SF - Summer suit

**Parker** · March 15th, 2006, 08:12 PM

I am planning ahead for an August wedding and want to find a pale gray or stone-colored cotton or seersucker suit. I was thinking of having Chan make a suit for me, but can't remember how broad their fabric selection was in summer cloths. Anyone have any favorite summer suits or know of a particular maker or fabric to look for? For reference, I like this SB2B:

**Jovan** · March 15th, 2006, 08:15 PM

Classy. Wear socks, though. :-P

I don't know exactly what brands to suggest, but look for linen, mohair, or even cotton. Cotton is a little more difficult to care for, though. You can get a lightweight wool, but it won't be quite as airy.

**Tomasso** · March 15th, 2006, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jovan

You can get a lightweight wool, but it won't be quite as airy.

I think that wool fresco is the airiest material available for suits. Much airier than linen and seersucker.

**whoopee** · March 15th, 2006, 08:36 PM

Options are linen, mohair, gabardine, fresco, tropical-weight wools, and silk. All are rather different. Is this suit for regular wear or the wedding and special warm-weather occasions?

I believe Chan may have some heavy Irish linen books - I'm thinking Holland & Sherry 14 oz. I have a couple suiting lengths and am quite excited to have it made up soon. They definitely have some Italian linen and linen blend books, which are lighter, along with very lightweight wools - which I do not recommend. I vaguely remember they have open weave wool (which is rather porous) and other summery books from Dormeuil and Scabal.

**darkoak** · March 15th, 2006, 08:51 PM

What do y'all think about 100% pure silk for summer suit? Good? Bad? Will it last? I'm thinking about a suit in tan/khaki color.

**Jovan** · March 15th, 2006, 08:54 PM

I forgot about fresco... what's the weave like for it? Sounds pretty exclusive.

**whoopee** · March 15th, 2006, 09:00 PM

Fresco is the name of the weave. You can find some good pictures of it on The London Lounge's Cloth Review forum.

**Tomasso** · March 15th, 2006, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jovan

I forgot about fresco... what's the weave like for it? Sounds pretty exclusive.

Jovan, fresco is perfect for Fla. Here's a pair of fresco trousers held up to the light. It's like you ain't wearin nothin!

**pkincy** · March 15th, 2006, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkoak

What do y'all think about 100% pure silk for summer suit? Good? Bad? Will it last? I'm thinking about a suit in tan/khaki color.

I just bought an off the rack suit in a 70% silk/30% linen blend. They had made a tan and a blue. I got the tan. Only have worn the coat once as it is warmer in Scottsdale than most places but still a little early for summer clothes.

The coat held up very well over the several hours I wore it. I am looking forward to it.

Price point was $845 full retail.

Perry

**Parker** · March 16th, 2006, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Options are linen, mohair, gabardine, fresco, tropical-weight wools, and silk. All are rather different. Is this suit for regular wear or the wedding and special warm-weather occasions?

I thought this suit would be for summer social events, not for business. I sort of imagine a suit you could hang out by the pool and drink a mojito in. That's why I was thinking about seersucker or cotton. I'll proabably want to steer clear of any high maintenance or overly delicate fabrics. (silk, linen?) Fresco and open-weave wools (the same?) sound like they could work. Do you think these would have that less-formal look I'm going for?

I may just keep my Chan apppointment if only to look through all the swatch books. (and maybe order a shirt or two!)

**whoopee** · March 16th, 2006, 08:29 AM

Linen isn't too delicate and has that unparalleled insouciant elegance. Fresco in lighter colours will look less-formal but there is no luxurious edge to it - it is a great workhorse cloth in that sense.

I have some cotton suits and coats, albeit none bespoke so the fabric isn't the best, that aren't quite as cool as linen and fresco, doesn't wrinkle and look like linen, doesn't take as much a beating as fresco. Maybe later I will branch out with one but not now. Seersucker may not be the easiest to pull off in...San Francisco, correct? But maybe you are a seersucker person.

**Parker** · March 16th, 2006, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoopee

Linen isn't too delicate and has that unparalleled insouciant elegance. Fresco in lighter colours will look less-formal but there is no luxurious edge to it - it is a great workhorse cloth in that sense.

I have some cotton suits and coats, albeit none bespoke so the fabric isn't the best, that aren't quite as cool as linen and fresco, doesn't wrinkle and look like linen, doesn't take as much a beating as fresco. Maybe later I will branch out with one but not now. Seersucker may not be the easiest to pull off in...San Francisco, correct? But maybe you are a seersucker person.

Thanks, whoopee. Yeah, this city is definitely not a place for seersucker. Never gets warm enough. I've always liked it though, esp. in the gray/white or brown/white combos. I'm going to a couple mid-summer weddings (in Carmel and New Mexico) so something that will keep me cool would be good. I'll give linen another look. I like the texture, but the wrinkle factor always scares me.

**Tomasso** · March 16th, 2006, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parker

I thought this suit would be for summer social events, not for business. I sort of imagine a suit you could hang out by the pool and drink a mojito in. That's why I was thinking about seersucker or cotton. I'll proabably want to steer clear of any high maintenance or overly delicate fabrics. (silk, linen?) Fresco and open-weave wools (the same?) sound like they could work. Do you think these would have that less-formal look I'm going for?

I may just keep my Chan apppointment if only to look through all the swatch books. (and maybe order a shirt or two!)

Fresco is not high maintenance(hardly wrinkles) but it doesn't have the casual look of silk, linen, cotton or seersucker. Silk is elegant, expensive, high maintenance and not as cool(airy) as one might think. Linen is casually elegant, moderately priced, high maintenance and relatively cool. Seersucker is casual, inexpensive, low-medium maintenance but not as cool as linen. I have no experience with cotton as suiting, linen is my cotton.

Seersucker?

**whoopee** · March 16th, 2006, 08:52 AM

Also, I'm not sure how good fresco is for SF. WHen I lived there it wouldn't have been my choice of a summer fabric most days, definitely not nights. A bit windy.

**Parker** · March 16th, 2006, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Seersucker?

our brief interlude with AAAC brought out my inner trad.

March 15th, 2006, 08:12 PM	#1
Parker Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: West Coast Posts: 2,228	Summer suit I am planning ahead for an August wedding and want to find a pale gray or stone-colored cotton or seersucker suit. I was thinking of having Chan make a suit for me, but can't remember how broad their fabric selection was in summer cloths. Anyone have any favorite summer suits or know of a particular maker or fabric to look for? For reference, I like this SB2B:

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March 15th, 2006, 08:15 PM	#2
Jovan Banned for Good Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,534	Classy. Wear socks, though. :-P I don't know exactly what brands to suggest, but look for linen, mohair, or even cotton. Cotton is a little more difficult to care for, though. You can get a lightweight wool, but it won't be quite as airy.

March 15th, 2006, 08:36 PM	#4
whoopee Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,451	Options are linen, mohair, gabardine, fresco, tropical-weight wools, and silk. All are rather different. Is this suit for regular wear or the wedding and special warm-weather occasions? I believe Chan may have some heavy Irish linen books - I'm thinking Holland & Sherry 14 oz. I have a couple suiting lengths and am quite excited to have it made up soon. They definitely have some Italian linen and linen blend books, which are lighter, along with very lightweight wools - which I do not recommend. I vaguely remember they have open weave wool (which is rather porous) and other summery books from Dormeuil and Scabal.

March 15th, 2006, 08:51 PM	#5
darkoak Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 750	What do y'all think about 100% pure silk for summer suit? Good? Bad? Will it last? I'm thinking about a suit in tan/khaki color.

March 15th, 2006, 08:54 PM	#6
Jovan Banned for Good Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,534	I forgot about fresco... what's the weave like for it? Sounds pretty exclusive.

March 15th, 2006, 09:00 PM	#7
whoopee Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,451	Fresco is the name of the weave. You can find some good pictures of it on The London Lounge's Cloth Review forum.

March 16th, 2006, 08:29 AM	#11
whoopee Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,451	Linen isn't too delicate and has that unparalleled insouciant elegance. Fresco in lighter colours will look less-formal but there is no luxurious edge to it - it is a great workhorse cloth in that sense. I have some cotton suits and coats, albeit none bespoke so the fabric isn't the best, that aren't quite as cool as linen and fresco, doesn't wrinkle and look like linen, doesn't take as much a beating as fresco. Maybe later I will branch out with one but not now. Seersucker may not be the easiest to pull off in...San Francisco, correct? But maybe you are a seersucker person.

March 16th, 2006, 08:52 AM	#14
whoopee Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,451	Also, I'm not sure how good fresco is for SF. WHen I lived there it wouldn't have been my choice of a summer fabric most days, definitely not nights. A bit windy.