ROWING BLAZERS is a celebration of the jaunty symbols of team spirit flaunted by rowers at Henley (which starts this week) and other regattas. Written by Jack Carlson, who has rowed for the USA and Oxford in the Boat Race, so will know a blade from a rigger, the book is beautifully illustrated with photographs by F.E. Castleberry. Incidentally, although billed as a book about the blazer, it's also a fascinating history of many rowing clubs of the world.
I rowed at one of the schools mentioned in the book and remember the magnificence of the blazers sported by the 1st and 2nd Eights. Like war paint, a garish blazer is designed to strike fear into the opposition before their boats are even in the water. It does this by oozing tradition, history, club and sporting elitism and privilege - and why not; as long as it's not taken to seriously? The bright colours also helped spectators to identify crews in the confusion of a busy regatta.
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Two things struck me. Firstly, how little the blazer has changed since worn by early crews in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In this, of course, blazers reflect the slow evolution of classic menswear. Indeed, some of the blazers shown look old enough to have been worn by the grandfather of the present owner. Secondly, I had assumed that rowing blazers would be a UK and US thing. However, I was surprised how wholeheartedly they have been adopted, humour and fun included, by rowing clubs all over the world.
I particularly appreciated the note on tailoring of blazers; 'relatively unstructured, with patch pockets and a soft shoulder' just about sums it up. There is also brief mention of the adoption of the blazer by mods and the preppy movement. Today blazers form a part of menswear collections such as Hackett and Ralph Lauren - I hope they will never go away.
A big change in the rowing scene since my day is the welcome arrival of women to the sport - and they are shown wearing blazers as well as, if not better than, their male counterparts.
A book not only for every lover of rowing and its history, but for every lover of classic menswear and (of course) blazers. Published by Thames & Hudson, price £35.
Jack Carlson will be signing copies in the Leander Club shop at 4pm tomorrow, July 2nd. Whether the general public can go in and buy a copy then is still open to question.
ReplyDeleteThe very snooty sales assistants there didn't seem to think me worthy.
Had a lunchtime stroll about the various enclosures today, before they all get sealed up for the duration. Plenty of copies of this book in the various shops, and I'm sure sales will be brisk.
Thank you Laurence, the publishers tell me the book will be for sale during Henley, so I hope you get past the sales assistant (dazzle her with a bright blazer).
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the regatta.
GF
I'm just a non-rowing local, and my slightly faded jeans probably didn't make the grade today, but tomorrow my eBay double breasted blazer could well make it's maiden voyage.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff. Though that black and white blazer with matching tie has made our eyes go funny.
ReplyDeleteA partial volume with some glaring omissions.
ReplyDeleteNot much use as a genuine reference book since, bizarrely those clubs that are represented are arranged randomly rather than, say, alphabetically, and there is no index, so one has to wade through the whole lot to try to find anything! Time wasting and frustrating.
Thus a worthy aim of cataloging rowing club blazers has been spoiled by creating what is nothing more than a louche coffee table book. I am disappointed :-(
That is definitely a book I am going to buy and I will probably be at the Leander club copy signing session. I am looking forward to it.
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