What is material is "Woven in England" on late 1960s Hart, Schaffner & Marx Suit

[Captain Cosmic]

Hi Everyone, I have a question about a vintage marked 1968 Hart, Schaffner, & Marx Suit I am looking at buying off of Etsy. The seller thinks its is wool but it has a slight sheen (sharkskin esc). There is an extra label that reads "Woven In England". Does anyone know what this might mean, material wise or point me towards an old advertisement that explains it? I need an extra black suit and would like a mid century sack style though this one is more Rat Pack than my preferred ivy style.

Many Thanks in advance!

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I don’t know exactly what mill the fabric came from, but it means the fabric used in making the suit was woven in England.

As for the sheen, the suit is well over 50 years old! God only knows how many times it’s been cleaned and pressed. That would account for the sheen.

 

[Captain Cosmic]

I don’t know exactly what mill the fabric came from, but it means the fabric used in making the suit was woven in England.

As for the sheen, the suit is well over 50 years old! God only knows how many times it’s been cleaned and pressed. That would account for the sheen.

Hi, thanks so much for your reply. The seller says it is a sharkskin like sheen, not a dry cleaning sheen (I know that look all too well). As for the fabric, I assumed the label was a selling point, like those vintage shadow plaid shirts in all Rayon that always sell for big $$$ that read "Imported Fabric from Europe". I get the feeling this is an inexpensive blended fabric as this suit brand was very entry to middle of the road level clothing. If it was a tweed, the "woven in England" fabric would make more sense. I imagine there must be a vintage ad for the line that explains the fabric (there usually was in the era pre 1972 fabric/care labeling act).

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Hi, thanks so much for your reply. The seller says it is a sharkskin like sheen, not a dry cleaning sheen (I know that look all too well). As for the fabric, I assumed the label was a selling point, like those vintage shadow plaid shirts in all Rayon that always sell for big $$$ that read "Imported Fabric from Europe". I get the feeling this is an inexpensive blended fabric as this suit brand was very entry to middle of the road level clothing. If it was a tweed, the "woven in England" fabric would make more sense. I imagine there must be a vintage ad for the line that explains the fabric (there usually was in the era pre 1972 fabric/care labeling act).

Unless the owner has owned the suit for the entirety of its lifespan, I’m not sure how he can say what the sheen is from.

I get that you’re looking for a particular cut, but it sounds like you have your doubts and probably should pass.

 

[dieworkwear]

Would need a close-up of the fabric to tell you the fabric.

That looks like it was made for evening activities and evening suits often have a bit of sheen. Sometimes this comes from mohair.

Suits that are shiny because of age, poor care, or pressing don't have an even sheen. They are shiny in some spots but not others.

 

[Captain Cosmic]

Unless the owner has owned the suit for the entirety of its lifespan, I’m not sure how he can say what the sheen is from.

I get that you’re looking for a particular cut, but it sounds like you have your doubts and probably should pass.

Yeah, that is my thought. It is hard to find mid century vintage suits in black, let alone in my size.

 

[Captain Cosmic]

Would need a close-up of the fabric to tell you the fabric.

That looks like it was made for evening activities and evening suits often have a bit of sheen. Sometimes this comes from mohair.

Suits that are shiny because of age, poor care, or pressing don't have an even sheen. They are shiny in some spots but not others.

Hi, thanks for this reply. I didn't think of a mohair blend. I asked the seller for close up photo but they are not having much luck. The seller also doesn't take returns, so that I a real liability if the suit does not work out.

 

[dieworkwear]

Hi, thanks for this reply. I didn't think of a mohair blend. I asked the seller for close up photo but they are not having much luck. The seller also doesn't take returns, so that I a real liability if the suit does not work out.

I don't recommend buying a suit online unless you can return it and/ or if you've had experience with the model/ cut. There is a smaller margin for error when it comes to good tailoring. Whereas you can still get a good fit in casualwear if things are off by a little, tailoring requires more precision. Additionally, small things such as shoulder slope and coat balance aren't things that a seller can easily capture through measurements.

Sheen can come from many things, such as fiber content (e.g. mohair or silk), weave (sharkskin), or finishing. It's hard to tell you what the sheen comes from without seeing an up-close photo of the garment. I would not chalk up all sheen to poor care, and in any case, sheen that comes from poor care is not the same as sheen that's built into the fabric. You can tell when sheen comes from age or poor care because the shiny spots will be uneven across the fabric.

 

[Captain Cosmic]

I don't recommend buying a suit online unless you can return it and/ or if you've had experience with the model/ cut. There is a smaller margin for error when it comes to good tailoring. Whereas you can still get a good fit in casualwear if things are off by a little, tailoring requires more precision. Additionally, small things such as shoulder slope and coat balance aren't things that a seller can easily capture through measurements.

Sheen can come from many things, such as fiber content (e.g. mohair or silk), weave (sharkskin), or finishing. It's hard to tell you what the sheen comes from without seeing an up-close photo of the garment. I would not chalk up all sheen to poor care, and in any case, sheen that comes from poor care is not the same as sheen that's built into the fabric. You can tell when sheen comes from age or poor care because the shiny spots will be uneven across the fabric.

Thanks again for all this info. I am a classical musician and gigs these days ask for all black or black suit instead of tux or tails. I want to add an extra black suit to rotate with my other vintage black suit so it will not wear out. I asked the seller if they would accept a return if I paid for the shipping, etc. It is the right size, just I really want to avoid a cheap blended suit (under the stage lights, they are not forgiving)

 

[dieworkwear]

Thanks again for all this info. I am a classical musician and gigs these days ask for all black or black suit instead of tux or tails. I want to add an extra black suit to rotate with my other vintage black suit so it will not wear out. I asked the seller if they would accept a return if I paid for the shipping, etc. It is the right size, just I really want to avoid a cheap blended suit (under the stage lights, they are not forgiving)

Have you looked at Spier & Mackay? There are some surprisingly good and affordable brands nowadays for a CM look.