Seersucker I still like, although I haven't worn it in years. I had a jacket, imported from the USA, I wore quite simply with L.L.Bean jeans and white bucks.
The first time I set eyes on TRS he was wearing a seersucker jacket from Chiltern Street with a polo shirt, probably Levis and desert boots. Standing outside 'Bar Italia' in my shabby Burberrys' and off-white Levis chinos... we spotted one another from afar... He is quite tall, our John, and looks good in his gear.
Better by far than I.
Anyone been in JS recently ? If so does anyone know whether they'll be re-stocking the navy linen jacket, thanks.
Back in a couple of weeks was the last news I heard.....I'm waiting patiently....ish
Err … monkey boots.
I was wondering who was going to mention the monkey boots first! - What is next? Donkey jackets?
And not just any monkey boots! Fucking ugly looking ones at that.
My mob never wore monkey boots as they were considered cheap, utilitarian boots from Eastern Europe, worn by younger brothers and girls.
Monkey boots? Seriously? I only remember them being worn by gum-chewing, deeply sexy, rather hard-faced girls hanging around in damp bus shelters, smoking Number Six. Lads would have been laughed into oblivion. You had to buy your DMs from the shop on the old Derby bus station. Probably your clip-on braces, too.
My word.
I note sandals. I saw these at The Hip Store in Nottingham last year and they made me smile. My late father wore decently made leather sandals around the house and in the garden circa 1970. Not for me but Paraboot have their ardent admirers, I know.
Navy blue seersucker jackets are in stock in limited numbers, but don’t appear to have gone on line yet, so if you’re interested you’ll have to phone. I’m afraid I succumbed as the cut and fit was perfect for me.
Also tried on their full length cream colour raincoat, as modelled by ‘The Mumper’ on their FB page. I was most impressed with it, very stylish, but I need another raincoat like a hole in the head. If I were in the market for rainwear I would be very tempted, possibly more so by the vintage London Fog they have in which is in a subtle dark charcoal check (plaid) cloth, now that is something different.
@woof - did you by any chance notice if the JS raincoat was actually waterproof?
One of mine personal bugbears is how shit 'raincoats' are at actually keeping you dry.
They seemed designed for a very light passing shower not the actual weather we get in this country.
Sid is right. My Brooks unlined is a lovely-looking coat that is utterly useless in anything but a light April shower. I wouldn't want to put many of the others to the test and rely on my Bronte waxed jacket for venturing out on seriously rainy days.
Sid - did you by any chance notice if the JS raincoat was actually waterproof?
I didn’t really look into it that deeply to be honest. But I agree with the remarks about raincoats in general. The ones that are 100% cotton rely on a tight weave and a bit of proofing to keep water out, but in a downpour it comes through. The seams are a weak point unless they are taped. My Grenfell and Burberry’s are both pretty good at keeping you dry being poly cotton mix.
A while back I bought a yellow wax cotton 3/4 length jacket from JS. It’s great I look like I just stepped off my yacht in one of those little New England harbours that Muffy features on her blog. The other day I had it on for the first time in a downpour., its made by an Italian maker called L’ Impermeable - well its not.
You guys miss the point. Raincoats are not meant to keep you dry. They are meant to make you look cool, worn with a rollneck, rolled up Levis and chunky Paraboot Michaels. French Ivy if you like. Must be seen sipping multiple espressi while so adorned. And must be 100% cotton and scrunched up looking. Polycotton gives you an old mannish vibe.
That's the way I wear it TRS!
Pointless wearing it a downpour.
Saying that, I've got a London Fog 'Imperial' (with a zip out wool lining) and that is excellent in the rain.
Interesting point from TRS, that. Finding them in pure cotton is a bloody nightmare. Take the most costly items you see and they're often shudderingly unnatural. I'd like to know more about the '21' from that point of view.
Poly/cotton is unsatisfying - as with this Russell Athletic sweat I'm wearing at this very moment. Shirts made of poly/cotton I reject out of hand, even if 'Boom Years', and have noted some Brooks horrors for sale on Ebay: Dacron etc.
Dry cleaners used to offer a water proofing service for raincoats. You never see that nowadays.
Maybe older coats just got better treatment ?
There's at least two remaining dry cleaners who offer that service I think - one in Tooting or similar, and one in North London somewhere. If you ask a regular cleaners about reproofing though, they assume you want a jacket re-waxed.
I’m not interested in i-gent natural fibre anguish . The addition of too much polyester to a cloth results in a garment that is that is sweaty and unpleasant to wear, particularly next to the skin as with socks or shirts. But a small amount, say ten percent, makes these items far more hardwearing and less prone to shrinkage and results in a much better product. With outerwear a higher proportion of poly is tolerable or even desirable. Not for nothing did the 60/40 parka revolutionise outdoor wear.
Bugger all to do with i-gent anguish or i-gent anything - merely a simple preference for natural fibres.
Thinking about it, though, a few pairs of USA-made trousers I own at the moment are poly/cotton, including a rather Sta-Prest-ish pair of L.L.Bean chinos. They can be chucked in the machine, dried and put on again without losing their crease (if that's what floats your boat) - quite unlike Sllvermans' (cotton), which need a damn good pressing (unless one is doing the 'rumpled' look).
What's the place in Tooting, Ian? My old London fog raincoats and Harrington's would benefit from that. Otherwise its a DIY effort from me...
Maybe they've gone....but these are the north London people....https://connoisseurdrycleaners.co.uk/contact-us/
Thanks Ian. Tempted to a DIY rewaterproofing.
Like the new John Simon's ivy jacket (and trousers). Very much like slack jackets. Works nicely in linen as it is very slouchy. Would want to try on other materials before buying I reckon, however. Sufficiently high waist, shame trouser legs not longer for a cuff but not too worried.
Ie heavier weight materials....but actually ignore me, I bet a tweed or corduroy would work well