We’ve recently made three very diverting check jackets for a very long-standing and appropriately colourful client who earned her fashion stripes (if not checks) working under Fred Pressman, the man who elevated Barneys New York from a discount suit shop into a designer powerhouse. She’s also worked at Sherry Lehmann, the prestigious Park Avenue wine store, and has more recently been involved with bespoke jewellery. She loves colour and men’s tailoring for women, and her “good bad taste,” as Tommy Nutter would have approvingly described it, means she gets us to push the boundaries when it comes to style, structure, and fit, as you can see in these three pieces.
The first, in a gorgeous lavender-infused mustard tweed, comes with stag horn buttons, purple undercollar and buttonholes, slanted jet pockets and peak lapels, giving the classic country look an uptown-elegant twist, enhanced by the hand-made “flower” brooch that our amazing Maria crafted for her from the jacket offcuts.
The second is a sportswear take on a classic grey herringbone windowpane white over-check, with a neon orange neoprene undercollar and matching buttonholes, and, most strikingly, a tiger-stripe camo silk lining. Perfect for ruling the roost as top lady-cat in the urban jungle.
The third is a Bob Marley-influenced oversize Prince Of Wales double-breasted with a black/green overcheck. There’s a green melton undercollar (with matching buttonholes) and peak lapels, but, again, the key to this piece is the paisley-peacock lining, which is matched at the seams so it looks, literally, seamless, and looks positively psychedelic, whether or not you’re under the influence of Marley Natural wacky baccy. Must be off now – I’ve got a terrible attack of the munchies…
