"There are chore coats and chore coats; this is the latter."
I was watching “Casino Royale” when I realized how to describe the Alex Crane Kite Jacket. In response to Bond’s protest that he already has a dinner jacket, Vesper Lynd had just quipped : “There are dinner jackets and dinner jackets; this is the latter.”
When I told my wife about this, she didn’t recall the scene where Daniel Craig, playing James Bond, had just given his necessary but unconventional love interest, Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) a tailored cocktail dress. This kind of condescension was standard operating procedure for Bond for many years. But Lynd wasn’t having it, and moments later Bond returned from the next room with a beautiful Brioni dinner jacket, carefully tailored, that Vesper had already placed on his bed.
I'm not exactly saying that Alex Crane is Vesper Lynd
I feel like I know Vesper from watching the movie a bunch of times. She’s smart, quantitative, and bold. She shows tender humanity, curiosity, a conscience, and toughness. And she has an excellent sense of style. I also feel like I have gotten to know Alex Crane from interviewing him for the On the Dogwatch podcast. Now I’m not saying that Vesper and Alex are the same person, not style doppelgangers, but the Kite Jacket has forced me to appreciate the keen attention to style that they share, and their ability to identify an outstanding jacket.
The Kite Jacket in organic cotton
Alex sent me an organic cotton Kite Jacket in ink. I took it out of the box and when I held it in my hands it felt substantial. It made me want to say something profound. I didn’t realize it then, but I wanted to have held it in my hand after Vesper Lynd had laid it on my bed. And then I could look at her in protest, and have her give me the now-famous quip. It was clear to me, just out of the package, that the Kite Jacket would deserve this moment. The color of the fabric is soothing and complex, the kind of color that you try to describe but that takes time to identify. The feel against my fingers was intriguing, being textured and soft at the same time.
The fit
Most similar jackets that aren’t tailored end up being baggy or tight, and most in my size have sleeves that are too long. The cut of the Kite Jacket is comfortable and allows movement–there was no pulling in the back or shoulders. It has the simple and clear lines that are characteristic of the Alex Crane offerings. The sleeves fit well too, with just enough in this medium size–I’m 5’8”–to have a bit of shirt sleeve show and to avoid the dumpy look of many such jackets. It was as if Alex had somehow eyed my size and communicated it to one of his tailors, as Vesper had done with Bond.
The material
As I’ve worn the jacket the combination of softness and structure that were apparent at first have continued to provide ease and comfort. I love the way that the weave of this Crane fabric feels on the tips of my fingers, and its rugged, natural, and sophisticated drape.
I find myself running a couple fingers down an opposite sleeve and wondering what the pattern looks like up close. It’s fine enough to be smooth, but I imagine miniature ropes–the ropes sized for ants–that are nautical and ready to be tied into elegant ship’s knots. These are ropes too that have a history that would be fitting of a Bond film, in that they have been dunked in an enzyme bath, a treatment that could have been designed by Le Chiffre or Goldfinger. Like Bond, however, the material emerges contented and with a wry smile.
The style
