Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[tchoy]



Thanks a lot tchoy! What weight did you go with for the Harrison's cotton?

In memory there was only one weight 310g or about 11oz for me its about perfect weight.

 

[S K M]



In memory there was only one weight 310g or about 11oz for me its about perfect weight.

Great, in what temperatures do you wear it? Please do not hesitate to post photos – also of the linen blend you mentioned earlier

Thanks a lot for your inputs, highly appreciated!

 

[hosan]

Gents, have anyone one of you tried lumb golden bale? Do u think it is worth the extra premium?

 

[SimonC]



Gents, have anyone one of you tried lumb golden bale? Do u think it is worth the extra premium?

It's lovely stuff in that it has a great handle and drape but wears harder than others that compare in that department, but it depends what premium you are paying.

On a pure value for money basis you're best off with the classic worsteds from brands such as Minnis or Dugdale and giving up a little luxury. If you are comparing to Super 150s/ cashmere blends from Scabal and the like then Golden Bale is a great choice in my eyes.

 

[DavidLane]

So what do you do?

My litmus test is to ask the Ebay seller to send me a swatch. If they are not willing to do that for me I will not buy the cloth. If they do send a swatch, you have the confirmation they actually own the cloth, plus you have it in hand which is much more reliable than an image.

But as always, proceed with caution and buy the seller as much as the cloth.

DL-

 

[othertravel]



I've never bought cloth on eBay, but a friend has and supposedly had a good experience.

I don't do it because I've been disappointed by so many swatches online. You see something you think is nice, get a swatch, and it turns out the color isn't right (so many sellers don't bother to color correct images); the pattern isn't the scale you assumed; or the hand isn't what you expected.

I find it helps to buy from people who can give you more information. Ed here is good -- you can ask him if he thinks the fabric he's selling might be good for a sport coat, for example. I also find his colors are accurate in the photos. Same with Alden at LL, where you can ask him if the fabric is spongey, densely woven, etc. I've never been disappointed by the things I've bought from them, and they've all been bought online (i.e. using just word and photos).

A random seller on eBay might not give you that kind of reliable info. Or they might not have the same perspective as a clothing enthusiast.

Thanks for all the info, guys.

I might give Yorkshire a try. Also, anybody have experience with Super 250s fabrics? Interested to hear how the cloth holds up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dark-Grey-T...816676?hash=item1a0aa63de4:g:jXQAAOSwajVUMXXf

 

[ericgereghty]

It almost assuredly will not...

 

[othertravel]



It almost assuredly will not...

I figured. Not interested in buying it, but wondering if anybody ever tried it.

 

[A Canuker]

I'll add my name to people speaking highly of Ed, always top notch stuff.

 

[dieworkwear]



Thanks for all the info, guys.

I might give Yorkshire a try. Also, anybody have experience with Super 250s fabrics? Interested to hear how the cloth holds up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dark-Grey-T...816676?hash=item1a0aa63de4:g:jXQAAOSwajVUMXXf

It almost assuredly will not...

JefferyD had a good post a while back about a Super 150s suit that looked pretty good.

http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com/2011/02/sartorial-mythbusting.html

Not as fine as 250s, but still somewhat high.

I don't know if anyone can answer the quality or durability of that fabric for you unless they've had experience.

 

[OxfordDon]

For e*bay fabric jobbers, I've had very good experiences with Howard from British Fabrics (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/BRITISH-FABRICS)

Although he can't always send out swatches, he does have a liberal return policy that makes it pretty easy to take a punt on fabrics. I've probably returned about half the things I've purchased, but there's nothing like having it in your hot little hands to really make up your mind. Carries some namebrand fabrics as well.

 

[PCK1]

I have a Brioni S250 suit I bought otr a few years ago.

It has held up pretty well.

 

[greger]

End cuts, end of the roll, end of the bolt deals can be very good. Over the internet expectations can be different. Sometimes cloth might be woven with errors, or the finishers make some errors. If it sat around for a number of years wool moths may have eaten some holes into it. One guy was ready to cut the cloth when a voice said, "Don't!" He took a look and holes were in it. He had to arrange the pattern pieces to miss the holes, and that time he had enough cloth to make the full cutting.

Chance is part of life. Win some. Lose some.

 

[hosan]



It's lovely stuff in that it has a great handle and drape but wears harder than others that compare in that department, but it depends what premium you are paying.

On a pure value for money basis you're best off with the classic worsteds from brands such as Minnis or Dugdale and giving up a little luxury. If you are comparing to Super 150s/ cashmere blends from Scabal and the like then Golden Bale is a great choice in my eyes.

Thanks simon. Minnis and dugdale are of great value for money which i am agree. I am not a fan of super. So now what i am trying is to find some a bit luxury and LGB is therefore my target. Any merchant selling LGB in cloth length except lesser? Wanna compare the premium of different merchant. Thanks

 

[Slickman]

^ order lesser golden bale through your tailor, call it a day, the savings between merchants is negligible when paying for a bespoke suit