breast pockets on Argyll jacket

[OC Richard]

I came across this photo, of a pipe band back in the day.

Posing with the band is this gent in civilian dress of the period (when wearing long hair sporrans with tweed was the rule rather than the exception) but what stood out to me was that his Argyll jacket has breast pockets.

I did a search of this forum and couldn't find any thread on this topic (at least with "breast pockets" in the thread title). But I seem to recall photos of... who was it? perhaps a Chief? wearing just such a jacket in lovely windowpane tweed.

[Chas]

Off Topic, but On Topic

I seem to remember that there was a Saxon jacket in a country style that had two breast pockets.

Regards

Chas

[Tobus]

I kind of like the look, myself! The jacket seems to button up a lot higher in the front than most Argyll jackets we see today as well. Would we truly call this an Argyll jacket, or some other style?

On another note, I couldn't help but notice the fellow sitting in front. The aprons on his kilt are reversed from what we normally see on kilts. The inner apron seems to be hanging next to his right leg, not the left. I wonder if he had it reversed due to wear (as I've heard is sometimes done to squeeze more life out of an old kilt), or if it was originally made that way.

[creagdhubh]

Very interesting, Richard! Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,

[MacMillans son]

Interesting. It looks like a blend of Ike jacket and a typical Argyll (though the photo may precede the era of Ike)

[Lime]

I've seen Saxon jackets where one of the breast pockets has a flap but I don't recall ever seeing one with two breast pockets... flapped or not. I am sure they probably exist though.

[Chas]

Interesting. It looks like a blend of Ike jacket and a typical Argyll (though the photo may precede the era of Ike)

Although the neck is different, I was reminded of the Blue Patrol Jacket, which I believe would have been contemporaneous.

Regards

Chas

[eagle43172]

This appears to come from a period when "off the rack" clothing was not commonplace, styles were not that uniform or cookie cutter, and you could have your tailor make you whatever your fancy called for. If I had the money for all my clothes to be bespoke, I'd pay extra for this look. My question is what did his friends think of the style?
Dave

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I came across this photo, of a pipe band back in the day.

Posing with the band is this gent in civilian dress of the period (when wearing long hair sporrans with tweed was the rule rather than the exception) but what stood out to me was that his Argyll jacket has breast pockets.

I did a search of this forum and couldn't find any thread on this topic (at least with "breast pockets" in the thread title). But I seem to recall photos of... who was it? perhaps a Chief? wearing just such a jacket in lovely windowpane tweed.

That sounds rather like the jacket worn by Jamie Semple.

[Chas]

This appears to come from a period when "off the rack" clothing was not commonplace, styles were not that uniform or cookie cutter, and you could have your tailor make you whatever your fancy called for. If I had the money for all my clothes to be bespoke, I'd pay extra for this look. My question is what did his friends think of the style? Dave

I wonder how much of that actually went on.

A mainly agricultural society, one tailor for a large area, no TV or radio, no other mass communications. I would think a man went to a tailor, said he wanted a jacket and then paid for whatever the tailor gave him. His input would have been restricted to asking and paying. So to all intents and purposes the clothes although made to measure were "off the rack", because that is the style he could make.

Regards

Chas