The London Lounge

What do you guys think of this...a tweed cloth...either chevoit, or herirngbone 15oz, SB peak lapel, with matching DB vest with peak lapel suit? Too bizzare to mix a city like cut (SB peak lapel with DB vest) with a country fabric like tweed? Should the suit be 3B, 2B or 1B? Hacking pockets?

Opinions appreciated.

p.s. this question was inspired by Will's blog post suggesting the same.

this weekend i watched a hitchcock movie "the trouble with harry' and there was a gent in it wearing a peak lapel tweed coat with patched flapped pockets, i thort it looked quite good! so i would say YES! go for it but just keep the details country still, this way it will keep it from look like a city suit!

to mix a city like cut (SB peak lapel with DB vest) with a country fabric like tweed

You have identified the problem.

As much as the peak lapel SB can be appropriate in a city cloth it would not do well with a heavy tweed. I saw a lovely peak coat the other day in a heavy Irish linen and it looked very nice, but tweed is a different kettle of fish. I would suggest a 3 button front SB notched lapels.

Cheers

luk-cha wrote:this weekend i watched a hitchcock movie "the trouble with harry' and there was a gent in it wearing a peak lapel tweed coat with patched flapped pockets

I haven't seen this in a long time and don't remember the scene but I'd almost be willing to bet that the garment that you describe has a half belted back with more than three buttons and a high and narrow peaked lapel, making it more of a Norfolk type jacket/shooting type of garment than the "lounge suit" that is common today.

While I don't have a problem per se with any combinations of style and cloth, the question that you need to ask is whether you want to stand-out or blend-in as what you are proposing would be bold at the very least and perhaps archaic at it's very best in the sense of looking vintage whether or not there is any actual precedence.

I don't know if that helps,
DDM

thanks all for response.

To support the bizzare hypothesis...here is a picture of tailor Okisaka of Savoy Dressmakers in Ginza, Tokyo that I took when we met to discuss 30s style last year: Cloth was vintage black/white houndstooth. Weave of the cloth was a kind of serge or twill.

Although it's patterned, it still looks more "city" to me than the tweed you suggest. Nice suit. It really doesn't look like a houndstooth to me though, are you sure that's what it is?

The suit pictured above looks more like a worsted weave, at least on my monitor, and therefore not an really unusual look. In the Astaire/Bing Crosby film "Blue Skies," Astaire wears what looks like a worsted houndstooth suit - 2 button SB with ticket pocket and DB waistcoat - and it looks great. However, I don't think it's tweed; I agree with the general consensus that the configuration and cloth you describe would be gilding the lily - and I usually like the notion of using city touches on rustic fabrics.

DD MacDonald wrote:

luk-cha wrote:this weekend i watched a hitchcock movie "the trouble with harry' and there was a gent in it wearing a peak lapel tweed coat with patched flapped pockets

I haven't seen this in a long time and don't remember the scene but I'd almost be willing to bet that the garment that you describe has a half belted back with more than three buttons and a high and narrow peaked lapel, making it more of a Norfolk type jacket/shooting type of garment than the "lounge suit" that is common today.

While I don't have a problem per se with any combinations of style and cloth, the question that you need to ask is whether you want to stand-out or blend-in as what you are proposing would be bold at the very least and perhaps archaic at it's very best in the sense of looking vintage whether or not there is any actual precedence.

I don't know if that helps,
DDM

it seem to be normal back not half belted and it could have been 3 button but only the middle button was fastened, if it was i could not see a 3rd, lapel width was just over half way! i will have to have another look over the weekend to reconfirm! but if you are not going over 15oz i think it should be ok - different at least!

Looks like nailhead to me.

It really doesn't look like a houndstooth to me though, are you sure that's what it is?

Looks like nailhead to me.

It's a small houndstooth (puppytooth?). Anyway that suit should be the same one as this