Our Rumsey blouson takes inspiration from the classic British Harrington jacket. Originally designed in the 1930s as a golf jacket to be worn on drizzly English fairways, the Harrington quickly replaced the longer Mackintoshes as the rain gear of choice for avid golfers at the time.

Over in the United States, the Harrington exploded in popularity when James Dean wore his iconic red blouson in Rebel Without a Cause.  Following Dean, Elvis Presley wore a Harrington in the 1958 film King Creole and Steve McQueen wore a navy version in the stylish classic The Thomas Crown Affair, permanently cementing the Harrington’s place in mid-century American pop culture. 

Owing to its golfing heritage, we decided to name our version The Rumsey Blouson, after Commander R.M. Rumsey, founding member and first captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club.

Traditionally, Harringtons were made with water resistant cottons, so our Rumsey Blouson needed to have the same functionality. Italian wool mill DRAGO’s Rugby Flannel range immediately came to mind.

Made with 100% Super 130s Merino Wool, this flannel is treated with a water resistant finish that allows water droplets to slide off the surface. Additionally, the fabric’s natural stretch weave provides the perfect amount of functional performance to our classically styled jacket. 

In terms of construction, the Rumsey Blouson is made in house, which gave us incredible flexibility to fully develop even the smallest details.  In reference to our bespoke tailoring roots, we opted for suit style interior pockets. For an extra layer of luxurious comfort, we lined the insides with our overcoat weight bemberg for a buttery smooth feel. Buttonholes are also handsewn for an additional sartorial touch. 

Raglan sleeves are a signature of the original Harrington as they allow for greater movement. With additional space in the underarm area, users could swing their golf clubs without the armhole catching at the armpit. In staying true to the original, our Rumsey Blouson are cut with the same Raglan sleeve. 

One final small detail not to be missed. As needed for an Autumn/Winter jacket, we included handwarmer pockets made of shirt-weight corduroy for an extra bit of toasty comfort.

Our Rumsey blousons are now available to purchase RTW online and in stores. For MTO orders, please contact your local Ascot Chang store for details, or send us an email to customerservice@ascotchang.com