Budget-Conscious Lands’ End Patch-Pocket Herringbone

If you’re a trad on a budget and want some “Take Ivy” jacket details but can’t afford RL/Rugby prices, take a look at these two jackets by Lands’ End with a student/professor vibe and cheap tuition.

Above is a herringbone sportcoat that was on sale last week for about $165 (it’s currently back up to $199). Although it’s two button and darted, rather than the purer three button and undarted, you get patch pockets and a completely unpadded shoulder.

Being a sucker for patch pockets and a herringbone collector, I gave the jacket a try but was forced to reject it. Despite how the jacket looks in the photo, the lapels are a standard 3.5 inches — too wide for me and my number-one dealbreaker — and the patch breast pocket annoyed me more than I thought it would.

But to each his own, and I wanted to alert those of you looking for traditional styling on the cheap. I can vouch that the shoulder has no padding, though I don’t think this jacket is tailored enough to deserve the term “natural shoulder,” which is why I said “unpadded.”

The same cut is also available in corduroy and comes in the colors “French walnut” and “green fig,” clearly indicating that a woman is writing your menswear product descriptions. — CC