Another wave of products have made their way on site this week which offers up another opportunity for us to search through some of the best new-season items and pick out a few of our favourites. This week, we couldn’t help but notice the latest influx from contemporary British brand Percival, and in particular, its 1970’s-inspired soft velvet jackets.
London’s Percival is a brand that’s made a name for itself by offering exceptional versions of male wardrobe basics – exemplified by its Cuban Collar Shirts and Military Overshirts – and manufacturing them with only the finest internationally-sourced fabrics and materials. For its latest collection to launch at OPUMO, it’s got another talking point: Velvet. Given the rise of vintage sportswear references in nearly every collection this year, the timing for Percival to revitalise a 1970’s seems about right. But before we go any further, we’ll address any insecurities you may be having with the material choice.
Velvet might seem like a slight step too far from towelling, corduroy or suede – or any of the more popular soft textured materials in fact. But it should be worn in a similar way – aka not worn completely head to toe. As no one has done that since Flava Flav in the 1990s. The best looks for summer and into the rest of the year, are those that manage to be more than the sum of their parts. Which is wear the Velvet jacket comes into its own.
Available in an Alex Turner in the Last of the Shadow Puppets-inspired vintage Yellow and a more conservative, albeit extremely wearable Navy, the Percival Velvet Jacket is easy to wear in any scenario. That’s largely down to its decidedly nostalgic design, including the classic point collar, patch pocket and ribbed hem. But given the vintage feel of the whole design, the jacket will work best with a muted, understated aesthetic – such as a pair of black slim-fitting jeans, a co-ordinating coloured t-shirt and a tan suede Chelsea boot.
But the jacket will also work on multiple levels. Wear your Velvet Jacket with some cotton twill trousers from L’Estrange and a lightweight knit sweater from YMC for a more sophisticated style, and add a pair of all-leather sneakers from Common Projects to finish it all off with a strong contrast in texture to the soft velvet jacket. Above all else, what a Velvet jacket really brings you is the joy of an outfit that feels as good as it looks.
Shop the Velvet Jacket alongside the entire Percival collection at OPUMO.
Be sure to check out our ultimate guide to men's shirts for everything you need to know.
