Years ago, I had a really nice Harris Tweed jacket from J.Crew that I had to give up because it was just too small. Off the peg, I’m a 38R, but I bought a 36R thinking that it looked good in the store. If I wore nothing but a t-shirt under it, the fit was alright. But something more substantial like a slim fit turtleneck sweater made the thing uncomfortably tight.
Since then, I’d been quietly on the hunt for a new Harris Tweed, poking around online when the idea resurfaced. In terms of price, I was becoming frustrated with some nice options that were simply out of my budget. Then I started searching on eBay for a 38R Harris Tweed jacket, finding tons of them of various colors, tones, patterns, pocket configurations, buttons, etc., all very reasonably priced.
One of my favorite tweed jackets of all time was the herringbone tweed worn by Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor. It’s beautiful. Imagine my happy surprise when I found one on eBay with a similar look (and in a 38R). The photos from the seller were very detailed and the condition looked good. I also appreciated the lapel width, since one of my pet peeves is the slim, anemic, little boy lapels on modern cut jackets. The width of the lapels on this were a healthy 3.5 inches. Nice.
The jacket would surely need tailoring, but with a price tag of $79, even $150 worth of tailoring would make this jacket well worth it. So I bought it.
The jacket arrived within a week. In terms of its condition, it was everything the seller promised. Very gently worn. The jacket had very light shoulder padding and was half-lined in the back with a full but uncanvased lining in the front. And my suspicion that the jacket would need extensive tailoring was correct. It was huge. A smarter version of me would have taken “before” pictures, because it was cut like a shapeless barrel with sleeves. The important thing was the fit in the shoulders and the overall length of the jacket. The shoulders were perfect, and the length just covered my ass as it should.
When I put the jacket on for my tailor, he knew exactly where to start pinning. I didn’t even need to ask. The only question that came up was about the single vent in the back. He suggested sewing it up to make it ventless, but I really wanted to keep it. Since the jacket was originally made barely lined, the work would be trickier (you can’t hide anything). Keeping the vent would cost more, but I didn’t care. The total for the tailoring was going to be $150, which I thought was quite fair.
Four weeks later, the jacket was ready for a fitting. When I put it on, it looked and felt exactly how my tailor pinned it. It was terrific. Taking the “barrel with sleeves” I bought and turning it into this beautifully tailored jacket was a sign of exquisite craft. The only hitch was something he didn’t like about the vent in the back, so he asked if he could keep it for a few more days to make a minor tweak. No problem. I wasn’t in a hurry.
A few days later, I went back in to try it on again. Whatever he did to the vent, it looked great. This was money well spent, and I was very happy.
The jacket’s next stop was the dry cleaners for a good scrub. Three days later, I became the very happy owner of a beautifully tailored old/new Harris Tweed jacket I’d been wanting for a long time.
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17 Comments
And they tend to wear like iron anyway George, so a sound investment. I have several and can’t wear them out. Glad you found a stout and experienced local tailor – like good cobblers, they are becoming a rare breed.
Thanks for sharing this experience with your tweed jacket. I think it and you look great in it. Is there a tailor here in NYC you can recommend? I have an old double faced cashmere car coat that needs a little lining love.
Thank you! In NYC, go to Ignacio’s. 119 E. 60th. 2nd Floor (cash only).
Thank you George!!
Nice jacket! Mark and Anastasia are simply the best I’ve found in Cleveland and the new location is so much more reflective of Mark’s personality compared to the previous, somewhat cramped, shop in Tower City Center. He did the same for an unlined wool blazer I had that was shapeless and, as such, I was considering donating. Being unlined and a delicate fabric, it required quite of bit of hand stitching which ended up costing a little more, but Mark’s work was impeccable. Suppressing the waist, slimming the sleeves and redoing the vents resulted in a jacket I hardly recognized and now adore. As a matter of fact, I’m wearing it as I type this!
Fantastic!! Thanks for reading and commenting! G
Well done, George! Makes me re-think those blazers I love but that just hang in my closet for a myriad of fit issues…
Get thee to a tailor!
Generally, George, I like the vent sewed up in the back. But, perhaps with tweed, that is not needed as much as wool. You also don’t need a vent sewed up due to a trim backside.
Love it.
Great post! And I agree that lengthening the sleeves a bit will make it look even better. It looks terrific on you.
The Redford jacket was Polo with double vents!
George, nice blog. I stumbled across it somehow while searching for Harris Tweed stuff. Very well done. I’m a big eBay purchaser an utilize a tailor for those buys as well. What brand jacket did you get? Looks great.
Thanks, Tom. Not really a brand name in the jacket, actually.
Great write-up! Timeless will always be timeless! Nice to see someone who appreciates classic style! Looks sharp on you, good Sir! (And Three Days of the Condor is still an awesome movie, 40 years on.)
Thank you!!
Thanks for the article! My husband has an old Harris Tweed jacket and I hate it and now know why: the fit. Plus he wears it unbuttoned, flapping like a hospital gown. I was an inch away from listing on eBay but now calling the tailor!! Win win.