JENNYSCHWARZ

Having already obtained two life threatening bullet wounds to the chest during the American civil war before he had embarked on his outlawing campaign, Jesse James already had more than a taste of killing. A former guerilla, he quickly rose in notoriety and his head soon had a price upon it. As part of the James-Younger gang he rode with other former confederates who had come from farming communities. These were usually hard working men who rode horses and earned their living from the land. New clothing was not overly accessible to most and where the rich would frequent their tailor; the poor would purchase clothes that were ready to wear. These garments were those that the more affluent were discarding to replace with a new set. The fancier the clothes the harder they were to sell making them the cheapest to buy. Horsemen from the 1880s wore well tailored jackets and trousers. The Jenny Schwarz AW1314 collection combines these elements and revels in the irony of the dinner jacket on the farm hand. Practical design plays a big role with heavy fur collars to stave off the cold and high vented jackets for sitting comfortably astride a horse. Tactile moleskin sits side by side with starched cotton shirts and knitwear hints at the undergarments worn beneath an impeccable exterior. There are irregularities within the garments to stay in keeping with the notion that ready to wear was bought for its availability and not its perfection. The navy blue mohair knitwear has purposely placed holes to indicate age and heavy duty leather braces indicate a need to hold up a waistband that isn’t tailored to the individual.