MC General Chat

[Nobilis Animus]

Yuck. Now we’ve addressed cotton suits and synthetics. Two of my fav trigger topics!

Well, I give a pass to Rayon and the like, because they're not naturally-occurring, but still technically natural because they come from wood pulp or cotton. They work great for linings or giving something a silky sheen, but I'd choose natural silk for something like scarves, for instance.

 

[clee1982]

maybe it is just pure durability?

 

[Nobilis Animus]

maybe it is just pure durability?

I think it probably is. Also, velvet was traditionally worn in smoking conditions, and cotton works better to protect other clothes from the smoke, so maybe it's a holdover from that.

I do know that I inherited a velvet jacket from a luxury department store in the 1930s which is also cotton. It's a great example of what a true classic is like, because the thing looks so modern that it might as well have been bought yesterday.

 

[dieworkwear]

The perfect casual suit material still eludes me, however, as i simply don't like cotton jackets very much, for the reasons noted by Mark. What material are you using?

mine is cotton and elastane from zegna. i wore it the other day and quite like it in 60 degree weather, as mark mentioned in the video.

will from asw once said that his brown cotton suit is his favorite fall suit.

 

[smittycl]

mine is cotton and elastane from zegna. i wore it the other day and quite like it in 60 degree weather, as mark mentioned in the video.

will from asw once said that his brown cotton suit is his favorite fall suit.

I found cotton to be too warm in the sticky DC climate. Granted I didn’t wear it in colder weather but doubt it work as a business suit. Maybe a casual Friday sort of thing.

 

[dieworkwear]

I found cotton to be too warm in the sticky DC climate. Granted I didn’t wear it in colder weather but doubt it work as a business suit. Maybe a casual Friday sort of thing.

Yes, I wouldn't wear it for business. Mark notes in that video that he doesn't think it would be good for summer. From my suit here, I would agree. Personally think this is a casual fall suit, as we've discussed before.

 

[mak1277]

Yes, I wouldn't wear it for business. Mark notes in that video that he doesn't think it would be good for summer. From my suit here, I would agree. Personally think this is a casual fall suit, as we've discussed before.

Where would it rank for you vs. Corduroy and tweed as "casual fall suits"?

 

[dieworkwear]

Where would it rank for you vs. Corduroy and tweed as "casual fall suits"?

I don't know if I would rank them. Personally think casual suits are already somewhat odd in themselves as you have to find the right occasions and have a certain personality to wear them. Most guys only wear suits in formal situations and feel uncomfortable dressing more formally than others in casual environments. I find I wear sport coats much more often than casual suits for this reason (I have a corduroy suit, but mostly wear it as separates).

Some tweed suits could be worn in slightly more formal situations. Pete owns a grey Donegal and wears it for religious meetings.

But if someone wanted to get a casual fall suit, I think corduroy, denser tweeds, and heavier cotton could be great options. Like Mark, I also don't like lightweight cotton. I commissioned a pair of chinos from NSM many years ago. They're made from a 9oz cotton and never get any wear because of how the material wrinkles.

 

[dieworkwear]

+1, I guess I do have cotton jacket, velvet, just never mentally registered in my head..., speaking of which is there anyone that still makes pure silk velvet jacket?

Holland & Sherry offers silk velvet. Henry Poole also offers it among their books, but I don't know if it's different from H&S.

 

[Nobilis Animus]

I don't know if I would rank them. Personally think casual suits are already somewhat odd in themselves as you have to find the right occasions and have a certain personality to wear them. Most guys only wear suits in formal situations and feel uncomfortable dressing more formally than others in casual environments. I find I wear sport coats much more often than casual suits for this reason (I have a corduroy suit, but mostly wear it as separates).

Some tweed suits could be worn in slightly more formal situations. Pete owns a grey Donegal and wears it for religious meetings.

But if someone wanted to get a casual fall suit, I think corduroy, denser tweeds, and heavier cotton could be great options. Like Mark, I also don't like lightweight cotton. I commissioned a pair of chinos from NSM many years ago. They're made from a 9oz cotton and never get any wear because of how the material wrinkles.

It's an interesting intersection of mentalities, because I find that some men aren't even comfortable in a sports coat + trousers, as it's basically a suit of different colours even though there's more room for variation.

In my experience, most people feel at ease when they fit in with others at the same occasion. Put another way, finding individual comfort in what someone wears regardless of the environment is a rare thing. But the desire to not be 'too formal' sometimes also extends to occasions where formality is appropriate (weddings, etc). So it seems that the general aversion towards suits is at least partially due towards wanting to seem 'cool' instead of 'try hard.'

In certain circles though, jackets and the like have never been too much - although the casual suit still takes personality, as you said.

 

[Sam H]

I just had chesterfield made at Mr. Ned’s and he had a lot of leftover black Scabal velvet in stock he used for collar. It’s cotton and he said cotton is more durable but I think when contrasted with synthetics. I asked about wool and silk velvets just out of curiosity but I don’t remember what he said because I was more than happy with his in stock name brand cotton velvet, it would be splitting hairs to worry beyond that. But he definitely said cotton velvet is better than at least synthetics even regarding sturdiness, I think (I’d have assumed synthetics are “better” but synthetic).

 

[UrbanComposition]

I asked Salvo about a silk velvet and he said he remembers one from Drapers years ago, but the book has been discontinued. He was going to ask his supplier if there was any left in stock; I'd love to have one made up, if only to be worn once a year.

 

[circumspice]

The whole cotton thing is the same as linen:

Is it casual? Yes
Is it going to wrinkle? Yes

But some people have gotten themselves convinced there is a hierarchy of wrinkles , with some being haram

I have an Isaia suit made of some lightweight cotton that works probably into the 80s, and a Formosa out of Brisbane Moss only into the 70s. No idea whose fabric the Isaia is made out of, but it doesn't really wrinkle anywhere as much as lightweight linen, so I wouldn't necessarily be wary of < 10 oz cottons if one came recommended

 

[Nobilis Animus]

As far as pure cotton jackets (non-velvet), I can definitely see some use for them. At least where I am, summers can get quite humid and a cotton or linen jacket is great for brunches, beaches, etc. I'm actually not so hung up about wrinkles.

One jacket I own that has sparked a bit of inspiration is a mixture of 85% cotton and 15% linen. It's more of a 'work jacket' than sports coat, but the material is fantastic. The linen lends rigidity, while the cotton prevents it from wrinkling very much. I think a similar blend would be ideal for a blazer, but I'm not sure if it's widely available.

 

[clee1982]

I don't know if it's real summer, jacket is just too hot period