What I Wore - Engineered Garments and the Fight Against the Anonymous Knit

Engineered Garments - FW2014

Sweaters don't get nearly enough credit in a man's wardrobe. Maybe it's because most guys think of them as boring mid layers, those thin plain V-necks pulled over the ol' oxford button down and slim flat front chinos. I'm not saying that there's anything inherently wrong with this somewhat faceless modern uniform, but a good sweater has the potential to be so much more interesting and emotive. My favorites in recent years have been chunky, heavy-gauge knits with a great deal of texture and enough weight to be worn as outerwear - pieces with enough character to say something on their own, rather than playing second fiddle to a coat. In particular, I really like cable knits, interesting wool fabrics, and belted designs. Stick a belt on something and the silhouette changes entirely, which works especially well for large, slouchy garments, the likes of which feel like they were all but lost during the slim fit craze of the last menswear revolution.

This past season I've picked up a couple belted sweater jackets secondhand by Engineered Garments, the label known for its Bedford jacket, a unique and fanciful blend of American and Japanese design sensibilities, and pockets, pockets, pockets. The first was listed on eBay incorrectly labeled as "Engineered Garment," ensuring that almost no one would ever look at it (which happens more than you might think, actually). The second is a piece I've been lusting after for almost four years, and I finally came across it in eBay's women's section, ensuring that no man would ever look at it.

...Almost no man.

Shawl Collar Knit Jacket - Grey Cable Knit

I'm not sure what season this cable knit belted shawl collar jacket is from, but it's probably quite old as there's no trace of it on any of the lookbooks or Japanese sites going back as far as they've been published. It features a solely belted closure (no buttons), cable knitting over select areas of the body and sleeves, and some really nice contrasting knit detail at the hems. The wool is soft, heavy, and wonderfully fluffy, flecked with little spots of white, blue, and red. And it feels just as cozy as it looks. My only knocks are that it pills a little bit and it could have used some elbow pads for durability like the later models include. Whoever owned it beforehand also seemed to have stretched out the belt, which now could stand to be shortened a touch.

Shawl Collar Knit Jacket - Orange/Brown

Let me just say, I'm in love with this piece.

Now it's one thing to wander into the women's section at J. Crew, but these days there are a handful of brands that design a good deal of unisex clothing. Kapital is one such notable example. Engineered Garments is another, whose women's line is classified under the sublabel "FWK," but includes some of the same items in parallel to the men's collection.

EG and FWK Lookbooks AW2014

From 2014, this shawl collar knit sweater jacket in orange/brown was probably the highlight of the season and made for both the men and women's lines. The fabric is wonderfully complex, with shades of blue, white, orange, and brown interwoven in a broken stripe, resulting in tons of interesting visual detail. The jacket design itself is also more involved, which features a curved breast pocket and two side patch pockets, leather-wrapped button loop closures, and zig-zag oversewn elbow patches. It's just wonderful all put together, showing all of the amazing detail design Engineered Garments is known for, and my favorite knitwear I've had in my wardrobe in a long time. The best part is that it was basically new, as the prior owner had it gifted to her and it was too big for her to ever wear, so it sat in the closet waiting until the day it would one day be mine.

So what makes it a women's sweater? In this case, the answer seems to be nothing. With women's clothing, you have to be careful more times than not that the proportions are altered notably from a man's. That usually means, at the very least, button side reversal, usually shorter sleeves and a shorter body, and sometimes an inherent hourglass shape. This model, a women's size 3/L, has none of that, and by measurements is similar to a slouchy men's small, which is exactly what I was looking for. 

The main issue with buying premium sweaters is that they usually cost premium money. The list price on the orange/brown piece was around $500 in the US at the time it was dropped, and I'd imagine the grey knit was around the same back in the day. In 2016, a used version of the orange/brown jacket sold on Grailed for a little less than $300. Including shipping, I paid $67.50 for the cable knit and $99 for the orange. At those prices, we're not that far off the price of some of the better J. Crew knits on sale. 

So I guess you could say this post is a little bit about wearing sweaters with character, a little bit about finding value where you might not expect it and searching outside the box, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit about considering the women's department in a different light. That cute little A-line skirt your wife has would go great with an OCBD.

Too far.