Bespoke Cashmere Overcoat

There should be a picture of this coat in the dictionary, to illustrate the definition of quiet luxury. This coat is exquisite. It’s custom-made, so I can’t be 100% sure if this coat is entirely cashmere, or if it’s a cashmere/wool blend, but there are definitely no synthetics involved. The interior lining of the coat is silk, the buttons are horn, and the incredibly detailed pockets are lined with a thick wool weave that functions as a discreet handwarmer. Everything is hand-stitched. The only tag on the jacket indicates this is a size 42L, but it was likely a custom fit, so I added every possible measurement. I’m not entirely sure how old the coat is, and the classic design doesn’t provide many details, but its original owner likely acquired it at some point in the 1970s. I myself acquired it in 2011, when a man named Tommy Baker’s clothes were donated to the local ASPCA thrift store. I was shopping in there one day when I noticed a number of unusually nice men’s items on the racks, with TOMMY BAKER written in magic marker on the interior neck, all with fresh dry cleaner tags. I asked the employee to help me find every item this guy donated, because it was all top notch stuff from the best men’s store in New Orleans, Perlis. Rick Bragg wrote a story about splurging on a custom suit there years back. It turns out that Tommy had been an employee of Perlis since 1977, so I’m estimating the date on this coat to be around that time. He’d died the year before, and his family donated anything that had the slightest moth damage, after sending it to the dry cleaners. I wound up with a bunch of his shirts, and this spectacular jacket. You can see one tiny pinhole in the back left shoulder, and a few of the same toward the back vent on the right. Any damage is almost imperceptible when the vent is closed, so I’m happy to stitch that shut before sending it to you.

Condition

Used - Good

Size

Other

Brand

Perlis

Category

Clothing · Jackets & Sweaters

Color

Black

Material

100% Cashmere Wool

Era

1970s

A recent thank-you