Thoughts re: Poole's "Remake" of the Churchill Chalkstripe from the Tommy Gun Photo?

[gherrmann]

Does anyone have any experience with the newish grey chalkstripe Pooles recently commissioned as a modernized version of the cloth purportedly used for Churchill's suit in that famous photo of him looking like a tommy gun wielding gangster? Any thoughts as to the quality of the cloth and how it tailors?

TIA

 

[Manton]

I saw a bolt of it. It's a lovely woolen flannel, much lighter than the original, but it should tailor fine. I think it's made by Fox, 11 ounces.

 

[mack11211]

Manton is correct of course.

I wrote an item on it for men.style.com and spoke to Simon Cundy at Poole.

One sad note is that the suit of it that they had of the remade material in the Poole shop window was a 40 R. The only meausrements of Churchill that they have are his first ones from early in the century; these were in a ledger. The later paper patterns were thrown away.

 

[bry2000]

Is it a woolen or worsted flannel?

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by bry2000

Is it a woolen or worsted flannel?

Pretty sure it's woolen.

 

[Eustace Tilley]

Love the image:

 

[gherrmann]

Thanks all. I actually saw the coat made up of this cloth in Poole's shop the other day, which may have planted a seed in the back of my mind. I have a hard time finding chalkstripes that I like, but this one looks quite fetching. I actually don't think it looks all that much like the original cloth, at least not as photographed; the new version seems softer (in terms of both hand and coloration) and more elegant than the photo of the original. In any event, though, it caught my eye.

Does anyone think it's at all a trite concept, or should I not let myself be swayed by such considerations?

 

[gherrmann]

Originally Posted by Manton

Pretty sure it's woolen.

does woolen flannel in such a light weight have any resiliency? I'm certainly no expert, but I would think that one could wear through such a lightweight woolen flannel without much effort. is it likely to start bagging fairly significantly early in life?

thanks again for the input.

 

[dopey]

Originally Posted by gherrmann

does woolen flannel in such a light weight have any resiliency? I'm certainly no expert, but I would think that one could wear through such a lightweight woolen flannel without much effort. is it likely to start bagging fairly significantly early in life?

thanks again for the input.

I saw this cloth when I visited the Poole roadshow in NY last year. You expressed what I was concerned about on handling it. The cloth didn't look like it would have much of a lifespan.

I would gladly defer to empirical evidence over my inexpert impression, but I wouldn't want to be the one spending money to find out.

 

[TRINI]

Originally Posted by mack11211

I wrote an item on it for men.style.com and spoke to Simon Cundy at Poole.

Link to article?

 

[mack11211]

Originally Posted by triniboy27

Link to article?

A blog item, actually.

Still online here.

 

[luk-cha]

Originally Posted by Eustace Tilley

Love the image:

this would be my one que to scratch my 3B SB, flannel and chalk stripe itches in one swoop!

 

[yfyf]

Originally Posted by luk-cha

this would be my one que to scratch my 3B SB, flannel and chalk stripe itches in one swoop!

My god, with those sorts of savings, it's like you're MAKING money not SPENDING it!!

 

[luk-cha]

Originally Posted by yfyf

My god, with those sorts of savings, it's like you're MAKING money not SPENDING it!!

1 shi da zhong le!

 

[Mildly Consumptive]

Was that fabric so unique that it required remaking? It seems like something that would be easily available.