What is it, and how do I wear it?

[OC Richard]

The reasons I believe it was intended to be worn with a belt are 1) images of people wearing this exact form of jacket show them wearing belts (cf the Alexander Brothers) and 2) if it were not intended to be worn with a belt I would expect there to be another pair of silver buttons at or near the waistline.

I'm guessing there's some other sort of fastening at or near the waistline which the belt would cover, either plain black buttons or some sort of hook & eye or press-button closure.

In any case we know it's not a one-off, but something in production, however limited. The Alexander Brothers regularly wore this style both in black and in claret.

Here they are wearing their black ones



Here they are wearing their claret ones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsvZR2Hp1qY

I would love to come across this style in a vintage catalogue! Sans that, I would have to guess that this style was created around the end of WWII and probably had a brief popularity in the 1950s.

Apropos of my mentioning the impact of the WWII British Battle Dress jacket on civilian attire, both Saxon and Highland, here are the Alexander Brothers in jackets quite obviously inspired by the M49