Home / Style / Interviews

Rowing Blazers’ Jack Carlson Doesn’t Want to Make Preppy Clothing

His brand’s fall collection is full of nods to prep’s past, but he wants to reshape its image — and for the better.

rowing blazers Courtesy

By Evan Malachosky

Published

·

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Rowing Blazers is no longer the rookie in the ready-to-wear menswear space. The brand, founded by author, archaeologist and three-time US rowing team member, Jack Carlson, is just five years old, but it has quickly outgrown its amateur air. Before, the brand really only sold rugbies and T-shirts. Now, it’s a bonafide behemoth, with its toes in suiting, outerwear, footwear, made-to-order shirting, vintage watches and home goods, knitwear and even women’s clothing, too.

So, how’d the brand go from lowly upstart with a pop-up in Soho to a major player with investment from Winklevoss Capital (yes, that Winklevoss)? Carlson uses his historical knowledge to turn classics on their head, thus making them more appealing to a wider audience. He nearly singlehandedly spurred the rugby shirt’s resurgence, and has been a driving force in prep’s return to glory — even if others have since carried the torch.

rowing blazers
The patchwork suit is statement maker.
Courtesy

In fact, he doesn’t really view Rowing Blazers as a “prep” brand anymore, even if that’s where his roots lie. With the brand’s Fall/Winter 2022 collection, Carlson is working to change prep’s image by infusing it with sports, streetwear and pop culture references. Using expressive patterns, interesting textures and lots and lots of non-pastel pops of color, he makes it fun — and a truer expression of his own preferences, not those of prepsters past.

To get a better sense of what this collection means to him, and the larger menswear landscape, we caught up with Carlson to chat what’s changed since 2017, what’s next and what exactly Rowing Blazers is, if not a prep brand.

rowing blazers
“I like bright colors,” Carlson says of his eclectic taste.
Courtesy

What does this collection represent for Rowing Blazers? A coming of age? A coming out? Or is it more of the same?

This collection represents the next step in Rowing Blazers’ evolution, but also takes us back to our roots in some ways — with a greater emphasis on tailored clothing, for example, which is now available in ready-to-wear (instead of just made-to-order) for the first time since 2020. I think this collection is a coming of age, in some ways, in that it feels a little more grown-up, a little more mature. We’re continuing some of our long-standing partnerships — with Babar, Sperry, Warm & Wonderful, Gyles & George — and forging some new ones — Hunter, ‘47, J Stark, and a few more things that are launching later this year.

The staples are in there too, including the rugby shirt in a big way, as always. I remember when we first came out with rugby shirts in 2017. Everyone was telling me they aren’t cool anymore. Even my own business partner! I’d like to think we’ve played a role in the resurgence of the rugby, which now of course every brand is doing — though ours are still made in Europe on vintage knitting machines.

Is there a greater emphasis on your balance between British and American influences in this collection?

Our aesthetic has always been based in that classic British and American aesthetic (with some Japanese influences, too). I think in this collection, it just comes to the forefront a bit more. I grew up on both sides of the Atlantic, living in London when I was a little kid, then Boston for high school. As an adult, I lived in the UK for six years or so before coming to New York. I’m an Anglophile, and that’s part of the Rowing Blazers look. I think with the knits, tweeds, and tartans, it’s really clear this season, but it’s always there.

rowing blazers
Before, you could only get the suits custom-made. Now you can order them in whatever size you are.
Courtesy

Are textures and patterns core to Rowing Blazers? Have they always been? I.e.: wide-wale corduroy, tweeds, tartans and colorful rugby stripes.

Yes! There are some patterns and fabrics that are quintessential Rowing Blazers. The ultra wide-wale cord is one of them. I hate corduroy when it’s too narrow. When it’s nice and chunky and really really soft like this, it’s gorgeous. The Gun Check is another Rowing Blazers classic, along with the patchwork tweed — which takes hours and hours to make using leftover scraps of fabric from tweed mills. These are back offered in ready-to-wear suit separates for both men and women for the first time in a couple years.

“‘Prep’ is such a tricky word. I think we’ve actually helped to change the meaning and connotations of the word over the past few years (for the better).”

Is this collection still predominantly prep? Less so? How do you describe the brand’s aesthetic now?

“Prep” is such a tricky word. I think we’ve actually helped to change the meaning and connotations of the word over the past few years (for the better). I try to avoid labels like that, because a word like “preppy” means different things to different people.

Rowing Blazers is kind of just an extension of me and a reflection of the things I like. It’s really as simple as that. I like classic British and American sportswear. I like bright colors. I like corduroy, tweed, Winnie the Pooh, Sonic the Hedgehog, granny sweaters, the Boston Red Sox, soccer scarves, rugby shirts, Wellington boots, mesh shorts… It’s hard to define exactly because I have fairly eclectic tastes.

rowing blazers
Even though he’s a Red Sox fan, Carlson designed both Mets and Yankee caps.
Courtesy

How’d the hats come to be? Everyone does them. How’re these different? And you made a Yankees one?

These are ‘47 — a Boston brand that has been near and dear to my heart for a long time (headquartered right outside Fenway Park, no less). But you’re right, everyone does their version of a Yankees hat (and sometimes a Mets hat). I wanted less in-your-face branding, a mix of both classic and totally unexpected colors, a few more teams (go Sox!) and, most importantly, the luxurious wide-wale corduroy we’re known for. I also wanted to do snap-backs: like a real retro snap-back. ‘47 was great to work with. I am a huge stickler on the corduroy and on color, and they nailed it.

How has the brand grown (or changed) since its earliest days? Does this collection embody these changes/growth?

When we started, we were very small and we basically just made blazers plus a few shirts and accessories. We’ve gradually expanded, first with rugby shirts, then into bottoms, knitwear, tees and sweats of course, outerwear. I’d always wanted and envisioned that collaborations would be an important part of the brand, but you can’t start that way. But very soon after we launched, we were approached by J. Crew, then Sperry, Noah, Barbour, J. Press, the NBA… and it’s just been go-go-go.

It’s fun to keep working with some of the same partners and fun to bring in some more. I think there as a time when people almost sort of started to view us as a streetwear brand, because that’s where people’s minds go when they hear “collaboration.” Other people, I think had a certain idea of us that we were going to be stuffy or pretentious, because they just heard the name and didn’t really know what the brand was about. But as we’ve grown and become more well known, I think it’s really just allowed us to be more us. We defy categories, and we’re not really akin to any other brand out there. We do things our way and that’s the way I like it.

Rowing Blazers Fall/Winter ’22 Collection

Read More

,