I'm not a big vintage junkie, but this was too hard to pass up. I found this Flannel 2-Button Suit by Southwick (made for Hillhouse Ltd.) almost by chance, which is good because I'm not patient enough to shop vintage the "right way". I did not care the pants don't fit. I don't care the jacket was a size small- that's what tailors are for.
I know flannel happens to be *cough* "in" right now, but I would have spotted this fine craftsmanship from a mile away regardless. The feel and texture is great and the color and striping is spot on. The jacket can be worn seperately with ease, and the shoulders are classic Southwick (read: soft and not too padded) to give the wearer a cleaner fit to the body. Like Michael Williams at A Continuous Lean had pointed out once, I hope that despite its acquisition by Brooks Brothers, Southwick retains the authenticity that made this baby. Even if that flails, I'll be happy knowing I got a pre-BB version.
Like I said, it could use some tailoring, I'm not exactly, uh, "model-sized". But fortunately for me, like any quality suit, the makers at Southwick provided what should be ample material along the seams of the jacket and pants to make the necessary tweaks. The jacket really only needs a minor adjustment for the chest, and a sleeve shortening will give it the necessary updates for me.
The pants, however, need a serious letting out- sure I have a standard 6-7 inch drop, but man, the previous owner was skinny. And I'm axing the pant cuffs. Pending the result of this, I may even have the leg taken in to slim it down. We'll see. Here's some "before" shots.
