Marc Cain jackets for autumn: seal brown tailoring and the browns around it
The peak lapels on this seal brown Marc Cain jacket point up and out towards the shoulder. Once the single button is fastened, they draw the eye wide and let the waist look neater beneath them. That is tailoring doing its job. Of the Marc Cain jackets we have in for autumn, it is the first we would hand someone to try, and it comes with a trouser cut to match.
Marc Cain's forest night green has had most of the attention this season. The browns deserve their turn. Seal brown and tannin are the two we keep putting together, and the only real colour near them is one tigerlily orange blouse.
At a glance:
- The seal brown blazer is hip length and tailored, with topstitched peak lapels and a single button.
- A slim herringbone trouser in the same seal brown turns it into a suit.
- Our Marc Cain jackets this autumn come in three shapes: that blazer, a relaxed quilted bomber from Marc Cain Sports, and a tannin brown coat that falls below the knee.
- Tannin is the lighter brown, carried by the coat and a slim tapered trouser.
- A black Marc Cain Sports shirt dress and a tigerlily orange crepe blouse finish the edit.
- The seal brown blazer and its trouser
- Marc Cain jackets: picking a length and a shape
- Tannin brown for the colder weeks
- Where the black and the orange come in
The seal brown blazer and its trouser
Up close, the woven cloth on this jacket shows a faint tonal pattern that gives the brown some depth. It comes in gently at the waist and stops at the hip, and topstitching along each lapel edge is what gives a jacket in one plain colour its finish.
Its matching trouser is slim, with a pressed crease down the front that holds its line. Seal brown carries through into the herringbone weave. The leg stops just above the ankle, leaving room for a good shoe or the top of a boot.
Buttoned over its own trouser, this jacket makes a suit in a much softer colour than navy or charcoal. It splits up easily too. We like it over jeans and a polo neck, or over the black shirt dress further down, and the trouser needs nothing more than a fine knit and a loafer.
Marc Cain jackets: picking a length and a shape
Each of our three autumn jackets wants something different underneath it. That turns out to be the most useful way to choose between them.
- The seal brown blazer is fitted at the waist and ends at the hip, so keep the layer beneath it fine: a blouse, a thin knit or a jersey dress.
- From Marc Cain Sports, the smoke quilted jacket is a relaxed bomber with a two-way zip and a ribbed hem. It is lightweight, and a jumper goes under it easily.
- Our tannin brown coat is the long one, below the knee and cut straight through the shoulder, which is what lets chunkier knitwear go underneath without bulk.
On a tailored blazer the shoulder seam should sit at the edge of your own shoulder, and that is very hard to judge from a photograph. You can see all our Marc Cain jackets online, but the seal brown one in particular is worth the trip to Wetherby to try on.
Tannin brown for the colder weeks
Beside the seal brown, tannin looks closer to a rich camel, especially on the softly brushed, matte surface of the coat.
Left untied, this Marc Cain coat hangs straight from a small stand collar to below the knee. A drawstring runs through the waist on slim cords finished with metal tips, there for the days you want some shape. Its buttons sit on an offset placket, so the front stays clean when it is done up. The pockets are deep and set low.
Underneath it we have been wearing the tannin trouser, which is slim through the thigh and tapers to a narrow ankle. Instead of a crease, a seam runs down the front of each leg and keeps the line just as straight. It lifts black nicely.
Where the black and the orange come in
Under the seal brown blazer, the Marc Cain Sports black shirt dress breaks up the browns on days when a trouser feels like too much. It buttons from the collar right down to the hem. The bodice is soft jersey, and the skirt falls into a fluid A-line with pockets set into the seams. Because the sleeves are short and cuffed, nothing bunches up inside the jacket.
Then there is the orange. Tigerlily sits on the warm side of orange, cut in a matte crepe that pulls on over the head with no buttons at all. A soft V splits the neckline beneath a small stand collar, and full sleeves gather into a plain cuff. Put it under the seal brown jacket and the brown suddenly looks richer.
Everything here is in the shop in Wetherby and in our Marc Cain collection online. The forest night green pieces came first this autumn, and our Marc Cain AW26 collection post covers those. Ring us on 01937 585429 and we can put a jacket by for you to try.
Frequently asked questions
How do Marc Cain jackets fit?
Our three autumn jackets fit quite differently. The seal brown blazer is tailored and comes in gently at the waist. A relaxed bomber shape gives the Marc Cain Sports quilted jacket more room, and the tannin coat is cut straight through the shoulder to go over knitwear. Labels carry European sizes and we list UK sizes online, so a 38 on the label is a UK 12. Tailored jackets are the ones worth trying on, because shoulder and sleeve length decide how they look. Come into the shop in Wetherby, or ring us on 01937 585429 and we will describe how it sits.
What is the difference between Marc Cain Collections and Marc Cain Sports?
Collections is Marc Cain's main line, and it is where the tailoring lives. The seal brown blazer and the tannin coat both come from it. Marc Cain Sports is the more relaxed line, with easier shapes and more jersey, which is where our black shirt dress and the smoke quilted jacket sit. On our website the style code gives it away: this season, Collections codes begin BC and Sports codes begin BS. A Sports dress under a Collections blazer is one of our favourite ways to wear the two together.
Can you wear a suit jacket and trousers separately?
Yes, and the seal brown pair is a good one to try it with. The jacket is plain enough to go over jeans, a polo neck or a black shirt dress without anyone reading it as half a suit. Its trouser is slim with a pressed crease down the front, so a fine knit and a loafer are all it needs. Keep a proper shoe with whichever half you are wearing and it will look deliberate.
What colour goes with seal brown?
Black, cream and denim blue all sit comfortably beside seal brown, and so does the lighter tannin brown if you like two browns worn together. For something brighter, tigerlily orange is the colour we have put with it this autumn. It is a warm orange, so it picks up the warmth already in the brown. Bring anything you want to match into the shop in Wetherby and we will hold it against the jacket.
What length jacket suits slim trousers?
A hip-length jacket is the easiest match. It finishes around the top of the leg, so a slim trouser like our seal brown pair carries the line straight down to just above the ankle. Longer coats work over slim trousers as well, because the narrow leg showing below the hem keeps a long shape from looking heavy. Our tannin brown coat falls below the knee, and the slim tapered tannin trouser was an easy choice to go under it.
Written by Jackie
Jackie is the owner of Olivia Grace in Wetherby, where she hand-picks every piece from European collections. She has spent years helping customers find clothes that actually get worn.
