Inspiration: S/S20 at Spier and Mackay
Last year, I wrote about my picks from the F/W19 releases from Rick and co. at Spier and Mackay. As we start to think about warmer weather, especially after getting a dumping of snow, Spier and Mackay are beginning to release pieces from this season. Let’s have a look at what we’ve seen so far. I’ll be updating this post as the releases happen.
<update: March 8th> new shirts and sport coats!
Sport Coats
So far, each wave of sport coat drops has been grouped by fabric mill – Drago, Sondrio, Guabello, E.Thomas and Botolli. I’d expect the next releases to include E.Thomas, and maybe something from VBC.
Drago
This season, we’ve got eight sport coats featuring fabric from Drago, all for $478 CAD or about $350 USD:
- Blue Guncheck
- Navy/Blue Windowpane
- Light Brown
- Light Blue
- Faded Blue/Brown Check
- Grey
- Grey Windowpance
- Blue/White Windowpane
There are a few from the Drago sport coats collection that really stand out to me. My first pick is the blue and white windowpane. The scale of the pattern is excellent, and the wool/linen blend brings some wonderful texture and a light heathered effect.
I also really like this grey chunky weave. Grey sport coats can be tricky to pair, especially when they are a lighter shade. I think this one is just dark enough that you could pair it with light grey, cream, khaki or even blue trousers. What really appeals to me is the weave of the fabric, and how the variation in shades accentuates the weave.
Another great wool/linen blend is found in this light brown. Calling it light brown might be a bit misleading – it’s really a washed out khaki kind of colour. It looks like summer to me. I picture it with an off-white pair of trousers, maybe a wide-stripe blue/white linen button-down shirt with an open collar, and a panama hat.
Sondrio
Seeing these two were a pleasant surprise! Brown glen plaid linen. In Spier and Mackay’s Neapolitan cut. Blue seersucker. In a checked pattern. Checked. Seersucker. Under $400 CAD. Damn! I really like both, but would have to give the edge to the brown sport coat here. The pairing with the darker denim shirt works well in the photos below. Added the recently dropped light brown – really more of a cream. It’s got some darker brown threads in it that add to the texture of the cotton/linen blend.
E.Thomas
You’ll see the second of two jackets featuring cloth from renowned mill E.Thomas in the hopsack section, so for now we’ll focus on this really cool take on a guncheck. Resolving to a warm, medium brown, this jacket features s couple shades of brown, highlighted by a rustic blue windowpane. It’s quite a unique looking fabric. On top of that, there was only enough fabric for eighty jackets. Act fast if this one’s on your list!
Botolli
I have a bright blue wool/linen blend sport coat from Botolli from last Spring/Summer, and it’s a beautiful jacket. This season, there are four offerings, all for under $400 CAD:
- Blue Check
- Medium Blue
- Medium Brown
- Steel Blue Mixed
The blue check is nice and subtle, and it offers a similarly subtle pattern to the Sondrio seersucker, but swaps that unique texture for a wool/linen combo. This particular jacket comes as a triple patch pocket configuration.
Next up is the medium brown. The low saturation combined with the wool/linen texture is a winner. A truer brown base (not tan, not khaki, etc) is what appeals to me about this one.
Guabello
A pair of sport coats in the Neapolitan cut, both hopsack – in a wool/cotton/linen blend. One wheat-coloured, and the other a variegated brown. Both are beautiful, though the wheat one reads a bit yellow for me. I could see it working well with cream linen trousers. The brown has a ton of interesting texture and colour mix, and as a hopsack it will be breathable on those warm days. These jackets come in just under $500 CAD and well under $400 USD.
Navy Hopsack
I know lots of folks have been waiting for these restocks… Filarte hopsack, available in both the standard and Neapolitan cut! Take your pick of either cut for only $398 CAD / under $300 USD. There’s another special hopsack coming, but I’ll wait to share it.
So here’s that special number I was talking about from E.Thomas: A dusty looking shade of navy, in a wool/silk/linen blend, with a touch of cashmere thrown in for good measure. I got the opportunity to check this one out in person before release, and I immediately fell in love with it. Chunky weave, dry hand, light and breezy. Everything you’d want in a summer jacket. This one is on its way to me.
Trousers
VBC Fresco
Making a return are some core and new colours of these VBC fresco trousers. I like VBC’s take on fresco, as I find it has all the same benefits of high twist, open weave fabrics, but has a bit of a softer handfeel. Crispy, but not overly scratchy. A couple new colours caught my eye – the light blue and the light brown. The green pair is also quite interesting. I own a pair of mid-grey and dark brown from last year, and might need to add a couple more… $158 CAD / less than $120 USD per pair. Awesome.
Cotton Dress Trousers
100% cotton. No stretch. We asked, Spier and Mackay listened! Some wonderful colours for spring/summer here, and I’ve seen in person the fact that the off-white aren’t see through at all. I think I might pick a pair up to replace the cream linen/cotton pair from Sondrio I had from a couple years ago, and for only $78 CAD.
Shirts
Short-Sleeve Polos
Back again are the ever popular short-sleeve polos. Available in button-down and spread collar configurations. Sourced from a new factory this year, the cotton pique fabric is a noticeable improvement from previous seasons – not that it was bad before, they just feel more refined. The fit has been adjusted with an extra inch or so through the chest, so be aware if you are buying to replace some from previous years. Great selection of colours! Sage green, marine blue and both white and off-white. The off-white softens the contrast if you’re wearing it under a jacket… say one of the brown ones I showcased up above. $45 CAD for one, save $5 if you bundle. Pretty awesome.
Denim!
Finally, a denim restock! In three different styles, each available in two washes – a medium rinse (looks dark to me…) and a light ice wash. You can choose between a spread collar + standard placket, a button down collar + standard placket, and an Italian button down collar (wider spread and longer points) + hidden placket + mother of pearl buttons. The third is the most appealing to me – it’s an elevated denim shirt.
Linen wide-stripes
These shirts have been long-awaited if you follow the Spier and Mackay thread on StyleForum. From the moment Rick teased them last fall, they have been hyped up. Two colours – brown and blue, served over a creamy, natural looking base, and both with the Italian button down collar which is lightly lined but unfused, and hidden placket.
Madras
The real deal. Vintage patterns. Loose weave. Vibrant colours. A pretty cool summer collection. Similar shirts are available elsewhere for as much as seven times the price – ~$50 vs ~$350. How’s that for value?
S/S20 at Spier and Mackay
The hits just keep coming. As more items drop, I’ll be sure to update the post <updated March 8th with new drops!>. In the meantime, don’t forget you can get 20% off your first order through the link in the sidebar. If you have any questions about fit, sizing, etc. let me know!
-Colin
