This is one of the best-fitting bespoke jackets I’ve had in a while, a comfortable but really flattering cut, and very well executed. The cloth is also interesting. 

I had known Ben Clarke was a talented cutter from the time he made a jacket and waistcoat for me during his time at Richard James, back in 2016. The fit on that jacket was superb, in a fairly close-fitting style. 

Since Ben has been on his own – under the brand Atelier Tyzack – he has branched out considerably, as we discussed in a recent video interview. He has two styles of his own, the N and the S, but also varies both of them in discussion with the customer. 

The jacket I had here was the S, which refers to more southern styles of tailoring, such as those in and around Naples. The shoulder is natural, there is only canvas supporting it, and the sleevehead is very subtle. 

The lapel is also straight, and so appears to bow outwards up the jacket, while the quarters (below the waist button) are a little open. This is not a copy of a Neapolitan jacket, however. I’d say all those style points are moderated in the S cut, bringing the jacket closer to a Neapolitan style but not all the way. 

The N cut is similar, in that it is more structured and sharp, but still less so than most Savile Row tailors. These two styles sit in between the English and Neapolitan, essentially, which I think is effective because it means they are also closer to each other and feel part of a single brand identity. 

My first jacket was more similar to the N cut, according to Ben. If anyone has any questions on the technicalities of each, let me know. 

I asked Ben for a roomy fit with my jacket, but one that still had a flattering silhouette – and he absolutely delivered. 

The back is cut fairly close, but there is real drape in the chest and a larger sleeve, plus a slightly (only slightly) wider shoulder, which enables the waist to be comfortable too but still have a flattering shape.

I love the height of the gorge, and the shape of the lapel overall. The gorge is a little lower than Ben would naturally do, and points horizontally at the top of the shoulder, which I think is also quite flattering. 

In fact, that gorge height is a good example of the communication I had with Ben – something he emphasises the importance of. 

It can be a little hard to tell the position of the gorge at the basted fitting (the last stage it can be changed) but I described what I wanted in terms of where it should point, and he got that spot on. We discussed these points around communication in a more recent video after the fitting, down in Brighton. 

We also lowered the buttoning point during that fitting, but again it was a small change that was decided on in conversation. The jetted pockets are something he likes as part of this style, and I like too, but they could as easily have been flaps. 

Ben is a coatmaker as well as a cutter, and so does most of the making himself. Despite the comments of a reader recently, that isn’t necessarily a marker of quality (or the opposite), but it does mean Ben deserves credit for such fine work all round the jacket. 

Interestingly, one of the things Ben does on some of his jackets as a branding point is to leave off the lapel buttonhole. I said I was happy to try this, and on a checked jacket like this frankly I don’t notice it. But while I can understand the motivation, I’d still have a buttonhole on future commissions.

We had three fittings, though no more than two would be required on future garments. The first was in a toile, then a baste in the fabric itself, and finally a finished garment that just needed a couple of small changes – waist taken in, sleeves shortened. 

As fans of bespoke will know, it’s shots like the one below – three quarters, in movement – that show how good the cut is. Look at that beautiful line down the left-hand side of my back.

The cloth is the Summer Tweed from Cerruti, number 106/14. It’s an unusual fibre mix, being two-thirds linen and one-third cotton – I’ve never had a linen/cotton combination before.

Just as important to the overall feel, however, is the fact that the yarn is quite thick and the weave loose, which means a lot of texture – the way in which it attempts to be similar to tweed. Ben also said that this loose weave made it hard to work with, and that it was likely to stretch a little over time.

I wanted to try it because I know readers are always interested in casual summer fabrics for jackets– ones which could be worn with casual trousers such as jeans. And we mean faded blue jeans here, not something cleaner like white or dark unfaded indigo. 

Unfortunately, based on my experience so far I wouldn’t say I’d wear this jacket with jeans. Of course this isn’t the most casual cut and the pattern is a little smarter too, but the most I’d wear this with would be a smart chino. (Though as readers know, I wouldn’t actually wear that combination, not generally liking jackets with chinos.)

In other ways, however, the cloth has worked out very well. I was a little worried about it because while it looks like a standard black-and-white check from a distance, it’s actually green. A green check is not something I’d usually consider, so I wasn’t sure how it would wear – or what trousers it would go with. 

Fortunately, the green is subtle enough that you don’t notice it until you’re close, aided by the fact it’s on a cream background rather than white. And I’ve found that it goes with green trousers, as pictured, without the two looking that close to each other; and yet goes with grey trousers too. 

Those two create both a conservative and a more colourful option, then on top of that it goes well with warm browns, and with beige. You can see the effectiveness of taupe also in the image below, a combination from Trunk Tailors in Australia. 

Overall I’d highly recommend Ben. His prices aren’t low (the jacket was £4600 inc VAT) but they’re pretty standard for Savile Row these days, and he does a really excellent job. Lucas commented that it was the first jacket he’d seen me in for a while that really made him want bespoke.

Ben is based in Brighton but does appointments there and in London. He doesn’t travel yet, but if the business grows, the natural first step would be New York. Trousers are £1600 and an overcoat £5800. Prices are all listed on the Tyzack website. 

Other clothes shown in the main images:

• Pink-stripe oxford shirt from Simone Abbarchi (pink and green are always so good together)
• Olive Fox Air trousers from Pommella (recently let out by a whole 2cm)
• Bespoke tassel loafers from Nicholas Templeman
• Sunglasses from EB Meyrowitz (the Californian model)
• Jaeger LeCoultre Tank 9012 watch (bought second-hand in Florence recently)

Cloth: Summer Tweed 106/14