SPIER & MACKAY - Official Affiliate Thread

[WhyUEarly]

I would love to see all these ivy features as well.

Back on page 4179 you can see pics of my MTO attempt at something resembling ivy in green herringbone Harris Tweed. The most significant feature being flaps on patch hip pockets, but also I paired a 3/2 with the smaller standard lapels. Tho, as I noted in my older post, the pockets come up short on the ivy vibes without lapped seams.

The other feature I'd love to see (which I requested but was told it wasn't possible) is a throat latch. This would allow you to make kindof an English hacking jacket. Theoretically, a throat latch should be an easy feature to add, I see throat latches on cheap, mass produced jackets all the time. At the same time, if S&M isn't getting a bunch of requests, there probably wouldn't be the will to add the option. Tho, I bet if they added a removable throat latch to some RTW tweeds, it could spark a little wow factor to get ppl who already have some tweeds to reach in their wallets once again. And, if it's removable, it wouldn't be a deterrent to anyone who didn't like it.

Taking the hacking jacket theme one step further, would be adding an option for bellows hip pockets, which would be totally awesome.

I second the throat latch. Frankly that feature would push me to MTO everything with SM.

 

[spiermackay]

I see there are now nine MTO sport coat templates (not sure how long that's been the case). Has there been any talk of adding an Ivy template? It's similar to the Neopolitan cut, obviously, but for us freaks who obsess over details it's not the same.

Like a sack jacket?

 

[spiermackay]

I'm back to asking questions about the Quest cotton trousers, because I'm impatient and looking forward to receiving the pairs I ordered lol. You mentioned the dress chinos are dry clean due to the curtained waist, but the Quest cotton ones are machine washable- does this mean the Quest ones don't have a curtained waist? Also, will these tend to wrinkle less easily/hold a crease more than standard chinos, since they appear from the pics to be a different (non-twill) weave?

Just trying to figure out what the care for these is like, since my experience with cotton trousers is limited to mainly chinos or dry clean only cotton blends with curtained waists.

Quest do have a curtain waist. But last year we got so many emails asking we just went ahead and made it clear on the cotton that they can be machine washed.


These perform as cotton. They will wrinkle a bit and the crease will lessen through the day. That's just the nature.

 

[spiermackay]

Hey guys/Spier,

I’m thinking of getting the olive lightweight chinos:

Olive - Lightweight Chino | SPIER & MACKAY | Casual Trousers

Spier & Mackay

www.spierandmackay.com

Are they a true olive, or are they more like a grey-green? The pics show a distinctly cool and grey colour with some green in it.

Any daylight pics would be appreciated!

They have a gray undertone to them. The web pics are pretty accurate. Under daylight they are a proper olivey green. Indoor they lean more gray.

 

[spiermackay]

Does anyone know the differences between the "double breasted" and "traditional peak lapel - double breasted" MTM suit patterns? It looks like the peaks might be lower on the traditional option, but there isn't a description.

Thanks!

The traditional is lower and flatter with less belly. Should be a pic when you open the option up

 

[spiermackay]

For those who have received items (shorts or safaris) in the current cream linen fabric: does it look cream IRL? In some of the pics I have seen, it looks more white than cream.

It's actually more Off-White. Not White, not Yellow.

 

[spiermackay]

S&M vs Black Lapel custom suit. Anyone bought both and have an opinion?

Black Lapel are good guys. They lean more MTM, where you input body measurements which could either work out great if you're inputs are exact or horrendous if not. As well, and I don't think they have as many options as we do.

From what I know, they produce in the same main factory as Suitsupply MTM. Good quality. They use a lot of Filarte as their house cloth as well.

That said, if you know your base fit with us as a starting point, we can offer you unbeatable value and we'll only continue and expand the program.

 

[James1051]

The traditional is lower and flatter with less belly. Should be a pic when you open the option up

The light blue herringbone db in your MTO exclusive section is striking, is that the "traditional"?
The description of that one says its 4x2, but pic shows 6 buttons?
And more generally, these MTO Exclusives, are they are customizable as all MTO jackets?

 

[spiermackay]

The light blue herringbone db in your MTO exclusive section is striking, is that the "traditional"?
The description of that one says its 4x2, but pic shows 6 buttons?
And more generally, these MTO Exclusives, are they are customizable as all MTO jackets?

That is a Traditional, but the jacket was a 36, so the lapel is showing a bit smaller there. Normally its a healthy 12.5 cm/5"

Yes. You click customize and if auto loads the options as seen in the pic, but you can customize the cloth however you like.

 

[carterjones]

Will chinos/quest cotton type trousers ever come in MTO options? I have funny proportions (there isn't a size 29 in OTW & I seem to fit 28 in waist and 30 in hips). Also I remember hearing last year rumors of trench coats and/or leather jackets. Were these COVID casualties/delays or maybe scrapped ideas?

 

[TheLawBeard]

Since we're getting REALLY awesome answers and help now:
Do we know if Fabric 2458R 180/3 (Style 22152-2F1H1) is a match for any of the MTO sportcoat fabrics? It's the Guabello blue mix texture from FW-19.

 

[SmoothLefty]

Like a sack jacket?

Yes, though as orangefury mentioned I don't know how well a true sack would sell. There are still a ton of Ivy enthusiasts out there and your MTO program is less expansive than OTR stuff at O'Connell's or J. Press. You also offer a ton of fun tweeds that go well with Ivy's casual nature. I don't know how difficult it is for the MTO program to offer darted vs undarted but the other details...

• 3/2 closure: bottom button aligns horizontally with the top of the patch/flap pockets: you already offer this with the Neo cut.
• 3.5" notch lapels: already offered based on alkydrinker's MTO.
• Swelled edges/lapped seams: I can't tell on alkydrinker's coat if it has swelled edges but I think it does. Lapped seams may be a pain, not sure.
• Triple patch pockets with patch & flap pockets at the hip: I see you already offer the latter, again based on alkydrinker's coat. I imagine a patch pocket at the chest isn't a big deal.
• Hook vent: the one Ivy detail I never cared about, not sure it'd actually prevent any Ivy fans from ordering MTO. I'd assume this would also be a pain.

Again, not super different from the Neo cut but narrower lapels, swelled edges, lapped seams, patch/flap pockets. An option for darted/undarted would be the icing on the cake, though I'm sure not having a sack/undarted option would be a dealbreaker for some as it's one of Ivy's defining characteristics.

What alkydrinker was able to order is pretty darn close but the fact that it's missing some key details--and I can only speak for myself--is why I haven't ordered any MTO sportcoats. I'd be all over a grey herringbone tweed and a blue seersucker in an Ivy template. Corduroy, fun tweeds. It'd be a problem for my bank account.

 

[dukenukem4ever]

Black Lapel are good guys. They lean more MTM, where you input body measurements which could either work out great if you're inputs are exact or horrendous if not. As well, and I don't think they have as many options as we do.

From what I know, they produce in the same main factory as Suitsupply MTM. Good quality. They use a lot of Filarte as their house cloth as well.

That said, if you know your base fit with us as a starting point, we can offer you unbeatable value and we'll only continue and expand the program.

Their Filarte is made in China cloth?

 

[Cmezavz]

@spiermackay How do the new cotton-linen blend trousers compare with the quest cotton in terms of wrinkles/crease? and better fabric for warmer weathers?

 

[alkydrinker]

Like a sack jacket?

I don't know how difficult it is for the MTO program to offer darted vs undarted but the other details...

• 3/2 closure: bottom button aligns horizontally with the top of the patch/flap pockets: you already offer this with the Neo cut. AVAILABLE
• 3.5" notch lapels: already offered based on alkydrinker's MTO. AVAILABLE
• Swelled edges/lapped seams: NOT AVAILABLE
• Triple patch pockets with patch & flap pockets at the hip: AVAILABLE
• Hook vent: the one Ivy detail I never cared about, not sure it'd actually prevent any Ivy fans from ordering MTO. I'd assume this would also be a pain. NOT AVAILABLE
• An option for darted/undarted would be the icing on the cake, though I'm sure not having a sack/undarted option would be a dealbreaker for some as it's one of Ivy's defining characteristics. NOT AVAILABLE/NOT NEEDED?

@SmoothLefty - FYI, if you go into S&M's custom jacket options, you can do triple patch pockets and then put flaps on the hip pockets by request. (I simply chose to not do a chest patch pocket on my green tweed example.)

But otherwise, to reiterate on SmoothLefty's post and sum up what I believe the key missing ivy features are:

1. Swelled edges/lapped seams
2. Center rear hook vent

Regarding undarted vs darted: I concur with smoothlefty that an undarted front is not usually a priority for most (and I bet it would be a big undertaking to develop). There are tons of vintage Brooks Brothers & Southwick examples with all the ivy features - but WITH front darts - and most ivy fans are more than happy to wear them. As an aside, Sid Mashburn does an undarted sack where the cut has been allegedly engineered to look contemporary - no idea how well those jackets sell.

Below is a description of the swelled edge/lapped seam feature (from http://www.ivy-style.com/the-swelled-edge-a-quarter-inch-of-distinction.html)

And, swelled/lapped seams again on some pockets and swelled edge stitching on lapels: