Page 50 - PROTAGONIST 117

PROTAGONIST / CLOTHING CODES
Peacoat and denim shirt for Robert Redford in the film “The Three Days of the Condor” (1975). The peacoat is
a garment that has earned its place in the wardrobe, as long as it is in plain
navy-blue marine cloth with large buttons and jacket-style pockets for keeping one’s hands warm and comfortable.
50 PROTAGONIST / N. 117
046-050 P_MODA MARINA eng.indd
T
he time-honoured profession of the sailor yielded a sea-
faring world made up of war, fishing and transportation.
Yet from the nineteenth century onwards, men’s unbri-
dled passion for action resulted in sports sailing, an amatorial pur-
suit based on escapism and competition. Materials and garments
of many kinds were devised for a variety of purposes and back-
grounds. The most widespread article from the sporting world is
the deck shoe, which has a white rubber sole, moccasin construc-
tion, a rear horizontal pleat and a leather lace running around the
ankle. Blue blazer, white derby, peacoat and bridge coat are of mil-
itary inspiration, whilst the striped top with a boatneck collar and
red, wide-legged massaua trousers are inspired by fishing or car-
go ships. The blue blazer is a legacy from the uniform which the
crew of the eponymous ship donned to mark the visit of Queen
Victoria in 1837. A blazer cannot be termed such if it does
not have metal buttons suitable for the coats of arms that
indicate their origins. The double-breasted models are
even more appealing with gilded buttons that recall
their origins. The most important thing is that the
fabric, even if lightweight, must be sombre and
close-fitting, as befits an officer of His Majes-
ty. No fine fibres, foppish linings or double
stitching are allowed. The white derby is of
seafaring inspiration if the sole is made of
leather, and of nautical inspiration if the
sole is in a brick red EVA rubber. The pea-
coat is a garment that has earned its place in the
wardrobe, as long as it is in plain navy-blue marine
cloth with large buttons and jacket-style pockets.
The bridge coat or greatcoat is the long over-
lapping double-breasted coat with six to twelve
gilded buttons. The fisherman’s top much
loved by Picasso should, if correctly spaced,
have around 23 blue horizontal stripes which
are slightly thinner than the ecru ones. Mas-
saua trousers were born of humble origins
for using out in the open and should never
be worn beneath a jacket. The red ones do,
on the other hand, carry a blazer off rather
well, preferably of the single-breasted kind.
Remember, they were first created in Brit-
tany using disused sails, and should there-
fore be made of canvas rather than twill,
better still of the faded variety. Above all
else, it is worth remembering that in
the nautical and seafaring look, far
more than elsewhere, the old Ital-
ian saying ”bandiera vecchia, onor
di capitano” (an old flag is the cap-
tain’s honour) holds true. (G.M.) ALAMY
50 19/12/18 10:27