J. Crew Patchwork Plaid Ludlow Fit Sportcoat – $249.99 ($298)
First of all, no surprise this has hit the sale section with all sizes left. And if Vegas were to put odds on this thing, I’m guessing there will still be mediums and or larges left by the time it dips to the low $140s, with an extra 30% off code looming to knock it under $100.
.
It’s just a darker version of the common patchwork madras blazers that we’ve all seen. And if you’re a sport coat / blazer addict who’s looking for something seriously dressed down, it ain’t gonna get much more dressed down than this. Might be one of the few sportcoats out there that would actually look best with a t-shirt underneath. Forget pairing it with a well pressed dress shirt. This thing can only be worn with tees, polos, and unironed poplin, chambray, or oxford cloth.
All right, time for this Devil’s Advocate to shut up. And again, you have to think the price is going to continue to fall. A lot. So would you wear it? Or is it just too much of an oddball? Leave your take below…
I’m surprised to say this myself, but yes.
Madras is a great fabric that I’ve always wanted to incorporate into my wardrobe for the summer but the fact it’s almost always iterated in the form of very loud pattern has kept me away. I prize subtlety. The ability to communicate a message, idea or outlook without direct exposition is a complex one and one to be valued. I try hard to incorporate that into my clothing. Details shouldn’t stand out. They should be sufficiently blended in that they are unnoticeable to the untrained eye but clearly visible to the experienced one so that they may be met with nods of approval by those in the know. It’s a notion that most of #menswear sadly disagrees with, but that discussion is for some other time.
Back to the jacket, this is a subtle madras. It embraces the whimsy and comfort of the fabric without being too loud. From a distance it will appear to be a standard navy jacket if slightly odd, a little closer and it becomes obvious that there’s some kind of pattern, and finally in a comfortable and personable proximity its patchwork attributes are revealed. Paired with a white or maybe even mint oxford cloth button down and khaki chinos with a penny loafer, this could become a very nice summer look.
At 250 dollars however, I’ll wait. I wear a JCrew large and those seem to make it quite often to the 30% off sales.
yes please, but not at that price.
You took the words right out of my mouth. Agree, Carlos, 100%
Sure, it looks good, it’s got nice… WAIT what? 250$?! Thanks but no thanks. I can get blazers like that for half the price…
only with bright blue pants
It looks kind of like a bathrobe that shrunk hardcore in the dryer.
Wouldn’t pay $250 for it… but if I snagged it on the cheap, for sure. It’d be a fun beater jacket.
Over jeans and a white oxford.
Or w/ nice shorts to the beach.
move the decimal point to the left one space.
That stripe of fabric that doesn’t match the pattern on the rest of the jacket on the back kills it for me.
I was going to send this question into Joe at some point soon, but might as well ask it here.
Does each season have a go-to or standard kind of sportcoat? Seersucker or something very similar makes sense for the summer. I picked one up at the beginning of the summer and now I’m starting to think about the fact that I’m going to have to take it out of rotation next month.
If I’m on the lookout for a classicly autumn blazer, what would that be?
Wear it? Yes. Buy it? Mneh.
Classic autumn blazer = tweed herringbone. Or any kind of tweed, really. Think professorial. Or English hunter. Corduroy is also a nice fabric for fall/winter. Leather/suede elbow patches, throat tab, and patch pockets are all optional details that will make the jacket more sporty and less dressy.
Probably not. I hate plaid anything. Don’t own plaid anything.
I’ll also say that, as far as darkening summer staples goes, I’d probably pick a navy blue seersucker jacket over this.
It looks like it was taken from a hobo and given a cleaning. Pass.
Love it. Blazers that casual seem to be really hard to come by. Too bad it won’t make it to reduced sale in a small.
Agreed, Josh!
That looks terrible. The guy even looks unhappy with it.
you’d pay $2500 for this?!
Nope
Wear it yes. Buy it? Thrift store.
math is hard.
I agree with the bathrobe sentiment. Seems too soft, too weird. Not for me
It is a little too frumpy for me. Either that or the guy wearing it doesn’t have a proper size.
Directions are harder.
I would wear it as part of a Halloween costume, provided I was going as said hobo.
I would except for the wierd stitching