Altering a Tweed Jacket for Field Use

[Canadian]

Ok,

I've got my hands on an old tweed jacket (probably from the late 80s judging by the pattern), it was my Dad's and it became mine years ago when it was still in good shape (it has some wear on the lining), and I was working my first suit and tie job. I'm thinking of turning it into a proper field coat.

It's got a bit of mud on it, it's not worth drycleaning, but it's wool with two internal, two external and a place for a hankerchief on the chest. Would I look absolutely ridiculous wearing this in the mountains in place of a modern technical jacket. A modern, nylon or poly windbreaker would be more practical, but I hate to toss a jacket which is still serviceable.

In other words, it's a typical 80s sports coat. I had it in the trunk of my car and wore it on a cold desert night last June (that's when I got a few bits of mud on it) and I'd like to put it with my field gear and maybe break it out for a cool night in the mountains.

Would you ever do that? Or should I toss it (it's my size, warm and it's tweed which is fairly weather repellent) or is it destined for the rag bin? I know I don't have infinite closet space, but if I roll it up and put it with my summer field clothing (putting it into a duffle bag and not worrying about wrinkles or a bad odor and just wear the heck out of it when I have the chance), I could still use it. Does this make sense?

C.

 

[tropicalbob]

Why don't you have it cleaned and wear it as a sport jacket? In this age of cheap fabrics, nice warm tweeds go for top dollar: look at the Brooks Brothers site.

 

[Canadian]

It simply isn't worth wearing as a sports jacket. It has wear on the liner and some loose threads which hang down beyond the bottom hem. I could replace it with one of a hundred coats at any thrift store in town. I have a very common size (46L).

I have no shortage of tweed jackets in my closet, and honestly, I get more wear out of tropical weight wool, seersucker and cotton jackets around here. It is generally warm enough out that a typical day does not involve an overcoat or heavy jacket at all except during rather unpredictable winters. However, I typically go from a heated home, to a heated car, to a heated office and back again.

C.

 

[Jaxenro]

Do you like it? Who cares what anyone thinks about you wearing it if it keeps you warm in the field and you like it.

If we only wore what was practical life would be boring.

 

[Seb Lucas]

If you are simply saying you'll wear it as a beater outdoors, this is how tweed was often worn in the golden era. Gardeners, shooters, outdoorsmen explorers all wore tweed in the wild.

 

[Bjorn240]

I often wear a tweed sporting jacket when I shoot sporting clays and five stand. So I can confirm that wearing tweed in nature is possible. On a more serious note, you might consider adding a button on the lapel opposite the lapel buttonhole/boutonniere so you can button the jacket up the whole way.