The very word 'patch' sounds like something I nailed up to my wall to hide the hole from a shot glass thrown at Anne Colter that missed the TEEVEE.

With, ie a bellow pocket such as hunting coats have to actually hold substantial items it makes sense.
but with a ticket pocket  I much prefer the smooth lines. Patch pockets look like, well, sags in my window drapes people insist I mimic in clothing.

The very word casual needs to be freed from those flip flop, bluejeans and baseball cap clad somali pirates of manly man dress. Casual has been metamorphised into slob.

I haven't had them put on a jacket for a while but I did go through a phase back in the day. Personally, I would not do it again with the exception of a very busy jacket pattern or that section 8 jacket I made up. On those jackets the patch adds to the festive look.

Add to this that I got lucky because:

1. Nino Corvato designed a good shape. Shape plays a role, a well designed and angled patch pocket is more pleasing to the eye.

2. Nino also scaled them well. Overly large patch pockets look terrible. I suppose smallish ones would also be bizarre. Just right is the tailoring trick.

3. I put the patch pockets on very soft, sometimes thin material. Bulky patch pockets have that pony express effect. Not always desired for tailored clothes.

4. Nino set the pockets against the patterns perfectly. Even on the two solid jackets he set them well and sewed them close n tight. Which means they really aren't that noticeable. I have a medium grey flannel suit with three patch pockets and no one notices them because they sit so cleanly against the jacket. Noticeable patch pockets are jarring.

So I lucked out because of my tailor but I would never get them again...except of course if I do another section 8 jacket

I quite like them and have them on a couple of my blazers. They make the garment look a tad more sporty and less like some mass-produced department store job.

I have a couple of jackets with patch pockets, including a Huntsman blazer. IMHO, they are best suited to a casual jacket, e.g. lightweight tweed.

I have two old Brooks blazers with patch pockets. Well, patch and flap, which is maybe one more element than necessary. But they look good in a rumpled sort of way.

It's an option I enjoy having.

I get them on some, not on others- it's more of a mix or match depending on cloth. Sometimes I get flapped patches just to f*ck with people.

Last edited by yachtie (2009-04-15 16:09:39)

I guess they are very much in vogue at the moment. 3, 4 months ago I was in London I saw alot of them, even  pinstripe suits.

Pinstripe suit + patch pockets = kitschig