The Look goes on...

[Fruitbat]

RIP Chuck

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



@Man-of-Mystery posted this excellent picture the other day on Mod to suedehead. This is a great harrington (i really like how the colors of the outer and the tartan 'blend' together), a central element to the Look. Following a discussion i had with Cerneabbas and Mr Knightley, we propose the harrington survey. What is your favorite harrington today ? In my case the answer is simple (and not very original): Baracuta G9. I own two. The black one is pre-Lavori (cotton outer) The dark Navy one is post-Lavori (poly/cotton outer)

Clouseau drew attention to the colour combination of the outer and lining. Over on the Mod to Suedehead thread I reposted that pic alongside one of Danny 'Eccles' Harkins. I had assumed that his and mine were identical. I'm now thinking that some of the colour definition has leeched from that pic of me. The green of the outer should be denser, and there should be more red in the lining. Perhaps.

 

[Kingstonian]

I have a couple of Harringtons. Knock offs bought on eBay. When I was a teen - many decades ago - we bought knock offs rather than baracuta.

However, I would now buy from the Ben Nevis shop, because they are a decent crowd offering good value and they sell British made stuff. You are not paying much for their garments anyway.

I would never wear a black Harrington. Too teenage skinhead.

I have a red harrington and a beige one (which is a bit iffy once you have grey hair). Never mind if Steve McQueen had one. You ain't Steve McQueen.

I must admit I am going more for more structured jackets these days, because people don't wear them much and it gives you gravitas.

 

[cerneabbas]

I have a couple of Harringtons. Knock offs bought on eBay. When I was a teen - many decades ago - we bought knock offs rather than baracuta.

However, I would now buy from the Ben Nevis shop, because they are a decent crowd offering good value and they sell British made stuff. You are not paying much for their garments anyway.

I would never wear a black Harrington. Too teenage skinhead.

I have a red harrington and a beige one (which is a bit iffy once you have grey hair). Never mind if Steve McQueen had one. You ain't Steve McQueen.

I must admit I am going more for more structured jackets these days, because people don't wear them much and it gives you gravitas.

The Harrington that I wear most was bought off of E bay a 'Code D' about £20 or £25,I have had 2 but sadly after looking for one this wekend it seems like the arent making them now and theres only a few in Stone or Ginger (ffs) and not the Blue ones.
For the price I rated these,nice shape and light material and very important to me the lining does not come up to the zip,I dont like the lining showing and if it was Tartan I wouldnt buy the jacket.
My other favourite Harrington is an Orvis,heavier material and a much better zip,nice in colder weather.
I also found a bargain one in Asda a few years back in dark Navy and I wear that a fair bit.

I also have an Aquascutum,lovely heavy material well made but I dont like the cut and I very rarely wear it.
Got a Baracuta and imo they are over rated and not worth the money,I had mine re-lined so there is no Tartan showing,again I rarely wear it.
Also a Ben Sherman cotton one,nice shape but the cuffs and waistband are poor quality so not worn a lot
M&S,really nice gabardine type material,good shape but black and I dont wear black much now.

 

[Mr Knightley]

When wearing shorts, for shoes it's either Seavees (linen slip on deck shoe style with rubber soles, a bit like vans) or short white socks and gazelles. Leather loafers with no socks and shorts looks awful to me. Open toed sandals are a no no (they ruined an otherwise exemplary pic there Mr K!) unless they are adidas slide types and you are a stone's throw from the beach or pool!

If you're in Northern Europe where the temperature drops with the sun even in summer, a lightweight jacket like a harrington or a retro track top or Smedleyesque cardigan will work well.

Sans socks loafers looks good with light cotton trousers and a nice polo. Riviera style.
It's not really linen that i don't like, it's the creases that go with it !
I'm afraid Mr K, but i agree with TWD about sandals…

Not my go-to choice of summer footwear either and only ever worn on or near the beach. Never in the UK! This Armani pair is only one I have.

Anyway, point taken and, after the current Harrington Survey, we need a summer footwear survey...

 

[Botolph]

Harrington: pre-Lavori Baracuta, no contest. I have one of the newer ones in stone but honestly the Baracuta in 'slim fit' in a 42 was perfect for me. Over the years, I've nabbed a navy, an olive green, a tan, a burgundy, and a black --though only wear it to Bruins games or on a very rare occasion otherwise. I defo tend to stay away from wearing black these days, too. Everybody I know always wesrs black, black, black. Too damned dismal, funereal, morbid, and teenage angst-ridden.
Had a Ben Nevis/Combat in stone. Great jackets but the fit was a little too baggy for me in spots. Collar was on the big side, too-- I prefer Baracuta collars. Been wearing 'Cutas since I was very young, pre-skinhead for me, as you could find a pristine one in a charity shop for $1-5.
I don't mind the Fraser tartan poking out, though I DO tend to wear the collar on a 'cuta up, and thus keeping the tartan folded inwards for the most part, with a peek of it now and then. I don't think it has the 'skinhead' stigma here in the US as much as in Britain. Now MA-1's are another story.
I tend to wear my Bookster crombie/covert or a (altered)Cordings Salford Storm coat a lot in the winter as it's just too cold for a harrington.

 

[Botolph]



Not my go-to choice of summer footwear either and only ever worn on or near the beach.  Never in the UK!  This Armani pair is only one I have.

Anyway, point taken and, after the current Harrington Survey, we need a summer footwear survey...

Summer footwear survey says...


Superga "Cotu" in navy
Superga perforated leather sneakers in cream
Quoddy bluchers
Paraboot boat shoes
Alden penny loafers
Bass Weejuns
Adidas Gazelle(navy/white)
Adidas Tobacco(tobacco/tan)

 

[Clouseau]

I must say as a teenager in the early 80s the two first harringtons i had were... navy and black. I also had a red one.
The colors i still wear today (except red, but i'm tempted by a maroon).
But i don't agree about the black harringtons being the preserve of teenagers - a bit like saying that pink shirts are the preserve of gays. Too much simplification. Maybe the cheap ones, but i have never seen for example a black Baracuta or a Grenfell on the back of a young skinhead (at least here), they prefer the cheaper 'combat' style affair or worse Lonsdale with the logo...
Of course i avoid to wear my black Baracuta with black trousers. But i think it looks really good with blue-jeans (quality of course) and a white shirt for example. with an off-white sta-prest it looks OK too IMO. So far, nobody told me i looked as a teenage skinhead...

 

[Thin White Duke]



Not my go-to choice of summer footwear either and only ever worn on or near the beach.  Never in the UK!  This Armani pair is only one I have.

Anyway, point taken and, after the current Harrington Survey, we need a summer footwear survey...

Even as a kid I remember reading Fleming, I think in Thunderball, describe Bond's usual kit of navy suit, white shirt, black tie in Nassau and "his only concession to the tropics was a pair of open toed sandals with no socks" and thinking 'sandals with a suit in The Bahamas? what a knob!'

 

[Thin White Duke]



I have a red harrington and a beige one (which is a bit iffy once you have grey hair). Never mind if Steve McQueen had one. You ain't Steve McQueen.
.

Good point. A lot of people seem to go for that beige harrington, perhaps in pursuit of a Steve McQueen look but they don't work will with pale skinned White blokes and scream 'day trip from the retirement home' to me.

I have one harrington by Fred Perry from eBay in royal blue with a prince of Wales lining. That and a white monkey jacket are all I need. I have a black MA-1 bought for a ski-ing trip 20 years ago that might see the light once a year going to the supermarket on a cold day. My two denim truckers (blue and white Levi's) haven't been worn in a dog's age.

 

[Clouseau]

Harrington: pre-Lavori Baracuta, no contest. I have one of the newer ones in stone but honestly the Baracuta in 'slim fit' in a 42 was perfect for me.

I prefer too the fit of the pre-Lavori 'slim-fit', the case of my black one, you can see the difference on the two (bad quality) pictures i posted. The black is slimmer and longer, for my 196 cm it's better. But the fit of the new ones is good too, as stated previously (we already talked about that) if you go one size up it's OK, but still a tad shorter.
Good point of the actual ones the outer material IMO : more resistant, machine washable, doesn't fade, rainproof...

 

[Kingstonian]



I have one harrington by Fred Perry from eBay in royal blue with a prince of Wales lining. .

My brother had a houndstooth Harrington back in the day. Houndstooth and PoW offerings look pretty good to me and are not too common either.

Sorry but black Harringtons have too many associations for me to ever be comfortable wearing one.

 

[Jimmy Balantyne]

My brother had a houndstooth Harrington back in the day. Houndstooth and PoW offerings look pretty good to me and are not too common either.

Sorry but black Harringtons have too many associations for me to ever be comfortable wearing one.

Had dogtooth one. The nicest one I've got currently is by some company I've never heard of, they make clobber for Golfers. Sounds a bit much but it's a sort of yellow/gold. Despite it being more comfortable and looking better than the Barracuta, it's still not a Baracctua....

 

[cerneabbas]

Good point. A lot of people seem to go for that beige harrington, perhaps in pursuit of a Steve McQueen look but they don't work will with pale skinned White blokes and scream 'day trip from the retirement home' to me.

I have one harrington by Fred Perry from eBay in royal blue with a prince of Wales lining. That and a white monkey jacket are all I need. I have a black MA-1 bought for a ski-ing trip 20 years ago that might see the light once a year going to the supermarket on a cold day. My two denim truckers (blue and white Levi's) haven't been worn in a dog's age.

Steve Mcqueen was probably younger than most on this thread when he wore a Harrington ?

I like the made in England Fred Perry Harrington and the green Orvis one,neither has the lining coming up to the zip however the FP has a logo on the chest which puts me off,apart from that it seems good quality.

I havent worn a denim jacket for decades,I would feel like Dick Emerys skinhead dad (was it Roy Kinnear ?),about 1990 I bought a light blue cord Wrangler jacket and wore that for a couple of summers.

 

[Jimmy Balantyne]

I've got the beige one and I can assure you, it looks pretty good on me. Oh!