The Elusive Knitted Blazer

I have so many ideas for stuff that could help me complete my wardrobe. Actually I think it's a never ending quest, but I keep getting ideas for things that would do really well in my wardrobe. Often it's based on things that are actually on offer, and that's when you start saving and planning, but sometimes it's a certain thing that you just can't find. In this case it's the knitted blazer. 

I have this idea of a knitted blazer that you can both dress up or wear really casually. In my mind it's made of virgin wool or a similar hard wearing wool that has been tightly knitted, but still loose enough to conform to the body. Furthermore it's a three button blazer with a slightly narrow lapel, patch pockets and it's vented. Lastly it's not made in the Far East.

It could look a bit like this blazer from Brooks Brothers. It ticks a lot of boxes, but I'm not going to put a lot of money into something that's made in China probably. It goes against my principles that I stick to.

Another very nice alternative that I came across is the infamous, Spanish Teba, which is a sort of knitted blazer/shirt which is quite used in Spain. The original is made by Bel y Cia, who probably weren't the inventors of the Teba, but they're probably the original maker, as they made the Teba, which was used for hunting, for the Count of Teba. Now this is made in Spain, which is great and the quality is definitely up there, however I'm not sure about the looks of the Teba and it's quite expensive, but again the quality is present without a doubt.

One could even consider buying a replica (most likely from Japan) of the Brown's Beach Jacket, but it's very, very casual, but very good looking. However Japanese replicas don't always go well, if you're tall and have long arms.

Lastly there's the jersey (rather heavy jersey) version of a sports coat, which is made in Canada by Wings + Horns. I've tried it on numerous times and even thought about buying it quite a bit, but there's something a bit off in terms of the length - I find it too short. But other than that the quality is very good and the fit is quite modern with slim sleeves and body, but you can compensate for that by sizing up for a more comfortable fit. If this version was made in a heavy wool I would definitely have pulled the trigger. But alas I'm still searching for the elusive knit blazer and if someone has seen a good one, do let me know where to look.

Fabric Knowledge - Ventile

colourswatch of available Ventile colours

I figured, that doing some small features on some very iconic fabrics, would help generate some knowledge and create an appreciation of good fabrics and well-made clothing.

The first fabric I would like to write about is Ventile.

The fabric Ventile was developed by Scientists at the Shirley Institute during the Second World War. But the idea was spawned in the 30's, when the British government feared, that there would be a shortage of flax, which was used for fire hoses among other things. So they decided to find a way to use cotton instead and that is how they invented Ventile.

Ventile is a hard wearing all cotton fabric, that is made of tightly woven long staple cotton fibres. Ventile is known to be both waterproof and windproof - and it's not on account of the breathability. The waterproofness is created because the cotton fibres expand when they become wet making no room for the water to penetrate. So Ventile is not waterproofed through a coating of some kind of wax, membrane or other coating, which is also why it never looses its waterproof abilities with wear.

Ventile is a favourite amongst hunters and naturalists because it is a very silent material. It produces no noise because it being all cotton. This is quite a contrast compared to synthetic and membrane fabrics like Gore-Tex, which can feel like walking around with Einstürzende Neubauten in the shape of a jacket. Besides the silent quality it is very tear-resistant and it doesn't catch fire easily. 

There are three grades of Ventile and they are intended for some rather specific uses. Ventile has generally been used in many situations throughout history. It has a long history in the military, on polar expeditions and it was used in the first successful climbs of both Annapurna and Everest. Unfortunately it is only made in one specific mill in the UK called Talbot Weaving, hence making the availability sparse and the price very high.

I have seen some beautiful jackets in Ventile from Beaver of Bolton (a lesser known brilliant English maker of country clothing),  clothes by Wings+Horns and Outlier, but I think some of the best have been made by Nigel Cabourn - the master of outerwear. This is of course mostly in a fashion context. I didn't include any actual military jackets, though I know the RAF smock is very appreciated.

Ventile and all kinds of goodness - Coyote fur trim,  goosedown filling, Riri zipper, and sheepskin lining

Harris Tweed with Ventile patches

In the Yuketen x Cabourn collaboration. Classic Yuketen Hunting boot (which are also deadly silent on concrete btw) with Ventile accents