Linen Season

Linen season is upon us. Mustard linen suit, checked linen shirt, and an Irish poplin necktie worn with slip-on spectator shoes for an alfresco lunch yesterday.

The secret to wearing linen is that heavier cloth doesn't wrinkle like the lighter weaves. This 14 ounce material just rumples gracefully.

Sources: Lawrence & Foster

I was pleased to learn that my formerly invisible-on-the-internet capmaker, the Yorkshire firm of Lawrence & Foster, has launched a website. Summer or winter, linen or tweed, if you're in need of head covering that's between a fedora and a baseball cap on the spectrum of clothing formality, this is a good place for it.

The L&F site is limited to four men's models (£38.00 to £40.00 ex VAT, or about $80) and four styles for women (£39.00 to £45.00 ex VAT, or $80-$90) in a variety of tweed, but the firm is not. I have cloth sent there and confirm the details by email. A few weeks later, hats appear. Each time, the execution has been flawless.

The great thing about a tweed cap of course is that it sheds a lot of water before it soaks through, a useful characteristic during the rainy season.

Recommended.

The Scent Of Your Handkerchief

Scent is better on a handkerchief than on the body. To see what I mean, try this simple test. Spray eau de cologne into the air, walk into the cloud and wait ten minutes. Much of the time, there'll be no discernable scent remaining, which does no good.

On the other hand, a scent remains fresh all day after it's sprayed into a handkerchief. Carried in a side pocket it doesn't offend people who dislike perfume. And it doesn't interact with your body chemistry, so it smells as it was intended to be smelled. Just open the handkerchief for a pleasant interaction.


During the day, a light fragrance like Acqua di Parma Colonia seems like a good choice. The lemony scent with a floral undertone hasn't changed since its origination in 1916, and, unlike many other good things, it's widely available. About $65 per 1.7 oz.

For evening, consider Creed's Vintage Tabarome, a leather and tobacco power scent that was originally commissioned for England's King George IV. Part of Creed's Private Collection, it's difficult to find in quantities smaller than 8.4 ounces (that's about a five year supply unless it's used for bathing), but the eBay wholesaler Perfume Wizdome sells it decanted into 2.5 ounce bottles priced at $130. Be aware that most of what's out there is a newer version called Tabarome Millesime which is not the same scent.

When it comes to handkerchiefs, I like them in colored cotton like the ones in the photo at the top from Schweitzer Linens (on sale for $30 each). With a spray of scent.

It Never Really Went Away

A reader sent me this photo of himself wearing raspberry linen trousers with a white dinner jacket and Belgian Shoes, which reminds me of years ago when the guys I knew dressed like that. It's classic prep, an eastern thing that was diluted somewhere before it got to California via every chain clothing store.

The foundation of preppy dressing was originally an "I don't need to dress for success" style that generally related to preppy sports: casual wear for golf, polo, tennis, rugby, riding and sailing. There were no suits at the country club (the next step upwards in formality was the dinner jacket) and going to work after graduation usually required a completely different wardrobe. I envied the guys that went into publishing and could wear tweed to the office.

The classic prep undergraduate look was a pink, peach or yellow oxford cloth buttondown shirt worn over a polo shirt in a different, preferably clashing, pastel, a vibrant madras jacket (or a loud tweed plaid), Weejuns and khaki trousers. No socks.

The clothes that once signaled WASP membership are costume now. But raspberry linen trousers worn with a white dinner jacket somehow transcends Ralph Lauren.

What Makes a Sports Shirt?

What makes a shirt a sports shirt, which is to say something other than a dress shirt? Two things: fabric and pockets.

A sports shirt is usually intended to be worn as a top garment without a jacket, or, less often, under a sweater. That means it needs to take on some of the functions of a jacket. And, in my book, that means a sports shirt starts with two pleated pockets that button.

A sports shirt can have short sleeves or long sleeves with barrel cuffs. It may have shirt tails and a buttondown collar. Or, it may have square tails and a camp collar, which is a collar without the reinforcing band that keeps the collar standing. But when he's wearing a sports shirt a man needs pockets (it's the opposite of a dress shirt which in my opinion shouldn't have them).

The other characteristic of a sports shirt is that it typically has bolder fabric than a dress shirt. That might be bright solids in linen or silk; or Tattersalls, Scottish tartans, cotton madras or other checks and plaids. Heavier weights can also come into play, such as denim, viyella (like the pictured shirts from Ben Silver), moleskin and twill.

Whatever the fabric, remember that one pocket is not enough. There must be one on each side for balance across the chest. And buttons to keep them closed, so your sunglasses don't fall out every time you lean over.

Sweaters to Travel For

I love Irish linen sweaters. Like alpaca, they make a garment that's warm when it's cool and cool when it's warm. Ralph Lauren's Purple Label has linen sweaters once in a while but generally they're not easy to find, and that's probably because the best source in the world is at the end of it.

Inis Meáin is the middle of three Aran Islands lying 15 miles off the west coast of Ireland, which makes it about as far West as you can go on land from Europe before you get to North America. It is just three miles across, with a unique landscape of terraced limestone and 200 inhabitants that make a living from farming, fishing and knitwear.

Ruairí de Blacam and his wife, Marie-Thérèse, started the Inis Meáin Knitting Company to earn a livelihood that would allow them to live on the island. The knitting company is by far the island's largest employer, and it makes high quality Irish influenced garments from alpaca, cashmere, Irish linen and merino wool. The first two pieces of theirs that I picked up were hip length linen sweater coats more than a decade ago. I wear them still.

To the best of my knowledge, the only places to buy the knitwear in the United States are Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, or online at Hartford York. But if you're looking for a worthwhile clothing-related adventure, visiting the island gets you to the factory store, which has a range of garments available at what are essentially wholesale prices. I guess their reseller channel doesn't worry about the handful of visitors they get each day during the summer.

The better way to get there is to go to Galway and hop one of the two-a-day ferries out of Ros a'Mhíl (Rossaveel). Or, Aer Arainn Islands operates a commercial air service that takes seven minutes each way. And I'd appreciate it if you'd pick up a couple things for me while you're there.

Reader Questions

From Peter

"I live in the the Northeastern U.S. and would appreciate your advice on the top 4 or 5 classic and versatile patterns for sports jackets."

Since you live in a place with seasons, you'll need jackets for both warm and cool weather. Consider these:

- Navy 13 ounce wool
- Brown 14-15 ounce gun club
- Brown 14-15 ounce Harris tweed herringbone

- Tan 14 ounce linen

- Navy 10 ounce fresco

The first three are for cool weather and the others for warm.

From Pat

"This spring in a fit of absolute madness I had a winter white, super 140, odd jacket made. The jacket is double breasted 6x1 shawl collared with side vents.

My original thought was for a dinner jacket like substitute. I have no intention of using it to replace a formal jacket, but for some reason I felt I would like an off white odd summer jacket when my wife and I go to dinner, or out for an evening. My question is do I dress it up with navy trousers and look like a sap who doesn't understand formal attire, or wear linen or colored poplin pants and risk looking like the help?

Should I keep it in the closet, as a reminder of a summer folly, or wear it with confidence with...."

The shawl collar makes it a dinner jacket in my book. You don't mention whether you had flaps on the pockets but you can always stick them inside. Wear the jacket with black trousers with a grosgrain stripe, a pleated white shirt, black grosgrain bow tie and evening shoes. And I'll bet you never get a request to refill someone's drink.

Rumpled in the Country

Linen jacket, linen shirt and linen trousers in the country this past weekend. As I've written before, I really like the drape of 14 ounce linen as well as its wearability in the summer heat despite its weight.

Fabrics for Summer

Summer temperatures call for fabrics that breathe. The wind shouldn't be whistling through your jacket when the temperatures are below freezing, but mohair, fresco (along with its imitators like Holland & Sherry's CrispAire), and linen help keep a man cool as the thermometer climbs. Each of them will keep you cooler than a tropical worsted, and each has its negatives. So does worsted, for that matter.

Mohair is the hair of an Angora goat. It's got a bit of sheen to it, which makes it a good fabric for a warm weather dinner jacket or a navy blue suit, and a tendency to crack if it's not blended with wool, but it stays crisp in the heat. Ten ounce cloth that's 30% or 40% mohair makes a cool wearing suit that drapes well. Higher proportions of mohair may show an ufortunate tendency to wilt in the rain.

Fresco is a rough-to-the-hand open weave worsted that's trademarked by the parent company of weaver J&J Minnis, provider of the good stuff. 14 ounces used to be the weight of a standard summer suit fifty years ago. Today I like ten, though it's available in eight (the eight doesn't drape as well, wrinkles more easily and is only a touch cooler). If you're a fan of high Super number worsteds, fresco may feel a bit rough until you get used to it but in compensation it has the additional benefit of rubbing any excess hair from your legs so you look better in a bathing suit.

And finally there's linen, woven from the plant. I prefer the Irish version in 14 ounce weight. Holland & Sherry makes some of the best. The negative to linen is that it rumples, though the heavier weights work to minimize that. Better suited for a walk through the park than a seat in the board room.

Some Trouser Details

In 1923, according to a survey of 300 men in Palm Beach, Florida by the now-defunct Men's Wear, 76% wore white odd trousers or plus fours in flannel or linen, 21% wore suits, 1% wore gray flannels and 2% wore knickers in other fabrics. Trousers, particularly the gray flannel variety, have covered a lot of ground in the intervening 85 years, and we've substituted shorts for plus fours and knickers along the way.

But this essay is on trousers and there are two basic types with countless variations. For my taste, the dressier of the two are high waisted English style trousers cut to be worn beltless, with side tabs or braces (the straps that Americans call suspenders), and pleats in the front and cuffs on the bottoms. Braces let trousers hang straighter and don't require adjustment during the day. They are dressier because the high waist sits above a mature man's paunch and lets the trousers hang in a straight line to the shoe. Needless to say, this allows for a sleeker appearance than does a suggestion of stomach protruding over a belted waistline. The negative is that they should be covered by a vest or jacket at all times even if your name is Larry King.

The back in the photograph so eloquently illustrating trousers with a English, or fishtail, back, is provided by critic Francis Bown, whose website Bown's Bespoke periodically covers aspects of the bespoke tailoring arts. The fishtail originated with Scottish trews (trousers that may be worn with a short jacket) and keep a man's shirt covered below his waistcoat when he leans forward (shirts are underwear, after all).

The other principal type of trouser is flat fronted, cut to be worn belted on the hips, and usually without cuffs. This style was originally laborer's garb but it's been elevated to the status of art by continental tailors who prefer it for suits cut for men with trim figures. It's a fine look as long as the wearer is careful that the open quarters of his jacket don't expose his belt buckle and blind pedestrians with the flash.

I prefer high waisted trousers with suits but either belted or beltless trousers are reasonable choices with odd jackets and for more casual wear. There are several options for keeping up beltless trousers, including side straps instead of tabs, and the DAK waistband, however these are usually difficult to find ready to wear.

Button cuffs may be the most obscure trouser detail. Instead of stitching the turned-up cuff to the trouser leg, the tailor sews a button to the inside of the cuff and a buttonhole on the seam of the pant leg. Each cuff has two buttons, one on each side. This feature can safely be left to men who commonly need to brush debris out of their trouser bottoms.

Finally, we should consider the fly, and that's usually closed by a zipper, a relatively modern invention that no longer jams like it used to. The older alternative is the button fly, normally eight buttons that pretty well guarantee that a man will be fumbling with himself at a urinal long enough to draw nervous glances from those around him. The Duke of Windsor preferred the zipper and that's good enough for me.

Trouser fabrics are widely available in much more variety than was seen in Palm Beach those many years ago. Flannel, linen, corduroy, cotton drill, and fresco are some of the common odd trouser types. For some thoughts on an odd trouser wardrobe, see my January essay here.

Reader Questions

From Peter

"I'm wondering how you store your trousers. I've tried a lot of hanger options, but the creases always bother me, especially with rough cloth like woolen flannels. Would you advise folding them instead and storing them on a shelf, or is that not advisable either?"

The best way to store trousers is to hang them by their heels, but I don't believe anyone with a wardrobe actually has enough room for that. The trousers in the photo to the left belonged to the late Duke of Windsor, and I store mine the same way. Solve the creasing problem with a trouser press, which will remove hangar bar rumples as well as any wrinkling behind the knees before wearing.

From Ryan

"I have been reading up on your comments on getting slightly heavier linen pants and having some trouble, despite living in New York City. I am not aware of any tailors in the city that has these trouser fabrics. I am wondering if you have any recommendations for me for tailors, retailers, or mail order companies that'd have some good cotton and linen pants for summer that don't wrinkle too badly. "

I can't speak to the New York retail scene but Irish linen cloth should be widely available. Any New York trousermaker should have access to Holland & Sherry's Emerald Isle 14 ounce linen (the book is HS289). If they don't, Hemrajani (mytailor.com) does and they are visiting New York in June.

Wearing Odd Jackets

Until the introduction of the Norfolk in 1918, there was no such thing as a sports jacket. At resorts, men sometimes wore their suit coats with trousers (often white flannel) from a different suit. But once the Norfolk became popular for shooting, the odd jacket took off. What we would consider a standard three button jacket was ubiquitous in the well-provisioned wardrobes of the mid 1920's and the Norfolk was followed by jackets specific to other sports, the source of the wealth of details that differentiates odd jackets.

Most odd jackets have long been blue (the ubiquitous blazer), gray (usually combinations of black and white that appear gray) for city wear, and tan or brown for the country. The most important fabrics are tweed, flannel and linen followed by gabardine (usually with a belted back). Pattern is found most frequently in the tweeds.

The principal differences between suit and odd jackets should be in the details. Avoid odd jackets that have been made with suit coat features, saving the maker money at the expense of style. Instead, revel in patch pockets, slanted hacking pockets, bellows pockets, pleated backs, and half and full belts. Though hopefully not all at the same time.

Every wardrobe should have a solid tan and a solid blue jacket in summer cloth, and a blue jacket and a tweed or two for winter. You can combine them with fresco, gabardine and flannel dress trousers as well as more casual linen and cotton corduroy, moleskin and drill. If you wear them with a neckties, think of cashmere and linen solids in season as well as silk ribbon stripes and bar stripes. Gummed twill paisley makes a beautiful Fall necktie if you can find it.

The rules for mix and match separates are simple. Wear dark trousers with a light jacket, and light trousers with a dark one. And if either jacket or trousers is patterned, the other piece should usually be a solid.

Personally, I believe that odd jackets are not ideal for business. Business clothes are supposed to fade in to the background, and an odd jacket that doesn't stand out is neither fish nor fowl. When you need neutral clothes, spend your money on a suit. For travel or leisure, wear a tan fresco jacket with patch pockets and gilt buttons in summer. Or a three button gun club tweed with leather buttons, lapel extension and bellows pockets in the Fall. The bolder the better!

Bring Back the Vest

Central heating has just about killed the vest, which is a shame. I don't know if anyone has calculated the environmental impact but it strikes me that we'd all be better off if we turned down our thermostats and wore vests and sweaters to keep warm. There's no question in my mind but that we'd look better.

You feel the value of a vest whenever you're walking outdoors on one of those cool days that are too sunny for an overcoat. Jacket and trousers by themselves leave the chest vulnerable, with only a thin layer of cotton shirting for temperature control. And I value a vest's pockets for carrying cigars, cutter and lighter when I plan to sit in the park and smoke.

It's important to note that there's no requirement that your vest, on the days that you wear one, matches the rest of your suit. Cream, buff, and dove gray linen odd vests don't stand out from their accompanying worsted. They add a discreet layer of interest to an otherwise ordinary charcoal or navy suit. I like mine with lapels, like the fellow in the drawing to the left.

In a time when ready to wear suit makers are selling summer weight fabrics all year round because they're less expensive, it's time to strike a blow for elegance and the environment. Bring back the vest!

Essential Odd Trousers

An odd trouser wardrobe should be a mixed lot of fabrics and weights that suits every season. Depending on how often you wear them, you'll need at least five, and more likely ten, pair for warm days and the same for cooler weather.

I've divided the essentials into casual and dress trousers with the idea being that casuals can take a little dirt. You might wear them with a jacket but they'll be paired with a sweater or a polo more often than not.

Casual Trousers
-Khaki cotton drill. Gentleman's jeans for weekend wear. Olive is another classic color.
-Cotton moleskin. Soft and warm trousers for the cold.
-Cords. In moss and mouse, for cool weather from Fall to Spring, with sweaters or odd jackets.
-Poplin. Spring casuals for golf and similar pursuits. Try a soft pink.

Dress Trousers
-Gray flannels. Every wardrobe needs at least two pair, in mid-gray and charcoal. Aficionados also like them in light gray for Spring (like the hatted fellow in the illustration) , and in weights from medium to heavy. As Alan Flusser wrote, "If you are considering a new sport jacket and are having difficulty visualizing it with a medium gray trouser, move on."
-Fawn and cream flannels. A change of pace from gray.
-Gabardines. Silky smooth trousers are ideal for much of the year in California and similar climates. Wear them in cream, brown and olive.
-Tan cavalry twill. With a navy odd jacket it's the English uniform.
-Linen. Linen breathes, so it's a good choice for hot weather. Get the heaviest linen you can find, because heavier fabric will drape better and rumple rather than wrinkle. Think in terms of half a dozen pair in cream, tan, brown and mustard.
-Light gray and tan fresco trousers. More summer wear. Fresco doesn't wrinkle like linen and it holds a crease. Wear them on unrumpled occasions with a tan or navy odd jacket.