Foreword from the General Manager -
I say the same thing every year – where has this year gone. Christmas, New Year, January Pitti, it all feels like yesterday. I know I’m not alone in thinking there is never enough time in the day.
Here we are doing it all over again. Our team has been travelling, the peak of the season has shown positivity from our retailers, conversations of what’s next on our radar are regular, and we’re preparing to work smarter as the season shifts towards our (marginally) calmer Q3.
I’m certainly excited for what’s next, as it’s been an organisation-wide effort for 2024 thus far. JC launched its first fully handmade garment, something incredibly discerning and refined. Our new Shirt V3, a renewed vision for the future of our shirt program. Three new sneaker models, an always refreshing release of modern designs across the product range, and finally the FW24 collection - our largest ever at +300 fabrics.
We have new team members, both Europe and Australian offices. Talented experience, with fresh energy keen to accelerate the business ahead. A renewed lens of what JC looks like in 2024 and beyond. We also say goodbye to one long standing team member, Giulietta. Her time at JC has been nothing short of amazing and we wish her the best in her next career pathway.
I thank our loyal customers, our manufacturing partners, and our team for a big start to the year. We are ambitious, we are hungry, and we look ahead with positivity for the growth pathway we feel is ours to share alongside you, our partners.
General Manager
Lachie Watson
NEW DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
Jacket 12cm lapel - peak, and notch
Last season we brought you the widest lapel to date at 13cm, both notch and peak variations. Based on market demand we decided to introduce the 13cm first, skipping the 12cm option for the interim. That gap has now been filled.
Jacket 2mm & 6mm pick stitch including hem
For this season we have introduced a new location for AMF (or pick stitching). We now have the ability to apply a pick stitch at the jacket hem. A beautifully casual detail for jackets, particularly in cotton & linen. Available in 2mm and 6mm variations.
Handmade bar tacks - jacket, trouser, waistcoat
One for the sartorially minded customer, handmade bar tacks are a fantastic subtle design addition to our jacket, trouser, and waistcoat programs. A small refined detail, where the phrase “if you know, you know” comes to mind. The bar tacks while serving a functional purpose of reinforcing areas of the garment that take considerable wear and tear, more so they are simply pleasing to the eye with their slightly raised appearance - similar to a milanese buttonhole, not to mention they give the garment a more handmade sensibility. Explore these locations throughout our images in the journal.
V2 trouser - 2 pleats - coming late june
After many seasons of refinement to incorporate this feature onto a slim pattern without ruining the integrity of the fit, we are pleased to release the double-pleat option on the V2 trouser model. Some say two is better than one, the choice is now your advantage.
Shirt - stitched down placket
A subtle design addition, more so a practical extension, we introduce a new placket type. The Stitched Down Placket reinforces the strength of the buttonhole side of the shirt, and increases the longevity of the shirt whilst maintaining the cleanliness of a plain front. Worth a try to see if you like it.
Shirt - monogram on label
For the first time ever we now offer a monogram on-label for our shirt program, reminiscent of laundry labels that would be applied to school uniforms, how nostalgic indeed. The label can be applied in two positions; inside placket at the bottom hem, or inside neck under the collar band.
Womenswear is something at the forefront of Jerome’s planning and future design endeavours. Each season we continually build the program to bring it more inline with the extensive men’s line.
Half canvas jacket
New this season, we are delighted to introduce a half canvas make. A superior make then its predecessors, the half canvas make will provide structure and cleanliness through the bust and upper body. More formal than the Semi Traditional and Unconstructed versions, premium lightweight layers of canvas are applied to create a beautiful feminine appearance.
Stitched front crease
A market-led request, the trouser stitched front crease is a non functional design, yet aesthetically pleasing. From a practical point of view it allows for the crease to extend through to the waistband and will keep the trouser line sharper for longer.
Natural shoulder (no shoulder pad)
A new shoulder type, with the ability to be applied to all interior construction types. There will be some natural shoulder pleating depending on size and fabric choice, but certainly a nice dash of sprezzatura.
NEW PRODUCTS
Fully Handmade
By far one of the most, if not the most exciting addition to the Jerome offering is the new Fully Handmade make. A premium elevated version constructed totally by hand, the FHM also features a much larger array of handwork through the production process.
Offered for jacket, trouser, and waistcoat, you will measure using mastergarments or body measurements, utilise the same current design options, and input orders using the same user friendly system that you are familiar with. Ordering a fully handmade product could never have been simpler.
The production timeline is only extended an extra five days, with time being saved through keeping the pattern creation and lazer fabric cutting digital, but enhancing the product through handmade features that are noticeable and seen by the customer. It wouldn’t be a stretch to describe this make as “semi bespoke” or “bespoke finished”. A beautifully handmade garment completed in 15 production days is an outstanding accomplishment.
Take a look through to discover each of the several handmade features to get an understanding of what makes this product particularly special.
Flower loop
Located underneath the lapel, a nice little sartorial detail to keep your flower stem in place if you were placing the flower through your working lapel buttonhole.
Side Seams
Not outwardly visible, however this refers to the front and back panels being put together by hand - something not previously offered under the standard handmade option. This is how you know the product is completed by hand.
JACKET
Button Attachment
Buttons attached in the shank method by hand.
Inner Shoulder Seam
Another internal feature is the inner shoulder seams, located where the lining for the sleeve attaches to the jacket body.
Sleeve Vent Assembly
A somewhat hidden feature referring to the underside of the sleeve vent. Unbutton and turn back your sleeves to find the cuff and vent assembled in a row of beautifully handmade stitches. You will also notice the angle at where the cuff meets the vent is no longer a ‘perfect’ diagonal but a tightly stitched seam full of character.
Label Attachment
The label attachment completed by hand is another zig zag pattern, with stitches being larger and less uniform than its machine-completed counterpart.
Buttonholes
A key feature of FHM, and possibly the most visual to the customer, are the handmade buttonholes. Distinguished from machine buttonholes by their imperfect character, it is always one of the identifiers for a product made or finished by hand. Refined elegantly on the FHM make - all buttonholes contain a bartack at the finish which elevates each sartorially.
Collar Attachment
A universally accepted hallmark of quality and high-end suiting is when the collar is attached by hand. Makes it easier to create shape in the neck and fronts of the jacket, typically subtle but can be seen through any variable stitches after turning the collar up.
Bar Tack on Sleeve Vent
The bartack on the sleeve vent, more aesthetic than functional in nature, is a raised tack in the method not dissimilar in style to a milanese buttonhole. It is subtle yet noticeable and creates a lovely detail on the sleeve.
Hanger Loop Attachment
Completed by two rows of small stitches on either side to secure the hanger loop inside the neck.
Bottom Lining Facing
The bottom lining facing is a carry over feature from Traditional and Handmade. This is where the inner lining meets the fabric at the bottom of your jacket. Peak under the purposely excess lining by gently lifting it up and you’ll find a zig zag attachment stitch.
D Tacks / Bar Tacks
Located on the pocket edges, the slightly imperfect nature of each tack is a nice sign that your suit has been finished by hand. The pic stitches that make the “D” are also not totally uniform as a machine stitch.
Pick Stitching
One of the most beautiful aspects of the FHM product is its pick stitching. Applied by hand using a thicker thread, the pick stitching has a more raised appearance when compared to a pick stitch done by AMF machine. With natural imperfection that a true menswear enthusiast will undoubtedly appreciate, this detail is something particularly worth highlighting.
TROUSERS
Button Attachment
Buttons attached in the shank method by hand.
Bar Tacks
Located on the pocket edges, the slightly imperfect nature of each tack is a nice sign that your suit has been finished by hand. The stitches that make the “D” shape are also not totally uniform as a machine stitch would be.
One Piece Interior Waistband.
When selecting Fully Handmade trousers - they come with a beautiful one piece interior waistband construction. Attached to the waistband via a stylistic zig zag stitch, the interior curtain is all one piece that runs from front to back including the pocket bags. As part of this interior, the premium gripper tape is applied to the curtain by hand. The exterior waistband is attached to the trouser panels by hand, and when selecting belt loops or side adjusters, regardless - each is also applied to the waistband by hand.
Buttonholes
A key feature of FHM, and possibly the most visual to the customer, are the handmade buttonholes. Distinguished from machine buttonholes by their imperfect character, it is always one of the identifiers for a product made or finished by hand. Refined elegantly on the FHM make - all buttonholes contain a bartack at the finish which elevates each sartorially.
Pick Stitching
One of the most noticeable and beautiful aspects of the fully handmade product is its Pick Stitches. Working with a thicker thread and when completed by hand the pick stitching has a more raised appearance that a pick stitch done by an AMF machine. This is in our view all in keeping with the hand made appearance and that slight imperfection that a true menswear enthusiast will undoubtedly love and appreciate.
WAISTCOAT
The Fully Handmade waistcoat always features a full canvas construction. The detailed handmade features mirror the jacket, which includes buttonholes, button attachment, bar tacks, and pick stitching in multiple locations.
Toile Fitting - launching mid June
A brand new service/product to the Jerome package is the Toile Fitting stage.
Common in the process of bespoke suiting, the toile is a disposable shell of a garment that allows a tailor or fitter to check their initial measurements and make any necessary pattern changes before proceeding to make the actual garment from the desired fabric. We suggest using this new product when encountering a tricky fit, or using a very premium cloth. It could also be used as a first step before committing to the Fully Handmade make, avoiding costly measurement errors and large scale local alterations.
Made only in one fabric option - a natural undyed light cotton sheeting with seeding sourced from Japan, this disposable fabric at least leans towards reducing the environmental impact.
General design options are not available for selection on the toile, with the only option being to select single or double breasted closure. Ordering is made easy by entering the toile specific fabric code JCTC001 - add your fitprofile or body measurements and process your order.
Sneakers - launching late June
Introducing three new sneaker models for a refreshed vision of our existing program.
Modeled off the ever popular Low Top, we now present the High Top. The same sneaker with the same customisable details as the Low Top, this model comes up to ankle height and is the perfect winter version of its Low Top relative.
The Chelsea Boot is an all time classic piece of footwear, characterised by its elastic side panels and pull tab, and is synonymous with the Beatles and 60’s British Mods. For this season we have introduced a sneaker version. All the classic characteristics now on a rubber sneaker sole.
The 2 Eyelet Moc Toe Derby, another modern take on a classic shoe. Chunkier shoe models have been trending for a while, which makes sense given the reduction of skinny and slim trousers. Wider hems allow for more freedom in your footwear. The chunky profile of this style is slightly refined on our model with the sleeker rubber sole. We would describe this model as a good ‘inbetween’ option, not too formal, not too casual.
NEW FW24 SEASONAL COLLECTION
We are excited to announce FW24, our biggest collection drop ever.
Totalling just over 300 fabrics – there are too many highlights to mention just in one paragraph. As always, the JC team favourites are the on-trend seasonal colours, luxurious black-tie baratheas and velvets, the addition of vegan suede which we haven’t done before, and a casual folder of +70 fabrics whereby you feel like you can order one of every option.
Three main categories we addressed this season – Seasonal, Formal and Casual. Seasonal focuses on the fresh and interesting designs for the season ahead, Formal is our core event/wedding box overhauled with key qualities you always want on stock, and finally our Casual core overhaul which includes numerous new qualities perfect for building a wardrobe outside of regular suiting.
This season's release focuses on fresh varying tones of beige & grey, highlighting wearability and a sense of ease in casual attire. Rich caramel browns, deep eggplant shades, natural forest greens, and warm ocean blue highlights round out a thorough and elegant offering for FW24.
Colour themes: Natural, Grey, Blue, Forest, Eggplant
Fabric suppliers: Angelico, Drago, E.Thomas, Marlane, Reda, VBC, Zignone
Formal Box
Where tradition meets modernity.
Another item that excited the team internally is the overhaul of the in-house Formal collection. With MTM globally having more and more reliance on the wedding market, the timing couldn’t be better to relaunch the most comprehensive event/formal collection we’ve ever put together.
Sourcing +50 fabrics from the likes of Angelico, Marlane, Zignone, Pontoglio, Loro Piana and Brunello, the collection features all the classic barratheas at multiple price points, nine plush velvets, and some playful ceremonial paisleys and jacquards for the more adventurous.
Naturally classic formal colours of white, midnight & black throughout, with a nice dose of champagnes’, burgundies, dove-grey, and mid-navies perfect for formality. And for colour, we introduce red, deep purple, grey and green velvets, with the finale being various jacketing in two-tone patterns, 3D geometric patterns, and baroque floral prints.
Casual Box
Comprehensive informality.
The casualisation of the corporate world is no longer a new phenomenon or a novel idea - we all know there are less 2-piece 100% wool suits being made for the white collar worker. This speaks to the opposite end of the importance of wedding suits, at the other end of that spectrum is casual tailoring, it’s time to get creative. The new Casuals bunch meets the market needs after a thorough refresh.
For JJ05 - we’ve created 2-piece suits in machine washable cottons (pictured right) that are unlined and unstructured in the jacket, and trousers with a self fabric waistband and no knee lining for a ‘chino-esque’ feel.
The collection features +70 suit, jacket, trouser, blouson, and casualwear fabrics. Two cotton qualities - one heavy, one light. Two linen qualities - one heavy, one light. Seersucker stretch, corduroy stretch (pictured left), moleskin stretch, finally rounded out with some poly-stretch technical fabrics.
An exercise in year round comprehensive informality. We have scoured the globe for the best from Italy and Japan using the likes of Duca Visconti, Tessuti Di Sondrio, Brisbane Moss and more to create this 2024 Casuals iteration.
Cut-Length Supplier Highlight
Carnet & Ferla Collaboration.
Each season we work with our fully factored partners to bring you their latest cut-length bunches.
Along with this work we get the opportunity to see what each vendor is doing, and recently we’ve been blown away by the collaboration between Carnet and Ferla.
Ferla have become known for their ability to blend traditional tailoring cloth with modern and rare compositions that result in an offering you can’t find elsewhere. Our selections highlight its uniqueness but also versatility - creating an overcoat, a sports jacket, and a blouson - the full spectrum of Jerome outerwear. We hope your creative senses are tingling after seeing our inspiration.
If you are underutilising our cut-length service, please get in contact for options.
Body Measurements
Now available for all products.
In the field of new developments, we now release the ability for all products to be ordered via body measurements. After data and pattern analysis we have created the system allowances to ensure the product suite fits well, and you always still have the ability to increase/decrease allowances as desired. If you are a MTM specialist of the traveling variety, or operate a showroom without storage needed for master garments, then this could be the solution to expand your product offering.
Gilet & Field Jacket reminder
Cut-length launched.
At its inception the Gilet and Field Jacket programs were limited to the in-house selection.
This program is now open to all cloth selections from Loro Piana and Stylbiella. This season we’ve showcased lightweight flannels from Stylbeilla in autumnal tones to present the depth and opportunity that these programs now have.
A heavy field jacket is the perfect alternative to an overcoat, and a cashmere gilet is a luxurious transeasonal piece you absolutely need.
Software Training Videos
Designed for you - We recently released a series of training videos talking you through the functionalities of the ordering platform. Perfect if you’re a brand new user, or for those who wish to understand more, the videos are clear in explaining how simple and user-friendly the software is, and we may have included some very helpful tips and tricks as well. All videos are located in the system under the Training & Guides section.
Sales & Margin Reporting Functionality
A small upgrade but an important one - after many discussions with our retailers, we noticed that many needed guidance on pricing their products. With many factors contributing to overall cost, creating an RRP can sometimes be challenging, hence we’ve built the pricing calculator to assist you. The calculator works two ways - One being based on a multiplication of your total costs, the other a percentage gross margin. Additionally, there is also a margin dashboard that allows you to pull and download the data so it can be analysed. This is another one of those time consuming tasks that the system now takes care of for you.
Touch base with our team for more.
Language translation: Spanish
Hola amigos! Jerome pronto estará disponible en español!
We are slowly converting the ordering platform and supporting documents into Spanish, simplifying Jerome once again for non-english speakers. Once we complete Spanish, we’re onwards and upwards to the next language conversion.
COMING SOON
Kidswear
A brand new product category that is set to launch in 2025 is our kid’s program. Consisting of four products - jacket, trouser, waistcoat and shirt, the size range will cover from 3 year olds right through to 15 / 16 year olds, or until that person would fit into the smallest mens block. That small snippet is all we’re willing to give away for now, but please enjoy a little preview.
Women’s Overcoat
The continuous upgrade of the women’s program is at the forefront of the Jerome design team. And a key element to this advancement is a dedicated Overcoat program.
Likely to consist of two distinct fits - a Slim, and an Oversized, the Slim pattern will be a more structured and defined tailoring style - inline with the lady who prefers to have something fitted and slimming even for an outerwear piece. The Oversized, is a little more nonchalant with relaxed characteristics, wide raglan shoulders, and robe-like in nature. On launch, we certainly encourage you to explore both options and expand your offering.
The program will feature a full range of fittools, and a refreshed in-house collection being worked on in the background.
New Shirt V3, including new fittools
A top priority project for our team releasing in Q3.
We energetically announce the brand new V3 Shirt pattern. After several rounds of intricate pattern updates and meticulous prototyping, the V3 master pattern is a renewed vision of the future shirt program.
The neck shape and collar band have been recurved to lift the front panels, repositioning the neck button and top button, whilst bringing the front panels closer to the customers upper body. An enhanced fit through these areas of the shirt result in a cleaner look for the wearer, and a collar which stands perfectly.
Included in the master pattern changes, the forearm width has been increased slightly to allow for more movement when selecting the standard two pleated sleeve design.
Only offered under the V3 release, we introduced three brand new fittools to allow you a greater degree of control over the desired fit.
Firstly, we have a ½ Back tool driven by your feedback to be enabled to alter the upper back area without affecting the front panel. No longer do you need to use the ½ Chest to somewhat change the size of the back.
Secondly, we have a 1/2 Back Waist tool. Similar to the principles of the Back Waist and Sway Back tools for the jacket, when the customer has excess fabric in the back panel caused by a unique posture or curve in their back, this will allow you to reduce and shape the back panel whilst not changing the front panel.
Last but certainly not least, we introduce a 1/2 Forearm fittool. Positioned 15cm up the sleeve from the cuff, this fittool will give you the ability to control the circumference of the forearm without having to change the number of pleats or the measurement of the cuff.
Revamped Collections
The revamping of the Formal and Casual collections is a fine example of our dedication to this area of MTM, and how fine tuned we have become in putting collections together that translate to sales. This same dedication is now being reviewed for our Shirting and Coating collections. Stay tuned for more updates to these collections.
Language Translations
The revamping of the Formal and Casual collections is a fine example of our dedication to this area of MTM, and how fine tuned we have become in putting collections together that translate to sales. This same dedication is now being reviewed for our Shirting and Coating collections. Stay tuned for more updates to these collections.
Tall & Stout
Something we’ve gradually worked on for a while now, and soon to be released. Infrequently used in certain global markets, and more important in others, this will be a nice addition to our trouser offering.
There is always more we’re working on in the background, and that’s what keeps it exciting. We’ll remain tight lipped until the time is right to tell you more.
Until then, we hope you’ve enjoyed JJ05 and this season's releases. As always - Happy selling from JC.
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