New Hunting Jacket. And, It Ain’t What You Do, It’s The Way That You Do It.

We’re excited about this new hunting jacket, and grateful to our makers for creating a smaller run than normal, on account of the limited denim available.

It’s my favourite piece of clothing at the moment.

On a trip to Lancashire last winter (not a long trip, but a trip is a trip) to visit one of our manufacturers, a contact suggested that Sarah visit an interesting local mill. She arranged a tour, and came across a narrow, broken loom. The loom had once been used to weave denim, but was now bust, abandoned, thick with dust.

But there were some denim end-of-rolls left and spotting them, Sarah nearly passed out with excitement (‘I almost fell on the floor, writhing with joy’).

These jackets use some of that denim and as such are the Holy Grail for us.

Sarah has been long-planned to design a jacket based on some old hunting/shooting coats in our archive and this jacket is it.

It has taken time; this is its fourth physical iteration. This runs contrary to my instincts; I am very much a ‘why do tomorrow what you can do today?’ kind of person. But Sarah was determined to do it properly and properly meant slowly, in a considered and detail-driven way and she was right.

This has a lovely drape, in thick, hard-wearing but really soft denim which feels more like a soft, weighty cotton than newer denim. (Have you ever tried wearing in a pair of raw denim jeans? My goodness it’s an unpleasant task.)  

The jacket has a slight crop, and a good boxy look; not oversized but just right. The collar is wide and open, so it looks and feels great buttoned or unbuttoned. The jacket is at once elegant and casual, with hand-warming and button-up pockets, as well as an inside pocket.

To me, it feels perfect. The weight is good, the sleeves just right and the large buffalo horn buttons are perfectly proportioned.

It has an embroidered G / H at the back.

And, a minor detail, but a big reminder: this is our first item to include our new ‘It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it’ label because this not only looks great and works well, but has real depth, soul and provenance to it.

Within a fortnight we’ll launch this in another fabric, but for now, have an explore here.

But, back to that label.

It Ain’t What You Do, It’s the Way That You Do It.

(Or, actually and originally, T’Aint What You Do…).

I touched on this a couple of weeks ago. We’ve adopted it as one of our guiding principles for the next few months.

You’ll probably know the hit version that was recorded by Bananarama and The Fun Boy Three in 1982. That was such a great single and not just because the late Terry Hall (of The Specials and Fun Boy Three) was one of the greatest front men in British pop but because it’s that rare thing, a perfect pop song.

There was deep irony in the name of the group because Hall was, famously, not a ‘fun boy’, rather a lifelong sufferer of depression and anxiety who was abducted and abused as a child and whose unique persona as an artist very much leaned into this.

Legend.

Anyway, the song was written by Melvin ‘Sy’ Oliver and James ‘Trummy’ Young and recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Fats Waller, Jimmie Lunford and many more. Like lots of great pop, the lyrics are simple, endlessly relatable and easy to sing-along to.

‘It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it…

It ain’t what you do, it’s the place that you do it’.

At Gladstone / Hellen we believe profoundly that beauty is not just skin deep; things must be absolutely beautiful, but equally important is how they are made, and where and by whom.

So, this autumn we’ve had some labels made to remind us, and indeed you, our supporters, of this. As usual they are made by the legendary Cash’s labels which are as British as, well, Terry Hall.

Until next week.

Charlie.