Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[losrockets]

Thanks for the recs a few pages back on Harrison's Moonbeam for a FW weight navy jacket but unfortunately Spier doesn't carry them. They sent me swatches of a few Marling & Evans navy fabrics and as I mentioned before, Dugdale has some items that interest me, and I'm also ordering this from Cavour https://cavour.co/en/product/2955/mod-2-loro-piana-herringbone-tweed to try out. Here are the M&E swatches , I would appreciate y'alls input on what could make up into a nice, versatile navy FW jacket. I don't have exact weights on the two M&E herringbones but they're probably around 370g. Plaid is 370, hopsack is 320, IIRC. None is a valid choice btw.

Spoiler: fabrics

 

[RogerC]

All of the above would fit your purpose, I think. I tend to prefer a slightly lighter shade of navy, but that's a matter of taste. The glen check would be slightly less versatile in terms of pairing, as you'd need either a solid shirt or tie (I tend to combine 2 patterns maximum, pocket square excepted), but not excessively so.

 

[dieworkwear]

Thanks for the recs a few pages back on Harrison's Moonbeam for a FW weight navy jacket but unfortunately Spier doesn't carry them. They sent me swatches of a few Marling & Evans navy fabrics and as I mentioned before, Dugdale has some items that interest me, and I'm also ordering this from Cavour https://cavour.co/en/product/2955/mod-2-loro-piana-herringbone-tweed to try out. Here are the M&E swatches , I would appreciate y'alls input on what could make up into a nice, versatile navy FW jacket. I don't have exact weights on the two M&E herringbones but they're probably around 370g. Plaid is 370, hopsack is 320, IIRC. None is a valid choice btw.

Spoiler: fabrics

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Of the four you posted, I like the glen check best.

I find blue is hard to photograph. Sometimes the color shows up differently depending on the lighting conditions.

I would take the swatches outside and see if any have a hint of purple. I find purple-y blues to be hard to wear and they clash with grey trousers. Colder blues are easier to wear. But it's hard to see if a blue has a hint of purple until you take it outside in the sunlight. This is what I mean by a purple-y blue:

 

[losrockets]

Thanks for yalls input. Unfortunately not my swatches. I can ask someone at Spier to do that for me though. My fw sportcoat collection is entirely brown and cream and while they're seasonal I have it stuck in my mind that I must have a navy jacket in a FW weight.

 

[dieworkwear]

Thanks for yalls input. Unfortunately not my swatches. I can ask someone at Spier to do that for me though. My fw sportcoat collection is entirely brown and cream and while they're seasonal I have it stuck in my mind that I must have a navy jacket in a FW weight.

I know I've said this before, but I think that cold grey-blue color is the way to go for blue tweeds. It looks so great in the wintertime and especially with trousers in tan and grey.

 

[ZRH1]

a question re: heavy wool suit cloths. What is the heaviest worsted wool that can be bought in navy? I recently had a Harrisons P&B Universal herringbone in 545gr and I was still looking for something heavier, if possible still soft. I know there is the obvious flannell path, but for suits I'd prefer to have something still in worsted.

P & B UNIVERSAL NEW WOOL - Harrisons

545gms / 17 -18ozs All Wool Suiting

www.harrisons1863.com

What would you suggest? Many thanks in advance.

 

[Concordia]

That is pretty much the heaviest book out there. Beyond that you are probably finding an overcoating. Perhaps a cavalry twill could be made to work, but you are risking having it not look like a suit.

 

[Marshak]

a question re: heavy wool suit cloths. What is the heaviest worsted wool that can be bought in navy? I recently had a Harrisons P&B Universal herringbone in 545gr and I was still looking for something heavier, if possible still soft. I know there is the obvious flannell path, but for suits I'd prefer to have something still in worsted.

P & B UNIVERSAL NEW WOOL - Harrisons

545gms / 17 -18ozs All Wool Suiting

www.harrisons1863.com

What would you suggest? Many thanks in advance.

Great goal but I don't think a heavier worsted does exist unfortunately.

 

[4r36]

The Dark Green Ultimate Blazer by LL is ready to be shipped. However, I ended up commissioning something else for the winter. PM me if interested in getting my length (1.8m)

 

[Simon A]

Great goal but I don't think a heavier worsted does exist unfortunately.

You can go for the HE Box Cavalry Twill, at 900 g, which will prepare you for the Battle of Stalingrad in midwinter nicely. Add valenki and an ushanka, and you'll be perfectly comfortable.

 

[Marshak]

You can go for the HE Box Cavalry Twill, at 900 g, which will prepare you for the Battle of Stalingrad in midwinter nicely. Add valenki and an ushanka, and you'll be perfectly comfortable.

I'll dream of it. With a sheath in the same material for my Dragunov it will be perfect. A 1kg cashmere LL suit would also be appropriate but a bit dressy.

Honestly I understand this quest for heavy worsted fabrics. I'm used to wear fabrics around 450/500gr per meter and it's really enjoyable in autumn/winter and absolutely bearable.

I don't understand why the industry made the choice to produce anorexic fabrics at a mainstream standard of 300gr which don't hold the crease better than a pyjama and have no body.

 

[dan'l]

I always wonder how people who buy OTR stay warm in their “winter wardrobe,” since most of what you buy in stores (suits, overcoats, etc.), is made in thinner cloth.

 

[FlyingHorker]

I always wonder how people who buy OTR stay warm in their “winter wardrobe,” since most of what you buy in stores (suits, overcoats, etc.), is made in thinner cloth.

Where I live, we don't walk much in winter. It's fly right from the car into the house.

With that said, I don't really wear suits.

Corduroys and moleskins. Moleskin is amazing for blocking the wind for trousers, it felt like magic the first time I wore them.

A proper scarf, warm gloves, and a beanie is like 60% of the warmth in winter. Then you can add thick OCBDs and sweaters underneath for more warmth. Socks if your feet are cold.

Not an overcoat, but you can buy a Schott peacoat in 32 oz fabric for a reasonable price, and it got me through 5-6 winters with layering.

 

[Simon A]

I'll dream of it. With a sheath in the same material for my Dragunov it will be perfect. A 1kg cashmere LL suit would also be appropriate but a bit dressy.

Honestly I understand this quest for heavy worsted fabrics. I'm used to wear fabrics around 450/500gr per meter and it's really enjoyable in autumn/winter and absolutely bearable.

I don't understand why the industry made the choice to produce anorexic fabrics at a mainstream standard of 300gr which don't hold the crease better than a pyjama and have no body.

I love my heavy worsteds as it can get to -15 C in winter where I am, and October-March has great weather for such fabrics; a lengthy walk in the park with an overcoat is a pleasure, not a trial. I have some tweed suits (woolen, not worsted) around 500-600g which work perfectly well for all but the most formal of meetings in my situation.

A 300g suit , unless made from exceptional fibre, will need to be replaced in 3 years if heavily worn. A heavier fabric may last 15-50 years, which is not so attractive from the perspective of the merchant or the tailor.

 

[FlyingHorker]

I love my heavy worsteds as it can get to -15 C in winter where I am, and October-March has great weather for such fabrics; a lengthy walk in the park with an overcoat is a pleasure, not a trial. I have some tweed suits (woolen, not worsted) around 500-600g which work perfectly well for all but the most formal of meetings in my situation.

A 300g suit , unless made from exceptional fibre, will need to be replaced in 3 years if heavily worn. A heavier fabric may last 15-50 years, which is not so attractive from the perspective of the merchant or the tailor.

Wasn't the main reason for reduced weight due to the prevalence of central heating?