Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[Concordia]

Worsted suiting, with a sort of herringbone pattern that makes a feint to the old Reid and Taylor fabrics.

Actually, I saw the Standeven Heritage Twist bunch yesterday, and the plainer herringbones are very close to that in style. Not quite so soft a hand, but also worth considering on their own merits.

 

[Concordia]

A few years ago, right after the Harrisons/Lesser/Smiths merger, Smiths Botany got roundly savaged by a sometime member here and on LL. Has anyone tried it more recently, and/or got to compare it to the pre-merger quality? One of the nicest SH suits I have is in sharkskin from that bunch.

 

[cheersmatez]

Ended up getting the merino tweed from abraham moon. For those who is interested, this is the dark grey herringbone. Might not be ideal for trousers though.

 

[jonathanS]

Standeven heritage twist bunches look awesome. I haven’t had anything made up in it yet, but I should change that next year. We’ll see: I always go in with a plan and end up with something totally different. I remember I went in to one appointment wanting a medium gray fresco summer suit double breasted. I walked out with a solid navy single breasted suit. How? I’m not sure.

 

[classicalthunde]

A few years ago, right after the Harrisons/Lesser/Smiths merger, Smiths Botany got roundly savaged by a sometime member here and on LL. Has anyone tried it more recently, and/or got to compare it to the pre-merger quality? One of the nicest SH suits I have is in sharkskin from that bunch.

Also interested to hear about recent experiences with Smiths Botany...its on my short list for a navy formal/business suit...

 

[Baked Potato]

Two questions:
1. I heard that Fox's listed fabric weights aren't per square meter, but insted 1x1.5 meters, is that correct?
2. I am thinking about making up a chesterfield coat in either one of these Fox fabrics: Large Herringbone in Midnight or Fox Classic Midnight Coating. Regarding the velvet collar; where would you guys recommend me to source the velvet from? Should I just go with any velvet my tailor has, or should I go for a more luxury type of velvet, as the coat fabric itself is on the more expensive side? I know that Dugdale and H&S offers velvets, but I've never seen them irl.

 

[Concordia]

Nearly every merchant uses 1x1.5m.

 

[oldworldelegance]

Regarding velvet @

Two questions:
1. I heard that Fox's listed fabric weights aren't per square meter, but insted 1x1.5 meters, is that correct?
2. I am thinking about making up a chesterfield coat in either one of these Fox fabrics: Large Herringbone in Midnight or Fox Classic Midnight Coating. Regarding the velvet collar; where would you guys recommend me to source the velvet from? Should I just go with any velvet my tailor has, or should I go for a more luxury type of velvet, as the coat fabric itself is on the more expensive side? I know that Dugdale and H&S offers velvets, but I've never seen them irl.

1. Yes. 1m x 150cm is standard.
2. I have a jacket made with Scabal velvet and it’s quite nice if on the expensive side. However, you don’t need much for a collar.

 

[Baked Potato]

Regarding velvet @


1. Yes. 1m x 150cm is standard.
2. I have a jacket made with Scabal velvet and it’s quite nice if on the expensive side. However, you don’t need much for a collar.

1. Is 1x1.5m standard all across the board?
2. I've tried googling, but can't find that much information regarding Scabal's velvet. It's Italian, I presume? Hmmm, perhaps something English, as the overcoat fabric itself is English? Yeah, I'm just probably over analyzing, but it's a bit fun trying to keep the coat overly consistent...

 

[CLH03]

1. Is 1x1.5m standard all across the board?
2. I've tried googling, but can't find that much information regarding Scabal's velvet. It's Italian, I presume? Hmmm, perhaps something English, as the overcoat fabric itself is English? Yeah, I'm just probably over analyzing, but it's a bit fun trying to keep the coat overly consistent...

Scabal is English

 

[Baked Potato]

Scabal is English

I see. Thanks! I there anywhere I can browse their selection? Their own website won't let me access it without an account.

By the way, I've read a bit about silk velvet. Would that be suitable for an overcoat collar? I guess it won't be as hard wearing as cotton and rather hard to find?

 

[Concordia]

Typically, bolts of cloth are 1.5m wide. So a meter of that would actually measure 1 x 1.5m square.

 

[Roger Kearey]

Nearly every merchant uses 1x1.5m.

Just to note, some random cloths can be narrower from merchants and in bunches.

Happened a few times when you lay a customers pattern to get the length to order. Get the cloth and as soon as you lay it on your cutting bench you can see its narrower. A customer would order say 4 of the same cloth in different shades and 2 would have different widths.

 

[mack11211]

Fabric weights are in linear meters/yards rather than square ones.

So with a 300g/m cloth, a piece that is 1m long and 1.5m wide weighs that much.
With a 12 oz/y cloth, a piece that is a yard long and 60 inches wide weighs that much.

With contemporary menswear fabrics, almost everything you encounter has a usable width of about 150cm. One exception is some handwoven tweeds which may be half the width.

 

[jonathanS]

Just to note, some random cloths can be narrower from merchants and in bunches.

Happened a few times when you lay a customers pattern to get the length to order. Get the cloth and as soon as you lay it on your cutting bench you can see its narrower. A customer would order say 4 of the same cloth in different shades and 2 would have different widths.

Caccioppoli are narrower. Happened to one of my tailors & he needed to order more fabric but caccioppoli discontinued the fabric. We had to find a new fabric.