Sherry Tweed

[papertiger26]

I was planning on getting a cold weather alternative to my navy hopsack blazer, a fairly subdued plain or herringbone blue tweed. I have a brown tweed with a rust and orange overcheck and a traditional brown/tan houndstooth as my current fall/winter jackets. I figured a blue would round out my sportcoats nicely. However, the grey with blue guarded windowpane in the Sherry Tweed book caught my eye as something more interesting. I only wish the windowpane was a darker blue.

I primarily wear suits for work, and the jackets are used for casual dinners and weekends. What are your thoughts on whether a subdued blue's utilitty outweighs the more interesting (to my mind) grey with blue overcheck? I have provided a link to the fabric in question below (#4).

http://www.hollandandsherry.com/apparel/collections.aspx?season=AW2011&details=HS1188

Thanks for your help.

 

[papertiger26]

I intended for the jacket to be worn with odd trousers, and i do feel that grey is dark enough to pair with light grey flannels. However, would it be ridiculous to have the slacks made up with that windowpane too?

 

[papertiger26]

One last attempt to get some advice. This is a better image of the cloth I was looking at:



Grey odd jacket a bad idea? Could I do it as a full suit and still wear the jacket (made with casual styling) with light grey flannels? Other options:

 

[JLibourel]

I have a jacket made from the blue herringbone shown (or a very similar fabric--this was almost five years ago). It is very handsome, I think, and one of the most versatile jackets in my wardrobe.

 

[OlSarge]

Either the blue herringbone or the grey windowpane would be tremendously versatile. You could pair them with almost any trousers, a myriad of shirts and finding a sporting tie or scarf that would not go with either would be difficult. The other two would require more care in putting together an ensemble. I'd go with the windowpane, myself, but as the esteemed Mr. Libourel says, the blue herringbone is uncommonly versatile.

 

[Holdfast]

One last attempt to get some advice. This is a better image of the cloth I was looking at:



Grey odd jacket a bad idea? Could I do it as a full suit and still wear the jacket (made with casual styling) with light grey flannels? Other options:

I have a Sheery Tweed jacket myself (not any of the above). I would be a little cautious about using it for a suit; I think it's intended as a jacketing. The caution is not from a pattern perspective (I think they'd make quite fine rustic-looking suits) but I'm not sure whether the weave is really tight/dense/robust enough for trousers, over the long term. A tailor would be better placed to advise than I, but my personal take on the "feel" and "stretch" of it would be to actively seek such advice from a tailor before purchasing if you're going the CMT route. If there's any doubt, you might think about getting two pairs of trousers if you'll wear it as a suit more often than a jacket.

All the fabrics you've pictured would make lovely jackets IMO. I'm idly thinking about ordering a dark-grey based tweed jacket (with some sort of coloured pane, maybe ochre/sienna/similar or russet) in the autumn. I'll definitely be looking at the Sherry Tweed book again for something like that.

 

[JLibourel]

^Would agree with the foregoing. I have four Sherry Tweed jackets, like 'em a lot, but I think the weight and weave of the fabric would not make good trousers.

 

[papertiger26]

Thanks. Your replies have been very helpful. I have emailed the tailor regarding the suitability of the fabric for trousers, but am planning on only making a jacket. I agree with the assessment that the blue herringbone is more versatile than the other selections, but I really like the grey. I think I am going to put the blue herringbone on the back burner. If I get inpatient, that may mean later this year, or perhaps next.

Now the next question, three patch pockets or lower patch and welted chest? I am leaning toward three patch and making it a very casual/laid back look.

 

[OlSarge]

Oh, by all means three patch pockets. Welted pockets on tweed just looks all wrong. And in time, when the elbows wear out from all that pint lifting down at the pub, don't forget genuine leather patches . . . but not until then.

 

[sm31]



Oh, by all means three patch pockets.  Welted pockets on tweed just looks all wrong.

I wonder about this: matter of fact, or that reasonable people can disagree?

I, in general, find 3 patches unbalanced (there's a symmetry with two, that I like, and which goes away when you add the top one), though am, open to being convinced otherwise.

 

[Holdfast]

Now the next question, three patch pockets or lower patch and welted chest? I am leaning toward three patch and making it a very casual/laid back look.

3 patch for a "pottering around the house" look. It's a bit old-dufferish IMO, so be sure that kind of look is really what you want and works with your overall wardrobe. But it could certainly be nice done that way with very soft construction and shoulder expression (think A&S stereotype) and possibly even as a sack.

Normal flap hip pockets, welted breast pocket and a regular shoulder for a smarter & more versatile look. Probably the easiest style to wear if you want it for casual looks at work as well as weekend play.

Hacking pockets and an equestrian type cut for that kind of sharper/angular country-inspired jacket. Risks being cheesy, if not executed well (in itself, and also with the rest of what you're wearing).

I think fabric/pattern also comes into play a bit; a more brown/earthy smaller-scale pattern would make me lean towards the softer, very casual style; a simple but fairly large check and I'd be more temped to go for the middle. A really powerful/contrasting check, and why not go the whole hog with a hacking style. (All other considerations being equal, of course, which they never are!)

 

[OlSarge]

I wonder about this: matter of fact, or that reasonable people can disagree?
I, in general, find 3 patches unbalanced (there's a symmetry with two, that I like, and which goes away when you add the top one), though am, open to being convinced otherwise.

Of course reasonable people can disagree. I, on the other hand, never claimed to be reasonable!

I do, however, admit to being a retired academic so take my statements with that in mind.

 

[forex]

The grey one you chose looks very nice, I quite like it, it does look like the LL edition that is planned to be produced next year. I would make it into two hip patch with welted breast pocket, second option would be flap tickets with outer ticket pocket.

 

[papertiger26]

So are 3 patch pockets considered too louche? I knew it made an inherently casual jacket (which is my intention), but I didn't think having a patch breast pocket propelled a jacket to "pottering around the house" casual. That is an interesting viewpoint. I have a few odd jackets made up with patch hip pockets and a welted breast pocket, but figured tweed would be the fabric to go full hog casual if one were to do so.

 

[Holdfast]

So are 3 patch pockets considered too louche? I knew it made an inherently casual jacket (which is my intention), but I didn't think having a patch breast pocket propelled a jacket to "pottering around the house" casual. That is an interesting viewpoint. I have a few odd jackets made up with patch hip pockets and a welted breast pocket, but figured tweed would be the fabric to go full hog casual if one were to do so.

Definitely not louche (the opposite in fact, as it's more duffer-ish than rakish). Pottering around house, sitting in the garden with friends before going down the pub on a Sunday afternoon, reading the papers in a quiet little cafe on a Saturday morning, going for a country walk, etc, etc; those are the kind of activities I would mentally associate with teh image of a 3 patch pocket tweedy jacket, especially in an fabric with a brown autumnal palette. OlSarge mentions being a retired professor, and that's exactly the kind of vibe I get from a jacket styled that way. Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with any of those activities & professions, of course, but it's a case of knowing what you actually want hte jacket for. For example, I wouldn't wear 3 patch jacket in that kind of fabric if I worked in a businessy kind of office, or if I was going into town on a weekday for lunch at a fairly nice restaurant. For me, if you want a jacket that can easily do both kinds of activities, then flap pockets and a slightly stronger pattern is a more versatile middle ground (at the cost of being less specific for either).

tl;dr - horses for courses & know your audience.