At first glance, our Watermans club jacket and sweatshirt appear to be from another era. The aesthetic is reminiscent of exclusive, preppy clubs with pompous membership criteria--the ones where you might need to be rich, part of some creative class or an alumnus of a certain university in order to join.

This is not the case for the Watermans Club. All that’s required is having a deep appreciation of the sea. That’s it. If you can make that claim, then you've earned the right to be a member. We’ll even let you in on the secret of the embroidered crest: The shield signifies protection, and the anchor behind it, the ocean. The Noah cross sits squarely in the center of that combination. Caring for and protecting the oceans is what we stand for.

Taking a club jacket for inspiration, we’ve made a Watermans’ version of a classic blue blazer with some sophisticated, one-of-a-kind details. It’s made from Escorial wool, a historically prized fabric from a rare breed of sheep with an incredible, globe-trotting story of survival. These curly-fleeced animals originated in North Africa, were adopted by Spanish royalty, and survived extinction twice, by small numbers being exported first to Saxony in the 16th century and then, via the foresight of a Scottish sheep farmer named Eliza Furlong, to Tasmania by boat in 1829. Major wars ended up wiping out those Spanish and German populations, but the Australian flocks survived, and remain the sole source of all the Escorial wool produced today.

The natural curl of Escorial fibers give the cloth produced from them unique stretch and softness. Our Escorial is woven in the United Kingdom from the fleece of sheep descended from the original line that once outfitted Spanish kings. It is the best you can get, and the soft hand and luxurious loft of the fabric make this immediately apparent.

In addition, we’ve used athletic-inspired details to enhance the Watermans Club Jacket’s uniqueness and functionality. Its back is lined like an athletic jacket with moisture-wicking, Japanese poly mesh, and we’ve added a lateral back vent, reminiscent of running and rowing jackets, to enhance breathability. The results are a silhouette that exudes crisp elegance, but that’s designed to allow for a bit more activity while keeping you cool throughout the spring and summer.

Whether you splurge for the jacket or go for the sweatshirt, or neither, we encourage you to join the club. It’s not exclusive at all, but it’s worth being a member if you care about our oceans.