Help Douglas figure out what to do with some fresco

[Douglas]

So on a whim I purchased my first "unfunded liabilities" from gazman (thanks Gaz!) and the one I'm a little confused what to do with is a mid- to light-grey Harrison's fresco.

I'd also be curious if anyone can ID the cloth definitively, as I thought Harrison's frescos were called "Firefly" but this doesn't indicate such on the cloth itself. Maybe it's older?

I'm thinking about a SB notch lapel suit with three patch pockets, no swell, no double stitching. I like the idea of being able to wear the jacket separately. Thoughts on buttons? Is this a horrid idea?

Remember, I will never wear this suit for business; it will be a summer casual suit for weddings and social functions only. And I like the thought of being able to throw the jacket over a pair of jeans, or certain colors of slacks, for open collar wear.

Thanks for all input.

 

[Manton]

3 patch on a gray worsted strikes me as odd, kind of a mixed metaphor if you will. Also, I personally would never wear a gray worsted jacket as a seperate.

 

[dopey]



So on a whim I purchased my first "unfunded liabilities" from gazman (thanks Gaz!) and the one I'm a little confused what to do with is a mid- to light-grey Harrison's fresco.

I'd also be curious if anyone can ID the cloth definitively, as I thought Harrison's frescos were called "Firefly" but this doesn't indicate such on the cloth itself. Maybe it's older?
I'm thinking about a SB notch lapel suit with three patch pockets, no swell, no double stitching. I like the idea of being able to wear the jacket separately. Thoughts on buttons? Is this a horrid idea?
Remember, I will never wear this suit for business; it will be a summer casual suit for weddings and social functions only. And I like the thought of being able to throw the jacket over a pair of jeans, or certain colors of slacks, for open collar wear.
Thanks for all input.

Most of my summer suits are frescos in a three button Ivy cut with a patch breast pocket and patch and flap hip pockets, a hook vent and quarter inch stitching on the lapels in a sack cut (though some are darted). I have worn the jackets separately only once or twice but those were probably just to prove that I could do it. With a casual suit, there isn't really a great need to dress it down further by using it as an odd jacket and I wouldn't choose buttons with that purpose in mind. On the other hand, I would never wear the suits I described to weddings or when I want to be a bit more dressed up then just a summer day at the office - for those times, I have suits in my more usual cut (including fresco, which works fine for me that way, too).

What you are suggesting for yourself seems fine to me if you want a more casual suit.

As for your particular cloth, I have no insight as to origin or specific ID, but it looks like a nice color.

 

[globetrotter]

Douglas, send it to me, I might be able to think of something to do with it

 

[comrade]



3 patch on a gray worsted strikes me as odd, kind of a mixed metaphor if you will. Also, I personally would never wear a gray worsted jacket as a seperate.

+1

 

[Axelman 17]



+1

+1, dont over think this one, it is a fairly conservative suiting and wouldnt look good as an odd jacket.

 

[Douglas]

At the risk of talking too much, a bit of background:

I'm still new to the bespoke thing, and still on my own personal style learning curve. So I genuinely appreciate the input; I've made a lot of mistakes over the years and I'm slowly learning to make sure not to be too impulsive, and be willing to set my desires aside, in favor of the opinions of those who've been through the wringer before.

But with that said:

Why patch? I live in a town (Baltimore) and I am in a demographic where suits are simply not worn often. I have zero need to wear suits for work; I work in manufacturing. Even my wool pants and button up shirts are out of the mainstream - polos and khakis are the norm. I do want (and have plans to have made) a very conservative charcoal business suit for those rare occasions, e.g. speaking engagements or funerals, where such a garment is necessary. But when I "normally" wear suits, they are for social purposes only - a night at the symphony, weddings (and most of these around me are festive, not overly formal occasions), or perhaps a big night out at a restaurant or bar. Anyways, at many of these occasions everyone's got their business suits on, and looking sort of awkward or uncomfortable in them, and I want to signal a little bit more of a casual, festive attitude. I have a 3-patch DB chalkstripe suit that I really enjoy and employ in this social manner.

Why odd jacket? Because of the way I wear suits, even this one would get worn maybe 3-4 times a year. But it would get a lot more wear if I could throw it over a pair of jeans with an open-necked shirt - it'd get worn once a week rigged out like that. Which is further inducement to go patch. I've seen a few prominent members do very, very well with solid mid-grey odd jackets - iammatt and gdl stand out for me - and I think I saw zbromer in something similar too - but I do not know if that translates as well with a fresco as it might for, say, a flannel.

That said, if I'm too far out on the ledge, maybe I ought to just err on the side of conservatism. But it just seems so boring!

 

[Manton]

Look, the patch pockets I don't recommend but they are not terrible, not "anti-cannonical" nor against the rules, nor any great disaster.

However, wearing a gray fresco as an odd jacket is indeed a flashing red sign that says "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRESS." If you want to be modern and all that then fine, do it, but I am assuming that you would not have asked if you didn't care what the answer is.

If you want to wear a jacket odd, get a blue suit. Or brown. Or get linen in any color.

BTW, I have never seen iammatt in a gray worsted odd jacket and I have hung out with him many times over the last 7 years or so.

 

[Douglas]

I guess matt's grey jackets then have been flannels, which is one of those "subtleties" unappreciated by a n00b who doesn't know any better looking at fuzzy pictures taken in a bathroom mirror.

 

[Douglas]

can you define "worsted" in a bit more detail for me, though?

I guess I never really thought of fresco as a worsted, but such are the primitive limits of my knowledge. I thought worsteds were generally slicker looking plain weaves, and it's the "wetness" inherent in those cloths that screams I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRESS when I see one worn as an odd jacket. I thought the dry look of fresco would combat that, but again, what do I know? I ask only because I'm trying to figure out what the rules really are, and as long as I've been around, I'm still learning some of the terminology.

 

[Manton]

Solid gray is bascially never worn as an odd jacket (by classical, cannoical dressers). Grey odd jackets in herring bone or donegal etc. are fine but there is always some pattern, more than one tone, plus surface interest. You would have seen, many decades ago, men wear the gray coat of a flannel suit with off white flannel or gabardine pants but that is a truly antique look that I never see any more. That's about the limit of the gray odd jacket unless I have forgotten something.

A purely solid gray odd jacket is Just Not Done. Especially in worsted and yes fresco is a worsted, even though on the dry side.

 

[Blackhood]

Might you find more use for the cloth in a pair of trousers? If the cloth allows, even a Trousers and Waistcoat pair might be useful, though its use without the Jacket would be enough to make most SF members cry.

 

[dopey]

Douglas: don't confuse "festive" with "not formal". For what you want, get a flap-hip welt-breast suit and it will look good at weddings,restaurants and the symphony.

And I agree with everyone who says that you should not try to use this for an odd jacket. I was focussed on counseling against convertible suits generally, as they are less useful for most people than regular suits, then on why it would be especially useless here.

 

[Manton]

yeah, this is still a fine suit, a "social" suit if you will that could be worn for business if need be. I personally find blue a lot more versatile and I wear gray only for business but that's because I can. I have a lot of suits. If you have this cloth and want a gray suit, do it and wear it as you suggest -- just don't wear the jacket odd.

 

[Douglas]

Hm, ok, I'm listening. Maybe starting to lean towards no patches at all even though it's frustrating me.

I do have a navy Blazersuit (tm) but the tailor talked me into a welted breast pocket and I'm sad to say I kind of hate it. Might have been my choice of cloth (it's quite wet) or maybe other details and maybe also just the cut isn't there but every time I wear it as either a suit or a blazer I'm disappointed. Maybe I should let that inform my thinking more - but I guess I've always associated the problems with the breast pocket.

Anyways, the odd jacket; I guess I'll give up on that idea. Or at least, not tell you guys when I do it.