The unofficial Drake's London Appreciation Thread

[Trevallon]

Great info, thank you!

 

[Trevallon]

Tweed blazer bodies are (also historically) often unlined. The cloth is heavy and the wool elastic, so it does not depend on the lining to hold it’s shape, and it is extremely robust. I prefer them unlined because they are more breathable so you can wear them indoors. I have both tailored and games tweed blazers by Drake’s. Both models slip on very easily over sweaters. For comfort of wear, sleeve lining is the key, and optionally the shoulder area, although Drake’s self lining has never been an issue. Just brought home the blue gun club check tweed jacket from London - very comfortable.

Did you go with the same sizes in the Games and tailored blazers?

 

[cedarlake23]

Yes, I'm sure the silhouette contributes to the Holmes vibe. And I'm the one who called it musty, so no offense taken. I usually wear it over a purple shetland crewneck and a blue OCBD and mid-blue denim to combat the old-man vibes — not that there's anything wrong with old-man vibes.

This jacket looks a lot more like the tone of Simon's jacket in your reference photo...I know it's still not a Games blazer!

Brown Gun Club Check Tweed Blazer

Our tailored jackets are designed to have a closer fit, and as such are slightly more tailored in their silhouette than our Games tailoring. Few patterns are as enduring as the classic gun club check. Commissioned specially using a beautiful Yorkshire tweed, this beautifully textured blazer...

us.drakes.com

All good. Thanks again!

 

[Wim]

Did you go with the same sizes in the Games and tailored blazers?

It took an um somewhat experimental approach, but I’ve ended up settling for the games blazers one size smaller than the tailored ones as the best fit for me.

 

[astrobuoy]

Stopped in at the Drake's store on Canal this afternoon to check the new stuff out and try a few things on to get a sense of sizing. The new khaki Games is lovely, a very grey green, like a dusty olive (the lookbook color is more green and saturated; the product photo is much more accurate). Sadly the rise on the trousers is not substantially higher than last year, maybe a half inch. Interestingly though I found the waist much larger than expected and found that one size down actually fit better (but then the rise was more like last year's Games; a predicament!). Also the blazers, both the Games and tweed tailoring, were VERY long compared to previous years. Not sure how I feel about it though I know this is the vogue right now.

Besides that, they had three of the winter raglans in stock, all beautiful. I don't think they're all available yet online. Also the standout was a jacket I didn't see in the lookbook at all. It's a version of this coat but in a lovely brown wool twill that seemed to have a bit of other color threads in it, and a contrasting black velvety collar. Should have taken a picture of it

Last thing, they had a rack of St. John's stuff still in stock, including stuff that's out of stock online (for instance the red pencil stripe, two-pocket cotton shirt, the navy check linen fatigue jacket, the linen potting vest in a 38 and 40)

 

[multiccy-csa]

Any brands that make belts similar to the style of Drake's? not looking for cheaper alternatives, but equals.

Looking for something with dark brown leather and an aged/brass/gold buckle.

Cheers!

McRostie belts are great : https://www.mcrostie.co.uk/product-category/belts/mens-belts/.
i've had a couple MTO from them and they came out very well.

 

[wahnamhong]

Does anybody here have the mk 3 double breasted navy pinstripe Games blazer with brass buttons? Any opinions on fit and fabric? Thanks.

Navy Pin Stripe Wool-Cotton Games Blazer Mk. III

Straddling the half-world between super sharp and slouchy, our Games blazers are cut with ease to make sure they sit at the more relaxed end of the formal spectrum, and as such are cut slightly shorter and fuller in their silhouette than our traditional tailored jackets. Comfortable, practical...

www.drakes.com

 

[multiccy-csa]

A two-part 'Drake's tweed' question:
i) is it me, or is the lapel width on recent tailored tweed jackets getting a little too out of proportion? below is one i tried from the Summer; those lapels just don't like right to me. the gorge also looks a lot lower than it used to be. perhaps it's my small (UK36) frame, and they look better on larger sizes, although i'd have thought they aim to keep the proportions consistent?

ii) back in 2016 was the finest gun club tweed jacket they ever did, in my opinion - note the tamer (and in my opinion, far more elegant) lapel.
where can i find this cloth? or at least something very similar to it?

 

[SimonC]

McRostie belts are great : https://www.mcrostie.co.uk/product-category/belts/mens-belts/.
i've had a couple MTO from them and they came out very well.

View attachment 2242269

Me too. I love my Equus belts (RIP) but I also have a fistful of McRostie and they are top quality and good value for money.

 

[Wim]

A two-part 'Drake's tweed' question:
i) is it me, or is the lapel width on recent tailored tweed jackets getting a little too out of proportion? below is one i tried from the Summer; those lapels just don't like right to me. the gorge also looks a lot lower than it used to be. perhaps it's my small (UK36) frame, and they look better on larger sizes, although i'd have thought they aim to keep the proportions consistent?

View attachment 2242271

ii) back in 2016 was the finest gun club tweed jacket they ever did, in my opinion - note the tamer (and in my opinion, far more elegant) lapel.
where can i find this cloth? or at least something very similar to it?

View attachment 2242273
View attachment 2242275

Fox Brothers & Co sell great gun club patterned tweeds (https://foxflannel.com/collections/cloth-shop). Huddersfield (https://www.huddersfieldtextiles.com), Abraham Moon (https://www.moons.co.uk), Yorkshire Fabric (https://www.yorkshirefabric.com/) also have some options; or at the higher end: Scabal, Dormeuil, Holland&Sherry.

 

[circumspice]

A two-part 'Drake's tweed' question:
i) is it me, or is the lapel width on recent tailored tweed jackets getting a little too out of proportion? below is one i tried from the Summer; those lapels just don't like right to me. the gorge also looks a lot lower than it used to be. perhaps it's my small (UK36) frame, and they look better on larger sizes, although i'd have thought they aim to keep the proportions consistent?

View attachment 2242271

ii) back in 2016 was the finest gun club tweed jacket they ever did, in my opinion - note the tamer (and in my opinion, far more elegant) lapel.
where can i find this cloth? or at least something very similar to it?

View attachment 2242273
View attachment 2242275

It looks like the earlier coat has a higher gorge, and the coat on you could have a lower buttoning point - with the combination of where the buttoning point is and the gorge, those lapels don't have a ton of real estate within which to gracefully get to that width, they have to get there in a hurry.

 

[billscoresby]

Speaking of Drake's belts, could anyone measure the width (in mm) of their unlined bridle belt? I've asked Drake's a couple times but they got back to me with different widths.

 

[Kid_Icarus]

A two-part 'Drake's tweed' question:
i) is it me, or is the lapel width on recent tailored tweed jackets getting a little too out of proportion? below is one i tried from the Summer; those lapels just don't like right to me. the gorge also looks a lot lower than it used to be. perhaps it's my small (UK36) frame, and they look better on larger sizes, although i'd have thought they aim to keep the proportions consistent?

View attachment 2242271

ii) back in 2016 was the finest gun club tweed jacket they ever did, in my opinion - note the tamer (and in my opinion, far more elegant) lapel.
where can i find this cloth? or at least something very similar to it?

View attachment 2242273
View attachment 2242275

It's not just you. I noticed the change in the summer tailoring collection, which features that wider lapel and also a more structured/extended shoulder. I for one still much prefer the earlier silhouette.

Based on what I've seen from recent staff MTOs, it looks like those still reflect the earlier silhouette, but I'm not certain if that's the case.

I agree that some of their nicest tailoring silhouettes came out of that first crop of really incredible collections between 2015-2018.

 

[Ancestral Star]

A/W 2016 was peak Drake’s.

 

[multiccy-csa]

A/W 2016 was peak Drake’s.

Tend to agree. Is it me, or were the sleeveless cardigans made of a lighter, less bulky material (merino/cashmere/cotton/mix?) that draped better and sat more elegantly under jackets? I never had any of the earlier ones, so i might be wrong, but the current crop of lambswool pieces feel thick and chunky, and don't ruffle and curl up under a jacket half as nicely as those from around A/W16, such as the below.