Show us your British suits

[herringbonekid]

i haven't seen that version before TT. what's it sewn into ?

 

[Two Types]

It's a morning coat. It seems to be very good quality. I will have to dig around in the inside pockets to see if there are any extra labels.

 

[herringbonekid]

i found these brace buttons recently and wondered if anyone had come across any Pratt and Co garments ?

all i could find on the net is that they had addresses in George St (and / or Hanover Square) London, and Trinity Street Cambridge.

 

[Two Types]

There was Thomas Pratt & Sons, who were a clerical tailors:

In the 1850s they were based in Cambridge Street, Pimlico.
http://www.iapsop.com/archive/materials/spr_proceedings/spr_journal_v4_n56_jan_1889.pdf

 

[Two Types]

It also appears that there was Holden & Pratt, a tailors and robe makers at 28 Trinity Street, cambridge. (1878)

 

[Two Types]

1954: Manning, Pratt & Co, at 45 Mannox Street, W1 and in Cambridge:

 

[AntonAAK]

There was also a George Pratt and Co in Streatham up until the 1990s.

 

[Metatron]

Here's a jacket I bought on ebay uk.






It belonged to the sellers father in law.
He described it as 1950s-1960s owing to some membership cards he found in the pockets.
I think mid 1950s to 1960s it out of the question.
My guesstimate is early 1940s, but I'm looking forward to your opinions.

It is black, but when put under a bright light it appears very dark navy.
The fabric is a stiff gabardine.
I don't know if this is typical, but the sleeves are very heavy as they are canvassed.
One detail I like is that rather than an undercollar backing, the jacket features this zig zag stitching which is often found on military jackets.

 

[herringbonekid]

Metatron, it looks mid-late 30s to me, but could easily be 40s too.
i've never encountered a jacket with canvas in the sleeves before. it's definitely not typical.

 

[Nick D]

Are you sure they're canvased? The cuffs usually have linen canvas, but the whole sleeve?

I'd leave the top button undone, it looks like the lapel is trying to roll to the middle. Really nice lapel shape, and I like the color, too.

 

[Barmey]

Some tailors put a layer of body canvas in the front and back of sleevehead to give it shape as you would with wadding in the crown. Very traditional.

 

[Metatron]

Are you sure they're canvased? The cuffs usually have linen canvas, but the whole sleeve?

I'd leave the top button undone, it looks like the lapel is trying to roll to the middle. Really nice lapel shape, and I like the color, too.

No, you are correct. I was a bit surprised by the weight of the sleeves, and could see some canvas through some wear in the cuffs, and assumed that was the cause.
Upon closer examination it is just in the cuffs.
The padding in the shoulders and the stiffness of the outer fabric itself contribute to it's weight.

 

[Two Types]

Nice find. It's a good fit for you (in the past you've had issues with sleeve length but this is looking good). I'm rather jealous ... I'd love to find a plain dark navy orphaned jacket. I'd wear it with grey wool trousers in the winter and white bags in the summer.

 

[Fastuni]

Nice. As Nick suggested only button the middle button.

There appears to be some shine to the edge... some ammonia water could help.

 

[herringbonekid]

I'd leave the top button undone, it looks like the lapel is trying to roll to the middle.

As Nick suggested only button the middle button.

i disagree. very few British suits of this period were made to roll to the middle button. if you undo the top button on Metatron's jacket it would look like this:

 

[Fastuni]

I don't think that's the case with this jacket. The edge pulls quite at the middle button... hard to put it in words.
Metatron, could you maybe post a photo of the jacket when worn only with the middle button closed?

 

[Papperskatt]

Lovely jacket. I agree with HBK in that it's not likely meant to be a 3-roll-2. It is, however, possible that someone have re-pressed the lapels at a later date to make it appear more fashionable.

The lapels look superb when buttoned at the third button and I don't think that they'll look as good when buttoned with the second button only.

 

[Two Types]

I don't think that's the case with this jacket. The edge pulls quite at the middle button... hard to put it in words.

I think it's just the way he is standing.

 

[Metatron]

Nice find. It's a good fit for you (in the past you've had issues with sleeve length but this is looking good). I'm rather jealous ... I'd love to find a plain dark navy orphaned jacket. I'd wear it with grey wool trousers in the winter and white bags in the summer.

Thanks, yes I'm rather chuffed with it. But don't you have a similar German number?

There appears to be some shine to the edge... some ammonia water could help.

Thanks for the tip. Yes, it has been used quite a bit. Would white vinegar work as well?
There are also a few moth holes. Any way of patching them without spending £300 for a reweave? [huh]

I don't think that's the case with this jacket. The edge pulls quite at the middle button... hard to put it in words.
Metatron, could you maybe post a photo of the jacket when worn only with the middle button closed?

Sure, Just looking in the mirror, it looks all-right buttoned both ways, but the lens sometimes sees things differently.
Here it is on one button:

 

[Fastuni]

Hm.
While indeed it doesn't roll to the middle button, I think it looks better with the top button open.
Maybe because I simply prefer the look of a three button SB closed only at the middle.

If you close the top it seems to pull rather awkwardly...

Compare...

I personally would iron out (from behind using a dry white cotton cloth plus another white cotton cloth dampened generously in cold water with some white vinegar to prevent shine) the lapel fold. Don't iron in a new fold, but let it fall back "naturally".
You can achieve some nice roll effect.

I did this succesfully on this suit... it came to me with a lapel ironed flat to the top button.
I steam-ironed out the lapel fold and while still hot and damp let it roll gently to the middle.

Regarding the shine... white vinegar can work... there are some online instructions on how to abate ironing shine. But in all the old tailoring and household advices I've read, it's ammonia water ("Salmiakgeist" in German). I guess both are ok - but ammonia water is probably the stronger stuff.