The London Lounge

Gentlemen,
I know it is purely a personal choice but do you have your double breasted jackets made with two side vents or completely ventless? The former gives easier access to trouser pockets but the latter presents a "cleaner" silhouette. Are there any movement restrictions, such as when sitting, in a ventless coat? To my mind ventless appears to show a more vintage style as worn in the thirties and forties. Your thoughts would be much appreciated.

Regards,
Snapper

VENTS please

I have a DB suit with no vents that works quite well, as does a DB DJ.

Vents are more practical for day-to-day wear, but if it is well cut by someone who likes to do that, there should be no real problem. I've found it comfortable when standing or sitting.

snapper wrote: do you have your double breasted jackets made with two side vents or completely ventless?

I have not commissioned jackets without vents for more than 15 years now.
However, I still have a few "older" DB jackets I instructed to be ventless because at the moment I thought they would be a tad more formal that way and in line with the style and purpose of the garment.
My DB DJ is ventless and I wouldn´t want to change that. As for my other DB ventless suits, although they are comfortable while sitting, I confess I sometimes miss an easier access to the trouser pockets and if I were to order them today, I would ask for side vents.

Yes, unless it is a dinner jacket, I would not commission a double-breasted jacket without side vents.

For me it would still have to be a spiffy rig that one might wear to a non-black-tie but nice event. It is still possible, though. Almost-black herringbone, no pocket flaps-- nicely formal.

Interestingly enough, Steven Hitchcock refused to do ventless on a SB DJ. I don't know if he had missed that part of the instructions and was just defending himself, or if his jackets are actually long enough vs. A&S or some other houses that it would have been a real mess.

My DJ (in black Brisa BTW) is double-breasted and has two vent's as do my few ordinary DB jackets. From a stylistic point of view, I now think that ventless in the DJ would have been better, but at the time I expected to dance a lot in it so I wanted that extra freedom of movement. Seeing how it sits in the cupboard most of the time, either-or sadly makes little difference.

You cannot go wrong either way, but for me it would be no vents for the DB. This coat is usually cut closer to the body and perhaps a half inch shorter, so I like the simpler line of no vents. I wear a suit every week day and most of my winter ones are DB. Most of my non-winter suits and all of my sport coats are SB and for these I always go for side vents. Our respected style icons are usually so presented in films of the 30's and 40's and often times even SB coats have no vents.

I have a standard reply to anyone who asks me what vent style they should have, single, double or none.

"Gentleman have 2 vents - but you can have what you want!"

Always with a smile