Suggestions and comments for a London Lounge Gun Club jacket

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by T4phage

Wow, so A & S must have no idea what they are doing using this cloth...
... but I think I value the experience of the A&S tailors over yours.

I have had 2 coats made of Breanish. The tailor I use says that it is a bit difficult to work with, but the end result is worth it. The tailor even has a coat for himself made with it. I have had my coats now for over 3 yrs, and they get heavy use. Not a one has become baggy, even though I wore one for 4 days in a row.

Experience first over internet babble.

In Sator's defense, he was amplifying on Chris Despos's lukewarm opinion of how Breanish makes up.

And, my reading of Chris's opinon is that basically, he didn't like tailoring it the two times he had done so, and he associates this with product quality. He didn't address how Breanish looks or lasts once made (at least, I did not read that from his comments). When Chris Despos takes time to say what he thinks about a fabric, I don't think that is internet babble, although it can be an opinion one can discount or ignore.

I have to think Edwin has done quite a few Breanish jackets at A&S and currently, so I have sent him a note suggesting that he comments on it in this thread if he feels there is any point not yet covered.

- B

 

[oscarthewild]

If this is the same fabric that was offered in a B&S thread a few days ago? It was nearly 3.5 yards? I thought that a suit would be fun. The top could be worn as a sportcoat, the trousers would look great with say a solid quilted jacket (like those Barbours) and suede chukkas. And for the adventurous occasions, both pieces could be worn with some micrograph or tattersail shirt and wool tie.

Another option would be to get a countrytype suit, half belt, possibly suede shoulder and elbow patches and matching trousers. But that may be harder to wear in urban settings.

-

 

[John Ellis]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Hah! Lemming I am, then...although there might be fewer lemmings in this gun club than in Breanish.

I am not sure "rush" is an apt decision. If you read my post starting the thread, I noted that I already have the fabric, and my questions were on opinions on how to make it up.



While the intent of this thread was not a pistols at dawn conflict to establish the best tweed of all, I like the concept!

I have no doubt that you will prove more debonair in your impending Breanish than I in my pedestrian gun club. Heads will be shaking in New York, London, Paris and my burg of Boston, "Poor guy, he thinks he's going grouse hunting."

On the other hand, that doesn't bother me: I kinda prefer that to some one thinking, "Poor guy, he's going to work in some bank/brokerage/law firm/corporation."



Honestly, it wasn't a challenge. I just thought that since your opinions are so narrow on the matter (or sophisticated, if you prefer that), it would help all of us who have not met you personally to see how you put the rubber to the road, sartorially speaking. I find that photographs are worth more than the most insistent prose when we are discussing clothes.

Video would be even better; and meeting someone, the best.



The references to movie costuming are interesting, but they are costume, by and large, executed by costume designers within the strictly controlled environment. If you find these looks elegant apart from the fantasy of the movie dramas in which the looks are presented, and you execute these looks in real life, I am sure that I am not alone in welcoming some photographs from you. In addition, while I am sure this is not true in your case, I have found that people who reference movies or television fashions often do not, themselves, wear clothes in the way that they admire in fiction, so I tend to discount such references. That's just me.

I will say one thing not having to do with clothes: there's a tinge of antagonism and defensiveness in your writing style that tends to obscure the points that you are trying to make. Moreover, you might be wrong in assuming that people do no understand your points, and that the points require continued and emphatic re-explication. We might not be as sophisticated as you...but I suspect most of us are not far off.

I hope that you will be able to share photographs of your Breanish coat when it arrives...I suspect it will be splendid, and that we will all enjoy seeing it. I love the look of Breanish myself.

- B

No doubt there's room for disagreement about my penchant for a pungent and ironic writing style which perhaps conveys a sense of combativeness to the more timid or humorless but I think I'll stick with it since it's essentially me. However, on the philosophical issue of the impact of films on mens fashions you surely couldn't be more wrong. It's probably been the main influence since the twenties. Taking the couple of examples, I quoted of the Fox Brothers, if you've ever seen them in real life or being interviewed there is very little difference in their dress style from ones they so ably portrayed in the movies I mentioned. The idea that James Fox's baggy tweed sportcoat and mid grey flannel bags were "costume" unrelated to what I wear quite often is not very perceptive really. This was not a movie set in the court of Louis XVI with powered wigs and knee britches. But an elderly British peer pootling around his house within living memory. I'm afraid you are way off the mark on that one. And I'll post a pic of my Breanish.

 

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by John Ellis

No doubt there's room for disagreement about my penchant for a pungent and ironic writing style which perhaps conveys a sense of combativeness to the more timid or humorless but I think I'll stick with it since it's essentially me.

Well, I am happy to leave it at you are pungent and ironic, and others are timid and humorless.

Originally Posted by John Ellis

However, on the philosophical issue of the impact of films on mens fashions you surely couldn't be more wrong. It's probably been the main influence since the twenties.

I apologize for being unclear, which is leading you to ascribe an opinion that I do not have to me. Movies and other mass media have and do exert a pervasive aspirational influence on clothing, particuarly fashion. But that is not a very pithy observation, is it?

What I was trying to say is that I find that the resulting aspirational dressing of the consumer of mass media, by and large, falls short of what the person admires. Attempted emulation, in these cases, fails.

Change sexes and what I am pointing out will be more obvious. Women attempting to look like glamorous actresses dressed by profesionals, and packaged for presentation in carefully honed environments, seldom achieve that look. (In fact, the actresses themselves seldom achieve that look.) By trying to emulate a fantasy and failing, the result is generally worse than if the woman sought out her own version of elegance.

Woman are not alone in this regard.

Originally Posted by John Ellis

Taking the couple of examples, I quoted of the Fox Brothers, if you've ever seen them in real life or being interviewed there is very little difference in their dress style from ones they so ably portrayed in the movies I mentioned. The idea that James Fox's baggy tweed sportcoat and mid grey flannel bags were "costume" unrelated to what I wear quite often is not very perceptive really. This was not a movie set in the court of Louis XVI with powered wigs and knee britches. But an elderly British peer pootling around his house within living memory. I'm afraid you are way off the mark on that one.

If James Fox was posting, that would be great. But he is not.

If what he wore is related to what you wear, it would be great to see such a wonderful historical look being preserved.

Originally Posted by John Ellis

And I'll post a pic of my Breanish.

I can't wait! It's not too early to think about how you might respond respond if reaction is not universally enthusiastic...the SF crowd is a tough audience, and particularly tough on bespoke clothing...and there, indeed, a sense of humor is quite useful to preserve an atmosphere of comity.

- B

 

[Despos]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

although it can be an opinion one can discount or ignore.
- B

+1
I think I can coherently communicate my point of view and will do so later this day. I have 4 appointments in the shop today I need to get thru.

 

[T4phage]

Here is a 3yr old Breanish coat on the 3rd day when I wore it for 4 days in a row. Not too bad for a "fluffy lightweight crap cloth".

sorry for having the wrong orientation

 

[T4phage]

Another commentary regarding the cloth. I am currently being fitting for a sportscoat made of the Huntsman house tweed, the lightweight house tweed. The tailor I use says they are similar to work with.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by T4phage

Another commentary regarding the cloth. I am currently being fitting for a sportscoat made of the Huntsman house tweed, the lightweight house tweed. The tailor I use says they are similar to work with.
How heavy is the Islay tweed? I always figured it to be more like 16oz, but I am ****** with this kind of thing.

 

[T4phage]

Originally Posted by iammatt

How heavy is the Islay tweed? I always figured it to be more like 16oz, but I am ****** with this kind of thing.

Our tweed is very very similar in weight to the Breanish.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by T4phage

Our tweed is very very similar in weight to the Breanish.
Well, no wonder it is so easy to wear. I always wondered why I did not swelter in it, given how heavy I assumed it was.

 

[itsstillmatt]

FWIW, the production run (I sold mine) is 640 gms.

 

[T4phage]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Well, no wonder it is so easy to wear. I always wondered why I did not swelter in it, given how heavy I assumed it was.
Yeah. That is why my Breanish are usually my "go to" sportscoats, since the weight makes them really versatile. I can't wait until the Islay is finished... although my tailor now calls me "arlecchino' when I am doing a fitting with it

 

[Despos]

I find it funny that every one in this thread who has a jacket in Breanish tweed has commented that their own tailor does not like or found it difficult to work with. My conclusion is that I prefer not to work with it.
I did not say it doesn't make a nice jacket.
I also did not know it was a single ply yarn but that explains a lot about the cloth. I don't think there is any controversy in the merits of 2 ply over single ply yarns. There are other non tweed, single ply goods on the market that I avoid as well. If there are other lightweight tweeds available that are more stable to tailor, that is what I choose. The Breanish people want a cloth that is light weight with certain characteristics, available at a reasonably low price and that is what they make. It must be working for them. I don't care for it.

 

[Mildly Consumptive]

Does anyone know if the Scabal Shetland book is1 ply or 2 ply? As someone already mentioned, it's at the lightweight end of the tweed scale as well.

 

[Despos]

Originally Posted by Mildly Consumptive

Does anyone know if the Scabal Shetland book is1 ply or 2 ply? As someone already mentioned, it's at the lightweight end of the tweed scale as well.

Nobody cares anymore they have all gone overboard.