Tonik Mohair input requested - calling Manton and fellow Mohair lovers

[negusnegas]

I have never thought all that much about Mohair blends, but recently was presented the opportunity to possibly purchase a bespoke commission (made for a customer who never picked it up) that was made up in a petrol blue Dormeuil Tonik. The customer has my dimensions so alterations would be minimal and the suit is more or less in basted form with sleeves and coat closure sans buttons. I know the cloth alone runs over $200 per yard and I could purchase the suit for a little more than the cost of cloth I suppose. Just wanted to get people's feedback on the versatility of Tonik versus more casual cloths like flannels. Also if anybody has pictures of their Tonik or Mohair blends in the wild, it would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[taxgenius]

Do you have a pic of this fabric? Interested as to what petrol blue looks like.

 

[Montauk]

Mohair blends are my go-to for shoulder seasons. Cool to the touch, crisp in appearance, low maintenance, and hard wearing. I have a large scale glen plaid suit and a slate blue suit. Both are tremendously versatile. Wish I had more.

 

[negusnegas]

I don't have a pic of the fabric and given that it has sheen I don't think anything but a high qualityf camera would be able to capture it all that well, but I googled the color and attached a pic of something that I would say is in the ballpark. The one I am looking at is a bit lighter though.

 

[J. Cogburn]

Can't compare mohair to flannel. Mohair is for warm weather; flannel is for cold weather. It's not an either/or proposition; more like, "do I need a warm weather suit or a cold weather suit?" And if you need a warm weather suit, then "do I want a mohair suit or a linen suit or a cotton suit or an open-weave wool suit or a tropical wool suit?"

Tonik is very hard to come by and is highly coveted by many. If you like petrol blue (and I most certainly do) and the cut of the suit, I'd snatch it up!

 

[Eustace Tilley]

I may be the only person on this forum who hates mohair. Hate it.

 

[Ianiceman]

And just to keep the SF universe in balance I love it. For an aging mod it's just about the most coveted.

Holland and Sherry do a very nice silvery sharkskin 8oz that I may one day take the plunge and get for a bespoke suit to get married in (beach wedding). Not too shiny, just enough of a tonic sheen, perfect!

 

[J. Cogburn]

Originally Posted by Eustace Tilley

I may be the only person on this forum who hates mohair. Hate it.

Care to explain? I have no skin in this game given that I don't have said Mohair and have never seen a mohair suit on any living person. I like the idea of it though.

 

[Eustace Tilley]

Originally Posted by J. Cogburn

Care to explain? I have no skin in this game given that I don't have said Mohair and have never seen a mohair suit on any living person. I like the idea of it though.

Basically the sheen. For whatever reason, its a massive turn-off for me. I also prefer other options for warm-weather suitings.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by Eustace Tilley

Basically the sheen. For whatever reason, its a massive turn-off for me. I also prefer other options for warm-weather suitings.

Like silk?

 

[negusnegas]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I do realize that trying to compare flannel to mohair is akin to comparing apples to oranges, but I am faced with a dilemma since the cash outlay for this suit (approx. $1,500) would put me in the territory of getting my own bespoke commission from one of the HK tailors, which is something had been contemplating. Also, I worry that a relatively hard material like mohair doesn't shape as well as something made up in cashmere or flannel, but I may be wrong in my assessment. The Tonik suit is a Made in England Duncan Quinn from 06/07 and I don't know who made them back then, but would imagine the material and cost of UK construction alone make it one heck of a deal.