Cotton fabric for summer suit

[vncrz]

So I'm looking to get a cotton suit made, and have no experience with purchasing fabric. All I know is that I want it to be lightweight and breathable to handle the heat and humidity of summer, and in a light khaki/cream color. Several questions: - any particular type of cotton to look for? - standard at any fabric store or should look at specialized ones or online? - how much is needed for one full suit? Looking around online, fabric 9280 at the bottom right seems to be exactly what I have in mind. Does £30 per meter (approx. $45) seem an appropriate price? Thanks

 

[ApplesHK]

You need a high twist fabric for hot summer days and I think a Fresco fabric or linen or linen mix is the way to go. The Minnis fresco on the same site as your cotton are expensive, but there's no doubt they'll look better and wear better too. Fresco has a visible weave which makes the cloth more permeable. It also resists wrinkling unlike cotton.

 

[in fits of print]

I reccomend a light cotton flannel. It's Fitzgerald-approved!

 

[Patrick Stella]

vncrz,

Your question is one I've been thinking about recently. While I doubt I have the exact answer you want, I'll share my thoughts in case they are helpful. Last summer, I had a cotton suit made by Nino Corvato. It was excellent, but not as cool as I had anticipated. I think the reason was that cotton tends to be woven fairly tightly. So though it was a light weight, it wasn't as airy as one might have wanted on a New York summer day. This summer, therefore, I am going to try linen, hoping that it will feel cooler because it is a looser weave.

I guess the my advice would be: be careful with cottons, and make sure you find a loose weave if possible (I'm not sure if such a cotton exists or not). Otherwise, give linen a shot.

 

[razl]

Originally Posted by Patrick Stella

So though it was a light weight, it wasn't as airy as one might have wanted on a New York summer day. This summer, therefore, I am going to try linen, hoping that it will feel cooler because it is a looser weave.

I guess the my advice would be: be careful with cottons, and make sure you find a loose weave if possible (I'm not sure if such a cotton exists or not). Otherwise, give linen a shot.

I'm in Florida and doing the same thing. While pure linen has it's drawbacks regarding wrikling and holding it's shape, I'm finding that various degrees of blends with silk, wool (high-twists), or even cotton are proving to be both airy and still look polished. I have found that not all blends are equal - and it will take some actual hands-on the product to get a feel for it's breath'ability.

In general, I've found all-cottons or mostly-cottons to be the worst choice for hot times. They just aren't airy enough, though I suspect super-high end manufacturers might have much superior cotton fabrics than those I've had my mits on.

 

[ApplesHK]

In another thread there was a question similar to yours from a bloke in Singapore and this was the advice:

kolecho
Senior Member
Default Re: Fabric recommendations for Chan summer suit
Holland & Sherry Crispaire is fine, but you will stll sweat in the humidity of Singapore even if you wore nothing

H&S has some 8oz worsteds also, but I much prefer Crispaire at 9/10 oz as it drapes a lot better and is more porous.

I would stay clear of the Italian books that are overpriced and less sturdy.

Another recommended a wool/mohair blend for hot days.
Now you have plenty of leads, but if you are wearing this new suit in very hot weather, the consensus is avoid cotton.

 

[vncrz]

Thanks for the input guys

. The cotton fabric from Huddersfield I linked to, for example, is 9 oz, which is comparable with their frescos which range from 8 - 15 oz. I know that a fabric with an open weave will be more breathable than cotton, yet I lack a pair of ubiquitous cotton khaki trousers and figured I might as well get a jacket which also pairs well with jeans. In my pre-SF days, I spent the sweltering and humid summer days in DC wearing the first suits I owned, bought with my sartorially challenged parents at SIMS, which asides from being substantially ill fitting were made from somewhat thick fabrics, and it was no fun at all.

Thus, given that I'm sticking with cotton, for better or for worse:
- any particular type of cotton to look for?
- standard at any fabric store or should look at specialized ones or online?