Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[archibaldleach]



Couple things. How warm does 14 ounces wear? My tailor-to-be suggested that I will wear a coat over the sport jacket most of the time, so weight is not that essential. Is it aesthetics more than anything else? A bit about nomenclature as well. What makes a cloth tweed? In other words, I just looked at a swatch online of blue herringbone. It is 100 percent lambswool. Normally I would associate herringbone with tweed. But is this something else? I thought earlier that you had distinguished lambswool from tweed. Maybe I'm splitting hairs. Sorry if this is an obvious or stupid question.

Everyone is different with how things wear. I find 14+ ounces to wear reasonable warm, such that in 50-65 degree weather I can comfortably wear it without an overcoat. Depending on climate, this means per your tailor that you will have an overcoat on as well. Weight is thus mostly relevant for the range of temperatures you can comfortably wear something without a coat (the top of which will of course be the warmest temperature you can wear the jacket in). You also have a lot of fabrics that offer tweed-like patterns but are not themselves tweed. Tweed fabrics tend to be heavier and rougher. I am sure there are other defining characteristics but those are the ones I tend to think of.

 

[ltontheqt]

One other question: What would you consider the border line for weight? If 14 ounces is right for tweed, where does one start to get into prohibitive territory? I can't imagine walking around with the 19-20 ounce weights. For an overcoat, sure. But not so much for a sport coat.

 

[archibaldleach]

^ I've gone up to 18 ounces. It's perfectly fine in winter and on any chilly fall or spring day where I live. I haven't tried heavier fabrics but I wouldn't have an issue going up to 20-21 if I found something I like.

 

[Grammaton Cleric]

18oz. is perfectly fine for tweed. Most of my tweed coats are 16-18oz. I have one 22oz. coat, and that is uncomfortable in anything beyond the mid-50s.

 

[Parker]

Barima looks awesome in that jacket. Probably not a coincidence that all three of those guys you mention have really thorough knowledge of fashion history, and I would guess have spent a lot of time in thrift and consignment shops. They're not guys who decided they wanted to start dressing well and headed to a bespoke tailor to look at swatches the next day.

Barims also accessorizes with very specific, complementary things. It's not about throwing a wild colored jacket on top of conservative business dress gray flannels, blue shirt and navy tie.

 

[Slickman]

i have a 24oz gamekeeper tweed from johnstons, it is insanely warm and meant for a nyc winter. 18oz should be fine, but remember that you're wearing it under a heavy 18-20oz overcoat, even a 13-14oz sport jacket will feel really warm.

 

[dfoverdx]

There have been a few bold dressers to pass through this forum, and many of them have a style that I admire (Tirailleur1, LabelKing, Barima, etc). Here's Barima in a purple sport coat, for example. I think he looks fantastic.



What makes their style work, I don't know. But I imagine a lot of it is just venturing out on your own with little regard for what other people say.

But yes, people's taste on this forum -- and this thread especially -- tends to be a lot more conservative. I say commission what you want. Just know most people here can't help you decide between a red and purple sport coat. You might have better success PMing certain members on here who have a style you admire (and are equally bold).

I think it really depends on fabric & color combination. Recently i saw some kind of purple in W Bill tweed and Schofield & Smith English wool collection, both are very interesting (not very bold, in any case not shiny and remains on traditional side) that i will buy a jacketing of both to keep at home.

 

[tchoy]

If you are a baller @~ B ~ is doing some W Bill linen run in some exotic colours.

http://chairmanx.blogspot.sg/2014/08/our-new-bespoke-run-linens-from-w.html

 

[Benjamin Chee HH]



If you are a baller @~ B ~ is doing some W Bill linen run in some exotic colours.

http://chairmanx.blogspot.sg/2014/08/our-new-bespoke-run-linens-from-w.html

Haha thanks Tchoy

 

[Concordia]



If you are a baller @~ B ~ is doing some W Bill linen run in some exotic colours.

http://chairmanx.blogspot.sg/2014/08/our-new-bespoke-run-linens-from-w.html

That green looks like their usual olive. Have you compared the differences?

 

[tchoy]



That green looks like their usual olive. Have you compared the differences?

I don't recall seeing a green like this one from W Bill linen book, this looks like darker green to me May be @~ B ~ can chime in.

 

[ldourado]

Gentlemen,
Living at a coastal city in Brazil, with virtually only one season year around, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 30C (68-86F), what would be your fabric choices for a trouser wardrobe to pair with blazers and sportcoats. I'm trying to conciliate durability and the ability to hold a crease with relative thermal comfort.

LD

 

[archibaldleach]



Gentlemen,
Living at a coastal city in Brazil, with virtually only one season year around, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 30C (68-86F), what would be your fabric choices for a trouser wardrobe to pair with blazers and sportcoats. I'm trying to conciliate durability and the ability to hold a crease with relative thermal comfort.

LD

Maybe some lighter weight flannel (12 ounce) for the occasional cool day, but I'd mostly go with Fresco (10 ounce), wool-linen blends and tropical weight wool.

 

[dieworkwear]



Gentlemen,
Living at a coastal city in Brazil, with virtually only one season year around, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 30C (68-86F), what would be your fabric choices for a trouser wardrobe to pair with blazers and sportcoats. I'm trying to conciliate durability and the ability to hold a crease with relative thermal comfort.

LD

Prob just cottons, linens, and tropical wools. Dugdale has some good cottons. I like W. Bill's linens. And Smiths and Minnis are popular sources for tropical wools. As @tchoy mentioned, @~ B ~ also has a bunch of nice warm weather fabrics for sale right now, if you want to contact him.

 

[Grammaton Cleric]

That green linen is quite nice. How does one order?