Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[DavidLane]

LL tweed

 

[Concordia]



I have to say that I don't mind the smaller scale in a jacket but for me, wearing a coat and tie on campus with a pocket square is already to be a bit flamboyant so I tend to go for something less salient in the kit when I can (e.g. the plaid I posted above which is subtle).

The LL Shetland isn't flashy-- just less obviously anal than some very small, high-contrast herringbones (which your shots don't really feature, either).

 

[emptym]

If I had only three fabrics, it'd be 9/10oz fresco, 11/12oz flannel, and 7/8oz wool/linen/silk. That pretty much covers San Francisco weather (50-90 degrees F, mild humidity).

Switch flannel with tweed and I'm with you. #4 would be corduroy. Then truly done.

Thanks for that. P&H won @jrd617 's contest, though I think from a different book. Still, the Glenroyal he posted looks almost the same as the above. Perhaps it is.

The above HB fabric looks like it will be a bit darker than the @emptym jacket from that thread but lighter than @NOBD 's

Curious still if people have had some make-ups in similar fabrics.

The LL one is beautiful, as is Mantons, which, iirc is by Scabal and no longer made. Again iirc, he said it doesn't have any brown in it at all, but the colors work together to read brown.

Love my W Bill herringbone and they make many shades. I probably should have gotten a slightly darker one, but I had/have a dark brown velvet jacket and didn't want another dark brown jacket. But if I could, I'd probably trade both for one darker brown hb tweed.

 

[UrbanComposition]

Speaking of corduroy: who are some decent makers? Would really dig a cord suit but have no idea where to source the stuff.

 

[dieworkwear]



Speaking of corduroy: who are some decent makers? Would really dig a cord suit but have no idea where to source the stuff.

I have a suit in Hunter Winterbotham cord. Nice and plush, but like any pure cotton corduroy, it doesn't drape very well. If you're OK with that, Brisbane Moss also has some nice corduroys.

@GusW has a cord jacket that's a cotton/ cashmere blend. I assume the touch of cashmere not only makes it softer, but may also help it drape better.

If you have the jacket and pants made by separate people, be sure to specify the direction of the nap. Most tailors will make the garment with the nap running down, but you never know. Direction of the nap can affect color.

 

[Murlsquirl]



Speaking of corduroy: who are some decent makers? Would really dig a cord suit but have no idea where to source the stuff.

http://www.brisbanemoss.co.uk/browsefabric.php?id=2

 

[UrbanComposition]

Awesome, thanks guys.

IIRC @GusW went with cord with a bit of stretch since the cotton/cashmere blends were pricey. I could be misremembering, though.

 

[dieworkwear]



Awesome, thanks guys.

IIRC @GusW went with cord with a bit of stretch since the cotton/cashmere blends were pricey. I could be misremembering, though.

What color are you getting? I've been thinking of getting another corduroy suit and considering either a rich tan or dusty olive.

 

[UrbanComposition]

Brown is classic, but I think I might choose olive because it's one of the only suit fabrics that looks OK in that color, at least to my eye.

 

[Winot]

I'm going for my first fitting tomorrow for my first cord suit. Went for brown (similar colour to those above) and a 3 piece SB.

 

[lordsuperb]



I have a suit in Hunter Winterbotham cord. Nice and plush, but like any pure cotton corduroy, it doesn't drape very well. If you're OK with that, Brisbane Moss also has some nice corduroys.

@GusW has a cord jacket that's a cotton/ cashmere blend. I assume the touch of cashmere not only makes it softer, but may also help it drape better.

Do you mean the pants don't hold a sharp crease? I've been looking to get some corduroy trouser made, and thought about going as heavy as possible. What's the weight of your suit?

 

[Gus]

I've owned a variety of corduroy jackets starting in college. Corduroy was fashionable, yet casual, classic, affordable and comfortable. I especially liked how it looked paired with jeans. And, corduroy, like denim would get more comfortable the more you wore it. Trad corduroy was available at small specialty stores and almost always had leather woven buttons and came in browns, tans, greens and burgundy.

My first MTM corduroy suit was a 90% cotton and 10% cashmere blend from Isaia about 12 years ago. That 10% cashmere gave it a soft, light feel immediately. It felt like pure cashmere and offered a soft drape from day one. I wore the suit and jacket mostly as separates but went "full corduroy" a few times. I recall taking it to Europe in winter for a 6 week trip as my only suit and it was perfect for travel, walking around cities or in the few places that preferred patrons in jackets and ties.

My second MTM was this green corduroy Custom MTM from Ring Jacket ordered through Khakis Carmel and measured by Mr Sasamoto. I found the Ring corduroy fabrics to be wider wale and too stiff for my tastes. Jim said he would research fabric options for me when I said I wanted a 10% cashmere 90% cotton blend. He came up with over a dozen options and the prices for a cashmere blend corduroy were essentially the same price as 100% cashmere! It was crazy. The 100% cotton options from the major mills I found to be hard, stiff, almost like cardboard and often with a wider wale than I liked. Jim then found a new offering from Loro Piana which had a few percent Elastine. The Elastine gives it a remarkable soft feel and a little bit of stretch. The result was a suit/ that was very comfortable from day one without looking "stretchy" and with a nice drape. I would highly recommend looking into this fabric if LP still offers it. I would order it again.

 

[Gus]

The same jacket with Mr Sasamoto. The lighting here makes look more bottle green but it is actually more of a mossy green which I prefer.

By the way, if you go with an olive or mossy green be sure and get a pink shirt. It is an ideal color combination and a nice change from blue shirts.

 

[dieworkwear]



Jim then found a new offering from Loro Piana which had a few percent Elastine. The Elastine gives it a remarkable soft feel and a little bit of stretch. The result was a suit/ that was very comfortable from day one without looking "stretchy" and with a nice drape. I would highly recommend looking into this fabric if LP still offers it. I would order it again.

Do you find the cashmere affects durability at all? I was looking at cashmere-cotton originally, but wasn't sure if the cashmere would make things more fragile.

Mossy green sounds great, btw.

 

[Gus]



Do you find the cashmere affects durability at all? I was looking at cashmere-cotton originally, but wasn't sure if the cashmere would make things more fragile.

Mossy green sounds great, btw.

I didn't find the cashmere/cotton blend to be less durable than any of my previous 100% cotton corduroy jackets.

As you have no doubt discovered when looking at fabrics or trying different corduroys when made up as trousers or jackets, there is a huge difference in the feel of the fabric that isn't necessarily reflected in the price. You would expect the most expensive 100% cottons to be the softest and to have the best drape but I didn't find that to be true. There are some nice 100% cotton corduroys but often the colors are limited and not appealing to me (such as a pale tan which I think looks faded on most people). I also don't care for the larger wider wale. This was another reason why I went with the LP blend and would recommend it.

Because corduroy can pick up dust and "fluff" I find a medium-dark heathered or mossy color to be best. Loro Piana also offered a heathered charcoal which was handsome, but most guys have plenty of gray. So mossy green, was an ideal Fall/Winter casual suit color. Its a nice way to rotate green into a wardrobe and it compliments my complexion. Another favorite besides medium brown for a jacket is a Port wine or Burgundy. This is another seasonal color to consider that is attractive but not always found in mens wardrobes. It's especially attractive in corduroy IMO but not as a full suit (for me anyway).