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This vintage double-breasted houndstooth blazer by Licona is a quintessential representation of mid-to-late 20th-century European menswear tailoring. Featuring a structured silhouette, bold lapels, and a premium wool blend, it embodies the era’s commitment to craftsmanship and longevity. The label “Europäische Herrenmode” indicates a strong focus on sophisticated European menswear, emphasizing precise tailoring and classic aesthetics rooted in both British and German sartorial traditions. While Licona is not a globally recognized heritage brand, its execution aligns with the robust tradition of German and Austrian tailoring, which often borrows from British influences while maintaining distinct European precision. The structured cut, fabric choice, and double-breasted front closure position this blazer within the framework of high-quality mid-century European tailoring. The blazer’s design follows a traditional six-button, double-breasted front closure, reinforcing a structured, authoritative style that aligns with classic menswear. The notched lapels are wider than contemporary standards, accentuating a bold vintage silhouette that draws from power dressing aesthetics of the late 20th century. The brown and beige houndstooth pattern evokes traditional British countryside tailoring, yet the fit and proportions lean toward European sartorial sensibilities. Patch-style flap pockets add a balance of formality and casual refinement, allowing versatility in styling. The single back vent ensures ease of movement while maintaining a tailored appearance, and the lightly padded shoulders provide structure without rigidity, preserving a refined yet comfortable drape. The medium-width sleeves feature three-button cuffs, adding a tailored but slightly relaxed detail. The construction follows traditional tailoring techniques, likely incorporating a fully or half-canvassed interlining to ensure the blazer retains its shape over time. Set-in sleeves create a clean, tailored fit around the shoulders, while precise topstitching along lapels and pockets enhances durability and defines the garment’s contours. The interior features reinforced pocket seams, a hallmark of quality construction, ensuring longevity. The blazer’s overall execution reflects meticulous craftsmanship, with careful attention to proportion and structure. The fabric is a houndstooth twill weave, characterized by a broken check pattern formed by alternating light and dark yarns in a staggered arrangement. This weave is a variation of traditional twill, ensuring durability while maintaining a soft, textured hand. The material composition consists of 80% wool, 10% viscose, and 10% other fibers, balancing warmth, drape, and breathability. The inclusion of viscose enhances fluidity, making the fabric more adaptable to modern tailoring while reducing the rigidity of pure wool tweeds. The high-twist weave structure provides a crisp, well-defined drape, reinforcing the jacket’s tailored silhouette while ensuring a degree of flexibility. This fabric shares significant historical and technical characteristics with several renowned heritage textiles. Scottish houndstooth tweed, traditionally woven in the Scottish Highlands, was historically produced using natural wool dyed with plant-based pigments, making it synonymous with British countrywear. Donegal tweed, a looser-woven fabric with a speckled texture, originates from Ireland and offers a similar rustic quality. Shetland tweed, a softer variant of traditional tweeds, often incorporates intricate weave variations like houndstooth, commonly used for jackets and coats. French Pied-de-Poule, the refined equivalent of houndstooth, has been elevated by luxury fashion houses into a more precise and elegant weave. These fabrics, while distinct in execution, share common threads in structure, functionality, and historical relevance. Several heritage textile mills specialize in producing high-quality houndstooth wool textiles, reinforcing the blazer’s alignment with premium fabric traditions. Lovat Mill in Scotland is renowned for authentic tweeds and houndstooth patterns woven using traditional methods, maintaining historical accuracy and superior craftsmanship. Abraham Moon & Sons in the UK specializes in wool fabrics, including classic houndstooth tweeds, ensuring durability and refined texture. Johnstons of Elgin, another Scottish mill, produces fine wool and cashmere blends, often incorporating luxurious takes on traditional British weaves. Molino Minetti in Italy is known for softer, more contemporary interpretations of tweeds, offering a refined finish while maintaining the authenticity of the pattern. The wool base ensures durability and resistance to wear, while wool’s natural temperature-regulating properties make the blazer suitable for both warm and cold climates. The inclusion of viscose enhances drape, making the fabric more pliable than traditional tweeds. The houndstooth weave structure offers a distinct, visually engaging pattern without compromising fabric integrity. This wool-blend fabric, deeply rooted in British and Scottish textile traditions, is well-suited for structured outerwear and blazers, offering both resilience and a touch of softness. The carefully executed weave and fiber blend contribute to its luxurious yet practical character. The blazer follows a traditional multi-panel construction, enhancing anatomical shaping and movement. The lapels are structured with a generous width, reinforcing the strong, authoritative silhouette that defines double-breasted tailoring. The pocket arrangement includes two large patch pockets at the waist and a welted chest pocket, reinforcing the jacket’s casual yet refined character. Patch pockets contribute to a relaxed tailoring aesthetic, making this blazer versatile for both semi-formal and casual styling. The back features a single vent, allowing greater ease of movement while preserving a streamlined profile. The shoulder construction is soft and lightly padded, following the natural shoulder line rather than creating a heavily structured look. This approach aligns with traditional English and Neapolitan tailoring styles, favoring a relaxed yet refined drape. The blazer is secured with dark brown leather-covered buttons, a traditional equestrian and sporting detail commonly found in heritage menswear. The buttons are firmly stitched with a reinforced shank, ensuring durability and resistance to wear. The lapel features meticulous topstitching, reinforcing the edges while maintaining a clean, structured appearance. The half-canvassed construction ensures shape retention while allowing flexibility, making this blazer both durable and comfortable. The interior features multiple pockets, including a buttoned security pocket, enhancing functionality for everyday wear. Attention to finishing details further underscores the blazer’s craftsmanship. The houndstooth pattern is expertly matched across panels, reflecting meticulous tailoring. The structured lapel roll, indicative of traditional floating canvas construction, maintains an elegant drape. High-precision interior finishing includes neatly executed seams and reinforced pocket linings, ensuring longevity. The back vent is reinforced, preventing distortion over time. The high-quality edge stitching along the lapels and pocket edges adds durability without bulk. Hand-finished buttonholes, likely machine-stitched for durability, are cleanly executed, with the lapel buttonhole remaining functional. The overall aesthetic channels mid-century European menswear, particularly German and Austrian tailoring traditions, which favored structured silhouettes and durable natural fiber blends. The houndstooth pattern references traditional British hunting attire, yet here, it is adapted into a city-appropriate, formalized design. The double-breasted closure and wide peak lapels reinforce the power-dressing aesthetics of the 1980s and early 1990s, a time when tailored menswear emphasized commanding silhouettes. The earthy brown tones ensure versatility, making it appropriate for both formal and social settings. Houndstooth tailoring remains a staple in contemporary menswear, often reinterpreted by brands like Ralph Lauren, Dries Van Noten, and Brunello Cucinelli. The structured tailoring of this blazer, balanced with its workwear-inspired details, ensures its continued relevance. With the growing demand for vintage-inspired menswear, this piece remains a strong addition to any refined, classic wardrobe. The fit is moderately tailored with room for layering, while the extended shoulder line emphasizes a strong, masculine silhouette. Vertical darting subtly contours the waist without excessive constriction, ensuring a polished yet relaxed drape. This Licona double-breasted blazer is a well-executed example of mid-century European tailoring, combining high-quality wool textiles with meticulous construction. The structured silhouette, premium fabric, and classic houndstooth weave create a sophisticated yet enduring aesthetic. While its wide lapels and bold fit place it in a vintage category, its timeless styling, durability, and expert craftsmanship ensure its long-term relevance in classic menswear. The combination of British heritage patterning with German precision tailoring results in a piece that balances tradition with adaptability, making it a valuable addition to any sartorially inclined wardrobe.
The tailored houndstooth jacket is deeply rooted in the Neapolitan and Italian sartorial traditions, reflecting the precise craftsmanship of brands like Sartoria Ciardi and Liverano & Liverano. The soft shoulder construction and lapel roll align with Cesare Attolini and Orazio Luciano, both known for their natural drape and artisanal techniques that enhance comfort without sacrificing formality. The balance of structure and fluidity in the silhouette connects with A. Caraceni and Sartoria Solito, where meticulous hand-stitched canvassing creates a refined yet adaptable shape. The fabric’s houndstooth weave evokes the heritage patterns championed by Sartoria Castangia and Napolisumisura, which frequently employ British-inspired textiles reinterpreted through Italian tailoring. The weight and texture of the wool suggest a classic autumn-winter application, echoing Dalcuore’s approach to seasonally driven sartorial excellence. Eduardo De Simone and Sartoria Partenopea similarly embrace textural play, blending traditional tailoring techniques with modern silhouettes that remain rooted in Southern Italian aesthetics. Eidos by Isaia, a brand synonymous with contemporary Neapolitan tailoring, would appreciate the jacket’s relaxed but structured stance, reinforcing its versatility across both formal and casual settings. Raffaele Caruso and Luciano Barbera emphasize the kind of refined, everyday luxury that this piece embodies, bridging the gap between soft tailoring and structured elegance. Finally, the precision of the lapel shaping and the classic double-breasted stance align with the DNA of Ring Jacket, known for its fusion of British tailoring influences and Japanese technical mastery. In execution, this garment demonstrates superior pattern alignment across the lapels and body, indicating the careful attention to detail found in high-end bespoke and made-to-measure tailoring. The use of horn buttons and the precision of the interior finishing with its understated lining mirror the craftsmanship expected from the selected brands. The garment’s fit would likely reflect a slightly relaxed drape, with an emphasis on natural movement, reinforcing its suitability for those who appreciate sartorial refinement without excessive rigidity.
Measurements (cm)
Chest: 51
Length: 72
Shoulder: 44
Sleeve: 56
SKU: 005113
