regards

Henry

Thanks Simon,
the link is an interesting read, glad you shared it.

Yeah, you are right a 3-roll-2 is more versatile and overall will better fit the business environment I work, which is informal (several VPs and some C-class but definitely not a tie and suit workplace).

I hope that the spalla a camicia (not too extreme, I want something “subtle”) will help in smoothing the “dramaticity” of the peak lapels…also considering I would almost never wear the blazer buttoned (reason why I’ll make half lining as I like the jacket seems cleaner inside when it’s open…)

Thanks as always for the great support.
Cheers

Henry

Thanks.
I agree. I would use high end tailors for suits only.
To me an informal jacket can be (slightly) less perfect than a suit (usually used to be buttoned).
Cheers

Henry

Great, thanks !
Would then be a smarter option to spend on a good MTO blazer like JMM (~1500gbp) and go full bespoke on a complete suit?
I might drift to this option…

Anonymous

Hi Simon,
Do you see any major difference in versatility between a 2 button SB vs a 3-roll-2 dark brown neapolitan style jacket, especially for a first jacket in this color?
Thanks.

Anonymous

If the lapel shape and roll allows, would it be feasible for a tailor to add a button and buttonhole and convert a 2 button jacket into a 3-roll-2 with reasonable results?

Evatt

Hello Simon,

I have a question and I couldn’t think of where better to pose it than here. I was reading Ethan Wong’s blog and he talks about ” button harmony”, essentially the bottom button of a jacket being in line with the top of the waist pockets. Most well-dressed men seem to have jackets that conform to this and it does seem to look balanced and, well, harmonious. However, a quick look on eBay or similar will show that the vast majority of 2nd hand jackets, certainly in my size, do not have “button harmony”. Is it really as important as Ethan Wong suggests it is? If so, why do so many older jackets in existence not have it?

Dash Riprock.

I’ve only got one .A marlboro classics. 18 years in old .Cost me £25.

Anonymous

If you only wear a jacket in spring, summer and possibly early autumn, are summer fabrics sufficient? A hopsack or wool-silk-linen jacket is comfortable on hot days and can be layered with knitwear for colder days.

Anonymous

When do you switch from winter to summer jackets and vice versa (temperatures/month)?

Anonymous

If one commissions a bespoke jacket, would choosing a two button jacket necessarily have a longer lapel than say a three-roll-two? In other words, does one sacrifice lapel length when choosing 3-roll-2?

Andras

Hello Simon, do you think Dugdale Bros Cascade dark navy silk-linen fabric would be appropriate as a summer casual, 9oz isn’t to light ? Also if you have any experience with mixing only silk- linen without wool, if there is any big difference. Thanks

Andras

Thanks Simon, can you please advise, which one will be better for summer, this one, or that heavy linen you wrote about in article?

VincentL

Hi Simon,
I went to Lafayette Saltiel Drapiers (3 times), Virgil and Pierre helped me a lot to find the right tailor and the right fabric for the Navy jacket.

Now I hesitate a lot for the color of my 3rd jacket ( 1/brown 2/navy). Maybe Gun-club check but you write “very enjoyable but also highly recognisable. Not to be worn every week”.
Is this fabric versatile ? More than your Ciardi Jacket ? https://ibb.co/Bwfp5zk
The darker the better for the versatility, even with gun-club check ?

VincentL

Yeah, i’m not a huge fan of grey jacket, but it can be nice by wearing colorful clothes like Mark Cho for example. (https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Fi3lMhrDl/)

I thought it was for older people, but with a yellow or burgundy cardigan I think it can be really versatile.

Thanks.

Ben R

Do you find pockets have a great effect on the smartness of an odd jacket? I am looking for more smart odd jackets, so I am leaning towards flapped pockets – probably hacking pockets. And I was thinking a ticket pocket to distinguish it from my typical suits. These would be more structured English tailored jackets.

Usually I do patch pockets on my odd jackets, but they tend to be in more casual cloths, patterns, and colors. And they tend to be Florentine and Neapolitan jackets. (Although I do have some patch and bellowed pockets on some more hunting-inspired English jackets.)

And do you think a natural colored camelhair jackets could fit in the light brown/tan category?

Ben R

Do you have any recommendations on jacket cloth weights for three season wear – autumn, winter (working in modern office with heating and cooling and use of an overcoat), and spring? I know climate will make a difference, but say similar to the UK. Are there other factors besides weight I should keep in mind, i.e. fibre mix, weave, etc?

Ben R

Thanks. I was thinking 9-11oz, so I’ll be looking to lean towards the lower end of that range then. But I might have to be a little more season specific with my jackets after all.

Checked, casual, summer jackets are easy. It seems harder to find something smarter and three-seasons with out repurposing suiting. The exception being navy jacketing. Any recommendation on bunches would be appreciated.

As an aside, do you think it is possible to have one “transitional” wardrobe covering autumn and spring? Or are the color palettes too different? My guy says the palettes are different – considering the relative light, or strength of sun, during those seasons.

Ben R

Thanks for the tips. And “my guy” was meant to be my GUT. Hah. So no worries about anyone pushing sales…. Other than my own love of shopping and clothes.

Anonymous

Revisiting this article and it really is one of your best. Navy and brown are obvious ones but cream and dark green are under appreciated. Grey works but it just can’t be too dark and benefits from a pattern or texture that makes it clear it’s not a suit jacket.

This should go into a “Best of Permanent Style” master list.

MBB355

Simon, can I ask what you think about this jacket:

https://nomanwalksalone.com/clothing/sport-coats/sport-coat-in-maroon-lightweight-wool-with-blue-check-8-oz.html

I like it but I worry that maybe the unusual maroon color coupled with the blue check/windowpane might be a bit much. Thanks for any guidance here.

MBB355

Thank you!

Sam

Hi Simon, I would like to get a couple of ‘proper’ jackets – probably a navy sc and perhaps a dark brown/ green tweed sc also. I could afford to go to go to Anglo Italian or Saman, however it would be a stretch and I really want to understand if getting a good jacket from trunk perhaps a bogliioli would be meaningfully different to paying 2x for Anglo etc? I have bought bespoke in the past, but conscious when you surround yourself with content involving people spending thousands on clothes you can normalise it and I want to be objective. Do I need to spend £1500 on a navy jacket I guess is the question… (realise not on you to answer this for me but as ever keen to know your thoughts!). Sam

Chris K

Hi Simon, hope you’re well.

If I could kindly get your thoughts on something. I asked previously you’re thoughts regards my choice of cloth for my first bespoke jacket (Moons, dark navy mix herringbone, planning an appointment with Mr Solito in the near future hopefully), appreciate the help with that.

However, naturally, I’ve already got jacket number two on my mind. I have a thing for herringbone, it’s a subtle pattern that from a distance really just looks like texture (to me, at least) and would happily go for the same collection again but specifically in a brown/black mix (PL375 2013-16). I just wanted to get your thoughts on this as a choice for a jacket collection in it’s early stages.

Brown is great, but the darker, colder side of brown is more my thing, hence when it’s mixed with black, grey, or a navy check etc. , I love it. I just wonder, would a jacket made in this fabric work well in a more casual context (bare in mind, it will be in a Neapolitan make, patch pockets etc. anyway). Mid to dark jeans, mid grey flannels etc. I just feel it would work well with mid grey trousers, and denim/chambray shirts (my favourite) for example. Brown, but a colder, perhaps more urban version.

Would love to know your thoughts,

Thanks and much appreciated as ever,
Chris

Ps. Loved today’s article on dressing yourself and how it’s evolved over the years. Really spoke to me.

Tommy

Hi,
if I had the choice to take five jackets on a lonely island, it would be the following fabrics:
– a dark blue flannel jacket (winter)
– a Green tweed jacket (winter)
– a dark blue linen jacket (summer)
– a seersucker jacket (summer)
– a Prince of Wales Hopsack jacket (summer)
Concerning the last bullet point I have a question: in general I would prefer a grey Prince of Wales jacket. But what do you think of a green checked jacket as an alternative? The colour green is warmer and it is easier to combine then a grey jacket. But I am not sure, please see the following link, do you like the blue pattern in the green jacket? If yes, which trouser colour you would combine?
https://www.kuhn-masskonfektion.com/Sakko-mit-Retro-Karo-aus-JEBRIC/03-200165-3009-SAKKO-HERREN
It is a fabric from Lanificio T.G. di Fabio (in a wool, linen, Elasthan mix)

Tommy

Thank you Simon, that was very helpful for me!

Tommy

Ok. May I ask you again what you think about the following fabrics? The supplier is well known for its quality in Italy. Here are two other checked designs, this time not in green 😉
https://drapersitaly.it/bs-en/collection/4835/

https://drapersitaly.it/bs-en/collection/50111/

Tommy

Ok thanks. Do you know a good choice for a (Hopsack) Glencheck / Prince of Wales fabric? The pattern should be larger then smaller because a fine pattern would be more for a suit I guess. The fabric should have structure. A checked pattern is perfect for a sport coat but in my opinion a nice fabric is hard to find ;(

Tommy

Ok no worries. In you article I read that a mix of wool/silk/linen is also very good for summer, especially when it is a Hopsack weave. What you think about a light blue sport jacket in this style? I mean it could be even better than a Glencheck jacket because it is easier to combine. Can you please tell me as a last supporting act how you think about the following fabric:
https://shop.hfwltd.com/collection/74 – Product 320792
Thank you again so much!

Mike

Hi Simon,

I’m in need of a good sports coat, preferably in brown, and I saw a berg and berg option:

https://bergbergstore.com/products/dan-high-twist-wool-blazer-taupe

Do you think this could be worn as a blazer with different colored trousers (navy, grey), or do you think this jacket is too formal and therefore only works as a suit option?

I would appreciate you input.

Thomas

I have a green donegal tweed from Maggy1866. My combination are corduroy trousers from Loro Piana in Burgund and in Brown. Does it work?

Divesh

Hi Simon. Do you think leather elbow patches on a wool blazer are still in, in 2021?

Marcus Shaffer

Hi Simon, great articles. I am looking at having a Navy bespoke sport coat made – I am thinking Cifonelli or deLuca in Paris. Ideally, this jacket should pair with dark denim jeans and be a cashmere or cashmere / wool blend. Do you have any general suggestions?

BC

Simon,

I could use your advice for an office-appropriate summer sports coat. First off, I work in a very casual office, and the spring-summer weather where I live is humid and hot. I have in mind a nice, relatively heavy linen mix, preferably in dark brown (I already have blue and gray in hopsack wool and in wool-silk mixes). I like an English cut, especially a moderate drape cut, for example W & S. Is there anything about that sort of fairly structured cut that would be inappropriate for what’s clearly a relatively informal color and material? I’d appreciate your thoughts.

John

Hi Simon,
What do you think of Lori Piana’s navy “sweater jackets”?
They have a cashmere/silk version for cooler weather, and a cotton/linen/silk one for warmer weather.
Do you think they check the boxes in this increasingly casual environment we live in?
https://us.loropiana.com/en/p/man/blazers/sweater-jacket-FAI2572?colorCode=W000

https://us.loropiana.com/en/p/man/blazers/sweater-jacket-FAE8388?colorCode=W000

Thanks

Peter

Hi Simon, I’m looking to commission my first bespoke jacket to wear with my new “uniform” of mid-grey flannels and white button down twill shirts. Your navy cashmere jacket looks fantastic but I wonder whether you could suggest something a bit more robust than cashmere? I’ll be wearing the jacket from Autumn to Spring in London.

Peter

Thanks Simon and I cannot believe I missed that article!

P.A.

Hi Simon,

I already have 2 navy jackets (one 3-roll-2 SB, a linen DB for summer) and am looking to add a winter jacket.

I love the idea of a grey herringbone jacket to wear as a separate, but I’m not sure of the versatility. Does this work well with grey flannels ? I’d like to wear it to the office, and it will mostly be paired with mid-grey flannels, possibly charcoal twill, and sometimes raw denim.

Would a dark brown jacket (such as your Chan tweed) be more versatile ?
Bear in mind that the jacket will most likely be a soft make, patch pockets, etc.

P.A.

Thanks Simon. Any recommandations on a RTW jacket with a nice cloth (tweed, slubby, texture, etc.) ? I can’t seem to find this kind of jacket in RTW, can’t go MTM at the moment.
Would you rather recommend to save up and go MTM for next season ?

P.A.

Thanks, will have a look

P.A.

Still in search of a dark brown sportscoat. I was wondering if hopsack could be an all-year around fabric if it were heavy enough (300g+). I know that it is primarly considered a summer fabric, but given the shift towards a more casual wardrobe and the dark brown colour if it wouldn’t look out of place in winter, say with grey flannel pants ?

Paul

My dark green shetland wool Boglioli from Trunk gets a surprising amount of wear – the fit isn’t as good as my MTM ones but there’s something about the style which makes me less concerned. i’d have a look there.

P.A.

Thanks, will have a look

Shawn

Hi Simon,
How will you pair Grey herringbone jacket?
Thanks

Michael

Hi Simon,

I am starting a new job soon which will require a slightly more formal style of dress. I already own a navy and dark brown jacket, and have been looking for either a grey or tan/oatmeal colored jacket. I fell in love with this jacket from the armoury

https://thearmourygroup.myshopify.com/products/cashmere-prince-of-wales-model-3-sport-coat?variant=17988898652231

I know you mentioned that grey jackets cannot be paired with grey trousers, but do you think a jacket like this could be paired with a mid grey flannel trouser such as these from berg and berg?

https://bergbergstore.com/products/antonio-flannel-trousers-mid-grey

Do you think this jacket will be versatile and seamlessly pair with other menswear staples?

Michael

Thank you, Simon. In terms of the versatility of charcoal trousers, what color jackets will it go with? It seems too dark for a navy jacket.

Michael

Thank you, Simon. In terms of styling this jacket, would your approach be any different as compared to the navy jacket in the first picture?

Michael

Yes, exactly.

Michael

Hi Simon,

Would you be concerned about the durability of a cashmere jacket such as this one?

Eddie

Hi Simon,
Wanting your advice about picking a brown jacket. For readers who don’t wear a tie, and will therefore mostly be pairing the jacket with solid/patternless knitwear/shirt/trousers- would you suggest first getting something like a check or Donegal?

DrBruno

Thanks for the link to this post Simon. Very helpful. What are your thoughts on using a brown Glen Check wool with an accent color (blue, burgundy or green) for a sports jacket. Is it classically more reserved for suits?

DKP

@Simon – I’m thinking of commissioning my first bespoke jacket. I want something I can wear with denim or flannels and be able to use as much through the year as possible. I’m thinking Navy, single breasted, patch pockets, with welted chest pocket, with a style similar to that of Ciardi. What I’m unsure of is fabric, i.e. ideal weight and also lining. Should I perhaps steer away from a full lining in the interest of covering more seasons? In short, if you were commissioning such a jacket for the first time, what would you ask for? 

DKP

Thanks very much Simon. Might I also ask about buttons for a Navy SB jacket such as the one I’ve described, i.e. material (thinking perhaps horn) colour & finish?

DrBruno

Great article Simon. Would this jacket qualify as a tan/oatmeal or a ‘bonus’ jacket. I love the pattern but am having difficulty on deciding where to wear it.

6EEFA2BF-668F-4FDA-BEA6-2D4877E9A330.jpeg
DrBruno

Here’s the actual jacket.

9492B710-FEE5-4C3D-824C-7C53AEA8FA26.jpeg
DrBruno

Yes it is!

DrBruno

I’ll chalk this one up yo a ‘mistake’. I’ll continue to wear it and see if it grows on me. I’m trying to figure out on what occasions it would best be worn.

DrBruno

Hello Simon and group. Does anyone have a recommendation on a tailor in Toronto or who comes to Toronto for bespoke jackets? A softer, more casual cut is what I’m after.

DrBruno

Unfortunately not.

ANON

Hi Simon
Could you give us a bit of a comparison between the cloth options on the lovely brown jackets you have – how should a reader choose between the warm Harris Tweed (or your Escorial), compared to a cold/darker brown tweed like your WW Chan, compared to the cashmere herringbone of your de Simone (which seems warmer again), compared to the Rubinacci donegal? All of them seem potentially versatile enough cloths to pair with either jeans or flannels or chinos. What are any pointers as to what makes one a better “single brown jacket” (assuming many readers will already have a nice Navy jacket)?

ANON

Thanks so much Simon. I think most common would be cream chinos and dark denim, with occasional use with a charcoal flannel. I prefer the non-scratchy feeling of wool and the more modern/urban thing of colder colours. I usually associate tweed with stiffness and discomfort. Is this wrong? I already have a navy wool so will maybe look towards a cold brown tweed to add a bit of texture and formality variety

Tony

Hi Simon, do you think this will be a great grey jacket, or a “bonus” one? Thank you.

P/s: I’d like a brown/grey check patterned jacket for 3 seasons year round like your Shibumi, but it’s a bit hard to come by.

F69E6D19-A476-4FCE-91E9-FF8CD7AE9923.jpeg
Anonymous

I live in a warm humid climate where the annual low is around 65-70 Fahrenheit. I Regularly wear a solid navy or sharkskin worsted woolen suit, followed by a classic blazer. I’d like to add an odd jacket to that mix,. After a navy blazer, What would pattern / color should I look to for my next jacket purchase? Looking for something that if need be could be still worn with a white shirt, and gray trousers for church.

Anonymous

Thanks. I’ve been seen by a grayish brown – usually referred to as taupe pop up more and more. Would that work? Or go darker if a white shirt is to be worn?

2478196A-1238-4121-B3EA-741479C40F90.jpeg
Anonymous

So it sounds like you think darker brown would be more versatile?

Craig Bozorth

I have 100; or so ‘Tweed’ jackets. Bought over the years mostly in the UK or here in the USA. They hang in my garage and I rotate them for school wear. Students find me eccentric. All my ‘Weeguns’ have ‘pennies’, my ties are mostly ‘Rooster’ or leather. In my classroom, Miles, Getz, Evans and Coltrane are always in the background. How did i get to be this cool??

Matt L

Hi Simon. Sorry for bumping this old article.
I was reading though it and was wondering if you’d consider writing an article along the lines of “If you only had 5 separates”? I appreciate that it’s a little strange to talk about only having 5 separates outfits when the whole point is that you can mix them. But I feel like I’m leaning more towards separates than matching trousers and jackets for suits. I’d be very interested to read an article along the lines of – If you were getting into separates, here are the 5 most useful/versatile combinations.

Jeremy

I see a lot of blogs recommending a navy hopsack jacket (or full suit). Local tailors I talk to suggest Birdseye over Hopsack stating that Hopsack. How do you compare Hopsack vs Birdseye?

Separate … I have several older (15-20 years older) suits that are three button jackets and double pleated pants. Anything I can do with those or do I just store them indefinitely? They include a charcoal check; charcoal herringbone; grey blue windowpane/check, and a black pinstripe.

Reid Stapleton

For me personally, I would only have four sport coats, two for warm weather with half canvas and two for cold weather with full canvas. Warm weather would be a navy wool hopsack and something like this taupe wool, linen and silk jacket from Surmesur https://surmesur.com/en-ca/products/taupe-wool-linen-silk-blend-sports-jacket-875747. Cold weather would be a navy wool doeskin and a taupe tweed, a nice mix between grey and brown.

Robert

I chose a navy seersucker sport for my summer coat , as well as, a seersucker in a mid blue stripe in a traditional seersucker; it sounds redundant but with the hot summer(humid) weather in the south (US) the seersucker breathes nicely.For winter coats, it would definitely be a navy doeskin and a lighter weight tweet(lambswool) in a mix of browns and grays. I would also throw in, another odd jacket of more of a transitional weight of a wool and silk, mix of light gray with a hint of pastels.

Henry

Hi Simon,
I’m looking for my first sport coat, and could use any help I can get.
For context, I’m in my mid-twenties, and a sport coat for me is only for pleasure.

During my search for a spring, summer single breasted sport coat I came upon 3 models I like:
Dark brown checked in 40% wool, 30% silk, 30% linen, fully canvassed and half-lined.
Caramel in 70% wool, 30% silk, fully canvassed and quarter lined.
Sage in 85% wool, 9% silk, 6% linen, fully canvassed and quarter lined.

What would you recommend me to do?

Dan

Hi Simon,
for the casual grey herringbone jacket, would you call this a versaitle choice (expect for winter days) or should I go with a darker colour and a different cloth?

https://natalino.co/collections/sport-jacket/products/sport-jacket-grey-herringbone-wool-linen?variant=41822457462982

Dan

Thank you for the fast answer Simon. I really appreciate this and I see your point here.

To be honest I am a little bit lost between all those different cloths and formalities. When it comes to jackets or sport coats I have nothing in my closet, so I try to grab the two or three jackets I will get the most wear from.

I work in a very casual office, where I can almost wear whatever I want. So the jacket itself will already be on the formal side I would say. Apart from work I like to dress up on occasion. Dinner with my girlfriend, birthday parties or a night at the bar to give some examples.

Therefore I’d rather get a brown and a grey jacket first and navy maybe as a third option. At the moment I mostly wear a shirt like your PS Oxford Button Downs on it’s own or layered with some Merino-, Lambswool or Shetland knit depending on temperature (I live in mid germany), but I want to expand my wardrobe to some jackets.

I found a jacket in a similar grey on Spier & Mackay which has a much more casual appearance on the pictures. But I am confused because it is made of the same 280 g 40/60 wool/linen mix from Marling & Evans as the natalino jacket I posted before.

https://www.spierandmackay.com/product/medium-gray-herringbone–17304a3-nsc-01-ss22

Natalino also offers another grey herringbone jacket in a nice hairy wool, but in a darker color.

https://natalino.co/collections/sport-jacket/products/sport-jacket-grey-herringbone-wool-1?variant=42343177191622

What do you think about those two for building a wardrobe next to a brown jacket?

Dan

Hi Simon,

and thank you again. So I guess the second jacket from Natalino would be a good choice to start with.

I definitley like the look and the appereance of the more hairy wool and the weight of the jacket matches your recommendation of 10-13 oz in your guide. I was not sure about it first, because it is darker than the other two I posted, but when I compare it to your grey herringbone tweed jacket it is not really darker or lighter, but a little bit different in color and cloth of course and it looks like you are really happy with it.

I just ordered that jacket and give it a try. Hope it will fit and then I can look for a brown one.

Martins

If i can chime in… i dont need a formal jacket, even jacket itself for me is almost an occasion wear. But ive settled on
3 piece winter capsule as dark brown pontoglio corduroy double breasted suit, grey herringbone tweed and gunclub check from spier and mackay. Still considering do i actually need number 4 but it would be either navy cashmere or navy lazyman.
3 piece summer, navy and brown ps overshirt, unstructured really light navy hopsack double breasted from spier and mackay (to be honest a mistake but i dont hate it enough to put on ebay)… if i decide on nr 4 it would probably be seersucker lazyman.

Pontoglio corduroy seems great for jacket, but im not sure i can reccomend it for trousers. Its really soft, and the only such soft corduroy ive had was ralph lauren and that wore out really quick.. but i need to wear it for a season to make up my mind.

P.s. unless you need a formal jacket, my vote goes to natalino tweed one. (but check out a spier mackay grey herrringbone tweed too)

Dean

Simon, I truly love the wealth of knowledge you share. I’ve read through the comments here and I understand you feel a linen/wool hopsack blend may not look “right” in colder months. I’d greatly appreciate if you could give me your opinion on whether or not you think the following would look alright in fall/winter (if it’s too cold, I’d just pair with an overcoat) or if it would look out of place. Thank you!

  1. https://www.spierandmackay.com/product/sage-green-hopsack-g027-610149-mto-j
  2. https://www.spierandmackay.com/product/brown-hopsack-16g71-109-mto-j
CMW

Hi Simon. Hope all is well. For a tan colored jacket, does this match with charcoal colored trousers or mid or dark grey (but not as dark as charcoal) is better?
Would it be the same for a pale colored tan or a more saturated tan?

Phong Moua

Hi Simon,

Have you taken a look or have any ingoing projects using Fox’s Sports Jacketing 430g fabrics?

In terms of formality, where do you think this might lie and what trousers would you recommend choosing for it?

I feels slightly too dry for pairing with flannel but I’m not sure it would look quite right with a high twist either.

Markus

Hi Simon, great article. Interesting that you did not include a charcoal flannel jacket in your basic collection (you mention it as an alternative in the end though). I find this the most versatile one for winter, when everything is dark. Usually paired with a white oxford clothes shirt and light-medium grey wool trousers.

Markus

I see. Because of your website, I bought a pair of medium gray flannel pants last winter and find them – as you said – extremely versatile. For jackets/blazers (see my PS), I usually prefer darker colors – also dark brown – in winter when it rains/snows all the time. Limiting to that, for me a navy blue blazer fits better with spring/summer/early fall, but not so much in winter, because I always associate the color blue (including navy) with sun, blue skies, sea, etc….. so more with the warmer season.
My PS: Since English is not my native language, for me a jacket (“Jacke” in German) is something very different from a blazer (“Sakko” in German), namely every kind of outerwear that is shorter than a coat. Is there a difference between jacket and blazer in English or are the words interchangeable?

Anonymous

Hi Simon, very useful article.

I’m moving to London the next year and am trying to put together a wardrobe with my local tailor before I leave. But having never been to London I don’t know what to expect in terms of weather and formality… What would be your suggestions for a few jackets that would be versatile for dinners and drinks (e.g. establishments with a jacket/tie required dress code)? Would tweeds be too rustic? Perhaps some woolens and layer a cardigan or topcoat when it gets cold?

Anonymous

It’s just for leisure. Thanks.

Jack

Hi Simon, after reading this article, I have collected a navy and a brown jacket, and am considering another jacket for this autumn/winter. While choosing which cloths to go for, I have found glen checked could be an interesting choice for my third jacket.

However, could I ask whether you have found the jacket versatile enough? If so, which colour combination would you suggest I start with? If not, do you think it would be too early for the glen check?

Many thanks,
Jack

Jack

That is a beautiful colour. I might go for that.
However, my navy and brown winter jackets are herringbones but not tweeds, and the cloths are not from British mills. If it were you, would you not mind as they are in completely different colours?

Markus

Again, a great and very helpful article. I would also put a charcoal / dark grey flannel jacket in the top five. By contrast, I am not a fan of windowpane or any other pattern for that matter (except a subtle herringbone). Yours are tasteful, though also not my style, but often they are bordering a bit on the clownesque and in addition are harder to combine than solid colors (which can also be washed out….. I have a wonderful very casual washed out grey K-Jacket from Boglioli).

Paul

Hi Simon, thank you for this.

I work in a semi-smart office (mostly grey or navy jackets, or only smart trousers with a shirt, but no tie, or very rarely).

I currently have a navy suit and a navy wool/cashmere jacket + dark grey trousers. What do you think would be the most relevant next step? Again I don’t wear ties, so a grey suit may not be needed. A brown jacket might be a little odd in my office. Maybe a second navy jacket, in a different weight or texture?

Alvin

Hi Simon

Do you think a brown Dupioni silk might make it into this top 5? It seems so versatile in being suitable for all 4 seasons, covering one mid-brown and allowing for a darker brown to be cashmere/tweed for example…

David

Hi Simon

I’m building out my jacket collection from scratch. After a somewhat disastrous fit experience with Solito have just had my first ever 2 MTM ones made that fit totally perfectly by Saman Amel. Would you recommend trying other makers for the next few jackets? I’m thinking that it might be a bit risky to have everything in the same house style, with the wide lapel and high gorge – but on the other hand they have absolutely nailed my pattern. I can see how others like the Anthology might offer a different lapel/style which could add variation, but am really afraid that the first commission won’t have the same superb fit- the solito one is so off I barely wear it, really sadly.

What do you think – prioritise sticking with the same tailor and don’t worry about the consistent characteristic lapel/cut/style?

Or… take a risk on fit and get the subtle changes of a different Neapolitan-style SB look into the capsule?

David

Such good advice. Thank you Simon

Mike

Hi Simon,
Excellent article, as usual. Sorry for all the preamble, but I want to give all the information you usually ask before giving advice, heh.

I live in the southern USA, so the temperature is about 85F/30C for 2/3 of the year. It’s hot and humid.

Work is casual (no suits, no sport coats/jackets/blazers). I do like to dress nicely at work and after work, though. So trousers are either fresco wool at work, and cotton/linen or linen trousers after work (wool fresco if going to do something more formal). I rarely wear denim, as it is too heavy, I find.

So I think I need 1 navy jacket or blazer for the very warm 2/3 of the year, and 1 3-season or cool weather for the short time it is cool and when I travel to cooler climates.

  1. Do you have any preference between a jacket vs blazer (I don’t recall ever seeing you in a proper navy blazer w/ contrasting buttons).
  2. For warm weather, is hopsack or wool/silk/linen the go-to? What about fresco? 1/4 lined with soft shoulders and patch pockets for versatility?
  3. Also for warm weather, Do you recommend a 2nd navy one that is more formal and works with wool/fresco trousers (maybe the wool/silk/linen with flap pockets and barchetta pocket)?
  4. For cooler weather, cashmere or wool/cashmere? Same soft shoulder but full lining? Or is this one that you think everyone should have, regardless (as you started off in this list).

Thank you in advance!

Mike

This is so helpful, thank you!

I’m sorry I am so late to this, I didn’t know how to find the comment/thread and didn’t add the notification feature.

Thank you for taking the time to write all this up, and the extensive knowledge you share, here! I’m learning a ton from you and this community.

Ben

Hi Simon,
Looking for a nice cold dark brown with some black in the weave for a jacket to wear with jeans, grey and brown flannels, and cream trousers.
The WW Chan W Bill has gone from bunches.

Is this any good? https://www.harrisons1863.com/product/wb12404/

Failing that are there any other bunches or fabrics that have caught your eye this season in black/brown mixes?

Gerry

Hi Simon
Is there such a thing as a true 4-season jacket? Would 11oz brown wool or cashmere be wearable in summer evenings? Or should the capsule really have summer and thicker winter brown jackets.

John

Hi Simon,
Do you think these two navy jackets can cover the whole range of seasons (from summer to winter and in between), and formality from jeans to more formal outfits? If not, what would be the main gap?
Thanks

https://www.thearmoury.com/collections/sport-coats/wool-cashmere-sport-coat?variant=18001927766087

https://www.thearmoury.com/collections/sport-coats/wool-linen-hopsack-sport-coat?variant=31841908916295

John

That sounds good, and the goal would be to wear them with dress shirts for work. I was just wondering how much I can stretch their use.
As far as fall and spring, for a not so cold day, would neither look out of season, as long as I pick either one based on the day’s temperature? I was just thinking that instead of looking for one navy jacket that would do it all, it would perhaps make more sense to have two instead.
Thanks again, and really enjoy your posts and discussions!

John

Would the wool/linen hopsack fabric decrease much in versatility compared to a wool hopsack jacket?
And having wool in the mix, would the texture change enough to safely go with a linen shirt and/or linen trousers?
Thank you

Guy W

Hi Simon, I’ve been revisiting this article given I’m almost exclusively wearing separates rather than suits, and I’m trying to build out my sports jacket wardrobe.
I already have a navy cashmere, grey and cream POW, green tweed (very similar to in colour to yours by Zizolfi) and oatmeal (in your Escorial wool).

I recently sold my brown sports jacket, a lovely brown tweed check from Drake’s which had a lot of country/autumnal colours through it, because I thought it was a little too ‘country’ for my lifestyle. While I loved it, I live in the city (Sydney), so I thought something a little simpler and colder in colour tones would be more appropriate. I’m tossing up on the below two sports jackets and would love your opinion:

1. This brown gun club check in undyed wool (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRIW2LME5KUy63_m0YLKZ07KTRTwvGN4nf_Ag&usqp=CAU). A simpler design in colder tones of brown.

2. This Harris Tweed (https://theanthology.net/shop/sport-jackets/wool-sport-jacket-the-anthology-x-jkf-man-harris-tweed). While this is probably more ‘country’ than the gun club check above, the colour palette is really interesting – it appears very neutral and cold, and therefore more modern.

Thanks!

Jack

Hi Simon, I have noticed that you don’t use flannels for sports jackets. Could I ask why?

Many thanks,
Jack

Jack

I see.

I am planning to commission a suit either from Anderson&Sheppard, Huntsman, Richard Anderson, or Kent & Haste. He is in his mid 60s. Althought he rarely wears a suit and mostly wears a sports jacket, I would like to gift him a suit. I understand suits are suits and jackets are jackets and from your response I assume it may be difficult but could you suggest any cloths which could work for both a suits and the sports jacket? Also, if it were you which house cut would you go for?

Jack

Okay, thanks.

I personally think A&S’s double-breasted suits are more flattering than single-breasted suits, and that Huntsman’s and Richard Anderson’s one-buttoned better than two-buttoned suits. In this case, if I were to commission a two-buttoned single-breasted suit, do you think I should go for Kent &Haste? Or is this something that could be sorted through discussing with the tailors?

Doogie

Good evening, Simon!

I need your advice with a more dark grey herringbone tweed jacket such as this one: (https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-co-harris-tweed-vintage-herringbone-blazer-grey/p477820) or (https://www.michaelandrews.com/shop/sport-coats/bespoke-grey-herringbone-harris-tweed-sport-coat).

Is this also considerable as grey herringbone and with which trousers would you pair them?
I guess something like grey flanell or wine/cream/navy corduroy and maybe olive moleskin?

Greetings and have a nice week!

Mike T

Hi Simon

I’m about to have a jacket made for a couple of weddings in late summer/autumn in Sydney.
I was going to order the PS oatmeal tweed then it sold out literally the next day.
I’ve been hunting for something similarly versatile and the thing that I have liked to most is this light brown from the Moonbeam bunch:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CO2vCADLcSq/?hl=en

Looks good with the grey shown but I can also see it with olives and able to be dressed up and down. Not too sure about jeans but that’s not a deal breaker for me.
Do you typically find light browns as versatile as the wheat/oatmeal in terms of pairing with dark trousers/chinos?

Re cloth weight. I seem to gravitate towards heavier cloth which is less ideal in a warmer climate like Sydney. I’ve never had a half-lined jacket but am considering it this time; how much of a difference do you think this makes re ventilation/temperature control?

I’ve enjoyed reading all the articles. Lots of helpful insights.

Many thanks

Mike

Jack

Hi Simon, do you think a beige-ish oatmeal cashmere sports jacket could work with darkish hazelnut cavalry twill trousers? Sorry for the vague description… the cavalry twill was from Dakoda bunch.

Many thanks,
Jack

Tony

Hello good sir, I am thinking about getting started with commissioning some sports jackets/casual suits. I am really build in the shoulders and slimmer in the waist and the English suits w/ structured shoulders looks a little odd on me. I am thinking about some of the softer cuts in Italy. However, the only Italian tailors that visits NYC I am aware of are Dalcuore and Solito. And I know Gallo (AKA Eric Jenson) has a NYC branch. Do you recommend of those for my athletic build or are you aware of any other softer tailors who travels to New York?

Tony

Thanks for the input. I’m thinking about commissioning are actually the PS Harris tweed and a navy textured jacket of some sort (either the moonbeam from Harrison’s or a hopsack). Would Thom Sweeney be a little too sharp if I want these jackets to be more versatile with being able to dress up and down a bit?

Also, second question. I’ve seen your late article about overshirts/chore jackets. It is worth it to go bespoke with these or the off the rack ones are good enough since there is no canvas?

Jack

Hi Simon, have you ever considered launching PS cloth for spring and summer? For instance, versatile dark brown in wool, silk, linen.

Many thanks,
Jack

Nick

Hi Simon, could you give an indication of whether there are new cloths in the pipeline?

Nick

Thank you very much for your reply. I would add a vote for a summer cloth or alternatively if you could do a list of suggested summer cloths (perhaps with a focus on ones that are more work appropriate).

I would also say that your ciardi gun club tweed is something that is not out there in the market and I would personally like to get a length of that, just as a suggestion 🙂

Richard

Interesting. What colours please?

Jack

I see. I wouldn’t say there is something missing in the market, but as you mentioned in your article, cloth for a brown casual summer jacket is a bit tricky unless it’s linen, but I prefer linen as an overshirt. And I feel like not a lot of merchants offer wool, silk, linen which is what I am thinking of using for a summer jacket.

Peter O

Why do you consider brown cold?

Jack

Hi Simon, do you think a medium to light brown jacket could be as versatile as a dark brown one for summer? I am thinking of commissioning a jacket in the Wool/Silk/Linen cloth below, but it’s pretty hard for me to draw how it would look. It would be great if you could share some thought on this.

https://collection.caccioppolinapoli.it/en/3201-jackets/3073-320156.html

Many thanks,
Jack

Jack

I was actually concerned about that too, as I mainly wear mid-grey or stone trousers in the summer. I thought about going for the dark brown in the same cloth, but I already have a dark brown summer jacket made with high-twist wool from the Ascot-6ply bunch. Although it is not the perfect material for an odd jacket, it was okay for me as it had enough texture. If it were you, which colour would you have chosen?

Jack

Thanks, Simon.

Jack

Do you think a dark brown wool/silk/linen jacket such as one made from this cloth (https://collection.caccioppolinapoli.it/en/3201-jackets/3156-320157.html) would work well with mid-blue jeans in the summer?

Jack

That is quite frustrating. It seems like linen would be the only cloth that could effectively bridge the gap between formal and casual for the summer. However, I wouldn’t say I like using linen cloth for the jacket as I often feel a bit out of place wearing it when the temperature isn’t that high (below 25 degrees), which is fairly common during the British summer. So I usually wear linen as an overshirt as you mentioned in the article.

The tailor suggested that a fully lined jacket with Irish linen (e.g. W.bill’s) may be more suitable, but I also wanted to ask your thoughts on this.

Also, I have looked into a 50% wool and 50% linen cloth from Marlin&Evans. Do you think this cloth would work?

image_123986672 (2).JPG
Jack

I see. Have you ever considered creating a PS cloth which could fill in this gap?

Jack

I think that would be really nice

Stefan

I’m not so familiar with different cloths and textures yet. You seam to recommend hopsack for a summer jacket and not for a winter jacket. Wool/cashmere would be a better choice for winter according to you. I actually have a hopsack (midweight) from saman amel as a fall/winter jacket that I think is quite nice. Any special reason that you recommend it more as a summer cloth? I have a wool/cashmere jacket as well, but I like more the texture of the hopsack. Cashmere looks more luxurious, and it is not always a good thing for me. The hopsack have a more matte finish which I like. But I suppose it is personal taste. I remember an interview with Liverano when he talked about different cloths and described that he liked more tweed, heavy wool fabrics than cashmere. Cashmere make you look more expensive sometimes if you know what I mean, and I’m not sure it is a look I strive for.

Stefan

I’m not sure I have actually, thanks and sorry for not searching enough before asking. 🙂

Sheikh Ali

Hi Simon,
Would you please suggest a fabric other than cashmere for a navy blazer which can be paired with grey flannel trousers. Something in the 400 grams to 450 grams range. Also what are your thoughts on blue flannel jacket with grey flannel trouser. Same fabric different color, theres something not right about it!

Sheikh Ali

Would you please suggest a bunch book from holland & sherry. Im exactly looking for the navy blazer’s winter counterpart.

Kris

Hi Simon,

Would you consider a post on various color combinations? There is a lot of good information across the website (formality, knitwear etc) but an article on your thoughts on what color combinations work/don’t work would be very interesting!

Best,

Kris

Kris

Yes I realize there are a lot of combinations! Particularly if we go beyond jacket/trousers and include shirts/shoes etc.

Links to what you like is a very good idea. I really enjoyed the piece titled “This feels like me”. Perhaps even what you tried before that you felt didn’t quite work (I remember there was a post like that at one point but in general rather than colour specifically).

Kris

Thanks for the lookbook Simon.

It’s a great resource that I was not aware of and is now bookmarked!

Benjamin

Hi Simon,
Thanks for a great article. I am, as many of us here are, in the beginning of acquiring some quality timeless garments. I’m about to purchase my first two jackets. I have a couple of smart trousers like grey and brown flannel, grey high twist etc. My office is in the business casual area ranging from knitwear without a shirt to jackets and odd trousers with a tie. I would like to step up my formality a notch from knitwear with a shirt and smart trousers to wearing a jacket. Navy is a quite obvious choice and I’m thinking the second one to be a darker shade of brown. As many of us ask for I’m aiming for versatility. Hence I would like to be able to wear them a lot. To work, to evening events, during the day and throughout the year (except those very hot summer days).

Now to my questions. Do you have any recommendations for cloths for my first two jackets? I prefer texture over colored pattern if that make sense.

Regards,
Benjamin

Nasif

Hi Simon,
What would be a great winter navy jacket? Something that is not as casual as tweed but not as smart as wool/cashmere. Also would suggest a bunch that has a plain navy tweed.
Thanks,
Nasif

Lindsay McKee

Simon, here’s another one of my challenges!!
in this excellent “Capsule Wardrobe Collection Series” I can safely say that I’m about to complete the first one… “Business Suits” shortly by simply adding Navy trousers to my initial commission of navy jacket in the same cloth and also have my dark grey Smith woolens Whipcords.
To a fault, please note, my separates are also complete.. grey whipcord trousers.
What was my fault, you may ask.. and maybe other readers also?
I can see a case for commissioning another navy or dark blue jacket in a more appropriate jacket cloth rather than a suiting cloth as above to work with the grey whipcords …at a later date.
In your 3rd Article, “Jackets”, you mentioned either cashmere or a wool cashmere mix or even tweed.
I wish to again keep to a midweight cloth in a nice navy/blue. Could that be HARTWIST or THORNPROOF… rather heavy. I prefer a strong fabric, not too open weave.
I’m not speaking of a Summer fabric, like Hopsack or say FINMARESCO, that will be a separate commission, but a decent weight jacketing fabric..with a firm hand.
Thoughts anyone?
Then a grey herringbone… much much later.

Keith

Lindsay, I recommend you check-out the Mock Leno cloths in the Smith Woolens Finmeresco bunch. A few years ago, Ciardi made a dark navy jacket for me with this cloth and it is an amazing 3-season fabric (not suitable for summer). It is surprisingly heavy and robust with, to use fabric terminology, a dry rather than soft hand. And it has a LOT of texture and will never be confused with suiting cloth. Importantly, it has enough texture/substance to go with whip cord or cavalry twill trousers (and flannel of course).
In order to get an impression of what it looks like made up as a jacket, I recommend you search the web. A fabric sample isn‘t enough.

Lindsay McKee

My rather belated thanks for your reply to me.
I quite agree, a sample fabric isn’t enough.
Can you clarify the following? Regarding the Mock Leno from the Finmaresco bunch, this is the more open weave fabric strictly for jackets that you’re referring to, right? Not the Fresco type, as for trousers with a denser but still open weave?
Is there not a risk of the Mock Leno snagging?
I also like the Navy Mock Leno in the Dugdale bunch. It is a beautiful Navy with a slight reddish cast but beautiful nonetheless.

Lindsay McKee

Great!

Lindsay McKee

I assume your jacket was fully lined, not unstructured?
Anyways ,sounds good to me. I might just go for that. Finmaresco in Dark Navy for me, would seem pretty elegant….In mock Leno. Trousers I have, whipcord. The Mock Leno jacket would also pair well with fresco, finmaresco greys, airesco, drapers Ascot in a number of grey shades?
I like the idea. One jacket with both whipcords or fresco (high twists).

Lamschke

Hello, Simon!

I own several jackets now but I am still in need for a green jacket.
I am not so sure about the right shade though, because green is a very general term and I am very concerned about getting the right „green“.

Should I stick to seasons and go for an olive/brownish green tweed jacket for winter and a dark green linen (-wool-silk) jacket in summer? Is there are go to colour shade for a four seasons jacket?
And I’ve heard that a true green clashes with grey trousers.. is that true at all?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Ralph

Dear Simon, I own a navy business suit and a dark blue FW jacket. Now I am planning to commission a versatile summer jacket. Given the informal attire of my colleagues and clients, I don’t often wear tailoring, but would like to do so more often in the future. Would you also recommend navy Hopsack for the summer version – or rather brown? I don’t want to choose grey, as I am also planning on a grey herringbone jacket. Thank you.

Ralph

Mostly smarter trousers such as tailored cotton/linen/high-twist. But occasionally also sharp jeans and smart chinos.

Varun Saxena

So I have seen that most of jackets we wear have either a notch lapel or a peak lapel. Often the jacket collar is kind of pressed from the button upwards (a two button blazer – single breasted)
however when I look at jackets stitched by Asian tailors like Ring jacket, Assisi or Coller, Ascottage their collar rolls up from the button upwards.
How is that achieved? Is it the cut?
Please shed some light on it. I hope you get what I am trying to say here. Please see the image attached. See the roll on the collar.
thanks

6D1B4D98-503A-43EA-BCBC-BF7D7759F37B.jpeg
Varun Saxena

Thanks Simon. I would have to look up for a three roll two button jacket. But it sounds like to be a slightly crafty skill.
Kindly give a link of some article if you cover it somewhere

Varun Saxena

Thanks

Elias

Hi Simon!

I’ve found a flannel odd jacket that I’ve become quite attached to. It’s 340g and kind of greyish really dark brown. More so than the picture. I think it would look good with cream flannel trousers, or stone and beige cavalry twill, perhaps even selvage denim. Would probably also try to find matching pants to use it as a suit every now and then. However, I’ve read a couple of comments here where you advise against flannel as an odd jacket which makes me a bit hesitant.

Do you think there can ever be a good odd jacket made up in flannel? Any thoughts on the one I’ve described? Would be very happy to have your input!

Best regards,
Elias

EE067B9C-D0ED-4D17-8817-BBC5F9BC3C8D.jpeg
Elias

It’s very soft. I’ve located the bunch and fabric code. Contacted drapers and they can sell me the cloth.

It’s from VBC and yes it’s RTW. Why not with flannel trousers? Any fabric pant that you think it would look good combined with?

Tom

I used to mainly wear suits for formal occasions and casual wear in my day-to-day life. But now post-Covid, I find everyone at my office in New York wears separates. So I’m commissioning a navy jacket from Anderson & Sheppard – I’m thinking for the Autumn through Spring months, to be mainly worn in the office, but also occasionally out to the pub after work, and to dinners/parties that are more upscale. I’ll pair the jacket with grey flannels and other smart trousers. Are there any fabrics you’d particularly recommend for this main navy sport coat? I’m considering Harrison’s moonbeam in a dark navy (35015, 10/11oz) or a wool-cashmere mix, or just asking A&S what they think. I’m looking for something luxurious and on the smarter side, but not super shiny. Hopsack would be great for the warmer months, but I’m thinking of starting with something for the cooler weather, since the summers here are so hot that I’m often jacket-less. Thank you so much as always!

Tom

Thanks so much for your advice as always, Simon. I had my consultation today and without leading the witness, Colin reached for the Harrisons Moonbeam book first, so it felt like it was meant to be. Looking forward to wearing it in the future.

Sartorius

Hi Simon, would be interested in your advice about the best colour for an autumn/winter jacket, at the smartish end of the style spectrum (for use mostly to wear out to dinner in the city). Cloth would likely be pin cord or plain wool (I don’t much like patterns – I find even herringbone is too much and risks looking fusty) and I feel tweed would be too ‘country’.

Colour-wise, I would instinctively think navy, but I’m not sure this is right in my case as I often wear navy chinos (and so would avoid wearing navy top and bottom). I don’t think brown is quite right (in a city restaurant setting) so am wondering about a dark olive green – except that the idea of green tailoring somehow just makes me nervous.

Would be interested in your thoughts.

Sartorius

Thanks Simon. The grey donegal jacket is lovely but I think a tweed would be a little too casual for what I want.

I have an old Zegna cashmere jacket in a grey birdseye (one benefit of the birdseye being that the colour is a mix of charcoal and mid grey, which I have always found easy to wear). So I could look at a bespoke version of that.

I do like the idea of pincord though – do you find the olive green easy to wear?

Sartorius

Thanks again. Yes, that one has a herringbone by the looks of it, but quite subtle. I’d probably go for something slightly darker though, as I’d mostly be wearing it in the evening. I think mid/darker grey or dark olive are probably the best options – you mentioned oatmeal and beige, but I see those as more day wear (lovely, but to my eye more casual).

Sartorius

Hi Simon, you helpfully linked to the grey herringbone jacket above when I posted a few months ago. Can you tell me what the cloth of that jacket is? Am interested in a darker grey version so would be interested in what bunch it was from. Thanks!

Sartorius

Thanks, Simon, as ever for the helpful info.

So I am still ruminating over needle cord versus a subtle herringbone, but another idea is a subtle prince of wales check.

Do you have any thoughts on the relative formality and versatility of POW v the other two (pincord and herringbone)?

Sartorius

Hi Simon, so after ruminating on colour, cloth and pattern for a while, I’ve summarised below where I think I am (be interested in your thoughts if you’re not too busy, particularly if you strongly disagree with anything!):
mid-grey feels like the optimum colour for what I want (to be worn in the evenings in the city, in autumn and winter)I like the relaxed, comfortable vibe of pincord, but you don’t ever seem to see pincord blazers in grey (they’ re almost always brown or olive green)herringbone would look great in grey, but the classic cloth seems to be tweed, and I see tweed as outdoor or daywear (“never after 6pm” as the saying goes) – herringbone also feels quite ‘serious’ (in a negative way, from my perspective)
POW check – classic colour seems to be light grey (I’ve seen mid and darker grey versions but to my eye they’re not so successful). POW also feels inherently like a bit of a risk (being a larger pattern)which takes me all the way back to birdseye (I have an old Zegna RTW cashmere birdseye which I’ve always enjoyed wearing, but which is now a little small) – this seems to tick all the boxes – great in mid-grey, elegant but also easy to dress down, goes with everything (more versatile than POW and perhaps even herringbone, e.g. if wearing with a check shirt?) – so overall, a good way to move away from a solid jacket without getting into what I see as perhaps more difficult checks and similar (if I were to go for a reasonably high contrast, that is)

Sartorius

Thanks Simon, yes please elucidate away!

(Incidentally, the text of my last post was bulleted but that formatting seems to have disappeared so sorry if it was tricky to follow.)

Sartorius

I think I mean that some patterns (POW for example) are perhaps more whimsical, whereas the very regular, repeating herringbone is somewhat more serious.

But I appreciate this is a generalisation, and indeed one of the difficulties with choosing cloth these days is that there is so much variety (in terms of level of contrast in any pattern, and also of texture and handle of the fabric itself).

BC

Hi Simon,

I’m looking at a wool/cotton 50/50 mix sports coat with either a grey-on-grey or blue-on-blue houndstooth pattern for summer wear. Any thoughts as to wool/cotton fabrics for warm weather, and also whether a houndstooth in either pattern will be sufficiently versatile for both office-wear and cocktail-wear? Many thanks!

BC

What about something more like this, again, for office wear, and maybe also cocktail appropriate?

330106 (caccioppolinapoli.it)

Doogie

Hello, Simon!

I am interested in a lighter brown/tan houndstooth blazer I would like to ask whether the jacket is versatile with different separate trousers or not?
Does it fall under the definition of tan?

Some inspiration would be https://suitsupply.com/en-jp/men/jackets/brown-houndstooth-havana-blazer/C1927A.html | https://suitsupply.com/en-jp/men/jackets/dark-brown-houndstooth-havana-blazer/C1817A.html | https://www.thearmoury.com/products/wool-houndstooth-sport-coat?variant=39886455308359 or this one https://www.spierandmackay.com/product/brown–ecru-houndstooth—neo-cut—full-canvas-s1592-16814b2-nesc-01-fw22

Doogie

Thank you, Simon.

What about olive? Or do both colour bite each other?
Would you distinguish between Tan and let‘s say Brown in terms of versatility or can you go with Brown as fifth sports coat?
Would you miss something if you avoid Tan?

Jack

Hi Simon, do you think your dark brown Solito and Shibumi jackets are also very enjoyable but highly recognisable as your gun club check jacket, which falls into the category where not to be worn every week?

Many thanks,
Jack

Kuo Yuan Chi

Hi Simon
Is dark brown linen good for a sport coat?

For summer, how does it compare to wool/silk/linen (wool/linen)?

Thank

Andrew

Hi Simon, great article and fantastic site- finding a wealth of info. Rebuilding my jacket and suit wardrobe due to size and style preferences. Fairly conservative bank environment, went from suit/tie to jacket/trousers mostly. First purchase was an Anglo-Italian house navy hopsack. Next up I was thinking brown as you suggest but given I’d like to pair with chocolate colored trousers I may have cornered myself into something lighter or with more pattern as to not closely match the plain colored chocolate trousers.

https://cavour.co/en/product/8486/summer-glencheck-jacket
While this WSL glencheck is nice, perhaps too punchy (not tonal enough) to not be a “weekly wear” but a bonus as you’d say- would you agree? Given it’s limited office meeting wear and not for keeping warm, would this be acceptable for fall/winter or is the pattern or fabric too spring/summer?

https://cavour.co/en/product/8489/solid-summer-jacket
This one ticks more of your boxes for the 2nd jacket, however wouldn’t look great with the new chocolate trousers I’m trying to pair with, also perhaps too warm and not cool tone. Should I should forget about the new trousers and get the right coat as I have stone, dark grey, navy trousers avail to wear?

I also need to rebuild with a few new suits- and a fairly plain mid brown/taupe would be likely high on the list, another reason to not want a plain darkish brown for the 2nd jacket such as above.I like the tonal Saman Amel/Stoffa aesthetic mixed with the classic/relaxed of AI.

https://angloitalian.com/products/ait-074
something like this AI I guess would be ideal but looking to not spend as much as I build out.

Thanks very much for your thoughts,
Andrew

Andrew

Thanks for the reply-
Mid-grey as the 2nd jacket? Like herringbone? Perhaps though hadn’t considered it really. The dark grey I mentioned were trousers I have (AIT high twist charcoal) not a jacket. Maybe I’m misunderstanding.
Sorry, the AIT cloth (yes correct link) was for a 2nd jacket- not suit. Trying to show a more ideal, toned down version of the Cavour glencheck jacket that would be appropriate for my situation -tonal but less punchy but still has something pattern with going on to pair with solid chocolate trousers.
Many thanks

Teddy

Hi Simon
I have a lovely navy blue hopsack jacket from Saman Amel which has been fabulous and can work for most occasions. I am looking for ideas for as second MTM jacket and I am still very early on in this journey of upscaling my wardrobe. I am based in London so will wear a jacket socially eg summer garden party, Christmas drinks/party, or a small dinner party, or having dinner at Pall mall club when a suit is not needed (jacket and tie). I can be smart casual at work and don’t need a suit. I am thinking something in the brown family. Any recommendations by yourself or anyone else are welcome – at the moment not sure to work on getting something for summer, something for winter, or 4 seasons. Not looking for anything showy, just smart, subdued and well put together. Thanks!

Doogie

Hello, Simon.

Is a taupe sports coat limited in its options? Considering trousers.
I am not sure how i can pull off such a colour because it is honestly closer to grey then expected…
Would a pattern as houndstooth or herringbone help?

Gianni

Hi Simon,
Do you have an updated point of view about the most versatile sports jackets today? I gradually switch from suits to jackets and trousers at the moment. (Accountant big 4 firm and partner). Next one after a navy, should I look at a grey (mid or dark grey) herringbone or Brown herringbone to wear at work? Wool with cashmere or tweed? Flannel? To be honest, switching from ”the uniform” grey and navy suits I am a little lost at the moment, haha. Unfortunately I dont like myself in lighter colors like off white, beige, camel and I dont know if that would be appropriate for my Office either.
I love for example navy jacket with chambray shirt or a navy popover shirt, with grey flannel trousers, and Brown chukka boots.
But if you would bought two more jackets and trousers for a formal office, What would that be? (My Office is much more relaxed now than 10 years ago and I am switching clothes because of a lot of things. Different clients today, not wearing ties anymore and wearing suits with not tie is not a good outfit 5 days a week….)

Gianni

Thank you Simon. Good cloth could be wool with 7-10 % cashmere, weight around 320-350g? (Similar climate to UK). I am coming from a world (like my colleagues) of wearing the same four quite boring business suits all year. No one of us know What the weight of the cloth is. 🙂
But I want to take a step up and buy better garments.

Trousers to grey and Brown jacket are for example khaki and navy cotton, mid and dark grey flannels, dark blue denim?

Shem

Hi simon i have navy sb and db wool ackets and a dark brown check wool jacket. The jackets get me through almost any occasion and am very happy with them. Im lookng to add something very casual to the mix (cotton or art du lin linen) to be worn with t shirts and wide chinos/denim below. Im wondering what sort of colour should i be looking at?

shem

Hey simon. Not sure to be honest. I feel theres just so many options that it can be dizzying even taking into account my criteria (e.g. jacket must not have rollino as it can be rather formal, must not be too waisted to wear with wide chinos/denim). Ultimately theres many ways to go from here that it can lead to choice paralysis (e.g. checked wool blazer, linen or cotton db, even drake’s games blazers in sb or db). I also feel while the first few jackets I have are safe and I will likely continue wearing, what I buy from may lead to some trial and error eventually (and likely money wasted!)

Frank_w

Hi Simon,

Thank you for all of your great advice !
Can you please tell me more about this fantastic watch ?

Frank_w

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Cormac Lynch

Simon, Hope you have been doing well.

This has been a lovely post, especially the take on fabric and color.

It would be also useful to have your view on jackets for the weekend. If you think people will find this interesting, I would love to see you categorize military jackets (M-65, A-1, A-2), menswear casual (teba and like), workwear (chore coats, trucker ), country wear (waxed and anoraks), and performance wear (shell, down), etc.

Cormac Lynch

Precisely. Instead of specific pieces, occasions (categories) would be rather useful as in the casual shoes article.
Thank you so much.

Andrew

Hi Simon,
I do see a lot of comments around seasonal versatility but I’ll ask a more specific one. Currently have a navy hopsack from Anglo Italian that covers me all year. This is really indoor wear only for me, not wearing for warmth. Next would be a cold tonal dark brown check https://cavour.co/en/product/8917/mod-2-wool-cashmere-glencheck-jacket

and/or a grey herringbone like yours from Anthology.

Issue I’m having is finding a brown check or grey herringbone that is light enough to wear. But even if I do, could a dark brown glencheck or grey herringbone look right for all but the height of summer? Thanks!

Andrew

Thanks Simon, Perhaps I’m overthinking it. Do you think the Cavour jacket above for example would work in spring/summer? Both in pattern and weight (330g)?
As for the grey herringbone, not so much the color as a mid grey would work well. But the likely heavier textured hand would lend itself to fall/winter more I’d have thought. I’m happy to be wrong and it be more all seasons appropriate!
Eagerly awaiting the return of the cashmere crewneck since trying it on last month in your NYC pop up!

Andrew

Thanks, any recommendations on a grey herringbone cloth that’s a bit lighter? The anthology that’s similar to yours is 380g which I fear too heavy. I understand if too light though it won’t have as much texture likely.

Robert

Should you be breaking down the five jacket capsule by season? Five for fall/winter and five for spring/summer. This is basically what my wardrobe looks like. There’s a few pieces that might overlap depending on your geography and can be paired down to a single garment for year round wear by adding a layer but generally they’re going to be distinct.

Carl

I think that “tweedish” colors like brown and green often work better in fall/winter and that you can have a bit lighter navy in the summer than in the winter. Just my two cents.

Bryan

Simon, thank you for such an informative article and for answering so many questions. Here is mine: I am building a bespoke wardrobe and want to add more sport coats. I have the foundational navy hopsack blazer. I also have a grey herringbone tweed suit that I wear most often as just a jacket. I’ve taken your recommendation of brown and green as next steps, however I’m stuck at just one point. I recently moved to Singapore and while I want to build the foundations, I also want to be able to use them locally and not just when I travel. So, would you commission a dark brown and then green sport coat in summer cloths, unlined and soft construction, or would you recommend getting them in more “all season” like a hopsack first, then once I have the foundations set, then expanding into seasonal fabrics? (Also, does dark brown work in a tropical climate anyway?)

Jack

Hi Simon, I have been commissioning jackets for a few years now. So far, I own navy, mid-grey, oatmeal 11oz and mid-brown 14oz herringbone tweed jackets for winter, and plain dark brown wool/silk/linen and lightweight windowpane mid-brown linen jackets for summer. I am considering adding a navy hopsack for next summer.
Although I think I have pretty much collected the core colours for the winter and a decent number for summer, the materials and weights of those jackets make them quite tricky to wear during the transitional weather in London, so I am considering commissioning a jacket in a light weight wool. My question is, if it were you, which colour would you go for based on the ones I own? Would you go for something subtle (plain patterns or muted colours) as it would be my only transitional jacket?

Many thanks,
Jack

Jack

Thank you, Simon.

I remember you told me that the temperature matters more than the time of the year but I feel like there are strong visual associations of linen being a summer cloth and tweed a winter cloth, which makes me hesitant to choose that goes against these associations, especially in April, May, September, and October. Could I ask how you have found your Ciardi’s heavy linen double-breasted jacket so far?

Jack

Thanks, Simon.

I think a good compromise would be to go for a mid-weight wool/linen cloth.

Do you think the brown and cream/white(?) herringbone cloth from the photo could work with light/mid-grey and dark brown trousers? I have several herringbone jackets and coats in tweed but I can’t really imagine how it would turn out when it is made into a jacket.

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Jack

Thanks, Simon.

Could I ask what you think the colour of the herringbone would turn out when it is made up? Would it basically look like a mid-brown jacket? Similar to black and cream herringbone looking like a grey one?

Jack

I see, I should probably look for other cloth as I would kike to avoid anything bold.

Could I ask what you think about the green cloth below? I don’t have any green jackets in my wardrobe and I feel like it’s difficult to choose one as there are so many shades of green out there, Do you think this shade could work well with light grey (same as your Cornacchina Ascot 2ply) and brown beige high twist trousers?

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Jack

Thank you, Simon.

Edwin Rothengatter

Hi Simon,

Currently going to be making my second MTM jacket through Suitsupply (got my measurements nailed down for my regular fit without it being skin tight). I have the option to choose between a full canvas or half canvas construction. Would it be wise to spend the extra 100 euro’s for the full canvas option?

It’s a pure s110 wool (270gr / m2) in dark navy for a standard SB jacket with patch pockets, basicly a staple which will get lots of wear.

Cheers in advance!

Edwin Rothengatter

Cheers! What about flannels:

Mid grey + charcoal or mid grey + dark green.

I want to stay away from dark brown for now because I intent to get a full suit in dark brown corduroy later down the line.

For shoes I’m also I need of some advice. I currently have a black pair of c&j oxfords. What would he a sensible next purchases (I’v found a last that works at C & J and want to stay in that last). The options are as follows:

  • Dark brown oxfords calf leather (same as the black basically)
  • Dark brown oxfords with wingtip and dark brown suede (more casual even though it’s an oxford)
  • Dark brown derby in calf leather but it has a leather midsole and thicker soles (mostly casual)
  • Dark brown suede chukka boots (not sure if I fit these but it’s the same last)

The intent is to wear them with flannels / slacks and sport jackets and mayby chino’s. Personally I like the suede oxford wingtip option but I also plan on getting some suede chukka boots.

Thanks in advance and enjoy Pitti Uomo

Edwin Rothengatter

Hi Simon,

I have, sadly I have to skip loafers. I’v had issues with most loafer lasts, otherwise a dark brown suede penny loafer would be the perfect next choice.

Thinking about it, I’m probably gonna get the chukka first (since it will work with flannels, chino’s, jeans and will be that more versatile) and see if they will make an oxford with brogueing in a calf skin next season on the last I want.

Cheers!

Jack

Hi Simon, I am looking for a navy summer cloth for a jacket which doesn’t look too smart as I find wearing a jacket itself already makes me stand out during the summer. I was just wondering if a wool/linen jacket in navy would look less corporate than similar shades of navy in Hopsack or wool/silk/linen jackets?

Many thanks,
Jack

Jack

I see, thank you, Simon.

Do you think the dark navy colour would make the jacket inevitably smarter regardless of the material and the structure? I have noticed I don’t have dark coloured jackets for summer evening wear. Do you mind if I ask which jackets you like to wear in summer evenings?

Jack

I understand.

What do you think of this cloth for a jacket? It is 4ply high twist wool in a twill weave which I’ve never seen before, and was spongier than the other high twists I’ve known. Just by looking at it from the photo, do you think this could be well made into a jacket?

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Jack

The bunch is called 4ply and from Lanificio Rogna; the description says it has tropicals and cavalry twills. The cloth is fairly heavy (460g) for a spring/summer jacket. Have you seen this in person by any chance? It was strongly recommended by a tailor who is trusted for his style but was just a bit unsure as he has never seen it made up either… But having been burnt after making a jacket with highly textured 6ply wool in the past, I wanted to ask your thoughts.

Jack

Sure, thank you, Simon!

Anonymous

Hi Jack,

I can’t tell for certain but I believe this to be the new book from Rogna (they also have a new WSL book), both of which look/feel pretty nice based on the swatches I saw/touched recently. I have no experience with commissioning anything in them . However, I believe that Suitsupply has some offerings in fabrics from these books this season. You may be able to see them in person in a store.

See here for an example: https://suitsupply.com/en-gb/men/trousers/off-white-pleated-mira-trousers/B3010.html

You can find others by searching for Rogna on their website.

Jack

Simon, do you think the cloth would be a bit too sharp for a jacket based on what other reader has posted from the Suitsupply website? It looks like cavalry twill to me. Have you ever seen 4ply high-twist fabric with such distinct twill lines? Would it weaken the characteristic of a high twist fabric that usually restricts it from being made into a jacket or would it be the opposite?

Jack

Thank you, that’s really helpful.

Jackson

Hey Simon, Couple of questions for you..

Interested what you think about the old dogmas around seasonal materials. Are these things you’d venture that we should leave in the past now and base these things more on temperature and climate and individual style? Or do you think wearing a fresco wool jacket underneath a raglan tweed coat would still be bizarre? Would you wear a linen jacket on a particularly unseasonably warm february or march day, perhaps with a merino jumper and cavalry twill trousers? Or would that be some kind of out of season frankenstein’s monster of an outfit? Linen trousers and a cotton knit, with your anthology herringbone over the shoulder and put on as the evening cools on a mild day in may? And so on, I’m sure you get the point.

Beyond that, a more functional question… Art du Lin Linen to me looks like the most visually deep and interesting linen I’ve seen. Is it thick and sturdy enough to be worn outside of may-july?

Jackson

That’s interesting to hear. Though I guess I’m particularly interested in what you think about where these lines are drawn when it comes to combining certain cloths during the transitional months. I guess given the breadth of your wardrobe this is an easier issue to avoid, but would you ever consider wearing a light tweed – like your anthology jacket – with something like linen trousers, or ecru jeans and a tshirt on a warm day but cool evening in the summer months. Or by that point in the year would you have retired the jacket to your loft storage? (You posted about this once – I haven’t been in a tree outside your house with binoculars, I swear) How about corduroy too?

What about a wool/linen jacket? Would you ever wear that under a coat?

Re art du lin…. when you say mostly like a linen, do you mean a linen that would be confined to the summeriest days of summer?

Sorry if my questions are rather repetitive, but I find, oddly, that this is one area of dressing that I still don’t find that instinctive, whereas colour, modes of formality and cultures or styles of dress I find come far more naturally to me. It’s probably because this areas is far more steeped in budgetary concerns and trying to keep things as broad as possible.

Jackson

Thanks Simon, interesting. Will definitely have this in mind whilst considering my next jacket

Jackson

https://angloitalian.com/products/ait-093

What do you think of this cloth, Simon?

What colours of shirt/trousers do you think you could wear it with? Presumably brown trousers, pink/white/blue shirts. Cream or grey high twist trousers?

Do you think it’s a cloth that would pair well with jeans too?

I do quite like it and am wondering if it’s something that could be a jacket that see’s me through work obligations with smart trousers in the summer, and pub obligations with jeans.

Christian

Hi Simon,

Wanted to hear your thought on this blueish green WSL jacket. Do you think it might be too bold compares to your dark green jacket from prologue? Or would it be difficult to pair? For some reason, I think green WSL gives a younger look vs brown WSL in my opinion

Many thanks

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4PPqXFJh5Z/?igsh=MWpkd2o1a3VmbTJ2NA==

Christian

thanks for the quick response Simon. Is this something you would wear / considered to be versatile or is it a bit too bold for your taste?

Also interested to know out of the three options below, which one would you go with? Cheers

https://angloitalian.com/products/ait-059?_pos=21&_fid=ccc6cfb94&_ss=c
https://angloitalian.com/products/ait-096
https://angloitalian.com/products/ait-099

Carl

I have a dark grey suit in worsted wool. I would normally never use a suit jacket as an odd jacket unless its tweed, linen or flanell. But this jacket is a bit different.
The wools texture is ”brushed” in a way that reminds of flanell, or at least worsted flanell. The bunch is a Super 120 from H&S. It also have a discreet prince of wales check. (Obvious on a short distance but not from a far). It has flap pockets but also a ticket pocket.
I wonder if you think I can use this as a sport coat in a cold/monochrome outfit. I get that I cant use it with jeans or chinos. But maybe with smart trousers in a different shade of grey.

Carl

Ok and thanks for the honesty. I have a Neapolitan midgrey herringbone sport coat that is very similar to the one you have from Anthology. But the Harris Tweed in it is very heavy and I would like something smarter, probably in a darker grey. It can still be a herringbone. Do you have any recommendations? I 100% cashmere would be too expensive for me.

Carl

I found the H&S wool. Or at something with the exact same pattern (I dont think the one I have is Crispaire, based on the touch/feel.

https://apparel.hollandandsherry.com/en/fabric/use/suits/3321016-crispaire-charcoal-glen-check

Carl

Thanks,

I would guess it is worsted flannel or something else with a softer and more spongy feel than an ordinary worsted. I am quite sure its not Crispaire.