Sebastian Richard balmacaan and MTO offer

Full disclosure: Sebastian made this coat for me at a discounted rate since we worked together on developing the prototype. As it turned out so well, he had the idea of a MTO offer, which I happily agreed to help with. However, I am receiving no fee or commission.

Last spring, when I mentioned to Hogtown tailor Sebastian Richard the trouble I was having finding a ready-to-wear balmacaan in Toronto, or even a coat maker who still had a pattern, he enthusiastically offered his services. He’d never made one but was keen to give it a try. This is a commendable quality I have rarely encountered with artisans: the desire to do something new. And it’s one of the reasons I have such respect for Sebastian.

I already had a vision for a traditional balmacaan before Sebastian started his work. Single breasted, to the knee, drapey, with a covered placket and storm collar. I even had the fabric in hand: a dense, bright gunclub tweed I’d found at Sultan’s Fine Fabrics, along with a brown satin lining.

It just so happens that Sebastian has in his possession a tailoring book, Modern Tailor, Outfitter and Clothiers, dating from the 1930s (first edition 1928) with a pattern for a “raglan.” This became the basis of the model he created. Before I get into the process, however, a bit more about this style of overcoat.

The reason I wanted a balmacaan in the first place relates to my recent shift from structured to more natural shoulders on my jackets. A natural shoulder takes the edge off, literally, the formality of a jacket or coat. The raglan sleeves and full cut of a traditional balmacaan give the coat an easy, comfortable look. Even a healthy does of swagger. Now, according to Wikipedia (quoting a GQ article) the sleeve construction makes the coat more water proof, as “the number of seams is reduced.” This was clearly written by someone who has never seen an actual balmacaan. It has more not fewer seams than a set in sleeve, and the fact that they run up and along the shoulder could invite more rain to enter, not less. A real reason for the raglan sleeve, it seems to me, is ease of motion, a necessity for a work coat originating in the Scottish countryside. As an aside, a friend from Newfoundland told me that “raglan” is used in that province as a synonym for overcoat, bespeaking the balmacaan’s iconic status.

Back to my coat. I will admit I strayed a bit from tradition on length. At the first basted fitting, Sebastian had cut the coat as per the original pattern so that it fell just past my kneecaps. Due to the coat’s more traditional A-line, it felt too flared. Plus, I wondered if it would be impractical for getting in and out of cars (the historical reason, I believe, for the almost complete disappearance of long overcoats). So I asked Sebastian to raise the hem to the top of my knee caps.

I will admit that when I first put the finished coat on, it felt over-sized. Even though I don’t wear skin tight clothes, I was just not accustomed to this more classic fit. It felt like I had a blanket draped over me. Which is exactly what it’s supposed to feel like, attested my friend Bruce Boyer. And he’s right. From Modern Tailor, Outfitter and Clothiers: “The garment should be of very generous dimensions, for it is part of the character of a Raglan to have a loose, easy hang.” Having worn the coat for a few weeks now, I have come to love its cape-like drapiness. It feels at once supremely casual as well as elegant in a louche, rakish way. Plus, in both sub-zero, wind-chill temperatures in Hogtown, as well as biting, wet winds in Vancouver, the coat provides a remarkable amount of warmth and protection.

After developing the pattern, and seeing how well it turned out, Sebastian decided he could make hand-tailored balmacaans on an ongoing basis, at set sizes. With my help, he’s picked out a few lovely, heavy tweeds from Dugdale Brothers that I think will make excellent coats. His fee for these is $1850 Canadian.

Made To Order offer

As an exclusive for Hogtown Rake readers, Sebastian is offering a balmacaan in a Dugdale Brothers gunclub tweed (that is slightly darker than mine) for only $1400 Canadian. These coats will be straight-to-finish (no fittings) MTO at standard sizes. But act fast as this offer is limited to five coats.

To order your own hand tailored balmacaan, simply email Sebastian at info@sebastianrichard.com. (He will begin production once he has orders for three coats).

As my coat was a prototype, there will be a few small tweaks. We realised that the number of front buttons is not quite right: for the new coats, there will be one fewer, creating more space between the smaller button at the collar and the four large main buttons. You can also have the option, if you wish, of a regular closure (with all five buttons showing when done up) instead of a fly front (covered closure). Also, Sebastian will take a little bit of fabric out of the sleeves and cuffs as I find them a tad too voluminous. 

A special note on the photography, shot at the University of Toronto by Andrew Tan Wei Aun . I was hoping for a contemporary take on “Brideshead Revisited.” In other words, collegiate, classic and approachable. Andrew conveyed that vision perfectly.