Oaks Day

As we know Oaks Day is all about the ladies, so each year I like to play with colours that may be traditionally feminine.  Fortunately, over the past few years, men’s fashion is very much inspired by women’s colour trends so this isn’t too much of statement.

This year, I chose a muted terracotta wool and silk blend from Lanificio Carlo Barbera in Biella, Italy.  I had already made the trousers months earlier for my trip to Mexico and since I loved the cloth, I purchased some more to make the jacket.  The nature of this cloth allows for a very unstructured jacket and I wanted it to feel almost like a shirt, weightless.

The structure of the jacket was very minimal.  I only used one very thin layer of horsehair canvas through the chest and opted for no shoulder pads.  The Italians call this “La Spalla Camicia” (The Shirt Shoulder), which is finished by hand and designed to look informal.  The jacket was only one quarter lined which resulted in a very relaxed fit and soft drape around the body.  Blending wool and silk together allows for great breathability but it also amounts to quite a strong cloth. Even thought it is lightweight and unstructured, the jacket is still very wearable.

The trousers are high-waist, finished with a 5cm waistband and side extenders.  I love this style of pant as it is very comfortable to wear but also has quite a contemporary look.  The inverted pleats create a bit of impact but then taper down to a narrow hemline which is cuffed and cropped just on the ankle offering virtually no break on the foot.

The muted tone of this terracotta cloth reminded me of the faded buildings scattered around the Tuscan countryside, so I wanted to bring in some of the natural tones of that beautiful setting. I wore pure linen made to measure shirt in sky blue with a bold white pinstripe to offer some contrast against the green and orange silk tie.  I like to think of this outfit as my tribute to the earth, land and sky of Tuscany.

Whilst this outfit was all about the Spring Racing Carnival, it could make the perfect look for a groom on his wedding day, if the wedding was of a more relaxed nature, perhaps beach or country setting.

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