Product Detail

A customer picked this up off the rail, held it against herself, and said, “Is this a tent?” Then she put it on and bought it. That is more or less how it goes with this jacket. Flat on a hanger, it is a lot of fabric. On a body, the fabric knows where to fall.

The Swing Jacket

The body is a crisp ivory cotton poplin with a thin dark-brown pinstripe. The cut is A-line from the shoulder, gathered at the back yoke, so the fullness starts high and swings clear of the hips. The collar is a funnel that stands up on its own and folds over when you undo the top button. The dark brown crochet trim is stitched along the placket edge and around the collar, and it is what turns a plain shirt jacket into the piece people ask about.

What I like about it after a week of wearing it:

• The sleeves are cut full and gathered into a narrow cuff, so they balloon and then stop short of the wrist. A shorter sleeve is what keeps the whole thing from looking like a nightgown.
• Two slanted welt pockets at the hip, big enough for a phone and hands. In the photo, both my hands are in them, and there was still room.
• The buttons are hidden behind the placket, so the only thing you see down the front is the scallop.
• The poplin has some body to it, so it holds the flare instead of collapsing against the trousers.

The shape has a history. Yves Saint Laurent’s first collection for Dior in 1958 was called the Trapeze line, narrow at the shoulder and flaring straight out to the hem, and it was a shock after years of pinched waists. Our jacket is the same idea, with the flare pulled up to hip length. A customer’s mother called it “a proper swing coat” and she was closer than the tent comment.

The Balloon Trousers

The trousers are a sand khaki in a dry, papery cotton twill. They are cut wide through the thigh, curve in towards the ankle, and stop above the ankle bone. The waist is flat-fronted with side elastic hidden under the waistband, and there are deep side pockets.

• The balloon shape is cut into the side seams, so the leg rounds out on its own and does not need pleats to do it.
• The hem is a clean turned edge, no cuff, so the curve finishes cleanly.
• The twill is lightweight and rustles a bit. These are summer-weight trousers with a winter shape.

The white pointed mules in the first photo are mine, and so are the cream knee boots in the second. Both have a low heel with a fine, sharp toe, and I have gone into why a narrow point matters under a wide leg in Why Your Stilettos Hurt. The brown furry bucket hat is also mine and is not for sale, though I have been asked enough times that I am thinking about it.

How I Wear It

• Jacket buttoned to the neck over the trousers, with a white pointed mule, for a lunch or a shop day.
• Jacket on its own as a dress, buttoned all the way, with knee boots and bare legs, once the light goes.
• Hat on when the collar is done up. The fur against the crochet is the whole point of the brown.
• Jewellery kept to one watch or one bracelet. Anything at the neck fights the scallop.

What’s In The Capsule

• Swing shirt jacket. Ivory pinstripe cotton poplin, funnel collar, hidden button placket, dark brown crochet scallop trim, gathered balloon sleeve, two slanted welt pockets, A-line hem
• Balloon trousers. Sand khaki cotton twill, flat front with hidden side elastic, curved leg, cropped above the ankle, deep side pockets
• Imported

Care

• Jacket: cold machine wash on a gentle cycle, inside out. Hang to dry from the shoulders so the flare falls straight. Do not tumble dry. The crochet trim shrinks faster than the poplin and will pucker the placket.
• Iron the jacket on a cotton setting while it is slightly damp, and press around the trim, not over it. A hot iron flattens the scallop.
• Trousers: cold wash, gentle cycle, hang to dry. The twill takes a warm iron. The balloon curve does not need pressing, only the waistband.

Size & Fit

The jacket is cut wide by design, so buy your normal size. The fit is in the shoulder and the sleeve. The body is loose on everyone. If you are between sizes, go down, because the shoulder seam needs to sit on the bone for the sleeve to balloon properly.

The trousers are true to size at the waist and very roomy through the hip and thigh. If your hip is a size up from your waist, buy for the waist. The hidden elastic gives about an inch. If you plan to wear them long rather than cropped, they do not come in a long length, so buy for the crop.

I am 5’4″ and wear a size S in the jacket and a 26 in the trousers. On the S, the jacket body length is 29″ from the high shoulder point and the hem sweep is 82″. On the 26, the trouser inseam is 24″ and the rise is 12″.

Shipping & Returns

Delivery estimates are for in-stock items only. Two Day and Next Day estimates are for orders placed by 10 AM EST.

Size Chart

Body measurements in inches.

How To Measure

• Bust. Around the fullest part of the chest, with the tape level under the arms.
• Waist. Around the narrowest part of the torso, usually just above the navel. The trousers sit here.
• Hip. Feet together, around the fullest part, roughly 8 inches below the waist.
• Inseam. From the crotch seam down the inside of the leg to just above the ankle bone. These are cropped, so measure to where you want the balloon to finish.
• Shoulder. Straight across the back, from seam to seam. This is the one to check for the jacket, because everything below the shoulder is loose.

Cotton poplin and twill both have a little give but no stretch. If a reading sits between two sizes, take the smaller size for the jacket and the larger for the trousers.

We offer easy online returns and exchanges within 30 days of the shipment date, excluding clearance items marked as Final Sale. Exchanges for like items (same style and colour in a different size) are free. For returns, a $6.95 return postage charge will be deducted from your refund.