BE A SPORT

Your sportcoat may get by on flash if you’re just dashing through the room. But if you plan to linger, you’ll want quality. By Darius Amos

At John Craig, we assure our customers that every sportcoat we offer is among the finest garments in the world. That’s because our brands, such as Canali and Kiton, source their materials from the best mills and rely on skilled craftspeople using time-honored tailoring techniques. To be certain that you’re choosing the best, check these categories of sportcoat greatness before you button up your purchase:

• Fabric: Color and pattern are important, especially when you opt for made-to-measure, but the actual fabric is just as crucial. To ensure the best quality, the outer fabric of the jacket should be pure wool, which guarantees durability and breathability. Super 100s to Super 130s pure wool (a higher super count means finer and lighter fabric) are ideal. Bonus: When dry-cleaned, a fine sportcoat (as opposed to one made of synthetic material) won’t come back with press marks or a shiny appearance.

• Hand-set collar: A well-balanced and properly fitting sportcoat always has a collar that’s been eased and set by hand. An easy way to check this is to flip over the collar: If you see a small part of the jacket fabric folded back over the collar felt, you’ve got yourself a quality garment. This “fold back” is seam allowance, and tailors typically do this by hand.

• Smooth lapel roll: The lapel of a superior sportcoat always “rolls”—it should never appear as an ironed crease. A handstitched underside made of quality canvas such as horsehair will give the lapel a natural roll that holds up when the jacket is dry-cleaned or hanging in your closet.

• Buttons: Buyer beware: Buttons made of plastic are an instant red flag—they rarely enhance style and are usually low-quality. A well-constructed sportcoat features hard, durable buttons made of horn, mother-of-pearl or even corozo, which comes from the nut of a South American ivory palm tree and was used for button making before plastic hit the scene. Front buttons should be sewn to allow fabric to drape in between the button and the garment when fastened.

• Hand-sewn buttonholes: These are the mark of quality craftsmanship. Sure, machine-made buttonholes get the job done, but they often appear rough and include imperfections (a hanging piece of thread after the fabric is cut, for instance). When they’re hand-sewn, buttonholes are smooth and sleek because the fabric is cut before assembly and measured to fit.

• Surgeon cuffs: Also known as working cuffs, these feature functioning buttons on a jacket sleeve. An off-the-rack, department-store garment will typically feature ornamental sleeve buttons and buttonholes—they’re there for show only. But surgeon cuffs are actually used to fasten the ends of the sleeve and are a hallmark of a high-quality sportcoat.

• Lining: A large portion of a sportcoat is rarely seen: the lining. When present, jacket lining is used to give the garment support and to ensure quality and strength. Natural materials such as silk are the gold standard, as they are known for comfort, performance and practicality. These are clear-cut winners over linings made of synthetic fabrics like polyester and acetate, which are cheaper, less breathable and less resilient.