This Nestor jacket is assembled using cloth from one of England’s oldest and historied mills. The black melton wool comes from A W Hainsworth in Pudsey who, among other incredible stories, made the fabric for the Battle of Waterloo soldiers in 1815 and invented the colour Khaki. The cloth itself is a hardy, thick wool with a twill weave. The twill appearance is lost beneath the felted surface texture which is soft to the touch. The short melton fibres allow for a very slight but natural sheen.
We chose a 100% diamond quilted cotton lining to add warmth for colder months.
We offset the enduring wool 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.
Black melton is synonymous with the working man’s donkey jacket, while scarlet melton hunting coats have long been a symbol for the upper classes. Its use cases are unsurprising because the cloth is wind and water resistant and very robust. It was intriguing for the same cloth to have connotations with each end of the social scale and pleasant to note that the same properties were enjoyed by both. Our design is utilitarian instead of ceremonial and utterly timeless. The natural light sheen of the A W Hainsworth melton beside the mother of pearl buttons nudge the jacket away from literal work wear.
