Vintage, 1970s, Wide Lapels, Trevira

Dropped stance, wide peak lapels, and patch pockets define a silhouette designed for civic presence and urban intellectual use.

Founded in 1928 in Vienna, Licona established itself as a prominent force in Austrian menswear throughout the 20th century, operating independently of state-controlled systems and distinguishing itself through a synthesis of tailored elegance and functional refinement. Known for outfitting the Austrian Olympic teams in 1968 and 1972, Licona occupied a space between bespoke ateliers and scaled luxury production, drawing a clientele that included Prince Rainier III, Jochen Rindt, and Peter Alexander. While deeply rooted in the traditions of continental tailoring, Licona’s willingness to collaborate with emerging talents—most notably a young Helmut Lang—situated the brand at the intersection of heritage precision and forward-leaning conceptualism. Its work was entirely detached from COMECON or Eastern Bloc frameworks, aligned instead with the liberalized, technologically integrated production logic of postwar Western Europe. The garment in question—a men’s single-breasted, two-button sport coat—embodies the transitional language of 1970s Austrian tailoring. It merges the structured clarity of continental form with a pragmatic, ease-oriented design ethos, expressed through rounded patch pockets, generous peak lapels, and a silhouette tailored enough for professional contexts yet relaxed in its composure. The lapels, broad and sharply defined with clean edge topstitching, function as visual anchors—assertive without resorting to theatricality—while the soft patch pockets democratize the jacket’s formality, rendering it ideal for urban intellectuals, artists, or professionals seeking structured garments that integrate utility without sacrificing identity. The choice of a dropped button stance and elongated body reinforces a Central European design language favoring upright posture and architectural presence. The jacket is constructed using semi-industrial European methods that reflect a transitional period between bespoke and ready-to-wear sophistication. The lapel is stabilized with fused interfacing rather than a fully canvassed core, signaling a cost-efficient production model that nevertheless retains the clean roll and sculptural presence demanded by such lapel proportions. Shoulder construction features moderate padding and a machine-inserted sleeve head, shaped with a forward pitch to accommodate natural arm movement. The two-piece tailored sleeve block enhances articulation without overcomplicating the seam structure. Internally, a viscose lining is precisely machine-stitched and likely hand-finished at high-stress zones, maintaining smooth drape and movement across wear. Pocket construction is exact: patch pockets are cleanly edge-stitched with tension-balanced curves, reinforced at the corners, and aligned with the front panel structure to preserve pattern integrity. The textile—a 55% Trevira polyester and 45% Schurwolle (virgin wool) blend—is executed in a steep 2/2 twill weave, yielding a sharply angled, visually polished diagonal rib. The Trevira component—developed in Germany and widely adopted in Austrian tailoring during the 1970s—provides wrinkle resistance, shape retention, and mechanical stability, while the virgin wool modulates breathability, elasticity, and thermal performance. The weave’s vertical inclination, estimated at a 63° angle, enhances drape and flatters elongated forms, supporting the extended silhouette of the coat. The fabric’s estimated GSM of 260–280 positions it squarely within the trans-seasonal suiting category, maintaining structure without excessive weight. The internal viscose lining supports moisture transport and tactile smoothness, aligning with elevated ready-to-wear logic. In comparative textile analysis, this twill bears resemblance to several heritage weaves. Its crispness and visual refinement echo tropical wool twill, though the polyester blend introduces a distinct synthetic sheen. It mirrors the durability and defined grain of worsted serge, while the steep angle and structure recall wool gabardine, albeit without gabardine’s tightly packed warp density. More directly, it aligns with Trevira-blend twills produced across Austria and Germany during the late industrial tailoring boom, where cost-effective longevity met formal visual codes. Textile mills such as Schoeller Textil AG, Getzner Textil, Tessilstrona, and Klopman International each produced analogous fabrics during this era—merging Trevira with worsted yarns for use in suiting, uniforms, and boutique-ready tailoring. The garment’s internal panel architecture is grounded in a traditional darted block with front-chest shaping and a likely two-panel back with dual vents, consistent with Central European pattern logic from the period. Lapels are executed with unusually wide spread, deep points, and squared notches—eschewing excess shoulder sculpting in favor of upper-torso visual balance. Stitching across the garment reflects high-level production control: lapel points are crisply turned, patch pocket contours are symmetrical and precisely tensioned, edge topstitching maintains consistent density and alignment, and the collar-lapel neckline is joined without distortion. Seam allowances are pressed open or stabilized with internal tape where necessary (particularly across shoulder and armhole joins), and the hem is reinforced with light fusible interfacing to prevent warping over time. Buttonholes are machine-stitched with reinforced gimp threading, and the resin buttons are affixed with clean shanks to sit flush against the surface. The garment’s conceptual underpinnings channel the Austrian tradition of dignified pragmatism—tailoring designed not for spectacle but for intelligent utility. The psychological structure of the piece is calibrated for modern masculinity as interpreted through a post-1968 lens: poised, deliberate, visually legible without veering into indulgence. In aesthetic lineage, this blazer belongs to a mid-century continental tradition also visible in early works by Brioni, Saint Laurie, and later echoed in the architectural minimalism of Eduard Dressler or even the pre-deconstructivist period of Helmut Lang. It is neither costume nor commodity—it is a resolved garment, situated in a cultural and temporal pocket where tailoring served both civic presence and daily function. Chronologically, the garment likely dates to the late 1970s or very early 1980s, preceding Licona’s eventual manufacturing transition to Hungary and capturing the peak quality of its Vienna-based operations. It precedes Lang’s full artistic emergence but sits within the same cultural and geographic orbit—part of a Viennese framework that valued constructional transparency, structural discipline, and material advancement. In today’s market, this blazer holds resonance within archival European menswear circles and offers historical value for stylists or curators examining pre-Lang Austrian formalwear. Its visual language—marked by wide lapels, ergonomic tailoring, and sport-casual adaptability—aligns with contemporary interpretations from Séfr, Studio Nicholson, Lemaire, and De Bonne Facture. This piece, far from being a relic, is a material testament to the convergences of technical tailoring, industrial textile engineering, and regional sartorial philosophy in the neutral center of Cold War Europe.

Measurements (cm):
Chest: 51
Length: 72
Shoulder: 42
Sleeve: 62



Size Conversion (approximate)
US Men’s Size: M
EU Men’s Size: 48
US Women’s Size: L
EU Women’s Size: 40–42


SKU: 015108