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Cord casual jackets?

ap10046

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Cord casual jackets - yay or nay?
I really like the brown RLPL one, but a part of me thinks it's a bit OTT?!
 

Wiker

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I say yay! They look great in the winter.
 

TheIdler

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I assume you mean a sportcoat-type jacket, right? Definitely a yay for me. If OTT=over the top, then no, if anything just the opposite.
 

ap10046

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Thanks you guys that's just what I needed...some more Sunday spending..LOL!
Cord jacket it is!

Obliged, gents!
 

ap10046

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What would be a more useable color - black or the snuff/tan?
 

TheIdler

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Pics would help here to see the actual color, but I think a brown cord sportcoat is a classic, almost a must-have for a casual wardrobe.
 

Parker

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yay. I have a blue/gray one and wear it quite a bit.
 

GBR

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If you must and if you are a mad professor.
 

landshark

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I wear mine almost every day:
1one.jpg
 

chasingred

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They're nice, though often poorly made and worn.

1. Get one that looks luxurious and not rumply, unless you're fine with a more outdoorsy look. The better cords, IMO, are richer and more luxurious looking.

2. Dark cords, especially black, won't age well. Cords because of their material tend to "crush" easily, and such wear will show up much more noticeably on darker colors. Go for something lighter.

3. Aside from the aging rational, for the same reason you shouldn't get a black sportscoat, don't go for a black cord jacket. Black is OK for certain kinds of outerwear, but it's bad for anything else. First, a black cord jacket just looks bad during the day, and you run the risk of making your skin look sallow. Black also never looks as rich and deep as brown. You're basically getting a flatter and more lifeless color when you pick black over brown. Lastly, the outdoorsy casual nature of a cord jacket doesn't lend itself to something severe and serious like black. You'll look like you're trying to wear a formal velvet jacket, but failed.

4. Brooks Brothers makes a great cord jacket in their slim fitting Fitzgerald 1818 cut. Check it out. It's on sale today, though the sale ends in about 3 hours. You may find something left after Christmas however.

5. Aim for medium wale cords. Wide wale looks frumpy and thin wales makes it look velvety. As Jesse Thorn declared at year's Corduroy Club meeting in NYC, velvet is the enemy of all good people. The one BB has on their website is a thin wale, but some stores carry a very handsome medium wale.

6. I've rarely seen a cord jacket fit well, but maybe this is because of the people buying them. Make sure you nail the fit right before you buy something like this. Nothing looks worse than an ill fitting cord jacket. I think the only good one I've seen is Igor's. Might want to check his old files, but he really nailed it well.
 

F. Corbera

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Bespoke cord suits done up in the best English fabrics are nice.
 

Gus

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I have a MTM Isaia corduroy suit that is very nice. It is especially soft because it has 10% cashmere with the cotton. It is amazing what a difference 10% makes.
 

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How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

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