An estimated 1960s L'ESQUIMAU 'Printed Moleskin Lapel Hunting Jacket'.
A brand seen more and more often in Japan in recent years. It is an outdoor brand founded in France, which made mainly hunting and fishing jackets.
This piece is a double-name piece with "MEFFRE", another French maker.
The brand's pieces tend, in our experience, to be elaborately designed, with a strong sense of design. This piece, too, is a distinctive one of exactly that kind.
A restrained lapel collar, hand-warmer pockets at mid-height, roomy flap pockets at the hem and a water-repellent game pocket at the back: a wealth of fine details, highly functional yet just as appealing in a piece of clothing.
The shoulders have action pleats, a design that pursues ease of movement. They lessen the strain when you move your arms, making it comfortable to wear.
The front closes with a fly front, buttoned. The fly front gives a very refined look, but it has practical merits too: the double layer of cloth keeps out the wind and protects the buttons from the elements.
The defining feature of this piece is, I think, its generous use of "Printed Moleskin", known as a rare fabric even among French workwear of the period.
Printed moleskin is "Moleskin", the cloth named, as the word suggests, for a feel like the skin of a mole, printed with a fine-pitched stripe.
Even in Belgium and France at the time, it was used for only a handful of garments, so many people will be looking for it.
In feel it is just like ordinary moleskin: smooth to a degree you would hardly expect of cotton, and with real weight.
The secret lies in "the weave". Moleskin is a cloth made in a "satin weave".
Satin weave is counted as one of the three basic weaves, built on a repeat of five or more warp and weft threads; the floats are long, so that only the warp or only the weft appears on the face. It is dense, thick, supple and smooth, with a strong sheen.
It was precisely because moleskin is so densely woven, so substantial and so supple that it was chosen as working dress for people who laboured in harsh conditions.
Being a dark-toned piece, it sits well with brightly coloured clothes, of course, and comes together just as neatly in an outfit of similar tones.
The sleeves, too, are cut with a forward pitch for a shaped fit, so although it is a hunting jacket, it carries an air of refinement.
The size label cannot be confirmed, but it corresponds roughly to a Japanese "L".
The actual measurements also show a generous size, so it should suit a larger frame without difficulty. It looks right whether worn true to size or oversized.
There are signs of use, such as marks, scuffing and loose threads, but no significant damage that would affect wear, so it has plenty of life left in it.
"L'ESQUIMAU", a brand with many pieces of good detail and good design A piece with the details proper to its original use as a hunting and fishing jacket is, in the best sense, a "contemporary" piece that suits today's fashion too.
It is a piece that seldom comes into our shop, so if you have been looking for one, do not let this chance pass.
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