The Corduroy Games Coat

Splitting the difference between a tailored jacket and a classic piece of country-going outerwear, the Corduroy Games Coat is a study in versatility and timeless design (it also happens to be a personal favourite of our Creative Director, Michael Hill).

There’s no question that tailored clothing – and our attitudes towards it – has changed. Recent years have seen a continued trend towards the softer, more relaxed side of tailoring, as men seemingly renounce structure and padding in favour of a renewed emphasis on comfort. Then, with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic at the start of this year, this trend appeared to reach its logical conclusion. What good are stiff, formal business suits when everyone is working from home?

While we do have a strong appreciation for structured suits and jackets, we’ve long leaned towards the Italian tendency to eschew structure, save for some canvas in the chest, and a little light padding around the shoulder to create shape. A jacket like that feels more useful to us, as you can wear it to a nice restaurant, but it doesn’t look out of place in the pub. It’s this versatility that attracts many of our customers, a great number of whom don’t have to wear suits or tailored jackets, but rather do so out of choice.

Brown Corduroy Games Coat

Another appealing aspect of this kind of tailoring is its practicality. Life can demand a lot of our clothes, and oftentimes it’s the hardwearing and cleverly designed pieces that end up being the champions of our wardrobes, as opposed to those things that feel a little more delicate or hard to care for. Enter the Games Coat. Modelled on a classic three-button odd jacket, it’s a bit longer and fuller in its shape, and boasts a wealth of rugged details. It uses a coating weight corduroy and has a suede yoke inspired by hunting jackets. There are the typical patch pockets on the hips, but it also features the handwarmer pockets you’d more commonly find on a waxed field coat. It’s also blanket lined in a hearty checked wool.

Simply put, it’s like a beefed-up version of your favourite corduroy jacket, splitting the difference between tailoring and outwear. One committed devotee of the Games Coat is our Creative Director, Michael Hill. ‘I’ve taken to wearing my Games Coat in place of a more typical jacket,’ Michael tells us. ‘It’s put together like a piece of tailoring but has a certain ruggedness that you don’t often find in a blazer. In that way, I feel like it’s a step forward, combining the best elements of soft Italian tailoring, and heavy-duty outerwear. It might look simple, but it’s packed with innovative details and thoughtful design.’

It’s pieces like this that we pride ourselves on here at Drake’s: designs which at once feel familiar, but elevated in small, subtle ways. The Games Coat has become a staple for Mr. Hill, no doubt it will for many others, too.

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