Tom Ford Glen Plaid Jacket

Full Canvas Construction

A sartorial jacket - or coat - needs an interlining that will help give it shape and mold it. Canvas gives the item a tailored and crafted look. In short, it breathes life into it. Purely technical, canvas is made from either horsehair, wool, mohair or camel hair. It could also be a mix of them all, with varying thickness and weight. The canvas is stitched to the jacket, often by hand, thus making the canvas pieces 'floating' in the middle of the inner and outer cloth. This gives the jacket added flexibility. The canvas runs from the upper parts, all the way down to the end of the jacket. After you wear your canvassed suit for a while, it will begin to take your shape and look incredibly natural.

Roped Shoulders

A roped shoulder - or sleeve - head describes the bumped shape or ridge of the sleeve’s attachment to the shoulder. The higher it is, the more imposing the shoulder line appears. This can often be found in iconic British tailoring.

Long Milanese Buttonhole

The elegant, longer brother of the Milanese. With its thin and extra long gimp cord inside, this is one of the most challenging buttonholes to make by hand. Even a highly skilled tailor will take about 20 minutes to finish it.

2.5 Button Closure

The ‘tre bottoni stirato a due’, also known as the three rolling on two lapel style, is perhaps the most infamous characteristic of the Neapolitan style jacket. The top button and buttonhole are ornamental, so are left unbuttoned. As the lapel rolls down it elegantly folds over the top button and stops just 4 cm above the second button creating the distinct roll of the lapel the style is known for. As it is intended to remain unbuttoned, the top buttonhole is actually made inside out so the beautiful side will still be visible.

Barchetta Chest Pocket

The barchetta chest pocket is not only curved and blunted, as in the southern Italian style, but the corner is rounder right off.

Darts

The tailors adds two darts - think of them as pinched seams - to ensure the jacket’s body achieves a slim silhouette. The process, called mezzo punto riprese, is done entirely by hand.

Buttons and Buttonholes

5 functioning horn buttons at the end of the sleeve, with a larger 5th button opening - a quintessential Tom Ford Detail. Even this step, apparently the simplest, is treated with an abundance of detail. Attaching the buttons is a job that requires patience and must be completed to perfection.

Flap Pockets

This was originally supposed to keep debris from getting into jacket pockets when worn in the country. Flap pockets occupy a sort of middle ground in terms of formality: they are the main choice for business suits, but they can also appear on sport coats as a testament to their casual origins.