A Must Have: L.B.M 1911 Sport Coat

In many ways, what Italian designers manage to do so wonderfully is make the jacket an accessory rather than a centerpiece garment on which outfits are intended to rely. I like this because it frees guys up to wear jackets whenever they want; when you wear one of them, you’re not committing the taboo of being too formal by wearing a jacket in the street; you’re casually slinging it on because, hey, why not throw it into the mix? When you don’t want it on, just take it off. I never get the sense with Italian fashionistos that they have anchored their looks with their sport coats. It’s more like they threw it on last minute to shield themselves from a breeze – and it just happens to look beautiful.

So, as one might assume, I’m pretty partial to the easy-going look of Italian jackets without structured shoulders. In the two jackets pictured, L.B.M 1911 makes that genre of sport coat look even easier-going by using carefree fabrics that enable the wearer to beat his jacket around a bit, and add some personal flavor to it by stuffing it in a bag or stowing it on an airplane – or just slinging it over his shoulder.

These jackets aren’t hyper-formal or structured, and as a result, in both of these looks, the coats add an element to the outfit, but the outfit doesn’t depend on the jacket. It’s not a formal look requiring a formal jacket. It’s just an outfit in which a jacket happens to be placed. The beauty of these sport-coats and that whole lighthearted Italian thing is that it allows for seamless transitioning between jacket on and jacket off.

As a result, both the gentlemen shown here are in outfits that look wonderful with or without the jacket. Tim’s lightweight is in a beautiful shade of blue that works wonderfully with Isaia’s form fitting polo shirt (the choice polo of the season). The jacket is made of a super-soft cashmere that makes it feel as good as it looks. Matched with Ovadia and Sons’ cotton-cashmere bone trousers, which are some of the best fitting off-the-rack dress trousers we’ve found, and an Allen Edmonds loafer with yellow socks for fun, this is a carefree look that more men should be sporting on not just their country club patios, but literally anywhere. The price points on all the items are fairly high–save the sport coat–but I do think pretty justified for the quality that comes with.

Ray sports a tan linen double-breasted jacket, but when it’s too hot for that, he has a sun-washed J. Crew cotton sweater over a breezy white shirt (layering in the warmer months is underrated; if you find yourself near a beach, it’s critical). Cucinelli offers the best relaxed-fit jeans on the market, and though I myself don’t wear relaxed-fit, many men like them, and this wash is really quite stunning in person. The Allen Edmonds wingtip is great with the jeans; and on that note, a reminder that wingtips are pretty much the only dress shoes that reliably work with denim.

On Tim

Sport Coat by L.B.M 1911, $595

Pocket Square by Ralph Lauren

Polo Shirt by Isaia, $295

Belt by Brunello Cucinelli

Trousers by Ovadia & Sons, $225

On Ray

Sport Coat by L.B.M 1911, $650

Pocket Square by Brunello Cucinelli

Shirt by Wharf Clothing & Wares, $139

Sweater by J. Crew, $69.50

Jeans by Brunello Cucinelli