Harris tweed jacket - British fabric and British manufactured

Friday, 30 March 2012

Earlier this month I reported on a Harris tweed jacket from John Lewis (see here). I found one in my local John Lewis store and after trying it on over several visits (do other men take as long as I do to decide on a purchase?) I bought it, impressed by its look and cut. I own other Harris tweed jackets, which are hardly modern in cut, being long in the body, wide over the shoulders and baggy in arm and chest.

This, the John Lewis and Co Harris tweed work-wear blazer, is quite different and subtly applies a modern twist to a very traditional garment. The slim cut and modern shape blends successfully with the traditional dogtooth check tweed, which is a mix of glorious moss greens, bright blue, charcoal grey and orange/brown (the photo below shows these colours most accurately, but is still too blue). The jacket has a handsome deep blue lining and geography teachers' leather elbow patches.

For £299 I now own a jacket which was manufactured in this country and (according to the John Lewis website) was produced as part of the John Lewis and Co. range (see [link removed]) in a limited run of 20 only!

I only have two gripes, firstly the buttoned tab at the collar is far too tight to enable the collar to be closed against the elements. Secondly, the "working cuffs" don't work as the buttons have been stitched across the buttonholes - hardly signs of John Lewis's claimed "meticulous attention to detail". However, overall this is a jacket that should have sold out quickly as it would have cost much more from an established design label.

There are other cheaper jackets in the range, but not all are Harris tweed and they do not specifically claim to be British-made, which suggests to me that they are not, nor are they claimed to be limited editions.

There is, at the time of writing, one other limited edition British-made Harris tweed jacket in grey herringbone on JL's website -[link removed as out of stock]- pictured below. Start panic buying now!

8 comments

Fred Gonsowski3 April 2012 at 19:08
Hi there Grey Fox... I looked through your articles, and I read your comment ..A Man's search for style into middle age and beyond. Looking at you, and the things you SEEM to be attracted to, this is MY opinion how you can realize your vision. Take it with a grain of SALT ;-}

First of all the tweed jackets and some of the other things you like say OLD MAN-TRADITIONAL. That is OK, but you don't want to be/look like your father. I think, to the things that attract you, to have a more CURRENT look, you have to mix in modern elements.

Start buy going out and buying SLIM CUT-Low Rise jeans in the colors, dark blue, black, gray and brown. That silhouette says modern, and the shape is not that of your father's jeans.

Secondly buy some vertical striped shirts, that have wide stripes, and are colorful. Also buy some BRIGHT colored shirts to add to the stripes. Bright colors suggest YOUTH, and color has a way of reflecting up at a person's face, and makes them look younger. Gray, white, and drabs do nothing for the skin. With those kinds of colors add a BRIGHT color, to counterbalance them.

Third go out and buy some tweed, and other textured vests, to wear with the shirts and jeans. You can also put a Bright-Fun tie with them to make a dressy casual look.

Next think about shoes. To go with what you have, add an ankle high boot in leather, and a desert boot in suede.

After that think accessories. Look for belts, that have big sculptural buckles, some studs, grommets, etc. A knock out belt buckle can give a pop of visual interest to a rather plain outfit. Also think about a cuff bracelet or some other kind of jewelry to put along with your watch, on the same wrist.

You have solid socks, look into stripes, polka dots, etc. Try on different styles of hats.

A leather coat, will also give you a modern look.

When shopping look through clearance racks, etc for fun, but inexpensive additions to your wardrobe. BUY things that are in colors that go with what you already have. Bring/wear clothing that you want to match things to, when shopping. That way you will know if what you want to buy really works.

Finally, go into stores, and try on clothing that you think you would NEVER like. Clothing on the rack will look a lot different from the way it looks on you. Also try on the bold and bright, and odd balled of the fashion world. You and you alone will see how it looks when you try it on, by your self in the dressing room. I have tried on things at GUCCI that looked terrible on the rack, but were wonderful when I put them on. Also the bold and bright, takes a few minutes to get used to.

You know Grey Fox, you could now take all my suggestions, and go out and write and show the world you finds....Have Fun!
Grey Fox4 April 2012 at 01:14
Fred, as ever you have excelled with this analysis and I'm really grateful to you for taking the time to write this. I agree with much of what you say, possibly disagreeing only with the belts and leather coat - those suggestions reflect American rather than British tastes I think ;-)

However, everything else you say shows great insight - thanks very much - I'm going to put this in a main post!

Best wishes,
GF
Anonymous17 June 2012 at 15:56
Haha, I came back to this page after being inspired to go out and buy a similar tweed jacket as the featured article, also from the John Lewis & Co range but not exactly the same and slightly cheaper. (It is also a Harris tweed and also made in the UK.) I'm actually very happy I ended up with it after much searching for stock in my size.
Anyway, it's interesting the above comment is advising not to "look like your dad", and some good advise it is with very useful tips; the writer obviously has a keen eye for style. However, you catch me at a time where (for some reason) I decided I actually DO want to mimic what my dad wore, maybe for sentimental reasons, but possibly because at 47 and a head full of grey hair I thought I should stop dressing like a 28 y.o. who shops at River Island, and start looking like respectable person. I have only very recently come to this decision and as a consequence now look for lasting and classical quality and style instead of what the current fashion happens to be. That's not to say I'm dressing as an old man (yet); I also ended up buying a pair of selvege jeans to wear with some new Loake brogues (also an inspirational buy from this site!). Infact, looking forward to wearing the tweed jacket and a smart striped blue shirt with the jeans and shoes tomorrow.
Keep up the good work GF!
JJ.
Have to say this site is inspiring
Grey Fox19 June 2012 at 01:06
This comment has been removed by the author.
Barry Arnold8 March 2014 at 13:49
Having just bought a classic HT Jacket for a very reasonable price (I always think they are amazing value given how long they last). I take the previous points they can be a bit old fashioned but can be blinged up with careful matching.

I think HT are missing a trick by not providing more tailored jackets. Going to the Outer Hebrides in the summer so might find some lovely fabric.
Barry Arnold9 March 2014 at 00:38
These HT examples are much more modern:

http://harristweedco.co.uk/Mens_jackets_and_coats-4