The origins of the tweed sports jacket

Archie Hume of A Hume Country Clothing traces the origins of the modern sports jacket and the key role it plays in country life.

The modern sports jacket is a wardrobe essential for the country gent. Every man should have at least one, if not several.

I’d be ashamed to admit how many beautifully made sports jackets I own. And I’m even more ashamed to admit that I wouldn’t want to part with a single one.

As the name suggests, the term Sports comes from the 19thC century Victorian sporting pedigree of the style. More specifically from the tweed jackets that were worn when pursuing the country sports made popular by Queen Victoria herself.

Tweed is the ideal fabric for hunting, shooting or fishing, it’s warm, hardwearing, and the heather and moss tones of the time were perfect in a rural sporting context.

The original sports jacket was necessarily loose fitting, to allow for free movement with gun or rod. And the lapels were long and tapered, making it easy for the wearer to access the multiple inside pockets used for storing sporting paraphernalia.

Over the years, as menswear evolved away from the strict dress codes of the Victorian age, gentlemen began to favour their tweed sporting jackets outwith sporting life. The comfort offered by the less strict tailoring made the tweed sports jacket ideal for informal daywear that was now acceptable.

By the 1930’s the tweed sports jacket had become a staple in a gentleman’s wardrobe. It was the stylish option for the modern man, it crossed the Atlantic becoming the preferred choice of the Madison Avenue Exec and the default apparel for dashing Hollywood icons.
Today, the tweed sports jacket retains the features of this period.

The jacket is cut to sit at the base of the hips. The fit is an easy flattering line, though contemporary tastes do tend to favour a lightly tailored silhouette known as the English Fit.

Sports jackets feature either two, or three buttons; again contemporary tastes favour two buttons, creating a long elegant line from the collarbone to the base of the chest.

The pockets are predominantly straight flap pockets with a single welted breast pocket. Vents are an essential feature on any well-tailored tweed sports jacket, be this a single centre vent or a double vent.

Investing in a good jacket will mean you’re sartorially set for life, likely seeing you through several cars, jobs and other significant milestones.

You will be able to step confidently into any situation. Dressed up, or down, it’s virtually impossible to go wrong with a good tweed sports jacket.