By: Daniele Delerme Flores
There is something to be said for Savile Row tailors and Heritage brands. The “Row” has long been a by-word for timeless style, impeccable taste and, of course, tailoring par excellence. Simply put, Savile Row’s heritage encapsulates all of these things to the well-dressed man, cads and caballerosincluded. Heritage brands, generally speaking, endeavor to provide that same imprimatur, that guarantee of quality coupled with good taste and backed by decades or even centuries of experience outfitting a select clientele.
So when Savile Row tailors and (dare we say) les enfants terribles Cad & The Dandy and Mackintosh, those venerable Scottish purveyors of iconic outerwear, decided to collaborate on bespoke waterproof garments, the team here at No Chaser was intrigued, to put it mildly. Armed with an invitation to see the results in person and learn more about the bespoke process, Guerre and I were welcomed by Chuck Pollard inside the warm and inviting confines of the company’s midtown Manhattan penthouse.
Having acquired a few examples of earlier Mackintosh ready-to-wear collaborations with Polo Ralph Lauren and J. Crew, the design influence on the details of those previous iterations is clear. But, interestingly enough, it’s precisely those details that offer some intriguing insights into what makes the C&TD bespoke collaboration with Mackintosh so exciting. The Polo version (which I wore that day due to the constant threat of rain from an increasingly grey sky ) features oversized front pockets with a ticket pocket to match and shallow double-vents that were cut along the side seams of the coat, reminiscent of the side-seam vents on a shirt from Charvet. Raglan shoulders and a throat latch complete a design that fits neatly into the RL lexicon. The J. Crew version is equally at home in that brand’s milieu, with its casual, slanted front pockets and three button closure. A bright orange rubberized lining provides a touch of color that contrasts perfectly with the khaki cotton outer shell. Both coats are wonderful examples from Mackintosh, but where they are clearly lacking (aside from a certain panache) is in the fit, which is to say that these coats look like “classic” raincoats – slightly roomy to allow for layers such as a Shetland sweater or a suit jacket, with sleeves that lean slightly toward being a touch on the long side.
Cad & The Dandy’s bespoke collaboration, then, seems ideally positioned to address the primary issues of fit and style by applying their unique sensibilities and attention to detail in order to provide the customer with a truly “one of a kind” tailoring experience. Working closely with the customer, the bespoke process will allow for a variety of options to choose from, from a range of models, to classic and archival fabric options, to details and trims that allow for the creation of a unique bespoke garment with a tailored, bespoke fit to match.
Tired of that “raincoat” khaki color? Try the bonded cottons in navy, black, or olive. If that’s just a touch tooconservative for you, liven things up with your choice of color for the liner tape. If the solid cotton exterior options don’t tickle your sartorial fancy, then dive headlong into the myriad fabric options available from the Mackintosh archives. Guerre and I saw enough Blackwatch tartans and Prince of Wales checks to satisfy the most adventurous (cad and) dandy. If the avalanche of available options is just too much to wrap one’s head around, No Chaser wholeheartedly recommends the model that Mr. Pollard unveiled for us, featuring a Prince of Wales check archival cotton in a mid-grey with hood, a single-breasted front with silver snap-button closures and slanted front pockets.
An heirloom piece if ever there was one.
