Massimo Alba Bali Jacket – Midnight Blue

A band collar and a patch pocket are both subtractions. The band collar is a shirt collar that was never given a lapel; the patch pocket is a pocket applied to the surface of the cloth rather than cut into it, which means no welt, no flap, and no jetting. Take both decisions on one jacket and almost every piece of tailoring grammar has been removed. What is left is cloth, buttons, and sleeves. That sounds like a reduction and it works as the opposite: with no lapel to announce a suit and no cut pocket to imply an office, a cotton jacket will go wherever a shirt goes and hold considerably more shape than a shirt does.

The cashmere Bali is the piece people fall for and then hesitate over, because cashmere outerwear is a commitment before it is a garment. This is the same outline with the hesitation taken out of it.

Massimo Alba re-cuts the Bali across cloths the way he re-cuts the Florida, and cotton is the least ceremonious form the shape takes.

One hundred percent cotton, made in Italy. Single-breasted with a band collar and patch pockets. Colour: Midnight Blue.

Cotton at jacket weight holds a shape rather than draping, so this sits away from the body more than a cashmere jacket of the same pattern and reads squarer at the shoulder. The band collar sits close to the neck, which means whatever goes underneath should be open or low at the throat; a spread collar will fight it. Patch pockets carry visibly whatever you put in them, which is part of how the jacket looks and worth knowing before you load them. It will soften through the first season and then hold where it lands.

Over the Nizza or the Genova in Bianco, with the Stan trousers in the same blue. Over the Larry crewneck in dark green when it cools. With the Oceano jean for the plainest reading.

Wash cool and hang to dry, or have it cleaned if you would rather it kept a crisper hand. Keep it out of a hot dryer, which is what pulls an applied pocket out of true. Our cotton care guidance covers the rest.

The Bali Jacket in cashmere is the winter cloth. The Stan Trousers are cut in Midnight Blue as well, the Florida Cotton Shirt Jacket is the cotton shirt jacket, and the Lars Shirt is the striped cotton. Everything we carry from Massimo Alba is listed together.