The Bite Magazine - Summer 2019 - Issue 25

Oscar Jacobson bite men From creating workmen clothing in the early 20th century to putting their mark on men’s fashion, Oscar Jacobson offers attire that the modern man wishes to wear. Jada Brookes looks at the history of the brand and their SS19 collection. W hen you’re a peddler in the early 17th century and the King issues an ultimatum that affects your trade in and around the district of Sju- häradsbygden in the south-west of Sweden, you have no choice but to comply. It was in 1622 that King Gustaf II Adolf told the traders, “If you do not establish a town for your trading activities so that we can levy taxes on the goods, thus ensuring that the state receives a share of the income, then you will no longer be able to sell your goods at all.” They immediately yielded to the king’s demands and established the town of Borås meaning ‘the peddlers’ town by the ridges.’ Being the centre of trade, and in particular, textile for hun- dreds of years since, the story of menswear brand Oscar Jacobson started with the birth of Johan Oscar Jacobson in 1881. Thanks to his father, Anders, running a travelling salesman business for many years in partnership with his brother under the name of A&W Jacobson, Oscar had the opportunity to witness and learn a great deal about run- ning a business and becoming an entrepreneur. His father and uncle would sell coat fabrics, silk materials and other textiles on their journeys to Småland and Öland. Following in his father’s footsteps, Oscar established his namesake brand in 1903, along with his aunt’s husband, Johan Anders Söderberg. They pursued trading activi- ties in the sale and manufacture of sewn articles which included overalls, work trousers and basic shirts, while manufactured goods referred to cotton and wool fabrics. Although their sales reached 160,000 kronor three years later, Johan Anders decided to retire and was replaced by Oscar’s brother Carl. In 1908, the two brothers launched their ready-to-wear men’s clothing which was a revolu- tionary move from the usual fitted suits. In 1917, the company had their own premises with around 20 seamstresses and Oscar collected his first US-made car, a black Ford Model T. Then in the 1920s, the production process changed from each seamstress making a whole suit, to each one specialising in her particular area. This enabled considerable improvement in quality and fit and helped the business to flourish. However, the overcast of World War II affected their trade during the 1940s and towards the end of that decade, Oscar took a boat over to the US to gain some inspiration from the land of op- portunity. From the 1950s, the founder demonstrated considerable craftsmanship in tailoring and sewing as well as in fash- ion. When his son Anders took over the company in 1958, his strong interest in clothes led him to introduce foreign influences which included working with more exclusive materials such as lambswool and cashmere. The following decade saw a focus on a slimmer silhouette, influenced by the fashion in Britain at the time and thus formed the ba- sis of an effective partnership with the UK market. Oscar, being a man of impeccable style, had this factor imple- mented into the brand through his son. This season Oscar Jacobson curates the ‘The Art of Sum- mer’ through blazers and shirts in wool, linen and cotton. The slim-fitting Hector Unconstructed Blazer in Dark Grey is an unlined garment with no built-up layers in the shoulder or chest. It is made from a pared-back linen and cotton mix that gets better-looking with a little wear. With Images courtesy of Oscar Jacobson