Dr. J, a Naturopathic doctor, came to Trend with a unique idea for a custom coat. This unique idea would be the collaboration of her profession and bespoke craftsmanship. Dr. J is an individual who believes that the people and places she surrounds herself with, the clothes she wears, the food she eats and how she practices medicine are all based upon principles of high-quality and customized care. The well-respected doctor wanted a piece that was an extension and expression of the aforementioned principles.
While around this time we are gearing up for an immense amount of overcoat consultations, Dr. J went to the beat of her own drum and sought us out to create a custom and contemporary lab coat. The classic doctors jacket is white and our medical patron has said that “it’s been linked with a phenomenon known as white coat hypertension or white coat syndrome – where a patient exhibits increased blood pressure likely due to anxiety in a clinical setting.” As a person looking to give a different experience to her patients, she made sure to stay away from classic white. The jacket is a silk and wool blend in grey herringbone from USW’s Lena Seta book in super 130′s. To her, grey exuded discipline, aptitude, strength, integrity and self-expression. It’s neither white nor black, much like medicine.
The fitting feature of the princess seam creates a flattering silhouette and a defined neckline accented by a nehru collar. Together they give the coat a streamlined and clean aesthetic. The length is just below the knee with a slight A-line, made dramatic by a single long vent in the back. There are slashed angled pockets on both sides to add to an aggressive and sharp appearance; and a Japanese woven ribbon on the inside of the cuff to add femininity. The lining is a mustard and dark red colour scheme which reflect the subliminal colour branding of Trend Custom Tailors. This type of coat can transition well because of the luminosity of the silk blend. It can go from day to night and is of a weight ideal for year round use.
Whenever possible, we try and get in touch with our patrons and ask them about their experience at Trend and about special features they worked into their garments. We wanted to hear more from Dr. J. Read below to find out her thoughts and experiences with the process and feelings about her new custom garment.
TCT: Why Trend Custom Tailors?
Dr. J: I raked the city for its best and for someone who worked by the same principles – high quality, passionate effort and wicked talent, and found Don.
I pitched the idea of a reformed doctor’s coat that could be pass in passing yet maintain a professional distinction and intrigue. Then Don took that rather vague description and glorified it in his imagination and then into something tangibly magnificent.
TCT: What do the symbols on the jacket mean?
Dr. J: We initially discussed embroidering some of my favourite herbs, but Ian suggested that using chemical symbols pertaining to these herbs might be a better idea. It would be more subtle, a little more intriguing, and scientifically recognizable in an unrecognizable way.
The structures on the jacket are snippets of five different active compounds from some of my favourite herbs – Meadowsweet, Usnea, and Crampbark, to name a few.
TCT: What is your favourite thing about the coat?
Dr. J: How it hugs me. From the outside, it has this very distinguished appearance, but from the inside it fits me like a glove – perfectly and comfortably against all of my nooks and crannies. I’s my bat suit.
