Smart Casual Winter Jacket - The Pea Coat

The pea coat is more of a jacket but has been a winter favourite since the 18^th Century when it became the outerwear uniform of the British and Dutch navies.  It is thought the name came from the  Dutch word ‘pij ‘ which is the name of the coarse cloth the jacket was most commonly made from.  In the 20^th century the US navy took a liking to it and also started issuing them as uniform.

The original pea coat style has stood the test of time and has not changed much in design or from the navy colour. The double breast style was for added warmth;  the collar and lapels were broad and the sailors would pull them up to protect themselves from the cold sea wind; buttons were large and made of wood or brass and often decorated with anchors , and the style of the pockets were of the slash variety. 

J. Crew Bayswater dark navy pea coat has kept close to the original boxy style with its wide lapels, double breasted front, slash pockets and naval anchor design on the buttons.

Fabric: 100% wool. Body lining: 100% cotton. Sleeve lining 100% polyester. Thin padding of 65% olefin and 35% polyester.

Price:  £275 available from www.mrporter.com

 

The navy blue Woolrich Woolen Mills pea coat is padded for extra warmth and has four front pockets: two large patch pockets and two slit pockets higher up –an ideal place to keep your betting slips handy.

 Fabric: 85% wool, 15% nylon. Padding 100% polyester

Price:  £620 Available from www.mrporter.com

Last year, Topman collaborated with a few talented young designers to give the Pea coat a modern makeover. These new contemporary styles were launched in selected Topman stores and independent boutiques globally.

American menswear designer Tim Hamilton created a shorter version in black with mirrored buttons and a detachable faux leather quilted zip through waistcoat giving an overall chunkier look. The waistcoat provides added warmth on the colder days whilst being detachable makes this jacket more flexible for the warmer days.

Fabric: 57% wool, 30% polyester, 5% viscose, 4% nylon, 4% acrylic

Price:  Was £180 now in the sale at £60.

Available online www.topman.com

Burberry Prorsum have added their own sartorial edge with a leather trim, epaulettes and button tabs at the cuffs and waist. Plus they’ve swapped the conservative navy and black for a bold statement red and black plaid. You’re sure to be seen in the crowds.

Fabric:  38% polyester, 23% acrylic, 13% wool, 10% mohair, 10% nylon, 6% rayon.

Price: Was £1955, now in the sale with 50% off at £997.50

Available from www.mrporter.com

And luxury menswear designer Brian Clarke is taking no chances with the cold weather and has used faux fur for his pea coat.

Price £800 and available from his flagship store at 26 Paddington Street, Marylebone, London W1U 5QY, or online www.brianclarkemenswear.com

 

A New Year - A New Place to Shop- Brian Clarke's New Flagship Store

Happy New Year!

Have you made a New Year Sartorial Resolution? 

Then check out luxury menswear designer Brain Clarke’s new flagship boutique just off Marylebone High Street for your new sartorial shopping spree. Here you will see high quality tailoring using cloth produced by the mills in Scotland and Italy whilst Clarke takes the classic heritage look and adds his own contemporary touch.

 For his SS12 collection he takes his inspiration from the nineteenth century young academics:

A softer modern bib front on Clarke’s shirts emulates the traditional starched shirt fronts, and the high standing rounded collars the look that was so popular in mid 1800 Eton College. 

Tan leather brogues are given a twist with off centre lacing and the Regatta blazer is available in double as well as the traditional single breasted. 

For  the present colder winter months he updates  two traditional coat styles: 

The classic rugged pea coat shows its softer side with faux fur. Price £800. And the sheepskin coat‘s cheeky ‘Delboy’ reputation is replaced with an edgy and trendier look by Clarke’s design of a  slimmer fit, unfinished edges, double breasted and detachable hood.

Loving his cosy sheepskin aviator jacket at the hot price of £1,200

Clarke’s new boutique also provides in-store bespoke tailoring.

Address: 26 Paddington Street, Marylebone, W1U 5QY.

www.brianclarkemenswear.com

Men's Quality Winter Coats

Winter is approaching and it will be the overcoat on sartorial display. A good winter coat should last you for years and if you’re thinking of purchasing just one then it has not only to be warm, but versatile for all occasions and also it has to look good on you. So invest in one wisely.

When buying a good winter coat you need to make sure it fits properly and allows movement. Generally you should go for one size larger than you suit jacket as you’re probably going to wear it or  a thick jumper underneath. Take the jacket or jumper with you when buying a coat so you can try the coat with them on and get the right size. Then make sure you can move easily by mimicking the actions you’ll probably make whilst wearing it: can you tie your shoelaces easily? Can you raise your arms to flag down a taxi?

For warmth you can’t beat wool and top of the list is cashmere. It’s also soft to the touch which is a good way to keep that lady on your arm. However cashmere is very expensive and not very durable

So choose less expensive wool.   

What colour?

You should consider your own colouring when choosing. Look in the mirror and ask whether the colour is complementing your complexion or is it draining you? Does your skin look sallow or healthy? But don’t get hung up about it too much especially if you have found the perfect fit but it only comes in black – you can always wear a scarf in a colour that is the right shade for you.

The style of the coat is most important – it has to suit your build and height.

In general shorter guys look best in shorter length coats i.e. either ¾ length or just on the knee.

Taller guys suit longer coats i.e. on the knee or below.

Tailored cuts look best on slim or athletic builds, straighter cuts on the more rounded figure.

Raglan sleeves and the fuller coat are also good for the fuller figures, whilst double breasted and belted coats will add bulk so better for the slimmer figure.  

Styles

A Covert coat is light weight and warm so ideal for a day at the races. Originally used for riding, it has 4 rows of stitching at the skirt and sleeve cuffs to stop them from fraying prematurely. It also has a ticket pocket and is single breasted. Cordings were the originators of the covert coat and apparently tan was the original colour so that horse hair didn’t show up on it. The traditional covert coat style has a velvet collar, but now you can get covert coats without. Black velvet collars go way back to the French Revolution when the English nobility wore them as a mark of mourning for the Aristocracy in the French Revolution.  Cordings covert coats are around £425 with an additional cost of £35 for the velvet collar.

The Chesterfield coat is the classic formal coat, heavier in weight and can be tailored in a variety of cloths. This was one of the first straight alternative styles to the tight waist frock coats popular in the Regency period. It comes in double or single breasted (fly fronted) and again does not have to have a velvet collar.

The Crombie is a classic city coat and is usually single breasted and made in navy or black wool.  Crombie do have a great slim fit double breasted military coat (very on trend this season) which was inspired by an original Crombie RAF coat from the 1960’s.

The Raglan Coat is so called because of its raglan sleeves, and has a less structured silhouette, therefore less formal than the Chesterfield or Crombie. Great style for the fuller figure, it is usually made of tweed and is a good country coat.

For cheaper quality alternatives go vintage – check out: http://www.savvyrow.co.uk/collections/types?q=Overcoats

 Coats with a designer twist

Vivienne Westwood Man – now ignore the model’s tee shirt and fireman style trousers, just focus on the coat. It’s less outrageous than you think. The colour is dark burgundy with a lighter pin stripe and a black velvet collar. The single breasted style has 3 buttons with the Westwood logo design and the back is a 2 vent style. All for a reasonable designer price of £800

Brian Clarke -When you mention the word "sheepskin" people immediately think of Delboy the used car salesman. Brian Clarke has reinvented the sheepskin coat; it has a slimmer fit, giving a tailor made look with unfinished edges to retain the rugged outdoor feel. It is a double breasted 3/4 length coat with an optional hood which can be worn separately. It’s the perfect marriage of fashion and functionality. The coat is available in tan or black with white fur, Cost £1800 with separate hood at £300. Available online at www.brianclarkeclothing.com 

And now you’ve bought your coat, don’t forget to accessorise with hats, gloves and scarves. Homburg and Fedoras look good with the tailored coats, it has to be leather for gloves and cashmere scarves are much cheaper than cashmere coats.

Hand-Crafted Menswear by Brian Clarke

Brian Clarke admits fashion is in his blood. As a teenager he loved to interpret street fashion and create his own style. The next obvious step was to take this creativity and learn how to make his own designs. So Brian registered at the London College of Fashion to study how to design light clothing and pattern cutting. After completing his studies, Brian worked at Berman’s & Nathan’s theatrical costumiers, honing his bespoke tailoring skills. Here he worked on costumes for Colditz, Superman and all the BBC series, but promises his own collections will not include wearing underpants over tights! However, it was when he worked as assistant designer/pattern cutter for Katherine Hamnett that a passion for fashion really got to him.

After several years of hands-on experience, Brian eventually decided to go it alone. His first independent forays found him styling and designing clothes for pop videos for numerous bands- Jackie Graham, David Grant, Imagination and Spandau ballet to name a few. He also set up a pattern cutting, sample making and small production service for emerging designer labels which included Stephen Linard, Duffer of St. George, John Giuliano, Joe Casely Hayford and Nigel Hall. But an eye for a strong commercial presence was to reveal bigger ambitions. Brian soon had his own flourishing line, stocking many of the capital’s trendier boutiques. It was then he decided to open his eponymous store in London’s Soho stocking his own name label.

The store was more than just a shop; it rapidly became a social institution for slick dressers from the worlds of film, music, art and the city of all whom were looking for the inimitable BC style. It was an instant winner and encouraged others to tap into Brian’s design talents. Deals from Japan notably Dep International - soon followed. This is when Brian had to make an agonising choice of keeping his store open or go to Japan and accept the deal to work for one of the leading young fashion companies there. Brian decided to take the offer in Japan where he could accrue more experience in fashion design. But he never gave up the idea of continuing with a London store and now he’s back after five years ready to open his new store in the West End early in the New Year. In some ways he’s come full circle, employing the artistry of the bespoke skills he learnt at the beginning in his stylish and subtle tailoring. It’s what he does best, and his return to fashion is not a moment too soon

For his spring/summer 2010 collection, Brian has used mainly crisp cotton and linen in cool blues, stone and white. For his dark dinner suit he has used a blend of wool and silk, and for the guys who don’t do plain – a broqueted jacket in black.

Brian has applied to show his new collection at next year’s London Fashion Week in February, so don’t forget to visit him there. Until his store opens, you can buy by contacting Brian via his website: www.brianclarkeclothing.com

Written by www.frumpytofunky.com