In Review: The H&M David Beckham Linen Coat

H&M Modern Essentials selected by David Beckham Linen Coat – $69.95

As Mrs. Beckham once so eloquently asked in a song bound to go down in the annals of lyrical greatness:

“Yoooooooooooooo tell me what you want, what you really really want”

– Victoria Beckham, et al.

A lot of us want, really really want, brands to stop making otherwise awesome looking pieces of clothing in breathable, lightweight fabrics, and then lining them with cheap, not-really-breathable-at-all polyester. Lining a linen, lightweight cotton, or tropical wool jacket with stuffy polyester (or much of any lining at all) comes close to completely defeating the purpose of buying a jacket made of those summery materials.

Sure, it can be more expensive/more difficult to make jackets without a lining, since you can’t hide the usually messy interior sewing, but when UNIQLO, J. Crew Factory, GAP and Target can do it… it can’t be that tough, can it?

The interior. All polyester lining, all everywhere.

Yet this otherwise, super-affordable, clean and minimal jacket… has a slightly papery-feeling polyester full lining.

It doesn’t even feel like a decent poly lining found in some suits or blazers (i.e. Banana Republic). And it’s certainly not like the more breathable acetate or Bemberg linings either. It’s a tiny bit rough in your hands. And it doesn’t feel all that extremely well anchored to the interior of the body.

Size Shown: 40R on 5’10” / 185
Notice the crotch beacon if you leave the bottom button unbuttoned.

The coat is still lightweight, overall, and should do fine in the warm to cool months. The linen has some nice texture to it, and the black shade in what is normally a pale fabric was a well played, unexpected design detail. The covered placket adds to the sleekness, but the bright silver snaps are a little distracting when left open. Especially in the groin region if you’re leaving the last button unbuttoned, which most of us do for ease of movement (kinda like leaving the bottom button of a suit jacket unbuttoned). Those snaps/buttons don’t seem all that well attached either. There are loose threads all over the interior of this thing, many of which sprout up from the four points which attach each button. Sure, it’s just a $70 jacket, but there are some concerns here.

Snaps don’t seem all that well anchored. Lots of loose threads inside.

There doesn’t seem to be much shape through the middle on this one, so don’t expect any darting in like was seen in the ads (unless you walk around grabbing your rib cage like Mr. Beckham). Meanwhile, the sleeves get real tapered, real quick towards the wrist.

The hopes were that this could have been a warmer-weather night-out option for those of us who really like our topcoats in the fall and winter. An unlined, linen, mid-thigh jacket could have been just breezy enough to throw over a polo and chinos in May. Or maybe wear over a suit when headed out to an evening wedding in early September, & the forecast calls for rain.

Does it look pretty good? For $70, yeah. Will it hold up? Maybe. Is it going to be comfortable with that lining? Maybe, maybe not.

It’s not Mel B. or Ginger. This thing is more like Sporty Spice. Part of an overall, big splash collection, that on its own will eventually get lost in the background.