Wardrobe Rebuild - Cloth Weight Dilemma (13oz vs 16oz)

[Alan Bee]

Gentlemen of Cloth,

I live in Abu Dhabi where it gets to 50 degrees (C) at the peak of the notorious summers. Two years ago, having put on some size from compound lifting, I scrapped my entire (mostly Off The Rack) wardrobe built over some years since I joined SF in 2005.

I began my bespoke journey having everything remade full bespoke (no MTM) 1. Suits 2. Sport Coats & Blazers 3. Shirts 4. Trousers 5. dress shirts and 6. neck ties (with Patrizio Cappelli) 7. Morning Dress 8. Dinner Suit.

The focus of this thread will be the business suit wardrobe.

I wanted to arrive at a suit wardrobe that allowed be enough versatility for 5 working day suits per week, rotating them every other week. In other words, at least 10 business suits - with a 3 or so casual suits in linen, tweed and flannel. For the business suits I will add more eventually to account for seasonality as circumstances dictate.

I began with two tropical weight suits in Zegna fabric with a local tailor in Dubai. They came out ok and wearable as knock about suits but I saw this as the genesis of a learning curve. As I learned and understood more about bespoke, I found a tailor in Naples, Italy and began traveling to Naples to have stuff made and for fittings (5 times in the last year alone).

At the moment, I have the (remedial) 2 sub-10oz suits (both Zegna), and 3 suits in the 10-11oz range. Eight (8) are currently being made, all in the 10-11oz range with one 13oz (all Holland & Sherry, and one Dormeuil).

I am now planning the next "offensive" which involves moving onto the "heavy" end of the business suit spectrum and I'm caught in headlights. Having studied heavy cloth very carefully, I came up with the following options:

1. Lesser 16oz Bunch
2. Harrisons P&B Universal 15/16oz Bunch
3. Harrisons Archive Flannel

I would like to pick 5 "workhorses" from the first two bunches and perhaps 2/3 flannels from the third. I have received swatches from Harrisons and have picked out a number of fabrics (all in the blue/gray scheme). However, I'm getting cold feet and wonder if I'll ever be able to optimally utilize these suits given the short winters in the Gulf regions.

I have also looked at adding Frescos for summer but I gave up on that because "Nothing" will save you in the summer climate here in the Gulf. I have resigned myself to Linen shirts and Crispaire/Linen trousers for summer.

I am eager to experience the beauty and drape of 16oz suiting but I don't want to live to regret a costly experiment. The alternative is chickening out and easing down to 13oz suiting for which I've identified the following

1. Lessers Lumbs Golden Bale 13oz
2. Lessers No. 303 13oz worsted
3. Harrisons Oyster Thistle Range) 13oz
4. Smith Woolens Botany 13oz

Quite a lengthy read but for those seasoned "cloth heads" on here, what would be your recommendation given the overall scope of my wardrobe rebuild project and more immediately, issues regarding practicality of the choices in view of the local climate. BTW, I do travel for business to Europe fairly frequently ....

Thank you and look forward to opinions

Alan Bee

 

[jrd617]

If you plan on being indoors a lot, you could get away with 13 oz weights. I've been to that region and it seems everywhere is heavily air conditioned (malls, office buildings, restaurants, airports).

Definitely look at the 8/9 oz fresco too. That stuff will allow you walk around outside in the heat at length

Although flannel was originally a warm weather fabric, I think it would look strange in this day and age walking around Abu Dhabi. It evokes images of cold winters.

 

[Alan Bee]



If you plan on being indoors a lot, you could get away with 13 oz weights. I've been to that region and it seems everywhere is heavily air conditioned (malls, office buildings, restaurants, airports).

Definitely look at the 8/9 oz fresco too. That stuff will allow you walk around outside in the heat at length

Although flannel was originally a warm weather fabric, I think it would look strange in this day and age walking around Abu Dhabi. It evokes images of cold winters.

Thanks JRD for the response.

1. Having ruled out 16oz worsted and flannels in favor of 13oz, are you partial to any of the 13oz bunches listed above?

2. I have given some thought to a summer wardrobe and using Fresco to plug this gap. However, at the light end (8/9oz) of the spectrum, you end with with a very casual looking suit. I'm not sure my rebuild project is yet at a point where I can allocate resources for 4/5 "casual looking" business suits. I have currently one casual suits in cream linen.

In the works are (i) a dove-gray 9/10oz H&S Crispaire, (ii) dark tan Loro Piana Solaro 230grams, and (iii) royal blue H&S Mohair/Woo 10ozl. So I'm not sure how I feel about adding more Frescos to this summer collection even if done in business blues/grays.

3. Lastly, I'm not sure if you've visited the Gulf at the peak of summer. You can hardly stand on your balcony for 5mins with just a linen shirt on. It will get drenched, much less a suit however porous the weave.

Alan

 

[jrd617]

1. Why are you so set on flannel? I think that's a strange look for the Middle East

2. The 8/9 oz fresco is a staple here. Yes, it's more casual and has more texture than your generic worsted fabric, but no non-SF people will be able to tell the difference. Just do fresco. You will never look back. It is a very good fit for your climate. Promise.

3. If it's so hot in the summer in the Middle East, why are you so resistant to fresco?

 

[jrd617]

Scary --- this thread is 5 years old and I remember it: http://www.styleforum.net/t/310941/10-suit-wardrobe/0_50

Notice the many fresco suits

 

[CLTesquire]

If I lived in a place where the average high in the coldest month of the year was still 74 degrees F I wouldn't be looking at fabric with "flannel" or "heavy" in the description.

 

[HKTenor]

Oooh, flannel anything is going to be a tough thing to make work, unless you travel frequently to colder climes and keep the heavy suits just for that (as I do).

I live in Hong Kong, where the summers are similarly hot (and much more humid!), and am frequently in Singapore, Dubai, and Doha during the summers. I find even the 13-14oz fresco wears acceptably in these climes, and the heavier fabric is less prone to wilt during the day. In my experience they are nearly as cool as linen or seersucker, and much more formal.

Two suggestions: 1) have the suits half or quarter-lined for maximum breathability; and 2) wear braces rather than belts as much as possible - they let the air circulate more.

 

[GBR]

I think flannel is simply too heavy even for the UK. Most office buildings are air conditioned which enable there to be a temperature appropriate to the day. Whereas heavy-weight cloths drape well, this creates no basis for their use hence one rarely sees them.

For the middle east I would suggest that you avoid even workhorse 10/11oz cloths and stay in the 8/9oz range. If you have a cutter who can handle su-8oz then one or two (at most) is sensible. Remember that not all cutters are used to handling them.

You do not tell us what trade or calling you follow but unless it is as a lawyer or a similar backward trade in clothing terms then avoid braces so that you can remove you coat at will. Having braces without coat does look somewhat out of place in many offices these days. You can have a mix of self supporting trousers with side adjusters and belted to enable you to ring the changes. I would also suggest two button back pockets to enable you to leave your coat at your desk, much as that goes very much against the grain for me nowadays.