The Odd Jacket

[Scot]

The odd jacket is something I am not sure I have made much progress with.

Is there such a thing, for insatnce, as a multi-purpose odd jacket (excepting the blazer)? Tweed is good for knocking about in the country or even weekends in town, but for me it doesn't translate too well to less formal work environments or, say, an informal dinner with friends. The best I have managed so far is a muted blue POW from the Hardy Riveira book, which I absolutely love but which is a bit over-used. The colour combines well with various trouser colours, and trouser matching with odd jackets is another minefield!

Faux tweed can work well for this purpose but I was wondering about flannel. How well does flannel work as an odd jacket, or is it destined always to look orphaned? I guess it depends upon colour and pattern.

If anyone has cracked the odd jacket question it would make (for me, at least) an interesting seminar. And examples would be great!

[Berwick]

I tend to favour donegal tweeds and plain linen odd jackets.

[Slewfoot]

Working in the wine business, I have a good deal of freedom to dress as I please and I have found that tweeds are my go-to odd jacket material. For the Summer months it's mostly linen blends or Brisa/Fresco type weaves if it needs to be more formal.

It sounds like you're looking for something fun yet subdued. Have the tweeds you've tried before been more multi-colored or windowpanes? A simple herringbone tweed in a bright navy or dark tobacco brown might be worth a shot. Those should be very versatile while not being too "loud" yet giving you the casual look of tweed. W. Bill has some nice Shetlands and I'm guessing they would have Cheviots as well. I'm sure there are other makers as well although they are not coming to me right now.

I had one flannel odd jacket, but just didn't find myself wearing it too much. Flannel seems ideal for casual, elegant suits in my mind. Good luck with your search!

[Melcombe]

The blazer seems to have become the default odd jacket for such a large portion of humanity, it is often seen as the unimaginative choice. You might agree that this is more than a little unfair : a well cut blazer can be worn acceptably in so many situations and is particularly useful when travelling if your luggage allowance won't permit more than a bare minimum.

A tweed 'change coat' is only marginally less practical perhaps - although the current tendency to 'bolder' checks don't exactly expand its utility...

Many years ago (1984 IIRC) a work colleague, on return from a spell in Paris, announced that having seen odd jackets combined with dark trousers as common business attire there, he was inspired to do likewise. With due credit to his taste, he had a mid grey birdseye check SB 2-button coat made up at Bernard Weatherill's - and it was indeed a thing of beauty. Grey birdseye or nailhead seems remarkably neutral and as such lends itself to mixing with other colours and fabrics, in the same way that a blazer's blue barathea does.

I liked the cloth so much I later acquired a suit of grey birdseye - but for considerably less than BW would have charged. It has only just reached its end after many years of distinguished service : Im attending my first fitting of its replacement next week.

[rogiercreemers]

I am contemplating a white/navy houndstooth (Dugdale) for the summer months.

[Concordia]

The Riviera book is good, as is the Glorious Twelfth.

For cooler weather, the Moonlight book from Harrisons and Lamlana from W Bill (I think) have lots of civilized urban takes on tweeds and other outdoor fabrics. Lambswool is friendly stuff.

Just today I saw a newer book from Hunt & Winterbotham called Twister-- sort of a 9oz Super 120s version of the Glorious 12th and Riviera. Some elegant stuff there-- not sure how it would make up.

[hectorm]

Is there such a thing, for instance, as a multi-purpose odd jacket (excepting the blazer)?..... If anyone has cracked the odd jacket question it would make (for me, at least) an interesting seminar. And examples would be great!

There was a time -of rather reduced wardrobes- when gentlemen did not have odd jackets. Just their suit jackets worn with odd trousers (white flannels for instance) for more informal situations. That is what I would call real multi-purpose but hardly a satisfactory solution for the current dilemma that Scot is addressing.
Nowadays our approach to odd jackets has changed radically.
It might sound too rigid but I believe that we have reached the point in which each odd jacket has its own (and quite narrow) defined purpose. Even the blazer. You can try and fool yourself saying that a certain jacket is multi-purpose, but it will be so only in your mind. You can go ahead and call it "your style" and it´s fine with me. I do it.
But IMHO the only way to really crack the odd jacket question is by owning several. I would say, for starters, like a dozen basic ones to cover more or less appropriately a range of informal situations, in city and country, summer and winter.
I have my favorite ones which I wear often and everywhere, but I´m aware that they are far from being multi-purpose. I´m just calling them so.
Scot asked for examples of (forced) multi-purpose: I find my dark brown velvet SBJ elegant and unique and I wear it to a variety of casual events, from a walk in the park to a museum, for drinks or travel. With gray flannel trousers for some light business or informal dinners (the dark brown velvet looks black with artificial light), white slacks for the day or even denim. It´s as close to multi-purpose as it gets. Definitely much more interesting than any blue blazer.
And for summer, I favor an ivory linen jacket.

[davidhuh]

Gentlemen,

it seems I live pretty much in Slewfoot's ambiente - and I find Hectorm's summary of the dilemma very elegant. A part from different tweeds, both corduroy and moleskin also do a very good job for me, plus gun club or PoW designs.

cheers, David

[Man at C&A]

I am contemplating a white/navy houndstooth (Dugdale) for the summer months.

I have pretty much the same in a POW from the New Fine Worsted book. Buggy lining, patch pockets. Doesn't look like 'half a suit' at all and works with anything from white chinos to charcoal business trousers. It's even picked up favourable remarks from my normally sarcastic boss.

[Gruto]

I love my brown tweed jackets but I find myself wearing my grey odd jacket more often, and I am going to have another one made up. I like combining it with brown or griege trousers letting shirt and tie do the colours.

[rodes]

My answer would be no, there is no such thing as a multi-purpose odd jacket. Hectorm makes a good point, the odd jacket is just not a versatile garment, especially in the summer version. His number of 12 does not seem out of bounds for a well appointed wardrobe given that many of us live in three season climes. For me 6 to 8 would be a fair minimum. I have one summer odd jacket that I do consider more versatile than the others. This is a three button SB of chestnut brown, bold POW check, John G. Hardy 104837.

[hectorm]

I have one summer odd jacket that I do consider more versatile than the others. This is a three button SB of chestnut brown, bold POW check, John G. Hardy 104837.

Rodes, I think I might learn something from you here.
How come a chestnut bold POW can be more versatile than your other jackets? Are all the others regatta blazers?

[rodes]

Hectorm, Sorry that I cannot say why this coat is more versatile, only that it is. I find myself wearing it more often than any other in the summer. You may view the fabric on the Huddersfield Fine Worsted site. Over the last several years I have been very satisfied with cool weather odd jackets. But like Scot, much less so with summer. Light cloth, intended for warm weather seems limp and unable to carry pattern like say heavy tweed. This one jacket seems a good one to me.

[hectorm]

Thank you Rodes for your frank answer.
I guess that the most important factors in making a certain odd jacket multi-purpose are our affection for the garment in question and our attitude while wearing it.

[radicaldog]

I agree that most odd jackets are limited in range. However the camel hair jacket is an often overlooked item that can span the range of some blazers and some tweed jackets. Black/white herringbone tweed is also quite versatile.