Rus et Urbs – Logsdail Classic

A few weeks ago I spoke with Leonard Logsdail about his experiences as one of the world’s finest bespoke tailors.  But this week Len gave me a look at another side of his business, his line of clothing and accessories for the sporting life – Logsdail Classic.

It’s no secret that bespoke tailoring is neither cheap nor quick, but if you’re a stickler for details and want some of the finishing touches bespoke tailoring offers above most ready-to-wear, Logsdail Classic might be right up your alley.  Take for example the pocket configuration on the tweed sport coat above.  On the left of the picture you can see  lower pen and phone pockets, with reinforced stitching at the corners, and under the under-arm guard to the right you’ll find a traditional poachers pocket.  This strap-supported pocket was created to help poachers avoid getting caught with a nicked rabbit in their coats.  Game-keepers could only stop someone if they could see the game under their clothes, and the tweed strap kept the pocket-bag from sagging and meant a pilfered roast in the evening.

I digress, and that only covers the inside of the coat.  The outside features all the trappings of real shooting clothes, for the simple reason that they are real shooting clothes.  The bi-swing back and throat latch are far from aesthetic trimmings.  But for a gent like me who spends more time shooting photographs than pheasants (the Logsdail Classic emblem), the tweeds look just as good in urbe as in rus.  I might relegate the cavalry twill breeks and plus-fours to distant admiration in Len’s shop – they might look odd in graduate seminars – a seminar on reading Hemingway does not mean one should dress like Hemingway – but there is no denying the beauty of their construction.

Len’s got your full line of filed coats, shooting vests, trousers, boots, and of course sport coats.  Much of the tailoring doesn’t come with a fancy “Made in X” label, but the proof my friends is in the pudding.  China is capable of producing some exquisite quality, and if you can’t accept that I promise you’re missing out.  Like anywhere, there are good factories and bad factories; so like most things in life, just be observant and judicious and you’ll end up just fine.  Standard sizes are available online and you can even customize your details for a bit extra.

If you, like me, find off the peg to often fit more like a potato sack than a coat but still can’t quite spring for the full bespoke treatment, visit Len in New York or on one of his many excursions around the globe and he’ll measure you up for a factory made-to-measure solution.  If you go this route you get even more options, in both cloth and detailing, and while the price matches it really is a relative bargain.  This is no take your own measurements and get a suit in the mail operation – you’re getting all of Len’s expertise and a product whose quality he’s willing to put his name on.

In fact, Len is currently making me a Lovat tweed sport coat for the cold Chicago weather I expect this fall.  I should be taking possession of it in the next month or two, and will certainly be reporting back.