tweedydon
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2009
- Messages
- 4,590
- Reaction score
- 107
I've had an awful lot of tweeds pass through my hands over the years, and this is easily one of the the rarest and most impressive I've seen. In fact, this jacket is so wonderful it's hard to know how to start describing it!
Let's start with the fact that this is NOT a "fashion" Norfolk jacket, which has just been made to look like a Norfolk. This is a GENUINE and so FULLY FUNCTIONAL Norfolk jacket--all of its details are there for a reason, and all of them work! It carries the traditional full belt which is NOT directly attached to the jacket but instead is firmly held in place by the four bracing straps which run vertically over the jacket, two in front and two in back. This allows the belt to function perfectly when you wish to use it, pulling in the waist the desired amount and spreading the resulting constriction evenly across the waist. Cheap fashion "Norfolks" have the belt stitched at the back which leads to the jacket being pulled unevenly and stress being placed at its sides when the belt is used; the cheaper models use stitching as it's not easy to cut and position the vertical straps so that they function both as retainers and as guides for the belt on their own, without the belt receiving additional support from direct stitching. the belt fastens with the traditional leather-covered buttons that are found throughout the jacket, and has two buttonholes at the front for these.
Naturally, since this is a functional Norfolk with a proper belt it features the classic Norfolk vertical straps at both front and back, which give the jacket its distinctive look, hold and guide the belt, and shape the jacket's beautifully tailored silhouette. This jacket also has a fully functional throat latch to close the collar around your neck when this is raised up against the wind; this can be buttoned either to the left or to the right. This jacket also has fully functional front pockets which close with classic leather-covered buttons; there is no wear at all to either of the buttonholes on the pocket flaps. It also features a centre vent for ease of movement. It is fully lined, and fully canvassed. And the tweed itself is wonderful--a beautiful, versatile basketweave in classic slate grey.
Now, to the maker! This jacket was made by Linett, one of the great unsung American clothing houses. Less well-known than Southwick or H. Freeman (mainly as they lacked the ability to market themselves as competitively, and also tended to produce more "sporting" jackets with less mass appeal) Linett's clothes were easily on a par with these two houses--as this jacket testifies! Just as H. Freeman made its clothing in Philadelphia, Linett made its clothes in New York City--and since this jacket was Union Made in the USA that's where it originated. I believe that Linett closed in 1993, and, judging by the Union label, this is probably one of the last jackets that it made. So, not only is this a beautiful example of a real Norfolk jacket it's also a little slice of menswear history!
This jacket is in absolutely beautiful condition. I originally purchased it for myself, but I have to admit--very, very reluctantly--that it's just a bit too short for me..... Otherwise there's no possibility that it would be here! It does have one very minor flaw which I only discovered on examining it very carefully--there's been a small repair re-attaching the lining at the bottom hem at the back. I doubt you'd notice this, but I mention flaws more for my sake, than yours! Other than that, this jacket has been stored on a properly-sized and curved hickory hanger in a cedar closet, and has undergone one specialist dry-cleaning prior to this.
If this is your size, and you want a real Norfolk, or a Linett, grab this! Norfolks are rare, Linetts are rare, and the combination of the two in a jacket in this condition is exceptionally rare! As such, I'm asking a very fair $165 > 135, WITH LOWER OFFERS BEING VERY WELCOME, boxed, shipped, and insured in CONUS--and offers are indeed very welcome! International inquiries are also welcome, with tracked Priority shipping with insurance at cost.
Measurements:
Chest: 20 1/2
Sleeve: 26 (+2)
Shoulder: 18
Length (BOC): 31 1/2
Let's start with the fact that this is NOT a "fashion" Norfolk jacket, which has just been made to look like a Norfolk. This is a GENUINE and so FULLY FUNCTIONAL Norfolk jacket--all of its details are there for a reason, and all of them work! It carries the traditional full belt which is NOT directly attached to the jacket but instead is firmly held in place by the four bracing straps which run vertically over the jacket, two in front and two in back. This allows the belt to function perfectly when you wish to use it, pulling in the waist the desired amount and spreading the resulting constriction evenly across the waist. Cheap fashion "Norfolks" have the belt stitched at the back which leads to the jacket being pulled unevenly and stress being placed at its sides when the belt is used; the cheaper models use stitching as it's not easy to cut and position the vertical straps so that they function both as retainers and as guides for the belt on their own, without the belt receiving additional support from direct stitching. the belt fastens with the traditional leather-covered buttons that are found throughout the jacket, and has two buttonholes at the front for these.
Naturally, since this is a functional Norfolk with a proper belt it features the classic Norfolk vertical straps at both front and back, which give the jacket its distinctive look, hold and guide the belt, and shape the jacket's beautifully tailored silhouette. This jacket also has a fully functional throat latch to close the collar around your neck when this is raised up against the wind; this can be buttoned either to the left or to the right. This jacket also has fully functional front pockets which close with classic leather-covered buttons; there is no wear at all to either of the buttonholes on the pocket flaps. It also features a centre vent for ease of movement. It is fully lined, and fully canvassed. And the tweed itself is wonderful--a beautiful, versatile basketweave in classic slate grey.
Now, to the maker! This jacket was made by Linett, one of the great unsung American clothing houses. Less well-known than Southwick or H. Freeman (mainly as they lacked the ability to market themselves as competitively, and also tended to produce more "sporting" jackets with less mass appeal) Linett's clothes were easily on a par with these two houses--as this jacket testifies! Just as H. Freeman made its clothing in Philadelphia, Linett made its clothes in New York City--and since this jacket was Union Made in the USA that's where it originated. I believe that Linett closed in 1993, and, judging by the Union label, this is probably one of the last jackets that it made. So, not only is this a beautiful example of a real Norfolk jacket it's also a little slice of menswear history!
This jacket is in absolutely beautiful condition. I originally purchased it for myself, but I have to admit--very, very reluctantly--that it's just a bit too short for me..... Otherwise there's no possibility that it would be here! It does have one very minor flaw which I only discovered on examining it very carefully--there's been a small repair re-attaching the lining at the bottom hem at the back. I doubt you'd notice this, but I mention flaws more for my sake, than yours! Other than that, this jacket has been stored on a properly-sized and curved hickory hanger in a cedar closet, and has undergone one specialist dry-cleaning prior to this.
If this is your size, and you want a real Norfolk, or a Linett, grab this! Norfolks are rare, Linetts are rare, and the combination of the two in a jacket in this condition is exceptionally rare! As such, I'm asking a very fair $165 > 135, WITH LOWER OFFERS BEING VERY WELCOME, boxed, shipped, and insured in CONUS--and offers are indeed very welcome! International inquiries are also welcome, with tracked Priority shipping with insurance at cost.
Measurements:
Chest: 20 1/2
Sleeve: 26 (+2)
Shoulder: 18
Length (BOC): 31 1/2
Attachments
Last edited:
