Jens wrote a piece about Navy Jackets for the online publication Ragazzo Magazine a couple of months back.
“There’s three things in this world that you need: Respect for all kinds of life, a nice bowel movement on a regular basis, and a navy blazer.” - The Fisher King (1991)
Before I tell you what to keep in mind when deciding on attire, and before I start recommending pieces of well tailored clothing, I’ll introduce myself shortly. My name is Jens Beck and I’m 24-years old. I’ve worked with ready-to-wear, made-to-measure and bespoke menswear for the bigger part of my adult life and I have long had an interest in both classical and contemporary dressing.I’m going to start my first contribution to Ragazzo by writing about what should be the corner stone of every man’s wardrobe, the navy jacket. It’s without doubt one of the most important pieces of the modern man’s uniform, and it works in almost every imaginable situation. It’s made in an endless variety of styles and it’s continuously featured in countless designer collections and magazines from year to year.
Okay so how to wear this essential jacket? A basic navy jacket, your first odd jacket, should be something that you wear the heck out of. A jacket that you could wear on any given occasion. A jacket to be worn with a vintage t-shirt and ripped denim. A jacket to be worn with grey flannels, a white shirt and a grenadine tie. In other words, a jacket you can wear with absolutely anything. It should also be a jacket filled with memories, a jacket you shed a tear for when it rips. A jacket you patch up until it disintegrates in front of you.
For a navy jacket that is worn during the summer months or in a warm climate I’d recommend going for an unlined one, preferably made in fresco or tropical wool. Fresco fabric is made of multiple yarns with a high twist, which results in a fabric with quite an open weave. Due to the open weave, which let’s air pass through very well, it makes for an ideal summer fabric.
The construction of the jacket should be very soft and a soft or unconstructed shoulder paired with an unlined inside to keep it light.Regarding the jackets details I’d choose patch pockets and a welted breast pocket. I’ve always felt that jackets with three patch pockets belong on jackets worn at sporting grounds. For the button aspect of the jacket a 3/2 roll buttoning feels very contemporary, as does a 3 or 1 button sleeve. All of the above mentioned details make this jacket very casual, which is something I think a young guy has more use for.And in fact, if you just change the fabric to a navy flannel, tweed or a heavy worsted wool, you’ll have the perfect winter odd jacket.