Sometimes I worry the internet is not only changing the way we buy clothes, but also the kind of clothes we buy. So many things don’t translate well into .jpeg – subtle details such as texture and finishing are lost; silhouettes are flattened out into two-dimensional measurements. Some of my favorite clothes are things I stumbled upon by chance, but would have never given a second look online.
This ts(s) jacket is a good example. I’ve only had it for a month, but it’s been a go-to favorite almost every day when I’m not wearing a sport coat or leather jacket. I really only picked it up after seeing Greg from No Man Walks Alone last year in it when he was in San Francisco for a trunk show. The jacket isn’t impressive online, but once you see it worn with other things – in Greg’s case, a pair of slim, faded jeans and Margiela German Army Trainers – the appeal becomes obvious.
The modern uniform for tailored clothing typically involves a sport coat with jeans. Sometimes that works; a lot of times it doesn’t. The problem with wearing tailored clothing with denim is that the jacket usually has to be a lot more casual than people think – something like your shorter, slimmer interpretations of classics, rather than actual classics themselves. Unless you have the cool of Andy Warhol, the combo can otherwise come off like a sartorial mullet.
Brands such as Boglioli, Barena, and Engineered Garments are good if you want a truly casual sport coat, but this ts(s) jacket takes things one-step further. The channel quilting makes it feel more like outerwear than tailoring, even though it still has lapels and flap pockets. I also like how the fine, herringbone wool doesn’t have the sheen of similar, polyester designs.
It’s a cliché in menswear writing, but the best thing about the jacket is how easy it is to wear. It goes well with denim, sneakers, and henleys, and can be worn with textured sweaters if you need some layering. It’s a little more interesting these days than your typical field jacket or bomber, but also don’t require much coordination to pull off well. I recommend wearing it with the collar up to push it a little further into casual territory.
Pictured above: Quilted ts(s) jacket | 3sixteen SL-100x jeans | RM Williams Craftsman boots (cheaper through Boots Online) | Barena henley | custom box-calf Chester Mox folio | Christian Kimber Hanoi pocket square
