In Review - J. Crew Wallace and Barnes Canoeist Smock (in Two Flavors)

Lately, I can't seem to shut up about Wallace and Barnes. This season, the Canoeist Smock jacket, a recreation of vintage militaria made in both olive drab ripstop and Ventile cotton, was unquestionably one of the highlights in the line. During one of the seemingly infinite J. Crew sales we've had since November, I couldn't decide which to get - so I did what any self-respecting menswear enthusiast would do and bought both for an in-person audition. Read on below for a closer look at one of this season's most intriguing pieces.

Also pictured: Watch cap - Wallace & Barnes, Boots - Red Wing Beckman

Background and Design

The Wallace and Barnes Canoeist smock is based on a jacket worn in WWII by the British Special Boat Service (SBS), an elite naval unit which conducted clandestine missions by way of specialized folding canoes. The story of how the SBS was formed is almost as fascinating as the mere fact it existed at all. In 1940, commando officer Roger Courtney was somehow unable to convince two admirals that a fleet of kayaks could be tactically effective, which to their credit, seems a reasonable concern. But not taking no for an answer, Courtney then paddled to and infiltrated the infantry landing ship HMS Glengyle undetected, wrote his initials on the door to the captain's cabin and took a deck gun cover with him, which he presented to a group of high ranking Royal Navy officers. He was promptly promoted to captain and given command of the first SBS unit (obviously). It sounds like something out of a 90s movie where the bad boy who won't play by The Man's rules does things his own way, engaging in some lighthearted hijinks and coming out on top. Steve Guttenberg may be starring, and there's a musical montage somewhere in there, I'm sure of it.

Vintage Canoeist Smock - from The Vintage Showroom

W&B Canoest Smock V1 in wool

Though there are a few old grainy photos of the Canoeist Smock floating around the internet, the best I've seen is displayed in The Vintage Showroom: An Archive of Menswear. From this, we can see that the modern recreations are remarkably true to the original. I say "recreations" because J. Crew is not the only retailer to produce them (see also Hawkwood Mercantile). In fact, this isn't even J. Crew's first foray into the SBS Canoeist smock. A couple of years ago, someone working for Wallace and Barnes decided to make one out of wool. This time around, they got it right. Worn in war to conduct secret missions by sea and cover of night, you can now wear the same to get your Mocha Frappuccino in a drizzle.

The smock is designed as a pullover jacket with a drawstring hood and buckle adjustment that both tightens and button-closes at the throat for weather sealing, a drawstring at the waist, elasticized hem, and pockets pockets pockets. There are four front and chest flap pockets, including a slanted left chest pocket for easier access while on the go/in the canoe, a small hood pocket (of which the only thing I can think of putting in there is one's weed), and a large back pocket that functions as somewhat of a backpack, all complete with drainage grommets for wet weather. If I saw this garment knowing nothing of its history and had to hazard a guess as to who designed it, my first guess would be Daiki Suzuki (of Engineered Garments). My second guess would be Daiki Suzuki (of Engineered Garments) in collaboration with Barbour. I guess that speaks a bit to the staying power of militaria and its ability to remain fresh.

Pocket and grommets

Hood closure

 

 

 

 

 

Material 

This year's offering comes in two flavors - olive drab ripstop and a deep navy Ventile.

OD Ripstop (picture from J. Crew)

The first is closer to the vintage versions I've seen, its name earned by virtue of its ability to stop tears. It does this by way of reinforcement threads woven in a crosshatch pattern. On the Canoeist smock it's rugged, vintage-appearing straight off the rack, and subtly quirky with its varying scale of the ripstop pattern. You won't notice the difference until you get up really close, but when you do it feels a little like a hidden Easter egg - the type of detail that menswear nerds like to geek out on, as I am doing right now. I forgot to take pictures of the fabric up close before returning this version (spoiler alert), but you can see it a bit in the J. Crew product picture.

The navy Ventile variant is decidedly sleeker. Ventile itself also dates back to WWII, created in Manchester from high quality woven cotton originally as a substitute for flax to be used in firehoses and water buckets. During the war, it was employed by RAF pilots as a life-saving measure to keep pilots warm and dry in the sea. It's made from extra long staple cotton spun into a low-twist yarn, which is then woven into a tight, high-density fabric. Exposed to water, the fibers expand and form a barrier against the elements. In hand, it feels more like a crisper poplin texture than the softer ripstop and drapes differently as well. In the fit pics, you might notice it hangs differently than the softer rolling of the OD ripstop.

Construction

Wallace and Barnes typically displays a higher level of material and perhaps finish than mainline J. Crew garments, though not always substantially so on the construction side. I'd say that is true here as well. The remarkable qualities of the Canoeist smock are more tied into functional details like the overlapping drawstring and button closures, hood buckle, etc. than any particular aspect of construction. Still, stitching and general make are generally good, though I did have to re-sew a loose button on the Ventile jacket (it's really easy to do, and not as big a deal as some people make it out to be).

Fit and Styling

 

The Canoeist Smock fits true to size with room to layer, as you can cinch the waist and the neck for a tighter fit. The only hangup I have is that I generally dislike wearing pullovers and hoodies, especially when made in a fabric that isn't something stretchy like jersey. They take forever to take off compared to a simple zippered jacket, and half the time your shirt starts pulling up as you're struggling to get the damn thing off, leading to a brief but seemingly eternal moment when any unlucky onlookers are exposed to the equivalent of Michael Cera's pasty torso. So in this case, I'd wear this more when I'm more likely to stay outside for longer periods, or at least not have to be pulling it on and off every few minutes. The human mind can only take so many flashes of such a nature before it overloads and shuts down. Medical fact.

If you don't share my frustrations with pullovers, then despite its stylistic quirkiness the Canoeist is surprisingly pretty easy to wear. It's strictly casual and pairs well with other rugged attire, and since it covers your top almost entirely you don't have to really worry about your shirt. Jeans, boots, heritage workwear and militaria-inspired clothing are a snap. A baseball cap or a nice watch cap/beanie serve well for headgear. Those worried about the potential "weirdness" shouldn't have to worry about it. It's not flat front chinos or an OCBD, but what is (and better yet, who cares)?

Honestly, I can't figure out a good way to mount that painting behind me, and it's slowly killing me

As I mentioned above, the Ventile version is a bit less Mil-Surp and I think a tad more versatile, at least for the way I dress. However, I quite like the less fussy and softer manner in which the cotton ripstop hangs, in contrast to the crispness of the Ventile. We'll see what it's like after some hours of break-in and time in rainy (not freezing) weather, but those are at least my initial impressions.

Summary and Conclusions

To me, the Canoeist Smock is an interesting raincoat with a fascinating history. It fits in easily with casual Americana, perhaps somehow even more so into niche Japanese Americana or the modern "Ametora" version of Western heritage wear, and yet I think it's surprisingly easy to pull off for the common guy, even within a country full of men that seem to be petrified that they would stand out too much by wearing their dress shirts tucked in. So what you get in the Canoeist is the best of both worlds - interesting detail without giving off a strong visual difference between it and a more traditional short rain jacket. This version is just cooler. At least I think so.

Designs like this aren't often made in the mainstream market, either. This is what makes Wallace and Barnes so special, in tandem with the price point they are able to achieve being part of J. Crew. The cotton ripstop parka originally retailed for $298 and the Ventile for $450, but with the 50-60% off sales and the recent reductions in price around the holidays, you can get the ripstop for as low as ~$70 shipped and the Ventile for ~$110 if they're in stock (pro tip - combine the sale code with a personalized 15% off code  by signing up for their email list). That's an absurdly low price. I paid more than that because I really wanted one, but regardless it's a really compelling price point for a garment that you will never see at another store in the mall.  Stock has also been steadily selling since the latest price drop, but returns constantly pop back up on the site. If they're sold out in your size, just keep checking back every once in a while or set a page monitor to alert you.

I ended up keeping the Ventile version and returning the ripstop (which is why you see so many more pictures of the Ventile) - not because I didn't like the latter, but more because I slightly preferred the former and am trying to streamline my closet. At least that's what I tell myself. In reality, my wife said something along the lines of "why would you need two of the same jacket when you have so many?" And I ask you, good sir, what can anyone do at that point except stare into the cold, dark void, take one deep breath in resignation and slowly exhale, "...I know, honey."

You can find the Canoeist Smock (intermittently) at the links below.  Thanks for reading as always, and Happy New Year. If you have thoughts on the jacket, your experiences, or my pasty body, please leave them below or shoot me a line.

Link to Canoeist Smock in Navy Ventile at J. Crew

Link to Canoeist Smock in Cotton Ripstop at J. Crew

Wallace and Barnes Line