Captains’ Jackets By Marc Oliver Making The Cut With Wentworth Club
Wentworth Club – the illustrious, members-only golf club in Surrey where icons like Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Rory McIlroy, and even the late, great Seve Ballesteros have all gained major victories has a fascinating history, which we narrated in a Journal post back in 2021.
In the more recent past, it’s a club that Marc Oliver has become much more closely linked to. It started out as a great relationship where we tailored garments for club leadership and the CEO, as well as some some of the world’s leading PGA players. Then, we were commissioned to make their official neckties – a simple but enjoyable gig. Now however, having proven our commitment to the finest tailoring and customer service, Marc Oliver’s annual challenge at Wentworth is to create captain’s jacket for every newly elected captain of Wentworth Club.
This is no simple task, but it’s one we relish. There’s the need to thread the needle between club traditions and personal flair. Each jacket should be singularly a Wentworth Club Captain’s Jacket, but each should show off something about the wearer, their values and their tastes. While the clubs’ colours demand that we make the jacket from a luxurious Fine Super 100’s sage green wool, the linings, detailing and personalisation are where we start to see the character and personality emerge. Make no mistake, each new captain compares their jacket with captains of the past!
Here’s a snapshot of some of the jackets we’ve made in recent years:
One look at the lining of 2024 captain Philip Leonard’s jacket tells you where he’s from. Philip joined us along with wife on Savile Row and made for as pleasant a client as one could hope for. He had clear ideas of what he wanted, having no doubt seen Scottish 2022 captain Ally Hunter’s tartan lining! Soft images of green shamrocks almost watermarking a soft sage green base, all finished with sage green contrast stitching.
2023 captain Peter South’s jacket bears a beautiful personal touch of his heritage. The South Family arms’ griffin emblazoned on Royal Blue. What few know of the South family name is that it’s believed to be over a thousand years old, dating back to before the Norman conquest! Indeed, back then the Souths held a family seat, or in other words, were lords, in Lincolnshire, from where the name emerged.
As well as being an amicable person to be around, 2022 captain Ally Hunter proved to me a man of exceptionally high standards, possessing an incredible eye for detail. It was clear from the moment we met, that the blazer he wanted us to make would be no run of the mill request.
During our conversation Ally asked us if we felt his family tartan – Hunter Modern – would complement the green-based outer fabric of his blazer. We know from experience that there are as many as 7,000 tartans, and so there was a danger that it might not work. Sometimes a big part of being a tailor is helping clients realise what won’t work and why, as much as what will.
But to our delight, we studied the pattern, impression and detail of Hunter Modern Tartan, and realised it was absolutely perfect.
UK based American Todd Patrick wanted his jacket to highlight the ties the club shares with the USA with the theme Hands Across The Water. While the jacket’s deep green exterior stands out regally, the inner lining displays the flags of the UK on one side, and that of the USA on the other. It’s a little playful, and quite symbolic for Todd who holds both countries in his heart.
Aside from personal touches, there are some gold standards to be maintained when making the Wentworth Club Captain’s Jacket. We use a Half Canvas Construction which incorporates the finest horse hair – perfectly balancing durability and shape with mobility and weight (read more about half canvas and full canvas construction here). With a half canvas interlining, the captains can quite easily arrive at the 18th hole on a Spring day without breaking a sweat or harming a fibre of his jacket.
The revered Wentworth club emblem is expertly weaved using a metallic golden thread that beautifully offsets the sage green of the outer Jacket, before being hand sewn onto the breast pocket. To add that extra special panache, we bring in specialty cast gold-gilded blazer buttons embossed with the same club emblem.
All in all, this is work we’re immensely proud of – and we always look forward to welcoming the next captain to Savile Row, certain that they’re going to thoroughly enjoy the the process as well as the final product for the little piece of history it is.
Check out our shop page, or get in touch to arrange a truly special moment for someone.
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