The main body of this Marlin jacket is created from a navy gabardine cotton. The weave is very tight and the treatment of the fibres give it a smooth look with a hint of natural sheen. Gabardine cloth was developed for the trenches of WWI in an effort to replace the heavy wool overcoats that held moisture and dirt rendering them inefficient. Lightweight but strong cotton gabardine proved to be superior and went on to become the foundation of early sport’s clothing. In particular fishing because a wayward hook would not catch on the flat gabardine surface as it would with a fibrous wool.
The shawl collar is created with a navy barathea wool from one of Englands most historied cloth mills, A W Hainsworth, who, among other incredible stories, made the fabric for the Battle of Waterloo soldiers in 1815 and invented the colour Khaki.
The lining is a 50/50 viscose cupro twill; a high-quality and robust choice from Bernstein & Banleys, a British lining company founded in 1953.
We offset the navy gabardine cotton with black lip mother of pearl buttons. Taken from the troca shell, these dark buttons occasionally catch the light and harmoniously reflect the cloth they sit on.
The idea behind the Marlin jacket is to run that fine line between polar opposites. A formality is introduced in the form of the shawl collar and a ventless hem, both of which are common design features on Dinner Jackets. These ideas work in contrast to the navy gabardine cotton with its smooth, flat surface and utilitarian history. The A W Hainsworth navy barathea collar lifts the jacket adding some needed texture.
