Striped bespoke odd jacket, would you or wouldn't you?

[GQgeek]

Yesterday my tailor called me saying he had found the perfect fabric for me. I was originally taken by a Brioni suit in brown cashmere with a purple pinstripe through it and had been considering something similar. Knowing this, when my tailor received the new Loro Piana books and flipped through them, he found what he thought would be the perfect fabric for my next commission. It's a 10.5oz brown wool & cashmere with a light blue broken stripe through it out of the LP Propsta book (#12100). It's got a bit of a flannel like texture but it isn't really. The stripes are about .5cm apart.

Do you think it's a good or bad decision to do it as an odd jacket? I'll admit to having a bit of a mental block when it comes pinstriped jackets on their own, but then I don't think there is a huge danger in this jacket looking like an orphaned suit jacket.

Now if you have unlimited money it's a no-brainer to do the pants as well, but that will add a thousand bucks to the price and I really don't wear a full suit very often (ever really). I put down a deposit for my tailor to order enough fabric for a jacket, but am wavering on whether or not it was a mistake not to order pants as well.

My thinking is that I'll just have it made in such a fashion that it appears more casual. So I'll perhaps do hacking pockets, use a lighter canvas, very lightly padded shoulders, etc.

Any thoughts or opinions? Particularly from those that have seen the book and know the fabric?

 

[Despos]

I haven't seen the new LP books so I cannot comment about the look of the cloth. If you get the trouser could you wear it as an odd trouser with a shirt or sweater? I would order enough cloth for jacket and trouser but save the trouser cloth. You can have them made at any time or you could sell the cloth. If you wait and decide you want the trouser, you risk the cloth being sold out or being cut from a different piece where the color may be off.

 

[Tomasso]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

I'll admit to having a bit of a mental block when it comes pinstriped jackets on their own

That's understandable as I share your affliction.

 

[GQgeek]

The more I think about it, the more I question my decision, which was particularly hasty because the prices are going up this week and I wanted to lock-in the existing ones.

I think this is a clear case of lusting over a fabric and forgetting the plan, which was to add more sports jackets to my wardrobe and not suits. I think I'm going to go back and look at fabrics again. The fact that I'm so uneasy with my decision tells me it wasn't the best decision I could have made. The fabric was so beautiful that I think I was trying to make it in to something I wanted (a jacket) when it wasn't really meant to be. I'm guilty of the same thing with girls

 

[Jovan]

Oddly, most patterned odd jackets (minus tweed herringbone or heather) I see look they're missing their trousers, whereas it looks fine to me to just have the trousers. It might be due to historical precedence (sp?), where having morning striped trousers with a black coat was perfectly acceptable for daily wear.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Jovan

Oddly, most patterned odd jackets (minus tweed herringbone or heather) I see look they're missing their trousers, whereas it looks fine to me to just have the trousers. It might be due to historical precedence (sp?), where having morning striped trousers with a black coat was perfectly acceptable for daily wear.
I don't know about that. Tons of odd jackets look great in windowpane or check.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by iammatt

I don't know about that. Tons of odd jackets look great in windowpane or check.

Have you ever seen stripes that you like on an odd jacket? What about you Chris?

The reasons why I thought I might be able to get away with it for this particular fabric was that:

1) stripes are narrow and broken as opposed to perfectly straight continuous lines.

2) it's kind of like a worsted flannel but with less "surface fuzz" than usual and the stripe is more defined than you see on many flannels.

3) the brown has a richness to it that's hard to describe. There are variations in the coloring that make it really beautiful.

I'd love to see more opinions.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Yes, I once saw a beautiful herringbone jacket with stripes. However, I think that a striped sportjacket is really a novelty piece and one that I would not buy unless I had no need for anything else.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Yes, I once saw a beautiful herringbone jacket with stripes. However, I think that a striped sportjacket is really a novelty piece and one that I would not buy unless I had no need for anything else.

I essentially agree with you, and that's why I'm so hesistant all of a sudden. I think the lust is wearing off and I'm starting to think practically again.

 

[MilanoStyle]

You may be better off to post the picture of the fabric to get better feedback from the members. From your description, I imagine the pattern be little too busy at 0.5cm gap?

 

[Jovan]

Originally Posted by iammatt

I don't know about that. Tons of odd jackets look great in windowpane or check.
I'm not a huge fan of them I guess.

 

[poorsod]

I agree that stripes then to look more like an orphaned jacket even with patch pockets. I think it maybe trendy now to wear it with jeans, but I don't expect that trend to last.

I have a similar problem where I don't have the opportunity to wear suits. The last time I wore a suit to work, I was asked if I were interviewing for a new job. I can get away with sportjackets more often.

 

[Dragon]

The last time I wore a suit to work, I was asked if I were interviewing for a new job

I would take another look at the material samples and choose another fabric. There must be some other choice that you would feel more comfortable with and enthusiastic about at the same time.

 

[Teacher]

I'd only wear a striped odd jacket if it were part of a stroller...but then it wouldn't technically be an odd jacket, I guess.

 

[kitonbrioni]

If you love the fabric, then of course get a jacket in it. Your bespoke tailor will make in a way that does not make it look like part of a suit.