Words and photography, Jesse Jackson IV | jesse@ndlo.co

2018

By the time I got to this jacket, I was a dyed in the wool devotee of everything I perceived the world of high end menswear to represent. Years of passive study from magazines like Esquire, old GQ, GQ Style, and The Rake left me feeling ready to do something ever slightly more daring. This lead to my selection of the beautiful (if slightly heavier than practical for my locale, at 430G/15oz) mid-grey Alexander blue windowpane @foxbrothers1772 bunch in woollen flannel. I believe I started the commission at a time of the year that would work wonderfully, but taking the average temperature into account, I opted for a quarter lined garment. Even still, the fabric makes the jacket a touch too warm to wear year round, which given my limited selection of tailored garments at the time was a bit upsetting - a good lesson to learn early on, nonetheless. As temperatures drop, this quickly finds its way into my rotation as a refined piece of outerwear. As an aside, I will eventually get to writing about the process of discovering @100hands, the mother-of-pearl buttons are absolutely stunning in this morning light





2022

The years, few though they may be, have done their work on this jacket, and it is all the better for it. Repeatedly shoving my hands and errant books into the front patch pockets has caused a fair bit of wear, and although it is easily repaired, I find it has figuratively softened the garment in my mind. Though it is here paired with Stefano Bemer oxfords, a 100 Hands striped shirt and a vintage Polo tie, it is more frequently worn with a pair of slightly hole-y Vans and a crewneck T-shirt for that lovely bit of disheveled Ivy nonchalance. In fact, it would be on the short list of contenders for favorite sport coat if I lived in a climate that was 20 degrees Fahrenheit cooler, on average..