The Look goes on...

[covskin]

Keep the ideas flowing, I feel we are about to enter 'the sunlit uplands', a 'paradigm shift' if you will

 

[Paint House Gang]



Like this perhaps? I think you may have been wearing the coat when we met in Chelmsford at Christmas 2015? You may recall we looked in some charity shops and it was in one of those that I found mine earlier this week BTW how is the project coming along?

Yes precisely -, although mine doesn't have such a deep gorge. I have two London Fogs with the fleece lining and they are great for the colder weather. The London Fogs have zips whereas the Driway has snaps. Good memory regarding our meeting - I was indeed wearing the Driway that day as I had only just recently picked it up. Did not get as good a price in the charity shop as you did (London charity shops take the piss). The only thing good I ever find in charity shops are raincoats... due to changing sartorial standards blah blah blah nobody wants them these days. The Driway compares favourably with the vintage Burberry's I own. As for the project: all the interviews are completed and I'm almost done writing up my findings, but its been slow-going as I'm teaching a lot at the moment. Hopefully will be done writing by the end of the year.

 

[Mr Knightley]

You sound quite a rainwear fan @Paint House Gang .

When I was looking up Driway this week I came upon some rather suspect rainwear fanciers on a forum talking about their early experiences of rubberized coats and all the wonderful smells and how they would spend hours out in the rain with young girls of similar interests!

 

[Paint House Gang]



You sound quite a rainwear fan @Paint House Gang
 .

When I was looking up Driway this week I came upon some rather suspect rainwear fanciers on a forum  talking about their early experiences of rubberized coats and all the wonderful smells and how they would spend hours out in the rain with young girls of similar interests!

haha I have had similarly experiences while looking up penny loafers. Did you find any flashers while you were down that internet hole? The single-breasted raincoat seems to be mainly known as the 'flasher mac'. I imagine flashers prefer the the ones that have that opening above the pockets designed to get to what's underneath.

I do love a single breasted raincoat... much more so that the Crombie-style Coat... I have never found one that really works for me. I think its the padded shoulders and waist suppression that puts me off. My eleven-year old Warrior Crombie is surprisingly OK. Crap material, but that makes it quite resilient. I had the shoulder pads taken out and an extra button added at the top so that the gorge wouldn't be so deep.

 

[Mr Knightley]

Ah yes, the flasher's mac. My Grenfell has those openings so that your hand can go right through to the trouser pocket...

Back in the late 60s on a Saturday night in winter the raincoat was de rigueur over a suit as the crombie-style coats were cut too slim. I still prefer raincoats today. Crombies then were worn with more casual attire generally.

Today, I only have one overcoat from a long-gone local outfitter that gives a nod to a Crombie in overall look but has many different details.

 

[Clouseau]

To avoid the flasher's look, the length of the Mac is critical.
I always found men with long raincoats a bit suspect, something weird with this look, either pervert or gestapist. Sometimes both

I prefer shorter macs, but not too short either (as the discutable actual trend).

So the G10 is just perfect to my taste.

I've got the contemporary version in this color :



This is the vintage version. Not much difference except the contemporary one has got harrington pockets. Well you can stuck the flaps inside.

 

[Botolph]

I was driving towards the North End in Boston today and clocked a businessman with a Mac on, dark navy or midnight blue, and the hem ended below his knees. The "flasher Mac" is exactly what came to mind. I think that if it is cut above the knee, it tends to look a lot cooler--though sadly less functional.
Speaking of macs, I have a very nice Cordings "Salford Storm Coat"-- a woolen, Loro Piana Storm System" type material, thin and waterproof, with a light acetate lining which I've been using in the cold, rainy westher. Looks good over a suit or over chunkier winter clothes. However I immediately took it to our tailor to have it shortened to just above the knee and shorten the sleeves, removing the superfluous flaps/button adjusters at the wrists.
Perverts take note: it also has pass-through slash pockets.

With a couple tweaks it has served me well. Very well-built, sturdy and warm(especially for the relative thinness of it).

 

[Paint House Gang]

Yep finishing around the knee is crucial for macs.

See also: "The dirty mac brigade" for old-school fans of brown paper bag pornography and Appreciation cinemas.

 

[Thin White Duke]



1966
(proper mods, after ponces, before hippies, LVC)

Point of order her guvnor. It's all about opinions as we all know but '1966 after ponces'? That's about the time it all started to go wrong for me - paisley shirted swirlies, Austin Powers crushed velvet etc. We are all familiar with seeing the Small Faces suited up or in madras jackets but by 1966 they were wearing open necked flowery shirts with matching ties worn underneath as cravats and Marriot was pictured in his psychedelic bell bottom jump suit. Ponces indeed!

 

[Thin White Duke]



I do love a single breasted raincoat... much more so that the Crombie-style Coat... I have never found one that really works for me. I think its the padded shoulders and waist suppression that puts me off. My eleven-year old Warrior Crombie is surprisingly OK. Crap material, but that makes it quite resilient. I had the shoulder pads taken out and an extra button added at the top so that the gorge wouldn't be so deep.

I've seen this error before but FYI the 'gorge' of a jacket or coat is the seam where the collar meets the lapel. I think you're conflating the term with the buttoning point.

 

[Clouseau]

I had a look at a few pairs of Chinos following the recent discussion,nothing wrong with them but I decided not to buy any as I know that I wouldnt wear them.
So I am looking for some flat front wool trousers and finding it difficult to find any decent quality plain ones,I remember Botolph recommending Brooks Brothers trousers but they are more than twice the price (almost 3 times) in the UK and only available in London or Bicester.

Interested to know which trousers the blokes on here recommend ?

I've only got one pair of flat front wool trousers. They are Ben Sherman and are surprisingly good. There at least ten or twelve years old, but in very good shape. Black with a tonic red lining ! (Should i say 'crombie' trousers ?) The cut is very good, quite slim. The wool is thin and they look much like sta-prests.
I mostly wear jeans and sta-prest style trousers TBH. Notably a cord sta-prest LVC repro i already mentioned here, very nice by cold weather.

 

[Botolph]



I had a look at a few pairs of Chinos following the recent discussion,nothing wrong with them but I decided not to buy any as I know that I wouldnt wear them.
So I am looking for some flat front wool trousers and finding it difficult to find any decent quality plain ones,I remember Botolph recommending Brooks Brothers trousers but they are more than twice the price (almost 3 times) in the UK  and only available in London or Bicester.

Interested to know which trousers the blokes on here recommend ?

I'd go to Yank eBay for Brooks Bros Clark chinos--- they're not worth the 3x or whatever markup you'd have to pay in the UK.
I'm always extolling the virtues of Cordings, and again I'm doing the same:
Jumbo cords with side button tab adjusters. Flat front with a crease, great cold weather stuff. Great with a tweed sport coat or a shetland crewneck. Warm and refined and, I believe, something to mix in with The Look

 

[Botolph]



Speaking of macs, I have a very nice Cordings "Salford Storm Coat"-- a woolen, Loro Piana Storm System" type material, thin and waterproof, with a light acetate lining which I've been using in the cold, rainy westher. Looks good over a suit or over chunkier winter clothes. However I immediately took it to our tailor to have it shortened to just above the knee and shorten the sleeves, removing the superfluous flaps/button adjusters at the wrists.
Perverts take note: it also has pass-through slash pockets.

With a couple tweaks it has served me well. Very well-built, sturdy and warm(especially for the relative thinness of it).

The above with the adjustments made. The collar was standing up a bit due to the sport coat underneath and not having looked in the mirror beforehand(this was a selfie

):

It might be difficult to tell from the photo, but the material isn't rubberized or stiff. It flows and drapes like a flannel suit, plus it's thin and very warm. Defo cut like a mac but warm like a winter coat.

 

[Clouseau]

@Botolph Pennies are Weejun, Sebago, or something else ?

 

[Botolph]

@Botolph Pennies are Weejun, Sebago, or something else ?

Weejuns. Pretty beat-up, too. I've relegated them to house shoes in the winter, and very, very casual shoes in the summer.