Advice needed on bespoke sport jackets?

[kolecho]

I would like to commission my first two bespoke sport jackets - one for spring/summer and one for autumn winter respectively. These jackets will be used for weekend outings, or for the odd casual day at work. The climate around these jackets will be mild in winter, and hot and humid in summer.

Spring/summer
Should I go for wool fresco or linen? What about colour and weight?

Autumn/winter
What is a classic cloth and pattern? What about colour and weight?

Many thanks in advance.

[JamesT1]

Kolecho

I would suggest that for the Spring/summer jacket, if you will be wearing it to work occasionally, that you should choose the wool fabric, as linen tends to be a little less suited for work environments. Also, I think a wool jacket would be a better choice for a bespoke jacket. Another fabric to consider could be a cotton/silk or wool/silk blend. For warm weather jackets, I prefer patterns that are less "busy" as they tend to give off a "crisp" effect against the summer heat.

If I were choosing a fall/winter jacket for your climate, I would probably choose something of either a navy flannel blazer or a subtle windowpane check.

I don't know how formal your work requires you to dress, but I would, at least for the first few jackets, stick with items that are more subtle and can be used in multiple situations. I'm sure others with more knowledge than I will be more specific.

Good luck,

James

[Cantabrigian]

I don' t know how many bespoke jackets you already have but if you're just starting off perhaps a summer-weight jacket isn't really the way to go. You probably won't use it nearly as often as you would use another three-season jacket.

[Godfrey S.]

As a previous poster mentioned, I think that a cotton/silk combination is perfect for summer. It's very light and doesn't hold wrinkles the way linen does.

Last summer I had a beautiful cotton and silk seersucker jacket made with all the bespoke detailing you'd expect from a proper jacket, and was relatively inexpensive. The weight is light enough to wear out in 20c+ weather without breaking a sweat, so long as a cool drink is at hand. Although, I must say that without the crinkled texture of true seersucker it can get a bit stuffy.

To be honest, for informal summer jackets I generally take the cheap route of buying made to measure or even off the rack. Sometime's a Brooks Brother's blazer (and they have some great 'tropical weight' ones too) can offer everything you need for weekend wear and still feel great.

As for a winter weekend jacket... there's so much to say that it would be impossible to offer any great advice. I've always been partial to tweed in a glen check with perhaps an overlying window box or plaid.