I stumbled on Ring Jacket by accident. I was bumming around Lenox Square with Mrs. RCS and stuck my head into H.Stockton to see the guys. They were excited to show me this new brand they were carrying, and explained how they were changing the sport coat game. That brand was Ring Jacket.
I reached out to Nicholas Ragosta, who is the Director of Ring Jacket in North America about the company. Not only is he going to be visiting H.Stockton at Lenox Square on Thursday and Friday of this week, he was nice enough to give us some context, along with some images from their Spring/Summer 2016 Lookbook:
What is the history of Ring Jacket?
In the mid-1950’s, the company was born out of a passion for clothing and a commitment to quality. Ring Jacket’s founder, Fukushima-san, was the son of a very elegant man, and had a deep appreciation for beautiful clothing. Frustrated that he couldn’t find quality ready-to-wear suiting, he left his job at an insurance company and set out to create a product that was of the same caliber as custom-made garments. After experimenting with outsourced production that was not up to his quality standards, he established his own factory with experienced, highly skilled Japanese tailors, prioritizing quality over cost in the production process.
The original aesthetic of the brand was classic Ivy-league, an emerging stylistic movement in Japan at the time of the company’s founding. However, the son of the founder (who is the current president of the company) was a fan of Italian style, and when he took charge of the company in the 1980’s, he exerted this influence on the product, and by extension helped popularize this aesthetic in Japan. Ring Jacket has been refining their take on this look ever since.
What makes Ring Jacket a significant player in the menswear space?
Ring Jacket is new to most of the world, but the brand has a rich history rooted in quality production, beautiful exclusive fabric, and comfortable elegance. All of our tailored clothing is produced in-house, with a full-canvas construction that utilizes the hand-sewing skills of the artisans in our Osaka workshop. We’ve become known in part for our distinctive fabrics, which we develop in Japan exclusively for our use. Additionally, the seasonal collection includes fabrics from the finest mills in Europe.
For us, beautiful clothes should be stress-free for the wearer, so our garments are always softly constructed and comfortable. The result is a product that is fresh and current, but always elegant – classic clothing reinterpreted in a modern and comfortable way.
Can you describe the differences in Italian craftsmanship vs. Japanese?
In our workshop we focus on quality and precision. Garments are constructed using both hand and machine techniques, and machines are always set at the slowest possible speed so that the result is similar to hand-sewing. We take great care to always exercise the highest attention to detail.
What sort of gentleman is a Ring Jacket customer?
Ring Jacket is for anyone who loves clothing, enjoys wearing it, and appreciates quality and value.
What is Ring Jacket’s value proposition to your customers?
Try it on and you’ll see! Beautiful garments, quality construction, unique cloth, and easy wearing…
I can personally say that Nick hits the nail on the head when it comes to Ring Jacket’s value proposition. When I tried on the Balloon Jacket at H. Stockton, Mrs. RCS said something to the effect of ‘that jacket is perfect’. It felt great…and that was off the rack. While Ring Jacket may be an investment, you’ll be surprised at how well it feels, and how well it’s constructed. You could wear this jacket while hitting golf balls at the range. It’s that good.
So this Thursday or Friday, be sure to stop by H.Stockon to meet Nick and to give Ring Jacket a spin.
