(1) Three Surprising Lessons from The Sartorial Club Blazer
Written by Mitchell Moss
Over the summer my wife and I took our two small boys on a family trip to New York City. We wanted to see the sites, and we have friends there we enjoyed spending time with as well. I recalled the last time I’d been in the city—2010, on an energy-drink-fueled road trip with three of my friends during school break. We danced on stage during the musical guest performance on The Late Show, saw the ongoing construction site where One World Trade would eventually rise, and the desert boots I wore made my feet hurt so badly from all the walking that on day 2 we had to sit in on a Dr. Oz recording just to give my feet a break. Good times!
NYC Street, photo credit: Emiliano Russo
From NYC Style to Suburban Norms
The trip back home to Ohio in my friend’s Scion xB was extra crowded, because his cousin was moving out of the city after his comedy troupe didn’t quite take off, and so he somehow fit himself and all his earthly possessions in the backseat with us. Moving from New York City to the suburbs of Cincinnati wasn’t exactly a shock for him, as he’d grown up in Midwestern and Southern towns, and the quality of life improvements he enjoyed leaving the city were overall a boon: he was nearer to close friends and family, he had more space, less expense, and eventually, he met his wife.
But one thing he always did mention was how much he missed the insane variety and sheer cool factor in the way people in New York dressed. How you can run into people on the streets and in the subway dressed to the nines, or dressed creatively for reasons you’ll never know. The huge population and diversity of cultures, economic opportunities, jobs, events, etc. allow New Yorkers to wear basically whatever they want, and everyone will give them the benefit of the doubt, assuming they must have a good reason. Here in the suburbs of Southwest Ohio, it takes much more intentional will to dress outside the boring, mall-brand-at-best, people-of-walmart-at-worst norm you see all around you.
Street snapshot from NYC 2024 Fashion week. Photo credit: 1202 Magazine
Doubt & Discovery: What a Bold Club Fabric Taught Me
So when The Sartorial Club released its new club fabric in a red, black, and silver boating stripe pattern, I was of two minds. One: That’s too much, I could never wear that here. Two: They put a lot of effort and ambition into creating a club fabric, I wonder how I could style it?
For all people with any amount of creativity, there is always the desire to try something new, to grow, to push forward, and I’m no different. While I feel I’ve pretty much locked in my overall vibe and style—in reality, I haven’t; I’m still learning, growing, and trying new things. And so the second mind for me took over as I waded into the questions I had surrounding this fabric.
Ultimately, it put me on the path to learning three new things I’ll share with you: 1. What is yak fiber? 2. What are boating stripes? 3. How do I wear boating stripes?
Rarer Than Cashmere: The Precious Qualities of Yak Fiber
The club fabric is woven by House of Tengri, using 30% yak fiber in its composition. House of Tengri is a mill that specifically focuses on a more sustainable harvesting process for the fibers, as well as fair compensation for workers and transparency at every step of the supply chain. Surprisingly, yak fiber is more precious than cashmere, with properties that rival or exceed it. The fine down (the finest hairs on the undercoat that can be spun) are typically 15-19 microns thick (compared with cashmere’s 14-21 micron dimensions). It’s 1.6x more breathable than cashmere and 30% warmer, according to one source. On balance, the lower yield of an adult yak, its precious qualities, but also its short-staple-fiber nature, mean that typically it is best when blended with other fibers to lower the cost and improve resilience. And that’s just what this Club fabric is.
Club cloth woven in one of the oldest mill in Scotland
Three Things I Never Thought I’d Learn from a Blazer
Me took over as I waded into the questions I had surrounding this fabric. Ultimately, it put me on the path to learning three new things I’ll share with you: 1. What is yak fiber? 2. What are boating stripes? 3. How do I wear boating stripes?
Of course I knew what boating stripes were before seeing this fabric, but only in the sense that I knew they existed. Why do they exist? is the better question.
And it’s a story that takes you back to the very foundation of the word “blazer” itself. As all great pieces of clothing deserve their own mythological beginnings, the blazer has more than one supposed origin story. One such story is that the bright red jackets of the St Johns College, Cambridge, boating team in the 1820s. Over time those were made in various colors and patterns, including the vertical stripes we today refer to as boating stripes—which the Sartorial Club blazer is made in. It’s a striking maroon and black stripe with a narrow silver framing the stripes.
Two Ways to Rock a Boating Blazer: Dark Winter or Light Spring Vibes
Obviously one wears a garment by putting it on, but as a matter of taste and occasion, how do I wear a boating striped blazer in a way that feels natural to me? And where do I wear it?
Having practice at dressing differently from the norm in my surroundings, it wouldn’t be too huge of a leap to wear this blazer. I probably wouldn’t wear it to the office, but let’s say for something like the annual Whiskey & Watches charity event held by the storied downtown Cincinnati jewelry and watch boutique Richter & Phillips which I attended just a couple weeks ago, I’d definitely consider it.
The structure of the blazer on display in the photos here is more than I’d normally go for—but imagining this fabric in a super lightly constructed Neapolitan blazer, I can imagine it being far easier to pull off in a casual, “I just threw this on” way. I put together two outfits—one tonally dark, and one tonally light—to illustrate how I might wear it. The dark fit might be best in winter; the lighter one in spring and summer.
Of course, attending any of the Sartorial Club events the world over would be the ideal time, place and occasion to wear it. That’s the entire point of a club jacket after all. Join the club, enjoy the club, and represent the club. Being a member imbues you with the satisfaction of all the wonderful people you’ve met, and memories you’ve made on the unique events and excursions they’ve organized. Moreover, the Sartorial Club makes a big impact on the businesses and artisans who are supporters and members themselves.
So grab that boating stripes Sartorial Club blazer off the hanger, throw it on, and head to Walmart to pick up some milk. While you may not get the benefit of the doubt like you might in a metropolis like NYC, you’ll still get the gratification of representing your tribe in the wider world as a member of The Sartorial Club.
