Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[The Chai]

After having eleven suits/djs made in various shades of navy and midnight blue, my tailor has started on my first non Navy suit. It will be a cream 480 gram Irish linen one button with cran necker/Parisian/smalto lapels and no vents. I’m intending to wear it as a two piece/sport coat/odd dinner jacket with my various other dinner pants.

P.s. I have also graduated to the ‘I think we can skip straight to the second fitting as I have already made so many suits for you’ stage

 

[L.deJong]

Gentlemen,

Quick question. Can lambswool be used for trousering? Say around 20oz (580 grams).

It is marketed as a topcoat/overcoat fabric. But I think it will work as a trouser.
But I don't know how well the crease will stay put... (it's worsted btw, but rough to the touch - duh lambswool - )

BTW the photo from Dugdale doesn't do the cloth justice, it has more depth of colour.
For instance, there is a nice grey thread going through the puppy tooth so it's not black in appearance.
More greyish-black. The underground is more yellowish-grey.

 

[paborden]

Can anyone speak to a little synthetic in cotton, moleskin, corduroy?

I've heard so many conflicting things about this. One of my go-to tailors is adamant that synthetic in cottons is bad bad bad, but fine in cords. No word on moleskin. Unfortunately my Italian isn't conversant enough to understand the reasonsing...

 

[The Chai]

I think the rationale is similar to synthetic in jeans...to give it abit if stretch which makes it more comfortable. The side effects are probably fabric burn/shine when ironing

Can anyone speak to a little synthetic in cotton, moleskin, corduroy?

I've heard so many conflicting things about this. One of my go-to tailors is adamant that synthetic in cottons is bad bad bad, but fine in cords. No word on moleskin. Unfortunately my Italian isn't conversant enough to understand the reasonsing...

 

[The Chai]

I also find any item of clothing I own...be it jeans, trousers, jackets or sweaters with a synthetic mix tends to have a fabric pilling issue long term

 

[bdavro23]

The issue I have with synthetics generally is one of breath-ability. I run very hot and sometimes garments with stretch exacerbate the issue.

 

[The Chai]

The issue I have with synthetics generally is one of breath-ability. I run very hot and sometimes garments with stretch exacerbate the issue.

Yeah I get that with some of my old ‘permacrease’ trousers. Sure they maintain that crease line but man not only do they run hot, there’s that lingering weird synth smell and it has a very bad hand

 

[bdavro23]

Yeah I get that with some of my old ‘permacrease’ trousers. Sure they maintain that crease line but man not only do they run hot, there’s that lingering weird synth smell and it has a very bad hand

i made myself a summer suit in Loro Piana Travel Line Fabric, which has 2% lycra in it. The fabric feels nice, looks great and is very comfortable. However, I roasted in it. I am an outlier and most people will not have any issue, but it was unwearable for me. The suit has found a happy home with a friend and he loves it. Horses for courses...

 

[The Chai]

i made myself a summer suit in Loro Piana Travel Line Fabric, which has 2% lycra in it. The fabric feels nice, looks great and is very comfortable. However, I roasted in it. I am an outlier and most people will not have any issue, but it was unwearable for me. The suit has found a happy home with a friend and he loves it. Horses for courses...

Agreed. I have some clothing with synthetics that I love to wear as knockabout clothes and others that have ended up in the goodwill bin. Some I still keep for sentimental
Value and a very select few I still wear regularly. As u said, it can be hit and miss. I personally wouldn’t automatically dismiss an item of clothing just because it has synthetic in it. One of my brooks flight jackets has 59%cotton41% polyester mix and it’s one my my favourite pieces of clothes I wear. As Marie kondo woikd say ‘it gives me joy’. But I dunno if I would pay bespoke prices or select a fabric for something with synthetic inside...especially when there are so many better options...unless u really really like the fabric and it brings you joy

 

[Concordia]

Some corduroy has 2-3% synthetic, which one would probably not know if not looking for it. Not sure what such a small amount contributes.

 

[DavidLane]

Thinking of making a chore coat/over shirt/safari jacket in cavalry twill. Has anyone done this in the past? Thoughts and opinions welcomed.

Cloth in question is the LL Cavalry Twill in tan. I think it would look nice paired with faded jeans and a chambray shirt come fall.

Thank you, DL-

 

[SimonC]

@paborden - Dugdale used to offer very heavyweight pure cotton corduroy. I ordered another pair of trousers from the book and they had switched to a blend with some synthetic in, and the trousers got made up before anyone realised.

To my view, I don’t like them anywhere as much as the pure cotton ones I have. Whereas the pure cotton hang straight, the blend just sags and I am not keen on the (minor) stretch either.

 

[Bespoke DJP]

Dear Gentlemen,

How easy is to feel that in our sartorial world the summer is over? The corduroy discussion is here! I am not that an old member and this would probably be my third round on the subject...so, be it!

My dear @SimonC, what you did experience is the reality that very few of us utter: that cloth merchants cannot always control the exact quality of their products as mills may do. Perhaps your vendor had not even evaluated the effects of the change in the cloth specs.

Under the peril to repeat myself, a completely different outcome - in both quality and aesthetics - would be produced with the use of cotton-wool and (even better) cotton-cashmere corduroy fabrics at a different price level of course! A bit (2-3%) of lycra or elastane would be in the mix to provide stretching features.

Cheers,

Dimitris

 

[patrickBOOTH]

I run warm also, but I don't notice when synthetic content is around 2%. Obviously weave makes a difference, but I feel like modern synthetics have come a long way. Pilling as another user stated tends to be an issue some synthetics/weaves vs others.

This is a pretty good breakdown of the attributes of the different types.

 

[DavidLane]

I started a new B/S/T thread for cloth here: https://www.styleforum.net/threads/cloth-buy-sell-trade-b-s-t-thread.649365/#post-9864527

DL-