Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[Concordia]

Wide-wale corduroy is always useful. There are several out there, and the ones with a tiny bit of synthetics aren't necessarily worse. Dry-cleaning is essential, of course.

And if you like the Breton red canvas, Murray's of Nantucket will sell it to you by the meter or yard. That has a really old-fashioned dye, though. So you will have to wash it in cold water after it is made.

 

[kolecho]

Could someone advise me about heavy cottons available on the market for a bespoke pant? When I say heavy it's above 400gr. I had a pair of trousers made in a 480gr cotton from Cacciopoli some years ago but it had 2% of elastane and it's been a catastroph to wash. My tailor recommend me the Cotspire bunch from HFW but it also contains Lycra. I'm taking any tip.

What's wrong with washing cotton with 2% elastane?

 

[sensuki]

My first fabric contribution to the thread:

Some shirting unfunded liabilities

Lani's Lana Fine Rambouillet Wool - Sand colorway, woven by Huston Textiles CA, USA. Wool fibre is from a single farm called "The Bare Ranch" on the border of California and Nevada.

Permanent Style Selvedge Chambray (probably doesn't need an introduction)

Really like the texture of this, and the weave isn't too tight. Should make a cozy casual winter shirt.

I ordered a swatch book from Lani's Lana before purchase. It was super hard to choose between Sand and Snow, and I also really like the Lava. If I ordered again I would get Snow and then Lava. Not a fan of the Indigo, YMMV.

 

[reidd]

Posted this on the wrong thread if you've already seen this...but anyways...opinion of getting this as a cream raw silk sports jacket?

Do it!

Although I didn’t realize you wore jackets without faced lapels.

 

[sensuki]

They also have a nice cavalry cotton in the RYE bunch. Unfortunately they don't send samples to individual customers...

I have RTW trousers in this, great stuff. Actually pretty breathable too, perfectly fine in the high 20s, probably ok in the low 30s too.

 

[reidd]

What's wrong with washing cotton with 2% elastane?

probably fine but synthetic mixed cloth will eventually split and you’ll have a bunch of little rubber bands sticking out of your clothing at stress points. Will take a while but it happens.

 

[The Chai]

Do it!

Although I didn’t realize you wore jackets without faced lapels.

Who said I was not going to get it faced?

 

[acapaca]

Who said I was not going to get it faced?

Does that mean the lapels in a grosgrain type of fabric? I've been intrigued by your dinner jackets and have slowly started to learn more (with the idea that I might find opportunity to wear one myself eventually). I saw one recently on this board, perhaps in this thread, that was a sand kind of color with shawl collar in self fabric, I thought, and I figured it looked a bit less 'tux-y' that way. (This was a jacket where someone mentioned he thought he jacket were too dark and someone else said he liked the contrast.)

At any rate, I was just wondering if there are any 'rules' around the fabric choice for the lapels. Thanks!

 

[Marshak]

What's wrong with washing cotton with 2% elastane?

It's a disaster to wash, even with a careful cold wash. The fabric shrinks appallingly. We do not have the same use of a everyday cotton pants as a wool suit pants. The Cacciopoli trousers have lost almost 20% of their mass after 5 washes... Because of the elastana. A pure cotton will shrink a lot less.

 

[kolecho]

It's a disaster to wash, even with a careful cold wash. The fabric shrinks appallingly. We do not have the same use of a everyday cotton pants as a wool suit pants. The Cacciopoli trousers have lost almost 20% of their mass after 5 washes... Because of the elastana. A pure cotton will shrink a lot less.

Wow. That’s good to know. I’ve been meaning to get a corduroy jacket made. Not that I will cold wash it but some corduroy have elastane or the like mixed in.

 

[The Chai]

Does that mean the lapels in a grosgrain type of fabric? I've been intrigued by your dinner jackets and have slowly started to learn more (with the idea that I might find opportunity to wear one myself eventually). I saw one recently on this board, perhaps in this thread, that was a sand kind of color with shawl collar in self fabric, I thought, and I figured it looked a bit less 'tux-y' that way. (This was a jacket where someone mentioned he thought he jacket were too dark and someone else said he liked the contrast.)

At any rate, I was just wondering if there are any 'rules' around the fabric choice for the lapels. Thanks!

Can’t speak for others but my rule is make sure it’s complementary. I personally would never go for silk facings with a cream or off white dinner jacket. With midnight or black tuxes depends on the fabric you choose. I find satin or shantung goes well with summery fabrics like mohair and grosgrain goes well with heavy winter baratheas. But there’s no hard and fast rule re this. Just personal preference. I’d probably get most of my future dinner jackets faced in black or midnight shantung facings. Have one in black and currently getting one in midnight.

 

[acapaca]

Can’t speak for others but my rule is make sure it’s complementary. I personally would never go for silk facings with a cream or off white dinner jacket. With midnight or black tuxes depends on the fabric you choose. I find satin or shantung goes well with summery fabrics like mohair and grosgrain goes well with heavy winter baratheas. But there’s no hard and fast rule re this. Just personal preference. I’d probably get most of my future dinner jackets faced in black or midnight shantung facings. Have one in black and currently getting one in midnight.

Thanks. So, with cream or off white you would go with what? I'm not sure whether to interpret what you said to mean that you would keep the same fabric, as in a regular suit coat. That's what I thought I saw in the oatmeal kind of colored one I was mentioning. In other words, I'm wondering if just the shawl collar (if I'm saying that right), in the same fabric, is enough to make such an item qualify as a 'dinner jacket'.

 

[The Chai]

Thanks. So, with cream or off white you would go with what? I'm not sure whether to interpret what you said to mean that you would keep the same fabric, as in a regular suit coat. That's what I thought I saw in the oatmeal kind of colored one I was mentioning. In other words, I'm wondering if just the shawl collar (if I'm saying that right), in the same fabric, is enough to make such an item qualify as a 'dinner jacket'.

Yeah self faced. Traditionally the summer cream off white dinner jackets are self faced. I have seen some with facings but that look weird. Bond wore such a tux in spectre. You could get a sb peak lapel or double breasted in cream if you want it to double as a sports coat

 

[dan'l]

Wow. That’s good to know. I’ve been meaning to get a corduroy jacket made. Not that I will cold wash it but some corduroy have elastane or the like mixed in.

If possible, try to find some Zegna Cashco. It is 98% cotton and 2% cashmere. I found a length from the old stock, but understand they are making it again.

 

[kolecho]

If possible, try to find some Zegna Cashco. It is 98% cotton and 2% cashmere. I found a length from the old stock, but understand they are making it again.

I’ve seen those on Hall Madden’s website. They have about 10% cashmere. Would prefer them in heavier weight circa 450g though.