The close but no cigar corduory sportcoat

American Rag Corduroy Elbow Patch Blazer – $67.58 w/ SAVEMORE ($79.50)

If Macy’s Men’s brands were a family, here’s how the rear window sticker in their mini van would shake down:

That’s hugely generalizing, but you get the idea.  Most of us have the best luck with the slimmed down Alfani RED, and INC as long as it doesn’t get too flashy.  Tasso Elba leans more traditional but they’ve skewed younger here and there.  American Rag is the youngest and orneriest of the bunch.

So when American Rag debuted a new corduroy elbow-patch blazer, it was both a bit of a surprise and worth a field trip to check it out.

First the good news.  It’s real slim off the rack.  Most would be able to wear it without extra tailoring.  It’s as slim as last year’s INC cord blazer (note to Macy’s:  Bring it back please.)  The wale isn’t super thick or pincord thin.  It’s a corduroy blazer for sure, but not your dad’s massively thick one from his college years.  It only has one button, but, you don’t really notice since it’s all black on black, and the stance is not too high or too low.

Now the bad news, in visual form:
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Instead of going with a more traditional suede or suede like patch, the designers slapped some thin black pleather patches on the elbows.  And they just don’t look quite right.  They do bounce some light so in bright sun they’ll stand out awkwardly on the jacket.  After a bit you start to get used to them.  Kinda.  A little.  Maybe.

Automatic deal breaker?  Or something that’s not that big of a deal to you?  Leave your take in the comments below.

One thing’s for sure, the new J. Crew cord sportcoat is lightyears ahead of this thing.  Costs twice as much though. 
Top Pic: Shirt by Just a Cheap Shirt and found on Jack Threads, Watch by Seiko, belt by GAP, jeans by Levis