What is the origin of the men's jacket? Its history? Its evolution? If the jacket seems to have been escorting men since the dawn of time, it has only been two centuries since it began supporting these gentlemen in its modern form. A true pillar of the classic men's wardrobe , we owe its diffusion - if not its emergence - to a certain George Bryan Brummell, nicknamed "Beau". The first of the dandies and arbiter of elegance under the English Regency, it is to him that we attribute the substitution of the suit for the traditional ceremonial dress. The superior element of this now universal uniform, the jacket has continued to change since then, while remaining similar: a long-sleeved piece, buttoned at the front and open at the torso .
At Hast, whose primary vocation was to offer responsible shirts at the right price, the idea of designing a jacket quickly blossomed . And for good reason, history and refined minds struggle to imagine one without the other. Considering its roots, its evolution and its understanding with the shirt, we decided to include this sacred monster in our wardrobe; we developed the range with the application and humility that you know.
Respect for exceptional craftsmanship
If the paternity of the modern suit (and its associated jacket) goes to Beau Brummell, it would not be indecent to include the art of tailoring in the list of his descendants. In fact, Brummell's stylistic influence on a crown that was itself the most influential in the world at the time very widely disseminated a certain "science of tailoring". Institutionalizing a new silhouette was not everything: it was necessary for artisans around the world to work to give it substance, taking their model from the masters of Savile Row. Thus, workshops sprouted up everywhere, dressing men and boys to measure for many decades, on a purely artisanal model.
It was only after the Second World War, with the development of ready-to-wear (modeled on North American ready-to-wear), that handmade clothing evaporated in favor of industrialized mass production .
Since then, several models have coexisted:
- Ready-to-wear , which represents the vast majority of the market, offers jackets produced using standardized patterns and pre-selected materials.
- half-measure , which allows a standardized pattern to be adjusted to a customer's measurements for making their jacket.
- Grande-Mesure (also called “Bespoke”) , which involves creating a personalized pattern to the client’s exact measurements, to develop a jacket that is perfectly adjusted to their body shape and posture.
As you can imagine, the price increases from one option to another; and the custom-made that was once the norm is now only accessible to luxury customers . In any case, Hast approaches this legendary piece with great humility, aware of the differences between a ready-to-wear jacket and a handmade creation in grande-Mesure. That said, the technical progress of the 21st century updates more than ever the recent adage: " Better a good ready-to-wear than a bad custom-made ".
With the same rigor applied to the choice of our raw materials, the selection of our European partners, the accuracy of our cuts, the relevance of our color palettes and the responsibility of our production chain, we develop our jackets like our reference shirts and the rest: with care, honesty and passion.
The history of the jacket
Since its birth in the 1800s, the jacket as we know it has always preferred evolutions to revolutions. In this regard, the 20th century is particularly representative of this formidable power of mutation, between innovation and loyalty.
Before 1925, the jacket remained quite long , generally had 3 or 4 buttons, was satisfied with narrow and rounded shoulders and was still looking for the ideal place for its pockets.
Fashion designer Jean Patou in 1924
Until the Second World War, the silhouette became more structured : jackets became shorter, shoulders became stiffer and pockets fell inexorably to the bottom of the piece.
Official Fashion Bulletin, ca 1930
After the War, the time of restored opulence marked the advent of stiff and almost "square" jackets : the shoulders were very broad, the waist not very pronounced, the lapels relatively wide and the buttons always double or triple.
Gregory Peck in "The Man in the Gray Suit", 1956
Conversely, the 60s sounded the death knell for volume and thickness for jackets : they became shorter than ever before, lapels became drastically thinner, buttons were lowered, waists were much more pinched and shoulders seemed to be reduced by half.
Sean Connery as James Bond in "Goldfinger", 1965
New turnaround in the 70s, whose now cult look you probably know. Jackets are getting longer again , lapels are getting considerably wider, three buttons are disappearing and pronounced shoulders are back in service. Above all, color and patterns are making a most spectacular entrance.
Sears Brand Lookbook, 1977
Closer to us, the 80s and their famous " powersuit " marked an entire generation. Here, the trend is towards generalized lowering . Lapels, buttons, pockets, shoulders: all seem to be suffering the full effects of a gravity rediscovered after a decade spent levitating.
Barely a caricature, Leonardo Di Caprio's outfit in "The Wolf of Wall Street" illustrates this trend.
In the 90s, the lines became more balanced before returning, at the beginning of our century, to the fine and slim proportions of the 60s.
This is how fashion goes, cyclical and voracious, making yesterday's silhouettes the laughing stock of today... and the pride of tomorrow . However, the jacket is not one of those pieces that trends will have been able to swallow up. If its characteristics have evolved over time, its invariants have been able to resist the assaults of the taste of the day. Eager to work on timeless pieces , it is to them that we are interested to work on our own jackets .
Anatomy of a jacket
The short timeline above shows this: the jacket has so far emerged victorious from its duel with the hourglass. And while the years have shaken up its design, none have managed to shake its initial structure . Since day one, the jacket has relied on stable elements that aesthetics and functionality have made impervious to the passage of time:
- two buttoned panels on the bust
- a V-shaped opening on the torso
- lapels on either side of the collar
- long sleeves
- patch, piped or flap pockets
Of course, these constants have changed shape, size, or thickness, but you will find that above all they have persisted.
In a perpetual quest for the balance between tradition and modernity , we measure the preciousness of these markers of permanence at Hast. All the pieces that have crossed the centuries have theirs, and the jacket is no exception. In working on ours, we have therefore preserved them with the greatest care, incorporating everything that makes our wardrobe unique : exceptional natural materials , recognized European know-how and a higher requirement in terms of traceability and responsibility. The result? Here it is.
Hast jackets
1° Our formal jackets
As their name suggests, our formal jackets are the most formal in our wardrobe . Business-oriented, they are part of the purest tradition and feature all the details that have forged their legend.
You will easily recognize them by their subtly fitted cut , their smooth and sober material (most often wool) and the different finishes inspired by the art of tailoring : notched lapels, natural shoulders, double back slits or piped pockets with flaps. Above all, these are jackets with which you will find matching pants, it being understood that they constitute the upper part of a two-piece suit.
NB: As a tribute to the history of clothing and a testament to our unconditional love for the suit jacket, we wanted to include it in the capsule collection released for our 10th anniversary . Alongside other symbolic and important pieces to us (such as the shirt and work jacket, for example), we have developed an absolutely unique double-breasted model. Made from super 110s wool and woven in Italy at Marzotto, it draws its inspiration from a fabulous Japanese bespoke jacket. Semi-canvassed construction, peak lapels, flap pockets, horn buttons, inner strap sewn into a panel: for the occasion, we have mobilized the finest materials and the most advanced know-how in ready-to-wear to develop a jacket that is princely in every way.
2° Our casual jackets
It's a fact: wearing a suit is no longer the norm for men. In just a few years, the abolition of dress codes, the quest for comfort and new ways of working have relegated to the background the one that had reigned supreme over men's clothing since the 19th century. However, the jacket has managed to stand out by freeing itself from its trousers to better live its independence. A symbol of the very fashionable " casual chic ", the mismatched jacket brings a touch of elegance to an otherwise informal outfit.
At Hast, you will identify these by the richness of their material . More boldness, more texture, more relief, more grain: linen or cotton are worked here to bring the casual chic that our Italian friends call " sprezzatura ". A studied refinement, effortless, elegant almost involuntarily.
3° Our unstructured tailored jackets
True to our ambition to reinvent the classic men's wardrobe , we unveiled a series of unstructured, tailored-inspired jackets this spring-summer. Halfway between traditional clothing and our (beloved) work jackets , these bold designs combine refinement , comfort and inventiveness .
The unstructured construction and magnificent notched lapel of the former are matched by the patch pockets and straight cut of the latter, placing our creations at the crossroads of two worlds united by the beauty of craftsmanship.
No question of taking off the jacket
An integral part of a two or three-piece suit, mismatched with jeans or chinos, formal or casual, straight or double-breasted, in wool, linen or cotton, rather straight or fitted, traditional or reinvented, the jacket has 1,001 faces, each more seductive than the last. At Hast, we wanted to integrate them all into our wardrobe, offering models suitable for all occasions . Wedding, office, weekend, our range extends from absolute classicism to a completely contemporary freedom, to allow you to wear 200 years of history as if nothing had happened.
A word about maintenance
For a particular piece, a particular wash. And because jackets are particularly delicate, only dry cleaning at the dry cleaners is possible. As for transport, we strongly advise you to invest in a protective cover : it will be very useful for taking your precious item on your next vacation, or simply for storing it for a season.
