Die, Workwear! - Derek and Peter AMA - Vol 3

Derek Guy and Peter Zottolo return for the third installment of their quarterly AMA series, generously sponsored by our friends at Bezel.

This time, they go deep on fabric: navy sport coats, green double-breasted suits, the five tweeds they would choose from scratch, and the right cloth for a balmacaan. They also revisit bespoke mistakes, the tailors still on their wish lists, shoes for serious walking, the difference between personal style and costume, and what actually reads from across the room.

Plus: date-night clothes without tailoring, keeping pet hair off your wardrobe, finding occasions to wear the clothes you already own, the appeal of authentic workwear, their favorite versions of menswear staples, and why the person you imagine in the mirror may not be the person everyone else sees. They close by designing the elusive middle-ground jacket—dressier than a chore coat, easier than a sport coat, and made for the romantic life of a writer.

*

Sponsored by Bezel - the trusted marketplace for buying, selling, or insuring your next luxury watch 

**

Fabric Recommendations

Navy Sport Coat

Derek’s Picks:

• Holland & Sherry Mesh & Hopsack Blazers
• Huddersfield or Smiths Mock Leno
• Harrison Spring Ram stitched hopsack
• Holland & Sherry cashmere doeskin
• Hainsworth doeskin
• Fox serge

Peter’s Picks:

• Hopsack or similar Spring Ram 16oz for fall/winter or Finmeresco 12oz for summer, I have experience with Moorhouse and while it’s much softer it’s too prone to fraying
• Green double-breasted suit in the South

Derek’s Picks:

• Harrisons Spring Ram
• Huddersfield Fine Worsted Super Gaberdine

Peter’s Picks:

• Spring Ram 12oz if you can stand it, or Isca 8oz if you can’t.  Bear in mind that Isca is 55/45 linen/wool so it won’t be as crisp as Spring Ram.  If you want a stiffer suit try Cape Kid 60/40 wool-mohair 

Five Tweeds

Derek’s Picks

• Brown Molloy & Sons Donegal (or Holland & Sherry for something softer)
• Gray glen check Fox tweed
• Something brown from W. Bill like a basic glen check or gun club
• Lovat Kirkton 523
• Lovat Kirkton 502

Peter’s Picks:

For sportcoats, I prefer softer tweeds (Shetland, lambswool, even hairy faux tweeds such as Moonbeam or Sherry Tweed) as opposed to stiff & scratchy (Harris, gamekeeper, Hartwist, Thornproof).  

• Porter & Harding Glenroyal True POW
• Brown, Dark Brown, Green & Tan Dogtooth
• Brown with green & red check
• W Bill Grey shetland herringbone
• Holland & Sherry Sherry Tweed either Brown w/hazelnut/blue check or Brown w/chestnut/blue mock glen check

Balmacaan to wear with jeans

Derek’s Picks:

• <a href="https://www.harrisons1863.com/brand-portfolio/collection/wbill-classic-coatings/" rel="noopener nor