One of the first places in London to stock Engineered Garments' SS11 collection was Dover Street Market, who have had a small selection since the start of February. I recently picked up this navy blue Cruiser Shirt Jacket from there and thought I'd share my first thoughts about it.
The jacket is designed in the classic Cruiser style (as pioneered by makers such as Filson in the U.S.) but with some modern Daiki Suzuki twists. The fabric used is a lightweight cotton ripstop (reinforced with crosshatched threading) which is further reinforced with 'V' stitching in places. There's a storm flap across the chest, storm cuffs on the sleeves, and a small flap to fasten across the collar too. So presumably the garment is designed for the sort of mild spring day when there's a brisk south-westerly blowing. There are diamond shaped patches at the elbow, fasteners at the waist and six exterior pockets.
The jacket has been washed once since I bought it, something that softened the fabric and took out the creases that it came with. I wore it in the mild climate of California last week, and it felt very comfortable over a t-shirt paired with some jeans. So it'll be just right to wear as an outer layer here in the UK in about a month or two. For the time being, though I'll be wearing it more as a shirt than a jacket.
