Escorial...opinions?

[Tuerney1]

Lately, I've seen more and more escorial RTW pieces cropping up. Has anyone here had experience with these? I was curious about how it wears and how happy you have been with your purchases.

I know what escorial is and that it comes in several grades (roughly 18 down to 12 microns, if memory serves) but have no personal experience with it. Does it have similar "wear" characteristics to super-180s or fabric like that, which has never struck me as very practical (at least for myself, as I wear clothes pretty actively)?

Thanks!

PS: Because a couple of people asked and the "wear" part is tangentially related at least...yes, I still wear my vicuna coats and sportcoats, and they have turned out to be quite durable, like a nice heavy cashmere.

 

[Tuerney1]

Seems that's why there's so much of it on sale...no one is actually buying it.

 

[Manton]

Well, it's very expensive and it feels nice. I wonder about its durability. Personally, I would never pay that price for wool when I can get really bulletproof stuff for quite a lot less. Plus, I am perfectly happy with the way that good 80s, 90s and 100s wool feels.

 

[Despos]

Originally Posted by Manton

Well, it's very expensive and it feels nice. I wonder about its durability. Personally, I would never pay that price for wool when I can get really bulletproof stuff for quite a lot less. Plus, I am perfectly happy with the way that good 80s, 90s and 100s wool feels.


80's & 90's are great, but unappreciated.

One of my favorite suits is a 90's. About 12 years old and it has as much shape and guts as when it was new.

Escorial is very very good, soft but has body, great to work with.

 

[Tuerney1]

Thank you both. It sounds like the verdict is still out on it's durability, then. Personally, I'm not partially to particularly fine or delicate fabrics, but there is a Brioni sportcoat on ebay that interests me. I've been looking for a pattern very much like this for a while, and, at $800, I thought I might give it a shot:

It would be a weekend jacket for me and might be subject to my usual wear and tear...so I guess I'll probably pass and wait on a (probably) more durable fabric.

 

[LabelKing]

I have tried on some Escorial suits by Brioni, and I did not like the thiness of fabric.

It is quite a refined fabric but otherwise, it's particularly thin, and doesn't drape very well comapred to the heavier gauge cloths.

 

[Edward Appleby]

Originally Posted by Tuerney1

Thank you both. It sounds like the verdict is still out on it's durability, then. Personally, I'm not partially to particularly fine or delicate fabrics, but there is a Brioni sportcoat on ebay that interests me. I've been looking for a pattern very much like this for a while, and, at $800, I thought I might give it a shot:

It would be a weekend jacket for me and might be subject to my usual wear and tear...so I guess I'll probably pass and wait on a (probably) more durable fabric.

That jacket leaves me very, very conflicted. On the one hand, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool (haha, I made a pun-sort of) Harris devotee, who demands country ruggedness in his tweeds.

On the other hand, that's some beautiful material.

 

[rnoldh]

Originally Posted by Manton

Well, it's very expensive and it feels nice. I wonder about its durability. Personally, I would never pay that price for wool when I can get really bulletproof stuff for quite a lot less. Plus, I am perfectly happy with the way that good 80s, 90s and 100s wool feels.

Manton, you are the expert. I see your point about 80's, 90's, and 100's! And I agree with those that say 170's, 180's are too delicate, too expensive(relatively), and not particularly desirable.

I'm also aware that the number system is just a rating number, and it's the quality of the fabric that really matters.

My question is: Aren't 110's and 120's just about the same price as 90's and 100's? And aren't they the favorite fabric of many fine makers. Oxxford comes to mind. So, if they are priced very closely, would you not purchase a 120 over a 90 or 100?

 

[Will]

Originally Posted by rnoldh

My question is: Aren't 110's and 120's just about the same price as 90's and 100's? And aren't they the favorite fabric of many fine makers. Oxxford comes to mind. So, if they are priced very closely, would you not purchase a 120 over a 90 or 100?

If you compare apples to apples, that is, rated fabrics from a single merchant where the other quality variables are presumeably the same, there are significant percentage differences.

I don't have exact examples to hand, but from memory, retail ex VAT for 5 meters of Super 80s worsted direct from Holland & Sherry is about $500. Super 120s is $800 and Super 150s roughly double again.

 

[thinman]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

I have tried on some Escorial suits by Brioni, and I did not like the thiness of fabric.

It is quite a refined fabric but otherwise, it's particularly thin, and doesn't drape very well comapred to the heavier gauge cloths.

I just bought an Escorial wool blazer from Oxxford and the fabric doesn't seem thin at all. I don't remember the official weight of the cloth, but it drapes nicely and I'm actually concerned that it might be too heavy to wear during warmer weather. It won't get its first test-drive until next month, so I can't comment on its durability.

 

[Artisan Fan]

I would pocket $2-3K and just get 120s or 150s wool personally.

 

[kitonbrioni]

Escorial is a very nice wool. I have a Brioni overcoat made of it and a NM scarf. Brioni escorial is not as plush as their cashmere. Also, escorial is not as fine as my vicuna overcoat.

 

[Tuerney1]

Originally Posted by Artisan Fan

I would pocket $2-3K and just get 120s or 150s wool personally.

Heh. Wish I could figure out how to do that...

The jacket I had in mind is only $800.

Well on ebay, at least...around $4K MSRP, I guess.

 

[Tony13]

Escorial wool is definitely a very nice fabric, is only the best of wools.... If you compare regular wools to escorial, just think of this way: compare a regular wool sweater from an average store to a brioni extra fine wool sweater they both wools but there's no comparison between 1 and the other, i feel that way whenever I try a escorial jacket

 

[Despos]

Escorial is to wool what Golden Bale is to H.Lesser. The cloth is very durable. Tailors beautifully.

Follow the link

[]