The Nautical Mile runs along Jefferson between Nine Mile and Ten Mile, a themed stretch of shops, restaurants, boat dealers and marinas both private and civic, facing Lake St. Clair. It produces a particular kind of evening that most of our map doesn’t have: waterfront, warm months, and a crowd that has come off boats.
What that crowd wears
Better than people assume, and specifically: a jacket over almost anything. Boating clothes are practical and unstructured, and a jacket is what turns them into something for a restaurant without anyone going home to change.
Why a jacket rather than a suit
Because a suit jacket separated from its trousers looks orphaned, and a full suit on a waterfront in July looks like a man who got the invitation wrong. A jacket bought to stand alone is the correct garment and it is the one most men don’t own.
How to buy one
Select suits on our floor sell as separates, so a jacket can be bought as a jacket. Roman, master tailor at Lincoln Tailor, on site in our store, sets the collar to lie flat worn open, which is how it will spend its entire life.
Also for St. Clair Shores: Settlers in 1710, and a Boom in the 1950s. More on style consulting, or plan your visit to our Oak Park showroom.
