Words by Elliott James Sainsbury.

If you’ve been scouring the shops for one, well, my sympathies are with you. There’s a frustrating lack of new double-breasted blazers out there right now, despite the trend being pushed hard across the board this season and next. As the sales blow over and summer turns to a chill, the DB jacket should, however – if these things can be predicted with any accuracy – be everywhere.

It feels like they’ve been a natural choice in the male wardrobe forever; there’s the naval connotations, plus the links to royalty. Prince Michael of Kent, the Duke of Windsor and – don’t laugh – Prince Charles all provide masterclasses in how to look stylish in a double breasted jacket. A quick check of google confirms my intuition – I’ve never seen Charlie Boy in anything but a DB. Filtered through young designers like Patrick Grant of Norton & Sons, Tim Soar and the boys from b Store, you’ve got a convincing argument.

Double breasted provides a dandyish, more decadent look. One that demonstrates an outwards interest in fashion whilst adhering to the rules of style, making you look twice. The constellation of buttons across the stomach is a key selling point, especially when they’re in contrast. Black with white buttons, plaid with black, navy with gold; each adds detail to the front and balances out the torso, especially when arranged in two neat little rows.

This season, a stripey tee or chambray shirt looks good tucked under a lightweight DB jacket; mismatched trousers or chinos get you top marks for effortlessness. But next season all that hello-sailor whimsy goes out the porthole with Prada’s assault on the humble double-breasted blazer; the colour’s darker, the shoulders a sharp horizontal line, the fabrics heavier. Carolyn Massey’s much loved catwalk debut also deployed some nifty versions with flat brass buttons and a sculpted shape. Kim Jones’ mercurial first show at Dunhill showed off graphic covered lapels, and new label Bespoken has some promising options too. For now, silk, lace, stripes and colour are what keeps the trend modern, and any calls of ‘Captain Birdseye’ well at bay.

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