How exciting. I think the B&W herringbone looks very good indeed - and is likely to look as much a town coat in that colour way, as something only suited to the country.emc894 wrote:An update:
I was just measured and ordered the jacket. I chose black and white herringbone Harris Tweed from Harrisons. I was chose two buttons, three on cuff, charcoal lining, double vent, non-patch flapped pockets and ticket pocket, but was swayed into choosing slanted pockets. If this is an equestrian detail, it seems out of place with a double vented coat. What do you think (of course, I realize the only people who would ever notice the incongruity are probably members of this website or tailors)?
On suits, I think the slanted pockets sometimes look like the wearer just received his first bespoke suit and wanted to go wild, but I don't know about tweed jackets.
It seems conventional that the hacking jacket style (slant pockets, tight waist, single vent and usually 3-button) and universal style (horizontal pockets, double vent, 2- or 3-button) don't mix. Magee (of Donegal) used to offer these 2 styles as quite different concepts in their RTW tweed jacket range, not least because their marketing aimed specifically at the equestrian world and the 'cubbing' outfit of hacking jacket and bowler was a very prescriptive order of dress.
Personal I like the hacking style (although horses scare me and make me sneeze uncontrollably...) simply because it suits my dumpy shape (see above). In other respects, I think straight pockets - or patch - look better with double vents, but no firm rule surely.
I placed my order last week in brown Harrisons herringbone c/w a particularly lurid lime green lining my tailor seems very enthusiastic about; if needs be I shall possibly be able to wear the coat inside out to avoid being run over in traffic in poor lighting conditions...