Six of the best party jackets
Suits you, sir
RFavourbrook. The brand is geared toward clothes that are celebratory rather than strictly office-appropriate – think stately morning suits and jackets in swirling paisleys.
All of which are buoyantly, brilliantly on parade at his new store, which opened on London’s Pall Mall this week in a handsome Lutyens designed space. Alongside a choice of upwards of 1000 bow ties and 700 waistcoats, Favourbrook blazers are a masterclass in how to look cocktail-ready without a whiff of corporate culture. Most notably, the brand’s velvet dinner jackets come in richest tones of cinnamon, olive and indigo. They look decadent and have a texture like liquid. Texture can get a bad rap – it easily veers into Seventies Boogie Nights pastiche territory – but perhaps Spencer himself is the best advert for how to wear it in a contemporary setting: with a casual, collarless shirt and jeans. It’s also a surface material that whispers of dark bars and the clink of glasses, so an easy way to indicate that you’re taking things from day to night. It’s rare that men get a chance to shake their tail feather during party season, which is a shame as a man should enjoy getting the chance to dress up just as much as the women in his life – and there’s something about a suit which, while looking smart, will always remind him that he’s got that meeting in the morning.
Alongside velvet, it’s worth exploring jacquard – not as game-show host as you’d expect, if you opt for a dark tone where the pattern hits the light in a subtle way. And while we’d stop short of recommending one of Gucci’s razzle dazzle ’em numbers for all but the most flamboyant showmen, there’s something in a shawl lapel shape and silk material that can’t help but give you a touch of Jagger swagger.