Last Chance To Place Orders For The Ivy Style Trad Jacket Project

Last weekend I met G. Bruce Boyer at a menswear event and eagerly asked him what he thought of my new sportcoat. He stroked the fabric, examined the fit, and concluded that it looked great. “Very Princeton 1958,” he said. I can think of no better unofficial endorsement of Ivy Style’s first collaboration than praise from Mr. Boyer. Here’s how it all came about.

Earlier this year the London-based clothier Kent Wang approached Ivy Style about doing a project catering to the trad community. Well it has finally come to reality in the form of a tweed sportcoat that goes on sale today with a deadline of midnight, 11/21, to get your order in.

Every guy has different priorities and some are happy in a $10 tweed from the thrift store. What we’ve put together here is a jacket that hits a lot of Ivy checkboxes and is very good quality for a fair price. How fair? Just $495 for off-the-rack, and a mere $120 more — or $615 — for made to measure (which is what mine was):

The jacket is made in China from an 11-ounce rust-brown herringbone tweed from the Abraham Moon mill, weavers since 1837. In addition, the jacket features:

3/2 button stance
Undarted chest
Flapped patch hip pockets
Full canvas lining using a lightweight canvas material, sewn not fused
Soft shoulder
Single rear vent
Horn buttons
Viscose rayon lining

We wanted the lining to feel special, so we gave a nod to the go-to-hell linings that Chipp was famous for during the heyday, and chose this blue paisley:

The lapel rolls quite nicely:

Here’s the fit across the back of the neck and shoulders:

There’s only a tiny amount of lining in the shoulder and no shoulder head:

The sleeves come unfinished, so you can have your local tailor make them just the right length, and, for a bit more, have functional buttonholes made. The jacket will come with four buttons per cuff, but I opted for two buttons spaced apart, which was popular during the heyday.

Once again, you have until next Monday to get your order in. Orders are being handled by Aaron, Kent’s New York-based agent who grew up a Midwestern ’80s prep and who, as a vintage clothing dealer, has sold many Ivy jackets. The jacket requires a mere $50 deposit, with $445 due at time of delivery. Delivery by Christmas is possible if you get your order in immediately. Otherwise expect about six weeks.

For off-the-rack, the jacket is available in the following regular sizes:

As for MTM, you can book an appointment with Aaron in Kent Wang’s New York office. “For MTM outside New York,” Aaron says, “a trial jacket will be sent to you and photos of you wearing it will be evaluated. We can accommodate a very wide range of shapes and lengths in the 34-46 size range. Many other lapel widths, shoulder styles, pocket shapes, linings and even tweed fabrics are available.”

To place your order, send an email to mtm@kentwang.com with the subject heading “Trad Jacket.” Indicate your desired size or inquire about made-to-measure. You will then be invoiced for the deposit.

That should just about cover it. For general questions, Aaron will do his best to answer them in the comment section. For specific ones, it is best to email him at the address above.

To start giving you ideas on how the jacket can fit in your wardrobe, here I am with Bruce wearing charcoal trousers and brown tassel loafers, a pinned blue straight-collar shirt from Brooks Brothers, navy paisley pocket square from Ralph Lauren, and a chocolate brown grenadine tie from Paul Winston/Chipp 2. In the other photos, I’m wearing a Brooks buttondown and Lands’ End knit tie.

Thanks again to Kent for not only approaching Ivy Style but for actually making it happen. I think the jacket will be a great option for many of you. — CHRISTIAN CHENSVOLD

Top photos by Yoshio Itagaki.