A Double (Breasted) Shot of Sunshine, Please

Boy has it been grey and dreary around here these past few day. That hasn't stopped me from changing  over the closet though. As I look forward to the full blast warmer months, I picked up this new find at the cleaners today:

Lately, uncharacteristically, I'm really digging on the idea of the "just right" double breasted jacket. This one here is the perfect conglomerate, taking elements I don't usually care for and combining them with those I do...kinda seamlessly.  The trouble I often have with double breasted jackets is the built up shoulder, but this piece has natural shoulders, even if it is darted.

Swelled edges, a very Traditional touch, yet the lapels are fairly wide. That's all well and good, if you ask me. Narrow lapels on a double breasted jacket are an aberration, anyway, the proportions never seem to work. All those buttons require a bit more heft up top for balance. The cloth is likely a cotton/linen/synthetic blend, tres 1960s, with little flecks of white to play up the "linen"ness of it. Of course, wrinkles would play that up even better, but I'll give this one a pass for quality of construction, cut and a perfect shade of khaki.

The two button cuff, so quintessential on our beloved 3/2 undarted jacket is a pinch unexpected here, but I'll take it. It's even got a center vent, and being from the 1960s, is cut a hair on the shorter side, which surprisingly gives it a fresher, more modern feel.

A "Madisonaire" by Varsity Town...sounds pretty fancy.I'm supposing that the "Madisonaire" label and the double breasted cut would suggest that this coat was meant for the city, a bit more urbane, as opposed to something like a tweed sack, which would be strictly campus casual. I couldn't find much on the Varsity Town brand, shy of this old ad, but they do seem like my kind of manufacturer. The Ivy League nuts must love that label. Incidentally, with "Ivy" clothes being something of a rage right now, I think someone should release a line called "College", and sell nothing but blazers and striped ties. There's a gold mine there. The kids love that stuff.

This jacket will be the kill with tropical worsted flat fronts in charcoal grey, white shirt,maybe even with (gasp!) a button down collar, black knit tie and brown suede shoes, light colored socks and a straw hat for good measure. Mark my words, kinda like this guy:

photo: the Sartorialist

True, this guy is in Milan, an his jacket more than likely does not consist of partly synthetic cloth, and that open patch ticket pocket is hard to beat, and his jacket probably cost more than most of my clothes combined,(mine was $4.99) but the concept is largely the same. (Minus a few points for the old watch-over-shirt-cuff-trick. I thought that was silly, even on the great Agnelli. Leave it to the Italians to always be at least one step overdone, myself included)

I think it's about time for a well cut double breasted jacket to make an occasional comeback. Like forward pleats, the fashion industry has been vilifying them for long enough now that they're bound to start speaking the opposite anytime now. I might be ahead of the pack with this one, not that I tend to care much for the pack and what they think. My fear is that creased jeans are the next big thing too, maybe this Fall. I won't be jumping on that one, even if I did call it.

In any case, think about giving a double breasted jacket a try. One or two in the closet is just enough to provide a shot of interest that ups your whole wardrobe.