The London Lounge

I think one of the pleasures of the modern business environment, where some of us are fortunate enough to mix working from home with having to go into the office occasionally, is that putting on a suit has, for many more, become something to think about – indeed plan – rather than simply being a case of putting on pinstripe overalls.

The fact that I no longer have to wear a suit every day has certainly informed the direction that my wardrobe development is taking.

One particular issue that I've had some fun trying to achieve is blurring the distinction between city suit and country attire when making the trek from rural idyll to London W1. With this objective some years ago I obtained a plain charcoal grey tweed suit in 16oz herringbone weave. I have since discovered that this particular suit has proved to be one of the most versatile in my wardrobe and in the colder months is given a regular outing.

I lately had the idea that I "needed" (well that's what I convinced myself) something else in this line and started looking at the idea of an odd jacket that would be equally at home both in town & country. This seems to be a fairly well trodden path. Some of the better solutions I have seen are grey birdseye check and contrasting grey light/dark herringbone.

I did lately notice that Fox Bros produced a "limited edition" black and white houndstooth jacketing. I obtained a sample and resolved to buy a suitable length. I then got distracted, and by the time I came around to organising myself, they had (inevitably) sold out and sent a slightly triumphant email saying that they would never make it again. Oh well.

Quite by chance however I came across some Harris tweed in the same scale of pattern, that is in some respects even better, not least in my amateur estimation, in terms of possible durability. Here it is waiting like a coiled spring to be transformed into a suitable coat :




One of the features of HT that appeals to me is its rather springy drapey quality, combined with an open weave that makes it perhaps a little cooler than some other cloth at this weight.

I'm inclined towards having it made in my usual configuration: a two button hacking style with slanted pockets. Is this a good idea with houndstooth check? Would straight pockets running in parallel with the pattern grid be a more visually appealing option?

As to lining, I'm conscious that harder tweeds need proper lining, but I don't really want to lose the slightly airy quality. Any suggestions?

I'm hoping that the black-and-white will be crisp enough to wear in town without looking like I'm re-enacting the 1960s BBC writers’ picket line, or managing a beat combo pop group.

It also occurs to me that one's memory can play odd tricks. For some reason in my mind I had always remembered David Niven in "A Matter Of Life And Death" wearing a black-and-white dogtooth check coat with patch pockets. Having caught the end of the film the other day, I realise that I have been mistaken for some time (I think its actually a sort of 2 tone green with a faint windowpane pattern in it). Anyhoo - you google some pictures and tell me as I can't trust my mince pies these days.



I'm guessing that the pocket here have tucked-in flaps, or would this style have simply jetted flapless ones? The peak lapels are rather appealing IMHO, but very much of that time I think. Great film BTW.

Observations welcome!

Regards

David

I agree that the much broader latitude most of us are allowed in choosing our professional attire is, when used properly, a wonderful chance to be well-dressed as well as a bit creative and individual.

I wonder if the boldness of white-white vs. black might not prove a bit too stark? Indeed Niven's coat is quite subdued.
Have you considered a simar fabric but in which the lighter colour is a beige or light grey (say) instead of white?

Melcombe wrote: I'm inclined towards having it made in my usual configuration: a two button hacking style with slanted pockets. Is this a good idea with houndstooth check? Would straight pockets running in parallel with the pattern grid be a more visually appealing option?

As to lining, I'm conscious that harder tweeds need proper lining, but I don't really want to lose the slightly airy quality. Any suggestions?

Dear David,

given the rather bold pattern, I would opt for keeping everything else restrained. Straight pockets, definitely. Hacking style, hm. I never found this to be attractive, except when someone is sitting on a horse..

Lining: no worries. My heaviest Harris tweed coat comes with normal lining, and there is still some good air circulation. Make sure your tailor uses light canvas and little to no padding.

Cheers, David

Personally i would go for straight flap pockets as well. I don't like hacking style, it disturb my eyes and erase a little bit fluidity of jacket.
Almost all Harris Tweed i've seen have a kind of rustic country look but it's strange that this one has city look. I do like it at least from picture. I think it will give a nice jacket but more city look than country look.

Melcombe wrote: I came across some Harris tweed in the same scale of pattern, that is in some respects even better, not least in my amateur estimation, in terms of possible durability. Here it is waiting like a coiled spring to be transformed into a suitable coat

Dear David,
I have owned -and cherished- a black and white hound-tooth tweedy jacket for more than 20 years. Never considered it a "country" garment. The stark contrast makes it a perfect sport coat for wearing at night-time with black trousers and a white shirt and tie, or a black turtleneck. Ideal for outings with friends and informal parties during the colder seasons.
Its configuration is pretty formal as sport jackets go: 3 roll 2, straight flap pockets that I usually tuck in, no vents and notch lapel. A hacking style IMO would had been out of place.
In terms of durability, the only aspect I would advise you to take care of is with regards to the color. Although mine is not Harris tweed and it has some silk in the melange, with the passing of time the white has acquired a slight yellowish tinge (not noticeable at night), particularly around the collar.

"A Matter of Life and Death" is in the public domain with the full length available in Youtube. I started looking for David Niven in his houndtooth jacket, got hooked and ended up watching the entire picture. What a magical movie!
And no, although the screen resolution did not allowed me for a good close up, the jacket is definitely not black on white.

hectorm wrote: Dear David,
I have owned -and cherished- a black and white hound-tooth tweedy jacket for more than 20 years. Never considered it a "country" garment. The stark contrast makes it a perfect sport coat for wearing at night-time with black trousers and a white shirt and tie, or a black turtleneck. Ideal for outings with friends and informal parties during the colder seasons.
Its configuration is pretty formal as sport jackets go: 3 roll 2, straight flap pockets that I usually tuck in, no vents and notch lapel. A hacking style IMO would had been out of place.
In terms of durability, the only aspect I would advise you to take care of is with regards to the color. Although mine is not Harris tweed and it has some silk in the melange, with the passing of time the white has acquired a slight yellowish tinge (not noticeable at night), particularly around the collar.

Thank you so much for that encouragement. The night-time use / gentle formality is exactly the sort of thing I think Im aiming for.

The die was cast this morning. My tailor was enthusiastic about the cloth (at least I think I detected a slight nod of approval!). He seemed to think that the tweed would be usefully durable compared to the Fox Bros cloth I'd been considering.

I do take your point as regards colour change. Id been looking very closely at the "white" component of the tweed - it looks like undyed wool : a sort of ecru? which might just pick up colour from use. I hope however that the hardness of the Harris will might be some protection against that, we shall see.

I went for the straight pockets rather than slant - as kindly suggested, also a relatively discreet lining (although if the yellow had been just a little more golden syrup hue and less custard powder...).

I also decided on a pair of very dark trousers to go with it. He had a length of 3-ply mohair hopsack in a near-black navy (obsidian?) which looked a very good combination to my eye. Again I think this will be slightly more formal than the charcoal flannel I'd been contemplating.

Thanks all for your helpful observations. We'll see how it all turns out, hopefully this side of Christmas.

Regards

David

Well. All done and delivered :




Made up, the tweed is softer and bulkier than the impression given by handling the delivered cloth. It is certainly a lot softer and springy / stretchy than other Harris Tweed Ive had in RTW coats in the past. It's delightfully comfortable in the cooler weather, although not windproof. Because of its airiness I suspect it will wear cool enough to use in any temperature below 15C.

The pockets (oh, the pockets...) have been a bit of a 'mare. We had started down the track of straight ones, but a small experiment suggested that this cloth was not sufficiently rigid to carry off the geometric trick without drawing undue attention to itself due to the hard B&W pattern. Very slanted pockets might have replicated that issue, so we went for slightly slanted. Im pleased with the results, but wonder in hindsight whether flap-less straight or possibly mezzo-luna might have had the edge. Oh well, a lesson for the future.

All in all, Im delighted with it. The trousers (hopsack ultra dark navy mohair) which were made up at the same time with the intention of providing a suitable foil, are also just the job.

Jolly nice. Very urbane, if I may say so, in that combination but probably leaning towards rustic if worn with more bucolic accoutrements.

Dear David,

this looks very good. Good compromise with the pockets. Mezzaluna would have worked as well.

Cheers, David

hectorm wrote:

Melcombe wrote: I came across some Harris tweed in the same scale of pattern, that is in some respects even better, not least in my amateur estimation, in terms of possible durability. Here it is waiting like a coiled spring to be transformed into a suitable coat

I have owned -and cherished- a black and white hound-tooth tweedy jacket for more than 20 years. Never considered it a "country" garment. The stark contrast makes it a perfect sport coat for wearing at night-time with black trousers and a white shirt and tie, or a black turtleneck. Ideal for outings with friends and informal parties during the colder seasons.

David,
what a wonderful jacket it turned out to be. Congratulations!
Looking now at the pictures of the finished garment I realize that the jacket is a bit bulkier than the one I have and that my comments above have to be put into different perspective. That Harris tweed is definitely more rus in urbe than night time party. I would wear it with a grey chambray shirt and a charcoal necktie.