Cotton: Alumo vs Sea Island Cotton 140's vs Acorn

[cantona]

Hello

As the title indicates I am trying to choose some cotton for a some shirts I am going to make. In your opinion which if the 3 are the best?

NOTE: Alumo and Acorn are manufactures of cotton whilst the Sea Island 140's is a cotton I am looking at from Rosen and Chadick Fabrics.

Thanks for any help,
Cantona

PS. Just wondering out of curiosity if you think Thomas Mason Goldline Cotton at $92.95 a yard is a good price?

 

[Eustace Tilley]

Rosen & Chaddick is a reseller, and I don't think They sell fabric branded under their own name. I'm assuming its Goldline they are selling.

I think Alumo is the best of the three, but I always buy Acorn because its cheap and I have not developed an appreciation for superfine shirtings.

$93 for a shirt-lenght of Goldline is an ok price, but its not a great deal.

ET

 

[Sator]

I prefer Acorn simply because I despise superfine shirtings. Just as I want my towels to be thick and juicy so I like my shirtings to have body to soak up any sweat to keep my coat fresh. Superfines are so thin it feels like I am wearing my coat without a shirt underneath. Also superfines wrinkle. They wrinkle while you iron them and I give up because the ironing seems to cause more problems. The sleeves look like accordions after half an hour.

Acorn's shirtings are stout, solid, hardy and beautifully woven. I like the fact that their designs are conservative compared to their gaudier Italian counterparts. I still find their designs more interesting than Alumo ones. However, the dyes used by Alumo on their cottons are exquisite.

Acorn/Classics are to shirtings what H Lesser are to worsteds.

 

[A Y]

All three are fine shirtings, but my personal preference is the Mason Goldline. It has a body that the others lack.

--Andre

 

[Sator]

BTW if you must get superfine yarns then it is not Acorn's speciality. Others do it better.

As far as more standard yarn counts go Acorn's stuff has more body than Alumo or Thomas Mason. The latter is now an Italian maker despite the English sounding name and is also made in Italy. Italians can hardly be expected to make fuller bodied cloth than the English!

 

[Shirtmaven]

whom will be making the shirt for you

Alumo is the finest of the three

 

[Gran Torino]

No offense here, but I always found Sea Island cotton too hyped.

From 180 euros a mason triple rittorto cotton to 260 for a Sea island hand made italian shirt, I choose the first option in my city not for the price. I´ll choose Mason´s if it was the 260 option instead of the Sea Island.

 

[Shirtmaven]

I know the so called Sea Island that Rosen and chadick sells. They are calling it sea island because the distributer they buy from calls it Sea Island cotton. this distibutor has mislabeled half of the fabrics he sells. so don't blame rosen and chadick. the so called sea island is nice. I have used it before. but it is not real sea island cotton.

I have some vintage sea island cotton that was woven in England some 40 years ago. It is really quite nice. and worth the hype.
Carl

 

[pwy95a]

I'm having some button downs made by Sean O'Flynn and chose Alumo - even for a more casual shirt. They do have chunkier, more significant fabrics with "body." You just have to find them.

 

[JammieDodger]

Originally Posted by pwy95a

I'm having some button downs made by Sean O'Flynn and chose Alumo - even for a more casual shirt. They do have chunkier, more significant fabrics with "body." You just have to find them.

Why did you choose Alumo over Loro Piana if I may ask? (will get more shirts made by him next month)

 

[Shirtmaven]

Originally Posted by JammieDodger

Why did you choose Alumo over Loro Piana if I may ask? (will get more shirts made by him next month)

loro piana is wildly overpriced.
they do not own their own weaving facilities for cotton shirting.
the goods sold in the USA are not as well constructed as fabric coming out of the same mills.

 

[aportnoy]

Originally Posted by Shirtmaven

loro piana is wildly overpriced.
they do not own their own weaving facilities for cotton shirting.
the goods sold in the USA are not as well constructed as fabric coming out of the same mills.

Agreed Carl, save the linen/cotton blends which I think are some of the best on the market.

 

[JammieDodger]

Originally Posted by aportnoy

Agreed Carl, save the linen/cotton blends which I think are some of the best on the market.

Fair enough, I only have their linen/cotton blend shirtings

I'll check alumo out.

 

[Shirtmaven]

i like their linen/cotton