Image © Jose & MidJourney
You may have a name for people like me, the guy who has 15 shirts in four colors and 5 pairs of pants that coordinate with the shirts, and I rotate between them, almost always starting with a white shirt on Mondays, it mentally helps me to feel like a clean slate at the beginning of the week. I don’t even think in the morning, my head is usually at work very early, and the act of getting dress is routinely the same step by step process that includes shaving twice a week and morning chair exercises thrice a week. Yes, I am sure you have a name for people like me, I’m fine with it.
Last week I bought myself a jacket, and that feeling of wonder when you find a product that you fall in love with almost brought me to tears. I have a few jackets, for different seasons and moments, there is the rain coat which I wear even when it’s not raining because it is light and have great pockets to carry stuff, there is the bulky and very warm jacket I only wear when the snow and the cold hits Boston the way it does, there is a leather jacket I carry with me for years and years and though I don’t use it often I cannot give it away. I have a suit, and I have a jacket for formal encounters. Depending on who you are comparing me to, I may have too many or not enough jackets. But for the last 2 years I have been looking for what I call an in-between season jacket, something casual that I can wear to work when it’s getting chilly but it’s not cold yet for the blanket jacket. Though I prefer buying things in physical stores, I hate buying things like these in them because it involves spending the time trying it on and experiencing the feeling of wearing it, I buy most of my stuff in physical stores but for whatever reason always have a tough time doing so for jackets. I have my share of impulse buys that end up in stuff I don’t wear and then give it away for a second life. And, in this day and age, and specifically for jackets (and shoes), I shop the Internet, and I do the thing that many do, I order more than one and try them on, in the comfort of my home, I use it for a while, ask for opinions, try and hone in how it feels. I have learned to trust my gut, and whenever it does not feel good in the first 10 minutes, it’s probably not the right fit. But there have been times it takes longer, because the first reaction is based on body and gut reaction to trying on new things.
This was probably the 10th jacket I have tried on in the last 2 years, I am not compulsive, I try a couple, fail, think to myself “I can’t find it” and “it will come to me one day”, and pause. Then, I go back to it. This is a jacket from a curator, a lifestyle magazine that co-designs products with curated brands and sells them on their online store. I have bought a few things from them, never disappointed me. This jacket is simple, dark blue indigo, classic diamond pattern, couple of pockets in the front, matte looking 100% cotton with a water-resistant finish. The cuts in the back are deeper than usual because I read the jacket was originally designed for horse riding. Inside a couple of pockets but also some deeper pockets that I tried yesterday by shopping for some small items and not needing a bag. It’s from an English brand founded in 1969, made in England, and the label inside reads “this product was inspected and folded by” and a little handwritten sticker with the name, Trevor. The packaging was meticulous, no extra steps, no extra stuff, just a simple but effective experience.
We all have ‘weird’ bodies, and in my case there is always something, good in the shoulders but too soggy on the waist or the other way around, arms too long or too short, tight in the belly that comes with age, but this jacket just fit perfectly, as if it was designed for me, that is how the mind and the gut perceives it. Then it is the feel of the material, soft but robust, you expect it will wear out nicely and resist a few adventures. Inside, the stitching is visibly tough, almost to make a point that the garment will take some abuse without tearing up. The labels are toned down, cursive writing as to indicate tradition, the buttons are heavy duty without exaggeration (zippers can be a pain). It is warm, but not too warm. The feeling you get is of perfect fit and a promise of a long-life relationship that might outlast me, to mind comes an image of me as an older guy still wearing it, perhaps with a few patched areas and some use in elbows and collar, but the expectation is of something that will live and age with me.
Remember, we don’t design experiences, we design touchpoints, products, services, interfaces that come together as an experience that is personal. I wonder, why is it so hard to design products like these?