It is no secret that the designers at Drake’s are masters at unstudied tailoring. The London-based brand churns out one line of covetable, put-together, but always relaxed suits and separates after the next. And this season the label is in top form, taking inspiration for its Autumn Winter collection from the dusty libraries and classic codes of collegiate dressing. It’s mixing nubby tweeds, chunky knit sweaters, and preppy blazers into a look that is far from stuffy. Instead, it has us wishing we were headed back to school this fall.
That co-ed fantasy is stoked by Oxford’s dreamy backdrop, where the images in the gallery above were all shot. Limestone walls and gothic architecture make pieces like a deep navy corduroy suit ($1,395) look classic instead of trendy, as so many more retro-leaning corduroy pieces do (the brand even manages to make the khaki version walk the line between traditional and modern). An olive-green oversized teddy coat thrown over the top keeps things feeling even more relaxed—a perfect thing to throw on for days when you can’t be bothered to fuss about your outfit.
Striped knits, slim-fitting rugby shirts, and boldly patterned sweater vests get the season’s preoccupation with 1990s prep just right (Rowing Blazers, another collegiate-inspired brand, also nails a more casual take on the modern-prep aesthetic). The sweaters in particular look like they’ve been in your closet for years, balancing bold purple-and-yellow colorways with perfectly worn-in brushed Shetland wool ($225). Admittedly, pairing that particular piece with a brown Prince of Wales check blazer, like the brand has done here, may lean more Nutty Professor than you can get away with on your day-to-day, so we’d suggest toning it down with a dark blazer and polished trousers.
The collection’s topcoats also serve to temper its overtly retro colors and patterns. Each features a classic shape—think an elegant double-breasted greatcoat complete with shoulder epaulets or a more unstructured style with raglan sleeves roomy enough to layer over your thickest sweater—that puts fine material and texture front and center. Intricate pepper-gray herringbones and large-scale tweeds make for easy, everyday styles, while a bold red tartan topper and a cozy corduroy robe style ($1,495) are an ace take on the statement coat.
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