Lightweight and breathable, but not so summery as a linen alternative, a jacket like
this can be dressed up or down as your mood dictates. The joy of any blazer is its versatility, and whether you
choose something from De Petrillo, or one of Rubinacci’s excellent lightweight options, it’ll be the kind of
layering piece you can wear with everything from a striped poplin shirt, tie and pleated cotton or worsted trousers,
to a brightly coloured piqué polo shirt and white jeans.
Speaking of which, the polo shirt comes into its own in
early spring; it’s another of those ‘between season’ staples that indicates that things are getting that bit milder,
but which has more body and structure than the linen shirts of high summer. Moreover, polos are enjoying something
of a resurgence this season. Drake’s is offering them in sumptuous silk and linen blends, Rubinacci has a trio of
long-sleeved versions cut in weighty cotton piqué, and Doppiaa, Camoshita and Far Afield have versions in jersey,
terrycloth and fine-gauge piqué too. Far Afield’s Clifford polo is a great piece to layer beneath suiting with its
fly collar and open necked design – relaxed, yet chic.
In fact, relaxed yet chic style is more or less spring’s
calling card; worth applying to most of the pieces you wear. Dark flannel trousers can be swapped out for beige or
khaki cotton, or cooling lightweight worsted. Try De Petrillo’s pleated gabardine ‘A’ trousers if you haven’t before
– they’re an Italian take on a traditional British trouser with a high rise and full-cut legs, and this makes them
both pin-sharp to look at and comfortable to wear. They’re also the kind of tailored trouser that can mix and match
easily; wear them with a classic crewneck tucked in (New & Lingwood has some lovely pieces in knitted silk) and
one of Drakes’ new Games Blazers.
These are unstructured, casual cotton/linen sports jackets with a utilitarian
sprinkling of pockets and track-stitched lapels. The Rake has a couple to choose from, in beige and tobacco.
They work well layered over checked smart-casual shirts or block-colour knits, and lend a tailored look a playful,
sporty edge – which, given their name, is probably the point.
Lightweight sporty outerwear also works well thrown over a shirt and pleated trousers
– think showerproof topcoats and blousons. It’s a look that’s not too formal, but still put-together – and it feels
fresh to wear something less ‘suity’ following several months trust up in flannel three-pieces and ties. Grenfell
has just dropped a batch of superb spring-worthy jackets online, including classic khaki Grenfell Cloth Harringtons
and Golfers, plus a cheeky red, blue and cream Golfer jacket in Fox Brothers’ wool worsted. Jackets like these are
great fun to wear, and extremely useful to have in the closet during a time of year where the weather is
changeable.
And that’s the point. Despite it being an odd few months from a sartorial
perspective, early spring into summer should be a straightforward time of year to dress for. You know the weather’s
going to be unpredictable, so a few practical pieces are more or less all that’s required to breeze through March,
April and May. A ‘between season’ blazer and a couple of unstructured sports coats, lightweight trousers, a handful
of polo shirts and a showerproof jacket will make light work of a tricky time of year.
Remember, these pieces should feel fresh and liberating to
wear too – not heavy or stuffy like the wardrobe staples of mid-winter. Experiment with a few easy pieces this
season, and you’ll find the conundrum of spring style is easier to crack than you might think.
