London gangster Jack Carter (Michael Caine) returns to Newcastle to get to the bottom of his brothers suspicious death. Caine plays a man with authority and presence in abundance, he’s sharp, not afraid of getting his hands dirty and is amusingly an early pioneer of phone sex.
The thriller’s backdrop for the most part is poverty stricken Newcastle, a timely reminder of austere 1970’s Britain. It’s a perfect complement to the films gritty storyline and haunting soundtrack scored by Roy Budd. In amongst the grim surrounds stands the immaculately attired yet downright dangerous Jack Carter.
Carter announces his return to the North East by slipping on a classic double breasted Aquascutum mac over his Saville Row suit just as he steps off the train, from that moment on we know our man means business. The mac adds to Carter’s overwhelming natural authority, calculated psychopathic menace and easy swagger.
Throughout the film Carter is seen in his Aquascutum mac right until the final shoot out when our hero takes a bullet. Featuring the mac in the film helped to propel Aquascutum into a wider public conscience, appealing no longer just to the upper echelons of society but to men with an eye for style.
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It had all started for Aquascutum way back in 1851, operating out of a shop in Piccadilly and then onto Regent Street a couple of years later. Founder John Emery went on to patent the first water proof textile and created what we now know as the trench coat for the British Army in WW1. The creation of the trench coat proved to be the catalyst for Aquascutum’s success, finally man had an elegant coat fit for the city and all that the skies threw at him.
Aquascutum is now rightly recognised as one of the true bastions of British menswear, representing all that is great about British tailoring, outstanding quality, clean lines and a quintessentially British sense of refinement. Because of this Aquascutum’s appeal is wide ranging, popular amongst the suits of the Square Mile and Whitehall, yet equally as heralded amongst the casual crowd.
The Aqua mac is an essential in any man’s wardrobe, especially with autumn just around the corner. An entirely justifiable little present to yourself, both stylish and practical in equal measure.
Visit Aquascutum’s website: www.aquascutum.co.uk
