I’m a fan of Spier & Mackay’s clothes. As a business, they’re like SuitSupply at a smaller scale, but with a more Anglo/North American point of view (and without the hyper-sexual ads).
This season they’re aggressively expanding their goods on offer, moving beyond what the menswear crowd has made them famous for (tailored clothes made from high-quality fabrics like VBC at a very accessible price point) into a wider range of tailored-adjacent pieces to fill out your wardrobe. We’re talking overshirts, chore coats, waxed jackets, sweaters, a wider range of coats, knit button-up shirts and heck, even jeans.
In fact their pivot into those categories has turned the brand into more than just a SuitSupply with a North American bent, but more like an affordable alternative to Drake’s.
Rick, the owner and primary designer behind the brand, keeps close tabs on what’s popular with guys like me (ones who love tailoring but also need things to wear casually), so it’s no surprise a lot of it appeals to me. I asked him to send me a couple pairs of the jeans to write about, which are on their way. But there’s just so much to appreciate, I wanted to pick out my favorite pieces from amongst all their new arrivals to highlight here. Some are things I’m eyeing to buy myself, and others things that are similar to pieces I already own that I’m linking here for your benefit (check out my Shop My Closet page for a full range of similar options to clothes I have).
The Tailored Jackets (Sportcoats/Blazers/Trousers)
Neapolitan cut tweed sportcoats (all of these will be outstanding worn with denim of any fade; dark, medium or light)
Green Shetland Tweed Neapolitan cut sportcoat
Rust herringbone tweed Neapolitan cut sportcoat
Wheat herringbone tweed Neapolitan cut sportcoat (if the rust is a little too out there for you, wheat would be great)
Brown/red/gray check Neapolitan cut sportcoat
Blazer Alternatives (Tops)
Corduroy triple-patch overshirt/chore coat (Useful with patch pockets, and washable when it gets dirty; I might pick this up in olive to wear when doing chores around the yard or running to Home Depot)
Wool triple-patch overshirt/chore coat (This has flapped hip pockets, which I like visually better than the open patch of the chore coat style. I just wish this were made in a gutsy cotton canvas or something that would be machine washable)
Trousers/Pants
Standard-rise VBC Flannel trousers (I bought a pair of these a few years ago in every shade of gray, and also in navy, then also in cream. I love them, though I wish they had side tabs instead of belt loops. I have discovered I prefer the darker shades of gray to the lightest shade, and that while navy is cool on its own, it doesn’t work as well with most of my winter tailored jackets. However, when worn with knitwear or things other than blazers/sportcoats, navy is still great)
Five-pocket cord pants (Sid Mashburn often says fine-wale cords are a great alternative to jeans. These aren’t fine-wale, but they aren’t super chunky cord, either, and in cream I think these are great)
Sweaters
Cashmere Crewnecks (Take a page from stylish Italian dudes’ playbook and wear a navy crewneck sweater)
Cashmere cable crewnecks
Aran knit crewneck (sort of similar to my Eidos Aran knit, just with a standard crewneck, these are a cool alternative to a standard cable knit)
Lattice pattern turtleneck (I have a mockneck sweater from Eidos in green in this same pattern and I love it; Eidos also produced one in cream that I always thought if it became available in my size I’d try to buy it. This might be just what the doc ordered)
Shawl collar cardigans (I own two in colors similar to navy and ochre from a different maker)
Long sleeve knit polo (This is not at all a style I would consider, but last winter some folks got this sweater and wore it really well under tailoring. The long floppy collar looked really cool. I’d go for taupe, which I think would work with the widest range of colors, but any color would be fine)
Outerwear (Coats)
Ulster Coats (the navy is very similar to my beloved Polo Ralph Lauren navy ulster coat)
Polo Coat (I’m a sucker for gray large-scale herringbone on a topcoat)
Field jacket (Yes, cinnamon is my choice of color. Sometimes you have to break out of the navy/charcoal/tan paradigm and have fun with outerwear)
Waxed jacket (I own the Barbour Ashby and would get that before I got this, but this has slimmer chest pockets which may appeal to you. Otherwise the price is so close to the real deal I’d prefer that to be honest)
Classic Melton peacoat (Spier has done peacoats before but always with both handwarmer pockets and flap hip pockets, which does not appeal to me. This is their take on the classic peacoat and it looks sweet; I guarantee the gigantic collar will look sweet when popped open)
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I’d love it if you could review a cashmere item by Spier & MacKay. I love cashmere and have purchased from a wide range of merchants, from Uniqlo (less than $100) on the low end to Proper Cloth ($180 on sale) in the middle range and Luca Faloni on the higher end (c. $320). Truly high end like Loro Piana is beyond my means. I’ve found a significant difference at each price point, and on the whole, the two cable knit sweaters I have from Luca Faloni get the most use – it’s softer and has a nicer feel than the other two, and also seems to be hardier. So although it’s more expensive, I would say I get more out of the Luca Falnoi than the other brands. (I love Proper Cloth’s merino sweaters, but their cashmere not as nice as Luca Faloni, and some of their other sweaters feel rough). I would be interested in your impressions about the quality of the Spier & MacKay.
As someone who is on a budget, I find it challenging figuring out when I can save money and when I’m better off going for quality. I’m happy with Uniqlo socks and undershirts and find no significant benefit buying from a premium brand like Sunspel, but generally find better value with the more expensive cashmere.