Ongoing Bespoke Projects

[DavidLane]

Cross post from Unfunded Liabilities thread. Thinking of making a casual chore coat/over shirt/safari jacket in cavalry twill. Has anyone done this in the past? Thoughts and opinions welcomed.

Cloth in question is the LL Cavalry Twill in tan. I think it would look nice paired with faded jeans and a chambray shirt come fall.

Thank you, DL-

 

[The Chai]

Cross post from Unfunded Liabilities thread. Thinking of making a casual chore coat/over shirt/safari jacket in cavalry twill. Has anyone done this in the past? Thoughts and opinions welcomed.

Cloth in question is the LL Cavalry Twill in tan. I think it would look nice paired with faded jeans and a chambray shirt come fall.

Thank you, DL-

I had an unlined belted vintage cavalry twill safari jacket in beige. What do you wanna know?

 

[DavidLane]

I had an unlined belted vintage cavalry twill safari jacket in beige. What do you wanna know?

Just wondering if it is worth it, I know I can make trousers if need be. Did you wear it often, have any images of it? Was it a usable piece of outerwear? I am guessing it will be fine, just interested how it might look. There are not a ton of images out there.

DL-

 

[bdavro23]

Just wondering if it is worth it, I know I can make trousers if need be. Did you wear it often, have any images of it? Was it a usable piece of outerwear? I am guessing it will be fine, just interested how it might look. There are not a ton of images out there.

DL-

Do you have any pictures of the style you're going for? That fabric looks a little flat to my eye and it might help if the design is a little busier.

 

[dan'l]

IMHO, it would be a cool piece, but probably not so versatile. If i had a closet full of safari jackets, I’d probably reach for a navy or olive green one first. I also think it might look too much like you are going on a real safari (or working as a zookeeper).

 

[DavidLane]

I would want something with patch flap and or buttoned pockets on the front. Something very casual.

Here are a couple quick screen shots:

Ring Jacket (possibly with 1-2 chest pockets as well)

Drakes:

Filson:

 

[potter AB]

I would want something with patch flap and or buttoned pockets on the front. Something very casual.

Here are a couple quick screen shots:

Ring Jacket (possibly with 1-2 chest pockets as well)
View attachment 1228045

Drakes:
View attachment 1228047

Because of its rather flat appearance cavalry twill is mainly used for trousering, as you know, however several tailors make suits out of it, e.g. in navy or charcoal. Yours does seem to have kind of a marled appearance. In the weight you have (20-22 oz.?) it won't be a jacket for summer, though.

On the other hand, compared to other fabrics in the same weight it won't wear as warm, also it tailors very well. So if you envisage kind of an outdoor jacket the question is just to find the right tailor.

Huntsman has made a safari jacket in a colour similar to yours. Made of moleskin which wears both warmer and does not tailor as well as cavalry twill. See:

 

[DavidLane]

It has a mottled finish to it and I do think it would look great as trousers, which is why I bought it. However I am leaning more and more towards a standard over shirt. Two pockets, placket and point collar similar to the Filson shirt above.

DL-

 

[potter AB]

It has a mottled finish to it and I do think it would look great as trousers, which is why I bought it. However I am leaning more and more towards a standard over shirt. Two pockets, placket and point collar similar to the Filson shirt above.

DL-

I see. But in a way that will be neither fowl nor fish. Why?

Shirts like Filson are made of heavy shirting, that is cotton or cotton/wool blends. They're unlined.

A heavy twill like yours will have to be lined, otherwise you'll hardly get the "shirt" on and off.
Remember the fabric 20-22 oz is a heavy wool, almost a coating.
Also, you will not get the casual appearance of a shirt because of the fabric's fluid drape.

If the cloth were mine, I'd make trousers and a waistcoat with cloth back of it. That's a smashing look, prolonging your figure, you'll be able to combine it with any tweed jacket.
A waistcoat in this colour could be worn on its own as well, e.g. with a pair of high rise jeans or corduroy.

If you envisage a casual overshirt jacket like the Filson, I'd either go for another fabric or just for the Filson! I'd certainly use this wonderful fabric meant for tailoring for another project. Just my 2 cents.

 

[The Chai]

I think u could take some
Inspiration from
The jackets made by seh kelly. They have some field jackets in heavy cav twill

 

[dieworkwear]

I'd save the cav twill for something else.

 

[aristoi bcn]

This is not the most appropriate thread to ask but I don't know where to ask otherwise.

Does anyone know of any maker (either RTW, MTM or bespoke) doing something in the line of the Arnys Forestière?

A jacket (not a piece of knitwear) meant to be be slouchy, unpadded and most probably uncanvassed, with country connotations but wearable in the city. Most italian mid-tier makers (and Loro Piana too) make uncanvassed jackets but they normally retain a classic sportcoat desing.

I am aware of Berluti doing a repro of the original Arnys and also know the Teba jacket, but I'd like to know of alternatives. Mandarin collars, shirt cuffs, etc.

 

[bourbonbasted]

The allure of the Forestière endures because of its specificity, so you're unlikely to find a suitable "substitute." In reality, the same could be said of most Arnys' pieces. I've found that you really just have to mine the internets for vintage pieces and hope they don't fit like burlap sacks (good luck). While I know the Berluti iteration is sacrilege in these parts, they did a decent job of updating the silhouette. The cloths they use, however (at least in the pieces I've seen in person) are far more conspicuous than old Arnys. I guess that figures.

The recent proliferation of unlined, unstructured sportswear should give you more options to scratch the itch. Chore coats are available from pretty much every brand in the world, with some of them featuring similar detailing to Arnys. NMWA's F/W, for instance, is full off more louche outerwear. Their Tony Shirt Makers stuff is really cool and flirts the line between luxe and utilitarian nicely. Issey Miyake also has some Mandarin collar over-shirts from past collections that might fit the bill.

 

[dieworkwear]

dont get the forestiere. it's a terribly dorky garment buoyed only by its class associations.

 

[Dannefalk]

I apologize for the terrible photos, will take more proper pics once the weather cools down. BnTailor coat in Fox Brothers British Warm.

Kind regards,

Oliver