One careful owner

In which G.M. Norton feels like a millionaire.

As a regular purchaser of second-hand clothing, whether from a beneficiary boutique or Messrs E&Bay, I often imagine who the former owners were. On occasion, I’ve been known to make up whole new identities in my head, giving them names and different personality traits. 

Occasionally, you will find something in a pocket which provides a little clue to the identity of the former wearer. One jacket had a receipt for some sugar and a pint of milk, dated 1980. Naturally, I pictured them as having an addiction to sugary milk-based drinks. I called him Stanley.

Earlier this week, I took my youngest out for a trip to Alderley Edge in Cheshire. Home to rich footballers, I thought I would find it all terribly pretentious but actually, it was quite quaint. My plan was to explore the four charity shops that are all on the same main high street. It was during this outing that I picked up a blue chalkstripe double-breasted suit.

It was a bespoke number, made by a tailor in Lincoln by the name of Victor Paterson. Obviously very high quality, I was delighted to find that the fit was agreeable enough to hand over £30 to Marie Curie (yes, prices in leafy Cheshire are a little higher than I’m used to). 

Nonetheless, £30 for a suit of this quality is money well spent in my book. 

Back home, I made a discovery - business cards, printed email conversations and a simple Google search lead me to discover that the former owner was a millionaire businessman with a penchant for expensive motorcars. Indeed, from the email exchange, I discovered that his significant other didn’t enjoy either the ride or the noise of his Porsche Cayman so he was toying between a Bentley Continental or Aston Martin Vanquish (priced between £90,000 to £105,000). The Google search also revealed that he was selling a country estate, worth £7 million.

So, now I really do get to dress like a millionaire.

This is my first ever double-breasted suit. You may already know but double-breasted jackets have different button configurations. The most popular is 6x2, meaning it has six buttons, two of which fasten. During the 1990s, 6x1 jackets were all the rage but unfortunately, they haven’t aged at all well.

The double-breasted jacket that I picked up is 4x1, which is probably a little more flattering for the vertically challenged. 

Associated with 1980s fashion (this suit was actually made in 1999), they were also favoured by the Dukes of Windsor and Kent so were around in the 1930s and 40s.

You will notice that the top buttons are spaced further apart than the lower ones.

Pleasingly, the peaked lapels are fairly wide (and cut like knives) and as it is a bespoke suit made by a tailor, it features three button working cuffs. 

This jacket is unvented and is a tad boxy for my liking but it is wonderfully made and very striking. With a bit of luck, the suit will help me earn my fortune as well.

Outfit details:

Suit - Victor Paterson Tailors

Detachable collar - Darcy Clothing

Tunic shirt - Darcy Clothing

Tie - New Sheridan Club

Pocket square - Squared Pocket UK

Boutonniere - Messrs E&Bay

Socks - Marko John's

Brogues - Frank Tailor

Briefcase - Messrs E&Bay

Watch - AVI-8 Hawker Harrier II

G.M. Norton

Protagonist of ‘Norton of Morton’

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