Jacket, suit jacket

Tom Gilbey designed this suit for a client to wear to the captain's dinner on the Queen Elizabeth II liner sailing from New York on 8 October 1969 to Southampton. The suit was completed after four fittings at Gilbey's Sackville Street shop. It is made from blue fabric woven with a ragged zig-zag pattern. The jacket closes with two heavy, square gilt-metal buttons. The suit was worn with a shirt and cravat, made from synthetic crepe printed in blue on white with an Indian-inspired pattern of floral sprays and paisley-style motifs. The wearer later regretted his choice, which looked totally out of place at a formal occasion where dinner jackets were the norm.

Tom Gilbey trained as a tailor and led the design team at John Michael before setting up on his own in 1966 in Sackville Street. His designs balanced informality with strong clean lines, and functionality with creativity. His label reads, 'TOM GILBEY COUTURIER/ DESIGN LONDON/ W1'.

Gift from Geoffrey Osmint in memory of Keith Webber, August 2001.