Introducing: The Court Jacket

October 23, 2024BruceDayne

Introducing: The Court Jacket

Wednesday, October 23^rd 2024Tags:

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For the new collaboration this Autumn, I wanted to design something that would suit the PS audience but be sportier - for taking the kids to the park at the weekend, rather than to town during the week.

The inspiration came when I found an old nylon popover - bright red, emblazoned with ‘Coach Pete’ and a local basketball team - in a local vintage shop. The shape and style were great, but it was obviously a cheap piece and let down by the materials.

So we reimagined it in better, more classic fabrics and added a load of functional details.

The outer shell is Ventile, the British-military cotton material that’s highly water-resistant and much nicer than synthetics in feel (softer) and sound (no rustling). We then taped the seams on the inside too.

Functionally we added a full zip in one side seam, a hidden key pocket in the other side, an articulated hood with a flip-back peak, and a mobile-phone holder inside the kangaroo pocket.

They add up into something that’s much more practical that a traditional sports shell - a jacket that's fit for modern life.

The cut of the Court Jacket is roomy, the ribbing at the bottom holding it tight and then allowing room above to move and layer up. It’s nice over a T-shirt, but I also wear it over a roll neck in colder weather.

We originally put a zip in the side seam in order to make the jacket easier to get on and off. But I’ve since found it’s practical in another way: if you get too hot, unzipping the side allows air in and makes it much cooler. It’s also a nice, different look, the jacket dropping straight down rather than sitting on the waist (first image below).

The zip on the other side, meanwhile, opens into a small pocket that’s big enough for a cardholder or a set of keys (second image). And the big pocket on the front has a patch inside that fits a mobile phone, which stops the phone weighing on the pocket as well as separating it from your hands.

It was really fun pulling in all these little details from other sportswear. The hidden pocket came from a running jacket of mine, while the patch idea was from a hiking jacket.

We went through dozens of other rain jackets to find the hood we liked most.

I wanted it articulated, set in three panels to fit around the head. But it was hard to agree what shape of peak worked best. Eventually we found a solution that encompassed both a smaller and a deeper hood: the peak is cut and reinforced to enable it to be kept forward (completely sheltering the face) or folded back (allowing a wider field of vision).

The lining is a lovely lightweight jersey. This is what the original coach’s jacket had and it was really cosy, but we’ve upped the quality considerably. It gives the jacket the feeling of a sweatshirt, but not so heavy that you can’t wear it over thicker knitwear.

The overall result is a piece that feels like elevated sportswear, but without becoming the uber-luxe stealth-wealth that's so common today. It's practical, everyday and has that easy, playful air of original Ivy clothing.

We went back to my Oxford college - Trinity - for the shoot because I wanted to capture some of that collegiate feel. Although clearly sportswear, the jacket looks good with things like chinos and loafers, mixing things together in the same manner as those Ivy students.

As a result I wear it with jeans and boots or trainers, but also smarter things. In the first image below I’m wearing it with Rubato chinos, sports socks and Alden loafers. But the footwear could just as easily be boots - chukka, desert or hiking - in colder months.

With brown suede boots I’ve even worn it with flannels, wearing a navy crewneck and watch cap on top. The cotton Ventile and the navy colour make it smart enough.

Yet at the other end of the spectrum, it's something I wear with shorts and trainers to go to the gym.

I think that’s what makes me particularly excited about this new collaboration - it’s clearly a different category to the other pieces of outerwear, but I feel it compliments them rather than replacing them.

The Court jacket has been made by Private White VC in Manchester, and it retains their signature copper hardware on the back of the neck, though we preferred gun-metal hardware on the rest of the jacket.

The jacket costs £540 plus VAT, and is available on the PS Shop.

In terms of sizing, I am wearing a Medium/4 and that’s a solid size for me - I wouldn’t go up or down. (For those that don’t know, I’m six foot tall with a 39-inch chest.)

If you were between sizes, you could size down as the body is quite roomy, but I would make sure the length still works on you - perhaps checking against a short jacket you already have. The dimensions are:

	XSmall/2	Small/3	Medium/4	Large/5	XLarge/6	XXLarge/7
Chest	61cm	63.5	67	70.5	74	77.5
Hem	35	37.5	41	44.5	48	51.5
Sleeve	65	65.5	66.5	67.5	68.5	69.5
Length	65	65.5	66.5	67.5	68.5	69.5

Product summary:

A half-zip, highly water-resistant popover
Made with British cotton Ventile, and taped seams
Lined with a lightweight grey jersey
Full zip in the left-hand side seam, to make it easier to get on/off and enable ventilation
Hidden pocket in the right-hand side seam, for keys or cardholder
Patch pocket inside the front, handwarmer pocket, to carry a mobile
Articulated hood with peak that can be worn forward or back, and cinch
Made in Manchester, England by Private White VC
Cost, £540 plus taxes. Available on the PS Shop