The Shirt Jacket Thread

[dieworkwear]

I've been thinking about how ideal shirt jackets are for casual weekend wear, so I thought I'd start a thread on them. Maybe we can talk about where to purchase good ready-to-wear models, what details we like, the most ideal fabrics, special bespoke pieces people are working on, etc.

I'm thinking about commissioning two more shirt jackets from my shirtmaker - either two in tweed or one in moleskin and one in tweed - so that they'll be ready in time for fall. A bit undecided on the materials and whether a Ghillie collar or lapeled design might be better. Anyone have thoughts?

Note, I'm defining shirt jackets here broadly. I'd include these, even though some might lean more towards safari jackets

 

[Blackhood]

Good lord, I think you're defining Shirt Jacket far too broadly. Actually, maybe I define it far too narrowly? That jackets you have posted so far strike me as normal casual jackets (or safari jackets) made in a soft-shouldered unstructured way.

In my experience a shirt jacket is a garment constructed almost exactly like a shirt, but from a significantly heavier material. As super-casual I think they're acceptable but not a garment I've ever invested much time or money in. I have one that I throw on over a t-shirt if I need to chop some logs for the fire, or go to the pub on a sunday evening, but other than that they're a little frat-boy for my tastes. I'll see if I can come up with something illustrative of what I believe them to be.

 

[Blackhood]

Harder to find images than I expected, but those sum up roughly what I believe a Shirt Jacket to be...

 

[MRMan]

Although these have never appealed to me, I really like T4's version.

 

[cptjeff]



I've been thinking about how ideal shirt jackets are for casual weekend wear, so I thought I'd start a thread on them. Maybe we can talk about where to purchase good ready-to-wear models, what details we like, the most ideal fabrics, special bespoke pieces people are working on, etc.

I'm thinking about commissioning two more shirt jackets from my shirtmaker - either two in tweed or one in moleskin and one in tweed - so that they'll be ready in time for fall. A bit undecided on the materials and whether a Ghillie collar or lapeled design might be better. Anyone have thoughts?

Note, I'm defining shirt jackets here broadly. I'd include these, even though some might lean more towards safari jackets

How on earth is that anywhere close to a shirt jacket? That's an unstructured sportcoat. Which is not a shirt in any meaningful sense.

 

[Axelman 17]

I like them in theory and have thought about commissioning one. However, I have a couple issues with them: (i) It seems like a traditional shirt jacket has lapels that are narrower than the area above the gorge, this is the opposite of a traditional suit and it irritates me. I think versions that dont have the strange skinny lapel, like Will's in the OP, are more my speed. (ii) I would want something casual enough that I can wear with jeans, almost more of a street-wear angle, and most of these are too dandified for me.

 

[bboysdontcryy]

I have a couple linen safari shirts with bellow pockets and inverted pleats along with a buckle at the back (to clear the excess space when worn as a 'shirt') and I wear them a lot. Very versatile especially in the sweltering Summer.

 

[dopey]

Winston Tailors had a great one made out of a homespun shetland on display in their old shop. I can't recall if it is still on display. One of the Ivy bloggers, maybe Ivy_style, did an interview with Paul Winston and photographed it (I think) so you might be able to find a pic.

 

[Shirtmaven]

I will have to dig up some photos
we have made a number of them this year.
some are even shorter lengths with lower slash pockets.

the jacket on the Hulk and the white jacket are not shirt jackets.
The shoulder of a shirt Jacket is set like a shirt. those are both set like jackets.

making pendelton knock offs(CPO jacket) as well. but in nicer fabric.

I also took an Italian military surplus safari jacket and copied it for details

 

[dieworkwear]

I agree the Pendleton ones (or the ones Blackhood posted) are the designs that come most to my mind when I think about shirt jackets. However, I've seen some credible sites (such as ASW), members on forums such as this one and London Lounge, and some tailors define the term more broadly.

Last year, I commissioned a blue linen shirt jacket from Ascot Chang. At the last moment, I asked for the Ghillie collar to be converted into a lapel + collar, like you'd see on a sport coat. It basically went from this to something more like the first photo in this thread. It occurred to me at the fitting that I no longer had a "traditional" shirt jacket, but rather a safari jacket.

But the conversion from a Ghillie collar to a lapel isn't the tipping point for a shirt jacket, is it? I've seen safari jackets, for example, with Ghillie collars. But perhaps that's because they had other details, such as a belt and epaulets.

In any case, I think the thread would be more interesting if we defined the term more broadly. I'd like to think of it as some shirt jackets lean towards shirts (e.g. Pendleton) and some lean towards jackets (the ones by Matuozzo that T4 owns). I suppose one defining attribute is that a shirt jacket should not have a canvas or chest piece, if we're to go with minimal definitions.

 

[bboysdontcryy]



I agree the Pendleton ones (or the ones Blackhood posted) are the designs that come most to my mind when I think about shirt jackets. However, I've seen some credible sites (such as ASW), members on forums such as this one and London Lounge, and some tailors define the term more broadly.

Last year, I commissioned a blue linen shirt jacket from Ascot Chang. At the last moment, I asked for the Ghillie collar to be converted into a lapel + collar, like you'd see on a sport coat. It basically went from this to something more like the first photo in this thread. It occurred to me at the fitting that I no longer had a "traditional" shirt jacket, but rather a safari jacket.

But the conversion from a Ghillie collar to a lapel isn't the tipping point for a shirt jacket, is it? I've seen safari jackets, for example, with Ghillie collars. But perhaps that's because they had other details, such as a belt and epaulets.

In any case, I think the thread would be more interesting if we defined the term more broadly. I'd like to think of it as some shirt jackets lean towards shirts (e.g. Pendleton) and some lean towards jackets (the ones by Matuozzo that T4 owns). I suppose one defining attribute is that a shirt jacket should not have a canvas or chest piece, if we're to go with minimal definitions.

Did you get a belt/half belt, or anything to help cinch the waist? I presumed that yours was made a little larger than your shirts, or not?

 

[dieworkwear]



Did you get a belt/half belt, or anything to help cinch the waist? I presumed that yours was made a little larger than your shirts, or not?

Yes, it's larger. Mine looks like this

Except it has the lapel and collar of the first photo in this thread (the safari jacket made by Panico). The back has a half belt and inverse box pleat. I think the inverse box pleat was a mistake, looking back. If I could do it over again, I would have swapped that out for an action back or maybe just go plain. But it's still a great jacket and I hope to get more.

 

[MalfordOfLondon]

Just to chime in slightly, I've seen many makers / retailers labelling unstructured, unlined jackets (mostly cashmere) as 'shirt jackets'.

Zegna have definitely done this in the past as have Gieves & Hawkes.

 

[T4phage]



the jacket on the Hulk and the white jacket are not shirt jackets.
The shoulder of a shirt Jacket is set like a shirt. those are both set like jackets.

she calls it
spalla camicie
and it is the same
kind of shoulder that
panico makes on his
versions

 

[MalfordOfLondon]

The unstructured jackets from the makers / retailers I mentioned were also 'spalla camicia'.