Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[bernoulli]

2.5 to 3 suits with extra pair of trousers or 4 suits? I know what I prefer.

As for playing conservative: if you are never going to need it, it is just a waste of money.

For many years I had three suits. Never had any issue with the trousers.

But yeah, it is a personal choice. I am just trying to point out the pros and cons.

yep, do what works for you. What works for me and what possibly may work for the op is playing it safe by ordering an extra pair of trousers. Especially if one has a very small rotation and/or plans to wear a suit more than twice in one week. The larger the rotation of suits, the less an extra set of trousers is needed. Btw, bespoke trousers are usually less than half of the price of jacket. I doubt that buying an extra pair of trousers is comparable to buying an additional suit.

 

[Concordia]

The best option for extra trousers is with something that can get double use. Grey flannel that can also be worn under a blazer, for example. Len Logsdail once said here or on another board that he had a client who'd figured out the way to order suits-- 6 pieces. SB, DB, a waistcoat, and a third pair of trousers. Something classic and nondescript, I'd guess, so nobody thought it weird you kept wearing it day and night through the week. If I find a truly evergreen solid LL fabric that could also go under a sport jacket, that means 12m.

Pinstripes are probably less of an obvious application, unless you know you'll be working 16 hours a day at your desk, 6 days a week at the bank with your jacket off.

 

[Stanacle]

Hi All, Simon of permanent style wrote in his blog that he would not recommend suits be made in wool/cashmere mix because the pants lose the shape easily and becomes baggy below the knees.

I have my eyes on a 270g super 150 95% wool and 5% cashmere fabrics. Have you had any suits made in this ratio of mixture? How is it in retaining the shape? Thanks a lot!

 

[The Chai]

Hi All, Simon of permanent style wrote in his blog that he would not recommend suits be made in wool/cashmere mix because the pants lose the shape easily and becomes baggy below the knees.

I have my eyes on a 270g super 150 95% wool and 5% cashmere fabrics. Have you had any suits made in this ratio of mixture? How is it in retaining the shape? Thanks a lot!

I personally think 5% or even 10% is to minuscule of a blend to make a difference in drape.

 

[Concordia]

The 270g and 150 may be a bigger influence. Not to mention the quality of the book. Either way this is not going to be a wear-all-day beater.

 

[Mr. Pink]

Hi All, Simon of permanent style wrote in his blog that he would not recommend suits be made in wool/cashmere mix because the pants lose the shape easily and becomes baggy below the knees.

I have my eyes on a 270g super 150 95% wool and 5% cashmere fabrics. Have you had any suits made in this ratio of mixture? How is it in retaining the shape? Thanks a lot!

I have a suit in Harrison's Premier Cru. I think it's 5% cashmere. I've had no problems with pants bagging. I remember some members slagging this book, but I'm happy with the suit. If I recall correctly, @Despos likes this book.

 

[dieworkwear]

Hi All, Simon of permanent style wrote in his blog that he would not recommend suits be made in wool/cashmere mix because the pants lose the shape easily and becomes baggy below the knees.

I have my eyes on a 270g super 150 95% wool and 5% cashmere fabrics. Have you had any suits made in this ratio of mixture? How is it in retaining the shape? Thanks a lot!

No experience with cashmere blends for suitings, but if I was concerned about something like that, I would ask for a slightly wider trouser. If you get slim trousers, you will put more stress on the knees when you sit, which will cause bagging.

 

[stuffedsuperdud]

Hi All, Simon of permanent style wrote in his blog that he would not recommend suits be made in wool/cashmere mix because the pants lose the shape easily and becomes baggy below the knees.

I have my eyes on a 270g super 150 95% wool and 5% cashmere fabrics. Have you had any suits made in this ratio of mixture? How is it in retaining the shape? Thanks a lot!

My first "good" suit is in this exact formulation, and it feels like any other worsted, except perhaps a touch softer. The tailor specifically said that 5% is a good # to feel an increased softness without any noticeable change in how the fabric handles.


Relevant: Just like how most of us won't live long enough to actually ever have to actually resole our 20+ pairs of shoes, I don't think anyone here ever works their massive rotations of tailoring enough to degrade the shape of any single item except maaaaybe perhaps that favorite pair of odd flannel trousers.

 

[Bespoke DJP]

I would appreciate some advice on choosing between a 60 % wool, 40 % alpaca blend and a wool-cashmere blend cloth for an overcoat.

My local tailor has gotten a sample of a a pretty heavyweight example of the first and expects to soon enough have a likewise weighty sample of the second. Pattern and color will matter, but aside from observing that Alpaca appears to have a certain 'fuzziness' to it, I don't know anything about the alternatives. I doubt that either would be a mistake, but don't know how they might be different. (I also don't know the mill responsible; the tailor isn't getting them from Fast Eddies House of Fabric or whatever, but I cannot elaborate on their provenance, although I gather that he has been using these suppliers for quite a while.)

Dear @Encathol Epistemia,

My experience is straight from fabrics of Italian provenance, so I can only speak in this context.

Alpaca is a “veritable” overcoating fabric-mix’ component, beside its warmth properties, it also contributes fuzziness (in deed!) and weight to the fabric.

On the other hand, cashmere (other things being equal) at an industry average of 14 micron is lightweight, hence the mix becomes lighter, absolutely warm, luxurious, and highly insulated due to the very nature of its fibers.

Please, come back with more info on the subject matter.

Best,

Dimitris

 

[reidd]

My first "good" suit is in this exact formulation, and it feels like any other worsted, except perhaps a touch softer. The tailor specifically said that 5% is a good # to feel an increased softness without any noticeable change in how the fabric handles.


Relevant: Just like how most of us won't live long enough to actually ever have to actually resole our 20+ pairs of shoes, I don't think anyone here ever works their massive rotations of tailoring enough to degrade the shape of any single item except maaaaybe perhaps that favorite pair of odd flannel trousers.

Most guys will probably outgrow their bespoke pieces before they wear them out. Personally I wear my stuff pretty hard and I'm sure at least some of my items will eventually bite the dust. Flannel trousers are a good example.. Also blue blazers show shine really fast and also draw a lot of wear; like burning the candle at both ends. I also don't have a massive rotation, just a few core bespoke pieces that tend to get a lot of wear. I'd imagine many others take a similar approach.

On the cashmere blend issue specifically, I don't think I'd want a cashmere blend to be my first and only bespoke suit but if the cloth is from a good mill, I doubt it should wear in all that different than a pure wool in the same weight.

 

[kit990929]

wanting to have a flannel jacket, for the drape /softness and texture
kind of interested in this cloth
https://standevenfabrics.co.uk/product/22054-autumn-green-plain-flannel/
but i have some question about this one
it said it is a super 120s flannel
what's the different compare to normal woolen flannel?

thank you

 

[Concordia]

Just means that the fibers will have a maximum diameter, and therefore be finer and more expensive. So probably thinner fabric and more flexible. Some might warn that it will also be more fragile, although that's a tough thing to worry about with flannel.

 

[The Chai]

wanting to have a flannel jacket, for the drape /softness and texture
kind of interested in this cloth
https://standevenfabrics.co.uk/product/22054-autumn-green-plain-flannel/
but i have some question about this one
it said it is a super 120s flannel
what's the different compare to normal woolen flannel?

thank you

Personall bias but standeven generally specializes in mohair I would not go to them as a default for flannels unless they make a particular design you cant get elsewhere

 

[reidd]

wanting to have a flannel jacket, for the drape /softness and texture
kind of interested in this cloth
https://standevenfabrics.co.uk/product/22054-autumn-green-plain-flannel/
but i have some question about this one
it said it is a super 120s flannel
what's the different compare to normal woolen flannel?

thank you

I think this could be a good jacket. I haven't had any Standeven clothes but every book of theirs I have seen has looked really nice. Super 120s will not be much different than another English flannel.

 

[brax]

I have a suit in Harrison's Premier Cru. I think it's 5% cashmere. I've had no problems with pants bagging. I remember some members slagging this book, but I'm happy with the suit. If I recall correctly, @Despos likes this book.

Correct. @Despos made my wedding suit out of this book.