Fox Brothers Classic Flannel

Only second to brown flannel, a green flannel suit has been one of my grail “items” for winter and since I sold my previous green flannel suit an empty spot in the wardrobe sorely missed. Now it has finally been replaced and here are the details.

Cloth Look

It’s difficult not to approach this by starting with the suit it replaced. The previous suit had a green flannel from VBC that was fairly light, just around 300g if I remember correctly, and a fair amount of colour nuance.

Admittedly, I initially was looking to go with the same fabric, but the updated version was not quite the same. The most important factor for me was the particular shade of green: a more formal looking deep green.

When looking at the swatch it was really difficult to assess as it seemed to have some blueness to it, which wouldn’t have necessarily been negative, and it might still be the case that it does.

But, after wearing it for a while and doing a couple of photo sessions it seems I really hit the right hue on this one!

But, still, the first thing I noticed with this fabric is how substantial it feels. Of course, given that it was made into a double breasted jacket the overall weight will feel heavier in comparison, but I think even more so than the actual weight would suggest.

This is something to bear in mind when making these choices because longevity is a major factor, especially with flannels. I’ve generally touted VBC as a great budget friendly option for flannels, which it is.

But, there is no getting around the fact that flannels tends to wear out (and stretch) more easily. In other words, how often you wear the suit should be a big factor in deciding flannels, especially for trousers, which wears out more easily.

Needless to say, this fabric really keeps you warm, not at the Heritage Flannel level, but more than sufficiently. It also drapes incredibly well for flannels.

As much as I like the easy tailoring approach, a cloth with such substance is to be preferred during colder months and with the Neapolitan inspired tailoring from Ring Jacket I get the best of both worlds.

Which makes for a great segue to the tailoring part, which this time around is a completely new endeavour.

Which is also why I prefer patch pockets… This is always a difficult decision, not because of preferences; I’ll go with patch pockets any time. But because of rules regarding formality.

I’ve come to terms with what I prefer and what my style is and I’d rather wear what I want and take the heat if the patch pockets seem too informal for the event.

That said, given the colour of the fabric and a certain perceived formality when it comes to double breasted jackets, I still think it balances the line between casual and formal quite nicely. It’s not like it will be serving as a black tie attire either way.

One small, but significant addition this time is that I had them make small inner pockets that’s attached to the pocket lining of the patch pockets (on the jacket side). I made the same choice for the burgundy linen jacket, but for this one managed to get the sizing better: one card sized and one iPhone sized.

The second detail to mention here is my insistence on continuing with double stitching along the lapel and pockets.

As mentioned a long time ago, although this is not a rarely seen detail by any means, for me and my wardrobe it gives a sense of continuity, something to frame my style. Seeing that I make long jumps from tonal and sombre, to bold ties and accessories, it helps tying my style together and look more cohesive.

Trousers

An exciting and anticipated part of this commission was that it marked my first attempt at commissioning jacket and trousers from separate tailors and my first experience with Igarashi Trousers.

I’ve gone into details regarding the bespoke commission here, if you’ve missed it.

They are a more refined version of the Gurkha style trousers I’ve worn for years now. No coin pocket, straight side-adjusters, but double pleated and that tall waistband.

What I was looking to achieve here was cleaner lines within the frame of style that Gurkha trousers provide. I didn’t want to stray away too much style wise, since, as mentioned, this is already a style of trousers I am wearing and I want that cohesion.

But omitting the coin pocket helps the front part look more refined, more formal leaning, without taking away the gurkha feel, thus paving the way for a slight new direction while keeping a red thread throughout my wardrobe.

So, although most thoughts regarding Igarashi bespoke is being conveyed in my article about Igarashi Trousers, I have to reiterate how astonished I am by the silhouette they achieved. Perfectly full cut on the upper part while keeping the look tapered, not to mention how it drapes.

Conclusion

I’ve reached a 10/10 verdict so many times, it has kind of lost its worth, but this really was a new high.

Fox Brothers is already a favourite, but even more so, I think I’ve found my new favourite “standard” flannel bunch.

As far as Ring Jacket goes, there aren’t really any surprise there either. Perfection.

I don’t see myself going anywhere else anytime soon (read: never) when buying or commissioning jackets. Between the 3-4 different cuts and styles we work with I’ve found exactly what I want.

As far as the trouser part goes; style and the opportunity to try bespoke trousers were the two reasons for the separate commission this time around. Nothing in terms of tailoring and quality on Ring Jackets behalf. And the jacket they made and everything made till now should be a testament to their impeccable tailoring and quality.

That said, the newcomer, Igarashi Trousers, really lived up to their reputation. The expertise, skill and quality level really is something else.

They are a bespoke trouser maker, so expectations were and should be high, but even so they managed to blow my mind.

So, the most important part: the suit. How did merging a jacket and trousers from two different makers turn out?

I feel like I’ve finally managed to achieve the perfect representation of what I want from a suit in terms of style, quality of tailoring and fabric.

It’s been such a long journey coming to this point where these align and although I would’ve wished to get there sooner, the wait was worth it given the results.