A Grenfell 'Golfer Jacket' from around the estimated 1970s.
Grenfell is a storied British outerwear brand founded in 1923.
The house developed its signature 'Wonder Fabric' specifically to meet the outerwear needs of Sir Wilfred Grenfell, an explorer, philanthropist, and medical missionary—a fabric that would bear his name and define the brand's trajectory.
By 1935, Grenfell raincoats, trench coats, and golf jackets were stocked at the world's most prestigious department stores, including Harrods on Knightsbridge.
From 1939 to 1945, the brand supplied the British Army, Navy, and Royal Air Force, with Grenfell cloth even featured in lifejackets.
Grenfell Cloth, developed in 1923—the brand's founding year—became the defining fabric of the house and is woven into its legend.
Garments crafted from this cloth found their way to British royalty, racing drivers, explorers, aviators, outdoorsmen, and sportsmen alike.
Grenfell Cloth is a high-density cotton gabardine woven from the finest Egyptian cotton, distinguished by its unparalleled water resistance, windproofing, and durability.
The fabric carries a smoothness reminiscent of Ventile, with an exceptionally refined hand.
Where Ventile employs a plain weave, Grenfell Cloth is twill-woven.
One might reasonably regard it as the twill counterpart to Ventile.
The quality of the fabric is evident to even the untrained eye—a cut above.
For those who have yet to experience it, we would encourage direct encounter with this piece.
In 1958, Grenfell was awarded the Royal Warrant, a distinction not easily conferred. Such recognition speaks to the esteem in which the house is held.
We present the all-weather 'Golfer Jacket,' first introduced in 1931 by this centennial-old house of Grenfell.
This particular piece carries the distinction of a double nameplate—both Grenfell and Lillywhites.
Lillywhites, established in 1925, operates as a sporting goods retailer based in London at Piccadilly Circus.
The 'Golfer Jacket' is, by any measure, a defining silhouette for Grenfell.
It remains in production today—a timeless model that transcends the boundaries of vintage and contemporary alike.
The Golfer Jacket is a lightweight, waist-length variant of the Harrington silhouette—a form that maintains considerable appeal in the present day.
This example is rendered in Grenfell Cloth, the very fabric that defines the house. It is precisely the piece many have sought.
At the waist, a pair of flap pockets with exposed buttons are arranged in a figure-eight configuration.
An adjustable belt allows for both sizing and silhouette refinement.
The front closure employs a zipper.
The zip slider is stamped AERO.
This piece bears what is colloquially known as the 'mountain tag'—the label from Grenfell's most celebrated period. Such examples are scarce in the market.
The presence of an AERO zip slider suggests this particular piece dates to the earlier end of the mountain-tag era.
Both shell and lining are rendered in identical cloth—a 'fully lined' construction of considerable luxury.
From a cost perspective, this level of detail is rarely encountered in ready-made garments.
The colour is quintessentially Grenfell—a green that many envision when the name comes to mind.
For the Grenfell enthusiast, this is precisely the piece one seeks.
In its design, fabric, and colouration, this jacket distills the Grenfell ideal and proves remarkably suited to everyday wear.
The piece reveals itself most fully when worn with ease—unburdened and direct.
From a styling perspective, it serves admirably as a counterpoint to more formal dress—a refined, restrained counterweight to structured tailoring.
No size label remains legible, though proportionally it corresponds toJapanese sizing M to L.
Measured against contemporary Japanese proportions, this is an ideal size—a piece suited to a broad range of frames.
The fabric bears expected patina—marks of wear, traces of age, signs of honest use. No damage of consequence impairs its wearability.
Herein lies Grenfell of the mountain-tag era—a house unmistakably committed to the integrity of cloth.
The high-density cotton gabardine woven from the finest Egyptian fibre stands as a peer to Ventile itself.
Such pieces arrive infrequently at our shop. Should you have sought this particular garment, we would encourage you not to let this opportunity pass.
