23rd May 2021

The Boating Stripe

Spring Summer 2021

We owe the iconic vertical stripe of the sporting blazer to the rowers of Oxbridge. At the dawn of the 19th Century, when rowing was still a leisurely pursuit rather than competitive sport, college clubs wore eye catching colours for their ‘boating coats” both to keep the oarsmen warm in the early morning chilly air on the rivers Cam & Isis, and to instil a unique pride and difference from the myriad other teams from the many colleges and houses.

In 1852 these jackets got their moniker of “Blazers” from the bright red livery of the Lady Margaret Boat Club of St John’s College Cambridge, and an indelible link between striped jackets and sporting pursuits was cemented in the English language. From Wimbledon to Henley, from Lord’s to Twickenham, gentlemens’ jackets still embrace this wonderfully British, slightly eccentric tradition.

For our SS21 “Hidden Treasures” ready to wear collection, we have employed a subtle, harmonious, yet playful stripe for our Work Jacket and Single Pleat Trouser as an ode to the leisurely pastimes of a bygone age. The fabric is a 100% linen, from the Italian maestros Solbiati, featuring a indigo navy base coupled with sage, ivory and light brown woven accenting.

Definitely worth a punt online now.