Down the street from where my wife gets her hair cut is a men's goods and vintage clothing store. Whenever I'm in the area, I always make a point of stopping in, because they usually have something interesting. So, while she was in the chair, I was browsing the racks. I was primarily looking for a reasonable wool blazer in olive or brown to replace a really cheap off-the-rack jacket I bought last-minute when I was caught without one. The new stock they had was OK, but cut/made in China and not the right proportions for me at all.
So, off of the "vintage" rack, I pulled a medium/light-weight three-button, side-vent sportscoat in a subtle brown windowpane plaid (goes great under a camel polo coat, BTW). No size, and the inside label indicates a custom tailoring job. Oh well... worth a try. Well, damned if whoever had this jacket made for them wasn't almost my body double. Shoulder seams just right, no tightness in the yoke, contact-fit in the body without stretching, great structure, sleeves hit just right at the wrist, jacket lies great on the hip. Unbelievable!
But, it gets better. Did some judicious Googling in-store on the information on the label, then whipped out the wallet.
You see, I just grabbed a Tom James Royal Classic custom-cut jacket that just happened to be made for someone my size. That, if I were to call them up today, I could expect to pay $1100+ to have made. And I just got it for... $60.
Sometimes, getting talked into chauffeuring the missus to her hair appointment pays off.
So, off of the "vintage" rack, I pulled a medium/light-weight three-button, side-vent sportscoat in a subtle brown windowpane plaid (goes great under a camel polo coat, BTW). No size, and the inside label indicates a custom tailoring job. Oh well... worth a try. Well, damned if whoever had this jacket made for them wasn't almost my body double. Shoulder seams just right, no tightness in the yoke, contact-fit in the body without stretching, great structure, sleeves hit just right at the wrist, jacket lies great on the hip. Unbelievable!
But, it gets better. Did some judicious Googling in-store on the information on the label, then whipped out the wallet.
You see, I just grabbed a Tom James Royal Classic custom-cut jacket that just happened to be made for someone my size. That, if I were to call them up today, I could expect to pay $1100+ to have made. And I just got it for... $60.
Sometimes, getting talked into chauffeuring the missus to her hair appointment pays off.
