S.E.H Kelly

[sehkelly]

What exactly is the "sleeve over shoulder" measurement. It looks like I would be a L in your shirts and, from experience with your jackets and knitwear, I assume the sleeves will work, but I'm used to seeing several more inches in the sleeve measurement.

It's taking the measurement not from the shoulder seam, but from the neck seam (at the side of the neck)

We do this because so many of our garments do not have a typical shoulder seam — e.g. a raglan sleeve. By giving the "sleeve over shoulder" in this way, it takes into account the full distance from the neck, over the shoulder, and down the sleeve to the end.

Maybe we should rename it "sleeve from side neck" ... ?

 

[Patrick R]

It's taking the measurement not from the shoulder seam, but from the neck seam (at the side of the neck)

We do this because so many of our garments do not have a typical shoulder seam — e.g. a raglan sleeve. By giving the "sleeve over shoulder" in this way, it takes into account the full distance from the neck, over the shoulder, and down the sleeve to the end.

Maybe we should rename it "sleeve from side neck" ... ?

It's clear when you explain it.

 

[sehkelly]

It's clear when you explain it.

Great.

I have changed it for now to "sleeve from side of neck". Let's see how people get on with that ...

Pesky website and its limited space!

 

[Gordoo]

What will the balmacaan be made out of? What other color variations for the shirts? Are the trousers going to be the narrower kind? Tropical wool? Sorry, questions! And as far as the measurement thing goes, if I may, center back to sleeve length usually works for me.

 

[sehkelly]

What will the balmacaan be made out of?

Cotton stay-wax, which is a plain-weave cotton, similar to Ventile or the like, which is treated with a ... well, a stay-wax, which is bone-dry to touch, but otherwise behaves like a waxed cloth. It is showerproof and develops the patina of a waxed cloth, with none of the wet, sticky drawbacks of traditional wax. There is a dull brown colour (a terrible description of a nice, sober tone) and a dark cinnamon-type colour. Need to work on those names ...

The balmacaan has changed a little since last time. It now has its chin-latch grown onto the collar, rather than as a separate piece, for instance.

What other color variations for the shirts?

The super-fine merino shirt, which we made in "malt" last month, is coming back in dark navy. There is another colour of the linen pinpoint in the offing, too, although we are still awaiting delivery of the cloth.

Are the trousers going to be the narrower kind? Tropical wool?

We are making some new trousers with tropical wool, but the proper trouser, which is our widest leg. We are making them in grey -- which we made last month -- and also in midnight. The same trouser style is also being made in cotton airweave, which is a reproduction of military cloth, and is a nice open-weave cotton, very good in warmer weather.

The slim trouser is coming back, too, in various weights of cotton-twill and cavalry twill. We did intend to make it in cotton canvas, too, but it didn't quite work as planned (long story).

And as far as the measurement thing goes, if I may, center back to sleeve length usually works for me.

Cheers. That does seem to be more standard, but logic tells me it depends on the angle at which the sleeve is hanging. I mean, if you the same coat on a bulging hanger or bust or body, and then again on a very narrow hanger ... wouldn't the measurement differ? Or am I wrong? I don't know.

 

[sehkelly]

Here is a new jacket we have been working on. It is called the field jacket.

It is certainly the most peculiar jacket we have ever made.

It has no shoulder seam, it has a drawstring hidden beneath some large, floating chest pockets, a patrol pleat, and well ... it is odd, but it all ties together into what I hope is something quite sensible.

To be honest, I have a hard time remembering how it all slots together, and the cutting process was a comedy of narrowly avoided costly errors.

The cloth is cotton airweave, which we first used quite a few years ago, and are happy to come back to. It is a reproduction of military cloth, used by the British Army in warmer, sandier climes, during good chunks of the last century.

 

[paddymac]

Here is a new jacket we have been working on. It is called the field jacket.

It is certainly the most peculiar jacket we have ever made.

It has no shoulder seam, it has a drawstring hidden beneath some large, floating chest pockets, a patrol pleat, and well ... it is odd, but it all ties together into what I hope is something quite sensible.

View attachment 1156806 View attachment 1156807 View attachment 1156808 View attachment 1156809 View attachment 1156810 View attachment 1156811

To be honest, I have a hard time remembering how it all slots together, and the cutting process was a comedy of narrowly avoided costly errors.

The cloth is cotton airweave, which we first used quite a few years ago, and are happy to come back to. It is a reproduction of military cloth, used by the British Army in warmer, sandier climes, during good chunks of the last century.

Can this be worn over tailoring or a sportscoat?

Lastly, is the material similar to the canvas work jacket?

 

[sehkelly]

Can this be worn over tailoring or a sportscoat?

Lastly, is the material similar to the canvas work jacket?

Yes and no, Patrick!

Yes, the jacket is very good for going over other things. Its fit is very standard, and the nature of the sleeve means you have a good amount of cloth around the shoulder and under-arm. You can wear it loose or tightened up with the drawstring.

And no — the airweave cloth is lighter and finer than the canvas. It has a very good drape, and is akin more to a tailoring cotton than the more rugged canvas sail-cloth.

There’s more — so much more! — at https://www.sehkelly.com/field-jacket-in-cotton-airweave-in-navy/.

 

[sehkelly]

There are quite a few things overlapping here, which are the result of various streams of development since the start of the year.

Here's another new one, then — a new version of the balmacaan. The collar is new: it has a grown-on chin-strap now, which can button back on itself, or go across to hold up the collar in the wind, or just to hang around loose and to give the coat an asymmetric aspect.

The cloth is a no-wax wax cotton panama. That is to say [adopts salesman voice] it has all the benefits of a wax cloth -- in being weatherproof and over time developing a parchment-like patina -- without being in any way waxy. Machine-washable, even. Clever.

 

[malefe]

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Paul, thank you so much again for this amazing rust cord trench, it has served me well in the icy sewers near chicago

 

[sehkelly]

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Paul, thank you so much again for this amazing rust cord trench, it has served me well in the icy sewers near chicago

The pleasure and gratitude is all mine.

We are making the same cloth (woollen Bedford cord) a big part of our line-up for the autumn. The tielocken and Chesterfield will both make use of it, as well as at least one style of trouser.

 

[ModWar]

I have put up the heavy corduroy version of the Standard trousers in the classifieds.

Maybe someone is interested as these seem to be sold out completely.

https://www.sehkelly.com/shop/trousers/standard-trouser/standard-trouser-in-heavy-corduroy-in-cedar/

And wow that recent field jacket is a perfect thing!

 

[sehkelly]

What better way to embrace the heatwave currently catching east London unawares than a tranche of new knitwear?

Finished just in the nick of time are new v-necks ...

... polo shirts ...

... and cardigans ...

... all of which are made with a particularly spongey super-soft cotton, in various weights. My hope is that the pieces can come in useful all the year round, based on my own experience with a four-ply cardigan in the same cotton which I've been layering in various fashions most weeks since this time last year.

It is as usual the same mix of tuck-stitch here -- see the new elbow-patches on the cardigan, for instance, which are knitted in continuity with the rest of the under-sleeve panel -- and plain-stitch there.

The colours of yarn this time around are blended prior to being knitted, which means a more even distribution of colour, especially in the plain-stitch section. Previously, the old knitting contraptions used to make these wares would emit brilliantly un-random random blocks of colour in these sections, like the background of an 8-bit videogame. But now with the blend, distribution of yarn ends is more even and so the plain-stitch blends more seamlessly in appearance with the tuck.

We've heaped on the complexity, too, to keep up with our cut-and-sewn garments. Again, the cardigan, which as well as the new elbow-patch section, also has a split-sleeve, and inverted seams here and there to highly particular lines. The polo shirt again has the shoulder seam pitched forwards so that it shows at the front of the body, and makes a softer shoulder when it works in tandem with the hand-linked nature of the piece. Even the v-neck is about twice as complicated as it really need be (or so the knitters tell me).

https://sehkelly.com/knitwear is the place.

We have a couple of additional colours upcoming, too ...

 

[sehkelly]

Here is the second colour of the new field jacket.

The idea with this shade of green is military-esque but darker and duller so that it's perhaps a little more versatile. Fun and games with the dye-house, I assure you.

I will have some photographs of the garment being worn within a few days, too.

 

[justridiculous]

corduroy SB3 jacket in 'slate gray,'

Spoiler

Let me know if you're interested!