As confidently predicted a year ago by yours truly, corduroy is a thing this season. I’ll confidently double down on my predictions and predict it will be a thing next year as well. And the year after, and then again. You get the picture, right? In the world of unfashion everything good is perpetually a good thing. Be it tweed, denim, waxed cotton, corduroy or similar.
And like tweed, corduroy has had a bad reputation as the fusty wear of those that don’t care, such as the venerable “geography teacher” of lore. We need to get over all that now though, forgive and forget, move on and rediscover the goodness we’ve been rejecting. Because corduroy is good, very very good. And I’m not talking about microcord silliness, but the full on subversive wide wale heavyweight gear. Normally the province of the upper echelon of jackets and trousers, expect to splurge 600+ pounds or more.
Which is why I was so surprised when I came across this jacket by Peter Christian. Now Peter Christian isn’t going to set the fires of hipness blazing (Is that a thing? I’m not sure), it’s not that sort of place, it’s more the sort of sensible place your canny dad might shop. Described as the “soft corduroy jacket” it is totally misrepresented. This is no garden variety blazer.
Full 4-button working cuff.
Pleated pocket adds to available volume.
None of this really prepared me for the full impact though, as when it arrived I had almost forgotten it was underway. The perfect setup for a really great surprise, in a way, as when I opened the box I was completely overwhelmed by the content. How often do you order something and find it exceeds expectations? This was one of those rare times. Not only was the corduroy itself absolutely top notch, but the inside was as good as the outside, and the outside was much nicer than indicated by the photos, so overall it became a complete “Wow!”.
Soft cotton flannel lining.
Peter Christian double-hare label.
Let’s run through the quick checklist: Brown (very subversive), heavy wide wale cord, distinctive pleated pockets (sized to hold a paperback), cosy cotton lining and useful inside pockets. And all at a surprisingly tasty price.
Shrugging into it for a trial fit I’m surprised how it immediately feels right. It’s unstructured, which suits me fine, nice slouchy shoulders and the heavy, soft corduroy just feels right. I do find myself pondering exactly which Eastern European countries lie where, but before devolving into cliches I pull myself up and take note of how the length is spot on as well, both in body and arms. This can often be a surprise, as it often comes down to “Does sir want it to fit the arms or the chest?”. Here though the jacket comes in a full range of chest sizes and three lengths, so I could go short in body, but wide of chest. Genius! Why is this not more common?
Styling corduroy with Harris tweed, raw denim and a camo scart for a great look.
Verdict:
Going in for an up close evaluation it’s evident that this is a well made jacket. No noticeable flaws or shortcuts. Good materials, no evidence of shortcuts. In fact, it’s like a 600 quid jacket, but at the much lower price of 125 pounds. I have no idea how Peter Christian does it, but to my mind this is the absolute best buy jacket wise this season. My investment advice is to buy one while you still can.
Having looked at the Peter Christian website before superficially it looks like its all uncool mail order clothes that your Grandmother used to order for your Grandad,quietly measuring his inside leg as he sleeps off lunch in front of Bargain Hunt.But it holds some gems,knitwear and shirts especially.Worth a look.
Ooh thank you for that review, I will order one immediately! Stephen Fry is an avid wearer of the corduroy jacket, a man I have admired for many years for his refusal to in any way dress fashionably. I have a lovely green one, perfect for days in the country in Spring and autumn, when tweed is a tad warm. This brown one will compliment beautifully moleskin trousers and Loake brogues.
With the thick corduroy and cotton lining it’s a decently hefty jacket. I’ve not subjected it to a full cold weather lab, but reckon it should be fine to below zero centigrade, with support from a thin sweater or warm shirt.
Hi, I would want to know how you qualify this as a “600 quid“-jacket? Is it fully canvassed? Well, if not, if there is fully glued-in fusing, still a very good price and a nice jacket. IMO there is also nothing old fashioned about corduroy, in fact cord is very in fashion now. Polo Ralph Lauren, Scotch&Soda, Tommy Hilfiger, Club Monaco, COS… just to name a few high street brands that rely on cord these days. I like that jacket, looks good but the sleeves are too long ? best, Rob
Hi Robert, I think you overlooked my reference to 600 quid jacket. The point was that this grade of corduroy was typically found in the more expensive jacket, not the tailoring or construction in general. I’ve not cut it open to take a look inside, naturally. And I am aware of cord being currently fashionable 😉 I think the sleeves are quite ok for me, I prefer a little length, makes it more viable for cycling in!
Having looked at the Peter Christian website before superficially it looks like its all uncool mail order clothes that your Grandmother used to order for your Grandad,quietly measuring his inside leg as he sleeps off lunch in front of Bargain Hunt.But it holds some gems,knitwear and shirts especially.Worth a look.
Ooh thank you for that review, I will order one immediately! Stephen Fry is an avid wearer of the corduroy jacket, a man I have admired for many years for his refusal to in any way dress fashionably. I have a lovely green one, perfect for days in the country in Spring and autumn, when tweed is a tad warm. This brown one will compliment beautifully moleskin trousers and Loake brogues.
Very nice. I’ll also take a look at PC, which I’d usually avoid. How warm is the jacket?
With the thick corduroy and cotton lining it’s a decently hefty jacket. I’ve not subjected it to a full cold weather lab, but reckon it should be fine to below zero centigrade, with support from a thin sweater or warm shirt.
Hi, I would want to know how you qualify this as a “600 quid“-jacket? Is it fully canvassed? Well, if not, if there is fully glued-in fusing, still a very good price and a nice jacket. IMO there is also nothing old fashioned about corduroy, in fact cord is very in fashion now. Polo Ralph Lauren, Scotch&Soda, Tommy Hilfiger, Club Monaco, COS… just to name a few high street brands that rely on cord these days. I like that jacket, looks good but the sleeves are too long ? best, Rob
Hi Robert, I think you overlooked my reference to 600 quid jacket. The point was that this grade of corduroy was typically found in the more expensive jacket, not the tailoring or construction in general. I’ve not cut it open to take a look inside, naturally. And I am aware of cord being currently fashionable 😉 I think the sleeves are quite ok for me, I prefer a little length, makes it more viable for cycling in!
I’ve got one of these and concur with everything. A splendid jacket.