Review: Workers 1904 Jacket

This week, the beige Workers 1904 Jacket I ordered from Japan's K&TH Manufacturing Co. back in February was delivered by courier. The package that arrived was a very slim cream coloured envelope, branded with company and garment info, with the jacket folded inside a cellophane inner sleeve. On opening the envelope, my first impression was how light and delicate the jacket was, with only a little more weight to it than a long sleeved linen shirt. This is partly down to the jacket's lightweight construction (there's no lining) but also down to the very light, fine weave linen used in its construction. The fit is slim on the body, but also very slim on the arms - more like shirt sleeves than a traditional jacket.

If I was honest the 1904 jacket feels like a delicate version of an Engineered Garments Bedford or Andover jacket.

There are three external pockets, two internal pockets and an absence of labels (no care instructions for instance). However, there is a K&TH Manufacturing Co. patch with the size and garment name handwritten onto it.

I didn't know what to expect, this being my first piece of Workers clothing, but I must say I'm pleasantly surprised. I look forward to wearing the 1904 jacket this summer in the tropics, and ordering more pieces from them in future.

Review: Engineered Garments Cruiser Shirt Jacket

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.