Withnail's Coat and I

133 points
1/21/1970
5 days ago
by apollinaire

Comments


vi_sextus_vi

Pictures are 1953 and WWI Scots Guards frocks

https://bid.candtauctions.co.uk/lot-details/index/catalog/11...

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/91425-scots-guards-unifo...

that "Scottish romanticism" all but evaporated by the turn of the century, so the "typo"?

Actual 1800s SG uniform

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/uniformi-militari--84443180375...

For comparison, the "timeless" Grenadier Guards frock

https://thelanesarmoury.co.uk/shop.php?code=21282

Bonus: Caspar David Friedrich (another appropriation :)

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/152982/an-intro...

3 days ago

matt_eeee

I've always loved the blocking in this particular shot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l72yHLiw3H4

It makes you appreciate the amount of effort that goes into getting everything just right in film.

3 days ago

redfloatplane

I love it when this kind of thing surfaces on HN. It’s always so enjoyable to have the fractal nature of detail in the world shown to you. Really nice to read as well.

3 days ago

CyberDildonics

I'm not sure it's a fractal nature of detail, it might just be a vague reference to an old movie.

3 days ago

sdwr

Yeah, fractal means you see the same structure, or an equally complex structure, at the smaller scale. This is just details, there's no sustained complexity

3 days ago

alienbaby

Fractal means that something has a fractional spatial dimension. Ie, a fractal plane filling curve would have a dimension somewhere between 1 and 2

3 days ago

redfloatplane

Did you read the article? It's entirely about a concrete artefact from that old movie, down to the kind of tweed, now made by only six people in Scotland. I'm not sure how you come to this response.

3 days ago

CyberDildonics

Is rare tweed fractal detail or is it just an oddball fact?

3 days ago

redfloatplane

Maybe I meant that the amount of detail is sustained no matter how close you look? Maybe I was careless with my words? This is unnecessarily pedantic. I enjoyed the article. See you another time, CyberDildonics

3 days ago

saberience

Don't worry, I completely agree with your original comment and think CyberDildonics is being a bit of a dildo in this case...

3 days ago

CyberDildonics

I ask reasonable questions and because of that you insult me?

3 days ago

sudb

A tangential but interesting takeaway for me from this is that Harris Tweed was at some point in danger of dying out and that it was saved (?!) by now King Charles.

3 days ago

nntwozz

English royalty does this from time to time, through different means.

The Duke of Windsor (formerly Edward, Prince of Wales) is credited with popularizing and essentially "saving" or bringing the Fair Isle sweater to global fashion prominence in the 1920s.

3 days ago

vintagedave

Yes! I hadn't known about Prince Charles' involvement, but its popularity declined drastically in the 70s. Big revival now though.

Fascinating 'hobby drama' story about tweed here: https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/10nps05/fashion...

3 days ago

vintagedave

Three thousand pounds for a replica: https://www.andrea-galer.co.uk/withnail-store/mens-withnail-...

The article veers into a loose advertisement for the designer selling replicas.

3 days ago

ink_13

Not so much replicas as the original maker selling additional editions

TBH if you're the kind of person who wants one might as well go to the source

3 days ago

alienbaby

I looked for this coat, or one like it not so long ago. I found Andrea Galer is making them tailored to order for £2-£3k . Something I can't afford unfortunately. If anyone knows if anything passably similar let me know!

3 days ago

balamatom

Ah, la culture. It's the enemy's pareksalons this time!

3 days ago

toed

Par excellence ?

3 days ago

balamatom

No; like pantaloons but smart.

3 days ago