Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[TheSuitBurnsBetter]

I walked in to the shop and pretty much instantly pulled the trigger (on Drapers, one shade darker than yours, 65134).
View attachment 2285417
The shade is v similar to the Standeven and Oyster, but much softer and has great depth.
It cost me a bit more, but I'm hopeful it will be worth it.
Thank you for the shout!

I think you're really going to like it. I have mine on today as the weather in DC is finally dipping.

 

[jonathanS]

I've seen the trade price sheet for one of the major merchant/mills mentioned here and the trade pricing is roughly 50% of the listed retail price. Retail Fox pricing is just a non-starter for me no matter how much I like their colors/patterns...the list price would run me $600usd for a jacket or $1200usd for a suit in fabric alone

I basically use the price list I receive as a base guideline and if buying on the 'retail' side is more than ~20% higher than the trade price for a roughly equivalent cloth I just pass...I don't see any sense in paying 2x for the same product.

edit: I toyed with the idea of doing a camel hair polo coat in late 2020/early 2021 and just checked my notes...the Snowdonia camel hair pricing was 180gbp and it is now 360gbp. For the life of me, I can't think of how the cost to produce would have risen 2x in less than 4 years.

Good grief. Doubled.

 

[corpseposeur]

Am I the only one who thinks fox has gotten out of control expensive?

My most recent suit, a glen check, had a Fox worsted flannel in contention, the cloth was nice, but the upcharge just killed it for me and I didn't really see the point for a worsted flannel. I do have a Fox Air suit and at the time, I don't think the upcharge being a dealbreaker.

If I do spend on a premium it has to be something really special like cashmere or a Super 150s or something...but fortunately, I prefer muted and robust which Dugdale's and HFW do very well. For flannels, I personally prefer HFW for the classic English flannel, and Holland & Sherry for a lighter weight. I have trousers in both and they're fantastic.

 

[Old Red]

My little collection of cloth; LL Outdoorsman and the recently shipped Blue Gray Herringbone. The latter will be on the way to Hoboken this afternoon.

 

[JHWilliams]

My little collection of cloth; LL Outdoorsman and the recently shipped Blue Gray Herringbone. The latter will be on the way to Hoboken this afternoon. View attachment 2285531 View attachment 2285533

I am having my blue/grey herringbone LL cloth made up as well. Still deciding on trousers.

 

[Relovar]

Would anyone be able to give a primer on London Lounge? I’ve seen their cloths mentioned a lot in this thread but the process of how to actually purchase the cloth firsthand is not the easiest to figure out. It looks like it works on a type of preorder process?

 

[circumspice]

Would anyone be able to give a primer on London Lounge? I’ve seen their cloths mentioned a lot in this thread but the process of how to actually purchase the cloth firsthand is not the easiest to figure out. It looks like it works on a type of preorder process?

You have to lack indoor heating and want 16+ oz cloth and be willing to pay 3x Lovat's pricing, it seems.

 

[Orrberget]

View attachment 2232625

Lovat Talla, is like less than half the price, around 480gr and shetland tweed.I find the flecking very very nice!
Photo not made by me but by someone we all know by now.

Wow, this looks very much like the Concordia tweed from the London Lounge (made by Lovat of course). Are they selling it on their own now, so not exclusive to the LL?

 

[CLH03]

My most recent suit, a glen check, had a Fox worsted flannel in contention, the cloth was nice, but the upcharge just killed it for me and I didn't really see the point for a worsted flannel. I do have a Fox Air suit and at the time, I don't think the upcharge being a dealbreaker.

If I do spend on a premium it has to be something really special like cashmere or a Super 150s or something...but fortunately, I prefer muted and robust which Dugdale's and HFW do very well. For flannels, I personally prefer HFW for the classic English flannel, and Holland & Sherry for a lighter weight. I have trousers in both and they're fantastic.

The HFW Woolen Flannel is great! I received a pair of trousers in the T&L 2080 worsted flannel earlier this fall and have been putting some wear on them. I absolutely love them. Hold a crease nicely while still being soft.

 

[corpseposeur]

The HFW Woolen Flannel is great! I received a pair of trousers in the T&L 2080 worsted flannel earlier this fall and have been putting some wear on them. I absolutely love them. Hold a crease nicely while still being soft.

That is the platonic ideal for flannel trousers. Great stuff!

 

[Concordia]

You have to lack indoor heating and want 16+ oz cloth and be willing to pay 3x Lovat's pricing, it seems.

They do also offer excellent summer and 3 season fabrics. Whether any qualities besides Brisa are offered in Lovat’s standard books, I have no idea. Not the Piuma or Mare, certainly.

 

[Concordia]

My little collection of cloth; LL Outdoorsman and the recently shipped Blue Gray Herringbone. The latter will be on the way to Hoboken this afternoon. View attachment 2285531 View attachment 2285533

The herringbone is more teal/sand, but too subtle for many digital cameras to catch. Mine is turning into a jacket now.

The outdoorsman is really fantastic. I have enough for two jackets OR a 3-piece. My main worry is having it made and then finally losing 25 pounds.

 

[JHWilliams]

You have to lack indoor heating and want 16+ oz cloth and be willing to pay 3x Lovat's pricing, it seems.

that’s not entirely fair. Michael Alden has come up with some wonderful lightweight summer cloth (piuma, brisetta) that no other mills seem to be able to produce with soft handle without sacrificing performance.

Yes, the cost is on par with what you would pay Fox retail, but it’s a club of members who put up or shut up to get something across the finish line.

 

[ppk]

Would anyone be able to give a primer on London Lounge? I’ve seen their cloths mentioned a lot in this thread but the process of how to actually purchase the cloth firsthand is not the easiest to figure out. It looks like it works on a type of preorder process?

It would be great to get an answer to this question. It seems to be a cryptic, mysterious process.