How to wear this jacket?

[Lyman]

My grandfather recently passed away. In many respects, he was the quintessential English gentleman. As the only male in the family who regularly wears suits, I inherited the entirety of his wardrobe.

Most of the garments that I've inherited are bespoke suits, trousers and sports coats tailored between the late 1930s and the 00's, however there are a few garments which seem slightly older and, presumably, were owned by great grandfather. One of them is the jacket which is pictured below.

It fits very nicely and is obviously well-made, however I'm completely unsure as to the context in which I would wear it. It is certainly not a sports coat, and I doubt it would be appropriate as cocktail wear. My initial inclination was that it was a component of a stroller suit?

I'd be glad to hear opinions as to how this jacket should be worn. At any rate I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of such a garment!

 

[palk]

Your initial inclination is correct. Wear it with morning kit.

 

[pleatedjeans]

Wow, fantastic! Appears to be a stroller suit jacket as you said. No really good suggestions how to wear it in a "modern" way, (perhaps could go slim black jeans/chelsea boots and go for the kinda of rocker style thing if that's your look/depending on how it fits) but honestly, I'd probably recommend holding onto it for sentimental value if you are able rather than wear it, consider yourself lucky that you have been able to inherit something from several generations past. Interesting bit of family history.

 

[Lyman]

Thanks for you replies. It seems my initial inclinations were correct.

Unfortunately, I'm anything but a rocker! Whilst I have integrated many of my grandfather's items into my closet without alteration (his measurements were identical), I cannot foresee any clear use for this jacket - morning dress has all but died out in the UK. You never know though, perhaps there will be a fancy wedding in years to come...

 

[palk]

perhaps there will be a fancy wedding in years to come...

Surely you would wear a morning coat to a fancy wedding .

It's actually a fairly versatile garment in my opinion as it can be dressed down into business wear and to an extent normal day-wear. For instance, John Cleese's outfit from the "Silly Walk" skit fits right in with modern business attire if you ignore the bowler:

Alternatively, add some color with the shirt and tie, and it's good for a nice brunch or tea.

 

[Lyman]

I'm no authority when it comes to morning dress as I've never needed to acquaint myself with its rudiments.

When I received the garment, as a life-long Monty Python fan, John Cleese's Ministry of Silly Walks did come to mind. I'm unsure whether it would work as business wear - many offices seem to be increasingly casual places. You are right, however, that it wouldn't be out of place at tea in a nice hotel.

I'm a little concerned it would look like a costume, however!

 

[GBR]

It's far too old fashioned to wear unless you are an out and out eccentric who wears a monocle.

Burn it.

 

[useless_username]

GBR is right. If you can't connect with your inner pyromaniac, perhaps put it up on Ebay or check if some theatre would like to use it as a costume. Other than that, I can't think of any practical use for it.

 

[imatlas]

Compromise: wear it to Burning Man. It's very Steampunk Chic.

 

[Caustic Man]

Strollers are cool and look fairly contemporary to most people anyway. A black jacket and striped or patterned pants? At least a quarter of Chicago's business elite have worn that look by accident. Why can't you wear it on purpose?

 

[varsityreds0123]

It's far too old fashioned to wear unless you are an out and out eccentric who wears a monocle.

Burn it.

Did you even read his post? The garment has sentimental value to him. Maybe he won't get much use out of it, but telling him to burn it is a disrespectful suggestion.

 

[Lyman]

I don't think I'll be giving it away (or burning it). By my reckoning, it was made for my great-grandfather - it dates from the earlier half of the last century. It seems wrong to wantonly dispose of family history. Thanks for noting this vasityreds0123

Caustic Man, you're probably right that I could wear it. Unfortunately, I lack the confidence and - as an educator - I'm not sure whether my place of work would provide an ideal context. The school is fee paying and insists on a very formal dress code (to instil confidence in parents), however I think a stroller would over-interpret things!

I believe teachers at Eton wear a stroller-type suit, so perhaps my next career move should be to seek gainful employment there!

 

[Blake Stitched Blues]

Did you even read his post? The garment has sentimental value to him. Maybe he won't get much use out of it, but telling him to burn it is a disrespectful suggestion.

Being an unrepentant asshole and bonfire enthusiast is just how GBR rolls.

 

[Lyman]

One question: If I was to convert this into a stroller suit, what components would I need to acquire?

 

[Caustic Man]

You don’t need to wear it for work. Wear it for a matinee opera or a wedding as appropriate.