Clothing is shaped long before it is sewn. It begins with the selection of fabric, the line of a shoulder, the scale of a pocket. It’s defined by restraint as much as expression, by choices about what to include and what to leave out. For the TOAST Foundations collection, each garment is built with longevity in mind, balancing form, function and feel.
The Arlo menswear jacket holds this intention. Cut from mid-weight cotton linen herringbone and garment-dyed for natural colour variation, it has the proportions of a chore jacket and the lightness of an overshirt. Worn open or closed, layered or on its own, it adapts to the season and to the person. Its shape is familiar, but the reading is contemporary - streamlined, functional, unobtrusive. This season, it is rendered in cardinal red and delft blue, sitting alongside core shades of dark moss, indigo and washed black.
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The Arlo has been part of the TOAST menswear collection since its relaunch in Spring Summer 2021, when Catie Palmer joined the brand as Menswear Designer. “It was such an exciting opportunity to build a menswear brand from the strong foundations of our womenswear collection,” she says, “while also having the luxury of starting from a blank slate. We could distill the key items essential to a TOAST wardrobe.”
The design emerged from a close study of historical garments - items sourced, collected and archived by the team over time. These references provide an anchor, especially in menswear, where classic silhouettes endure. “Workwear is key to our aesthetic, it grounds the collection and roots it in something recognisable and functional,” says Catie.
Workwear or chore jackets emerged in late nineteenth-century France and were practical garments for industrial workers. Typically dyed to a deep “bleu de travail,” the jackets were defined by a boxy silhouette, button closure and oversized pockets for holding tools, notebooks or gloves. The loose shape ensured ease of wear, and, paired with a sturdy weave, the design has endured. “We have a large archive of garments collected over the years and in that, there are plenty of chore jackets,” says Catie. “The Arlo is a culmination of that research.”
While archival references are present, the design is not nostalgic. “It’s about the silhouette,” says Catie. “Although we are referencing vintage garments, we don’t want to be too literal. We have a meticulous fitting process to ensure the shapes are spot on and feel contemporary.” Every detail of the Arlo, from the corozo buttons to the topstitching, earns its place. “The key is that we lead with functionality. Details are useful, not superfluous.”
The jacket sits purposefully within the Foundations collection, a considered, seasonless edit built around longevity, ease and functionality. “Really it’s the recognisable styling of our Arlo jacket that makes it such an easy piece to add to your existing wardrobe,” says Catie. “It’s a reference to chore jackets with the practical pockets and simple straight silhouette. And the midweight fabric means it is suitable for all seasons,” she adds. “It can be layered under a coat as an overshirt in the winter, or simply worn over a T-shirt as a jacket in the summer.”
The herringbone weave, long associated with utility garments, lends both structure and strength to the Arlo’s shape. “Herringbone is a traditional workwear weave,” says Catie. “It creates a sturdy, dense structure to the fabric. The cotton content also gives strength and durability, while the linen brings texture and character to the fabric.”
Once sewn, the jacket is garment-dyed: a process that allows for rich colour tones, softening the overall feel. The garment is constructed from undyed fabric and then the whole piece is dyed, so that the fabric and thread take on the hue. The gentle variation gives a worn-in feel. “Each shade is specifically chosen,” says Catie. “Our jacket is not just in a solid black, it’s a beautifully washed-down black; it’s not just a bright blue, it’s a wearable workwear blue that is reminiscent of archive jackets.” The cloth will continue to shift with wear - softening, fading, shaping itself to the body. “The nature of cotton linen is that it will get more character as you wear it, it almost moulds to the wearer.”
Like all pieces in the TOAST collection, the Arlo comes together through close collaboration between designer, fabric specialist and product developer. “It’s really collaborative,” Catie explains. “Designers plant the seed for the idea but the realisation of the piece is very much down to a close collaboration between the design, fabric and product development team.”
Pattern cutting is an “art form” at TOAST, says Amy Waterworth, product development and pattern room manager. “It requires precision, care and a deep understanding of the wearer. When specifying and cutting each pattern style, we take great care to ensure that measurements reflect the true fit preferences of our customers,” she says. “Each garment is not only thoughtfully designed, but genuinely tailored to the needs and expectations of those who wear it.”
That clarity of intention threads through the whole menswear collection. “We foster a thoughtful design process, paying close attention to the details, silhouette, colour and fabric of a garment, always with its functionality at the forefront,” says Catie. “And that functionality really comes down to making pieces that are made to be lived in.”
Discover the Arlo Garment Dyed Herringbone Jacket and our Women’s and Men’s Foundations.
Words by Alice Simkins Vyce.
Photography by Aloha Bonser-Shaw & Suzie Howell.
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