Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[academe]

Folks-

I just noticed this post on Will's blog:

http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2011/11/crown-classic-clearance.html

and was thinking of picking up enough houndstooth (Minnis 2357) for a suit, to be worn either in its entirety or as separates. Do any of you have experience with this cloth? What scale are the teeth?

 

[Sterling Gillette]

Arrived this morning: W. Halstead Wool/Mohair in black/white slubby pick and pick + Holland & Sherry Snowy River midgrey with wide red pinstripe.

 

[coolpapa]



Folks-
I just noticed this post on Will's blog:
http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2011/11/crown-classic-clearance.html
and was thinking of picking up enough houndstooth (Minnis 2357) for a suit, to be worn either in its entirety or as separates. Do any of you have experience with this cloth? What scale are the teeth?

Thanks for posting this.

 

[hst]

Folks-
I just noticed this post on Will's blog:
http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2011/11/crown-classic-clearance.html
and was thinking of picking up enough houndstooth (Minnis 2357) for a suit, to be worn either in its entirety or as separates. Do any of you have experience with this cloth? What scale are the teeth?

Thanks for posting this.

+1. Put in an order, but not sure if some colours in my order are still in stock since I do not think the inventories are updated online in real time.

 

[fox81]



+1. Put in an order, but not sure if some colours in my order are still in stock since I do not think the inventories are updated online in real time.

im hoping they are. dont order my stuff

 

[apropos]

Before everyone gets all excited do remember that tailors do tend to charge a LOT more for CMT than whatever their 'base labour cost' is - this almost certainly negates the price advantage when purchasing fabric direct, especially since shipping fabric is expensive.

e.g. for Australians who want to go the P. Johnson route their CMT cost is the same as a suit in their most affordable fabric range, which is already pretty nice and IMO on par with Crown Classic.

I have experience with Crown Classic and while a nice bunch it is what it is - simple workhorse fabrics which are not luxurious, and all the patterns are commonly available. The only really nice selection from the bunch (IMO) - the mid grey pick-pick - is already out of stock at HFW.

After you take into account the hassle/risk involved with purchasing fabrics sight unseen...

...well anyway I've decided it's just not worth the time/expense/effort anyhow. YMMV. I just don't want more people making the same mistake as me and ending up with stacks of unused cloth.

PS: I'll be having a firesale near the end of this year for lots of fabrics - windowpanes, solid herringhbones, cashmeres, handspun tweeds, etc.

 

[Sterling Gillette]

I agree with most of what apropos wrote above: The current price for the Crown Classic bunch is good, but really only worth a purchase if you have a tailor who does not charge much more for CMT than he does for a regular job.

That being said, I do not think very highly of tailors who charge clients for bringing their own cloth. It is OK to charge maybe a bit more for CMT on a client supplied cloth (say 10%) in order to make up for the risk of having to replace the client's cloth should there be any problems during the making (shrinking, cutting errors, etc.). But to charge the same for CMT as for a regular job (from a house fabric) can mean, in my opinion, exactly two things:

a) Said tailor buys his entry level cloth at ridiculously low prices. Which is ok.
b) Said tailor disguises a lot of his price as cost for cloth and trimmings, i.e. scamming the client. Which is not what I consider a respectful client-tailor relationship.

 

[academe]



I agree with most of what apropos wrote above: The current price for the Crown Classic bunch is good, but really only worth a purchase if you have a tailor who does not charge much more for CMT than he does for a regular job.
That being said, I do not think very highly of tailors who charge clients for bringing their own cloth. It is OK to charge maybe a bit more for CMT on a client supplied cloth (say 10%) in order to make up for the risk of having to replace the client's cloth should there be any problems during the making (shrinking, cutting errors, etc.). But to charge the same for CMT as for a regular job (from a house fabric) can mean, in my opinion, exactly two things:
a) Said tailor buys his entry level cloth at ridiculously low prices. Which is ok.
b) Said tailor disguises a lot of his price as cost for cloth and trimmings, i.e. scamming the client. Which is not what I consider a respectful client-tailor relationship.

Fair comments, and I also agree with apropos that buying cloth direct from Minnis is only worth while if your CMT price is reasonable relative to the cost of the cloth. I was planning on having the fabric made-up by my Singapore tailor, whose CMT price is low relative to British or Italian bespoke. If I was going with my English guy I wouldn't bother; he charges me a flat rate for all fabrics (regardless of their level of "luxury"), except for very expensive made from cashmere or more exotic stuff like vicuna. At least for British tailors, I believe that they get their fabrics at VERY reasonable trade prices from UK mills, hence the fact that many Row tailors tend to charge said flat rates. YMMV...

 

[TRINI]



PS: I'll be having a firesale near the end of this year for lots of fabrics - windowpanes, solid herringhbones, cashmeres, handspun tweeds, etc.

Sneak peek please.

 

[coolpapa]



Sneak peek please.

+1

 

[TheTukker]



...I have experience with Crown Classic and while a nice bunch it is what it is - simple workhorse fabrics which are not luxurious, and all the patterns are commonly available. The only really nice selection from the bunch (IMO) - the mid grey pick-pick - is already out of stock at HFW.
After you take into account the hassle/risk involved with purchasing fabrics sight unseen...
...

Very helpful - many thanks.

 

[apropos]



Sneak peek please.

Some are here, others elsewhere. I need to get everything in one place and then decide which ones to let go. Patience, it will be up come early Dec.

I am pretty sure I will let a handspun light grey tweed with a light blue windowpane, a handspun grey Donegal tweed, and a camel pure cashmere herringbone go. Probably a jacket length of mottled blue/grey Snowy River, and maybe a brown/camel lambswool herringbone that handles like Moonbeam.

 

[David Reeves]

I was making myself a Sportex erm sportcoat but I put it on hold to get some wedding suits done recently. I was into the idea of getting a suit made from this donegal like cloth but there was just enough for a sport coat. I chose a primary yellow lining with blue and white butcher stripe sleeve lining.

 

[hst]



+1. Put in an order, but not sure if some colours in my order are still in stock since I do not think the inventories are updated online in real time.

Got an email - my order just got shipped. Shipping to Asia by courier and insurance came out to an average of 7GBP per trouser length of fabric.

 

[forex]



Got an email - my order just got shipped. Shipping to Asia by courier and insurance came out to an average of 7GBP per trouser length of fabric.

What did you get?