Charmed Garm: The Anthology's polo coat, in 23 oz. camelhair
Rethinking a cold weather classic, with design input from Britain's "leading authority on classic menswear"
From the smallest of leather goods to dramatically cut outerwear, I take an impressive article of clothing (a ‘charmed garm’, if you will) to task every week — and hopefully, articulate why you too might be interesting in giving it a go.
With the imminent arrival of CNY here in Hong Kong, the weather appears to have turned decisively toward the first palpitations of spring. With that, comes an end to the short-lived reign of knitwear, flannels, and quilted jacketing. For an overcoat to feel compelling under such circumstances is no small feat; and yet, these last few weeks, I’ve found myself wishing (more than a little wistfully) for a resumption of cold weather, just so I have an excuse to take The Anthology’s recently released polo coat for a spin.
As with many iconic styles of men’s clothing, the polo coat draws heavily on influences from a variety of different sources (most notably, sport and university culture). There’s no shortage of scholarship on the garment’s origins — Derek Guy has written extensively about its place in both Ivy Style and the broader discourse of fashion — so for our purposes, I’ll refrain from a history lesson and focus instead on those details that make The Anthology’s iteration so compelling. Namely: creative input from a voice that shall be familiar to anyone who ‘came of age’ during the #Menswear era; and various aesthetic/functional details which are usually the domain of bespoke tailors.
As you’ll see from all of the coverage online, the coat is being marketed as a collaboration with Simon Crompton — the British author & journalist best known for his classic menswear blog, Permanent Style.
While the appeal of Crompton’s personal endorsement is something I myself am ambivalent about (to me, he always has this problematic tendency to couch support of Chinese-made garments, as is the case here, in the traditional Western perspective of something that’s merit is predicated upon ‘lower cost’) the addition of his voice is likely helpful for a young, independent maker like The Anthology — conferring a degree of legitimacy on their product and making it more readily distinguishable to a European audience.
For his part, Crompton’s chief contribution appears to have been the inclusion of certain “things I ask for on my bespoke commissions”. As previously stated, some of these tweaks boil down to stylistic flourishes (i.e. sprat’s head embroidery); whereas others enhance wearability.
Of these, the most useful is probably the hand-padded lapel — a technique that helps the peaks of the jacket retain their shape in various states of buttoning and unbuttoning. The flapped chest pocket is a nice touch as well: some might find it a tad nerdy, but as somebody who’s habitually reaching for their phone, I appreciated the thought that went into designing this secure yet subtle storage compartment.
Elsewhere, Buzz & Andy (the gents behind The Anthology) have done an impressive job of future-proofing what’s intended to become a longstanding part of their outerwear offering. Despite its tailored silhouette, the coat doesn’t feel ‘dressy’ in the way that most badly dated menswear does; and I think a lot of that is because of the specific combination of details for which the two have opted.
In particular, the cut and cloth have gone a long way to ensuring this finds an audience beyond the usual glut of banker wankers working in the city. Primarily cut from 23 oz. camelhair (supplied by the English weaver Standeven), the look of the whole package resides between heritage and modernity — reminiscent of those natty, just so polo coats that were, in the not-so-distant past, a signature of the neo-prep set. That’s also down to the coat’s hue. According to Buzz, he and Crompton opted for this shade of camel precisely because it’s several degrees milder than what is traditionally used: just light enough to suggest the appearance of camelhair, but otherwise sliding towards the dark and biscuit-y end of the range.
With its generous proportions and shin-grazing length, it’s a bulletproof option when you want to reach for something with a strong style factor, without thinking too much. For a polished look, over a rollneck and denim. Something stronger? How about a Rugby shirt, army-style chinos, and suitably hilarious cap? None of that is to say that I agree with Crompton’s proclamation the polo coat is “too showy for grey and navy suits”; but there is something to be said about how much more satisfying these sort of sporting-inspired overcoats are to wear alongside a pastiche of other menswear genres.
You can purchase The Anthology x Permanent Style polo coat online. Prices start at US$1,850 (for ready-to-wear). MTM & bespoke commissions based on this collaboration are also available.