Why tailors on the row love so much heavier fabrics? - Page 3

las,

which book did you use for your suit with cifo?

I do agree with those who say 11 oz is the sweet spot for tailoring. Ive heard more than one bespoke tailor tell me similar.

With that in mind, I dont think I'll be getting many more bespoke suits under 10oz in the future. For one, the heavier cloth wears longer. For two, I live in NYC. I dont care what weight the fabric is, you're going to sweat like a pig in a NY subway during the summer wearing anything other than shorts and a t-shirt. Id rather not do that in a $5000 bespoke suit. Even futher, most RTW suits now a days seem to be well under 10oz, so there are many more options for lighter weight suits than for heavier weight suits.

I'll save my bespoke dollars for harder to find heavier weights that will look better and last longer.

For flannel or in general?

11 oz for worsteds. 14 oz is the sweet spot for Flannel. Any lighter than that and it becomes flimsy and too delicate.

also saw a few nice things in the smith woollens goldsmith book. it is 10/11 (320 grams), super120s.

Kuro,

Is the suit in the picture yours? Are you happy with the Blue Riband?

Maybe it's my imagination, but weight doesn't necessarily correlate with insulation.

My first 'proper' bespoke suit was a 2 piece SB in charcoal herringbone tweed at about 15-16 oz. It wears very comfortably below about 15 deg C (60 farenheit?) so I wear it about 2/3 of the year. Most of my other suits, including a dinner jacket (tuxedo), are 11oz or more.

I have 1 'summer suit' in 8oz. It looks ok when standing still, but on the move, the trousers wrap around my legs and the coat seems to lack substnce. The Tube is unpleasant in hot weather whatever you're wearing, only a linen shirt helps any: no lightness of fabric would make it bearable.

I find that sweat comes on often with any fabric over 10 oz. Hot blooded! Wish I could wear heavier fabrics because they are dignified and elegant.

Would any of you share your wisdom on my thread about fine/soft fabrics? Looking for a cashmere or fine worsted wool for a solid grey sport coat. I haven't ventured into fabric makers very much.

http://www.styleforum.net/forum/thread/258691/favorite-cashmere-or-super-150-for-sportcoat

Easier to work with, generally less expensive so good for margin, its what they are used to. I like around 10 oz myself 12 max unless its a tweed.

At the risk of repeating what others have said, very probably more cogently:

All things being equal, I think it is fair to state that:
- a loosely woven cloth will wear cooler than a tightly woven one.
- a cloth with a nap will wear warmer than a “dry” cloth (e.g., a flannel v. a worsted)
- a cloth with a “dry hand” will last longer than a soft cloth (a worsted v. a flannel).

To stay cool in summer: do not run, do not walk in the sun, do not take public transportation, do not carry heavy packages. A lighter colour feels cooler, but that may be my imagination.

I do not own a suit from cloth weighing less than 12/13 oz. (a mid-grey worsted from Smith Woollens, ref. 3901, in a fairly porous weave). I am not sure I could follow this “rule” if I lived in the US. All of my other suits are 13.oz. and up, many in the 16 oz. range and above.

I don’t think my current tailors (Meyer & “Mortimer/Jones Chalk & Dawson) ever "pushed” me towards heavier cloths. I naturally start looking through the heavier ranges first (Lesser, Dugdale, Smith Woollens, John G. Hardy or P & H for tweeds). Too bad the books seem thinner and thinner as the years go by.

Frog in Suit