Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[ppk]

White balance when taking photos of gray and blue cloth gets totally messed up. The trick is to take the photo in natural light, with part of the frame being "normal stuff," and it gets fixed. (I assume nobody is walking around with an 18% gray card and doing white balance in post, from their iphone.)

This is super useful. Thanks!

 

[gimpwiz]

Here's an example from a recent photo in my reel: this is a Fox cloth I took a photo of for reference. You may see in the background that I pointed the camera at the door leading outside, where it's sunny out. When I tried to take a 'cleaner' photo of this cloth it just turned mid-dark gray because of white balance issues.

 

[tim_horton]

I recently picked up a suit I had made up in Loro Piana kid mohair/wool blend. It is fantastic, even better than it seemed as a swatch. It is as bone dry as the Sahara, as cool and crisp as iceberg lettuce, just the right amount of crease resistance, and juuuuust a tiny bit of sheen if the light is right. I wish I knew the name of the book, my tailor didn’t bring it this time but it’s really great. I think it’s about 10% mohair or something thereabouts. I’m definitely using it again.

 

[MarxismWinsAgain]

I need some advice from the cloth maniacs here. What do you guys think of this material for a sport coat? It would be my first bespoke garment, so looking for something versatile. I originally chose it at my tailor, but I'm now a bit unsure if it would not look like an orphaned suit jacket, be too shiny, or perhaps too warm. It's an overcoating fabric which I remember being around 600g! I believe it has a sort of rifled surface, but not sure if it's a cav twill. Help! He said I'm free to send something else to replace it if I please.

 

[camez_]

It could be too heavy
Looks like cav twill but would work as jacket nonetheless

Wouldn't be my first choice for a bespoke garment but ymmv

 

[MarxismWinsAgain]

It could be too heavy
Looks like cav twill but would work as jacket nonetheless

Wouldn't be my first choice for a bespoke garment but ymmv

Thanks!

 

[Timmers]

I need some advice from the cloth maniacs here. What do you guys think of this material for a sport coat? It would be my first bespoke garment, so looking for something versatile. I originally chose it at my tailor, but I'm now a bit unsure if it would not look like an orphaned suit jacket, be too shiny, or perhaps too warm. It's an overcoating fabric which I remember being around 600g! I believe it has a sort of rifled surface, but not sure if it's a cav twill. Help! He said I'm free to send something else to replace it if I please.

What sort of climate do you live in? 600g is heavy but if it doesn't get too hot year round, then it'll work nicely for an A/W odd jacket. The hefty twill should cement it as an odd jacket. I wouldn't pick that as suiting cloth.

 

[tim_horton]

Looks fine to me but is a bit heavy. Maybe go with something lighter for your first bespoke sports coat.

I am lukewarm on patch pockets, except for solid navy sports coats where I think they help cement that they aren't an orphaned suit jacket. But the fabric here looks so robust that it may not be an issue.

 

[MarxismWinsAgain]

What sort of climate do you live in? 600g is heavy but if it doesn't get too hot year round, then it'll work nicely for an A/W odd jacket. The hefty twill should cement it as an odd jacket. I wouldn't pick that as suiting cloth.

I live in Copenhagen, so we get as low as -7 degrees celcius for a few weeks in the deep winter, and as high as 30 degrees in the summer. Probably four months of 5-15 degrees.

 

[camez_]

I live in Copenhagen, so we get as low as -7 degrees celcius for a few weeks in the deep winter, and as high as 30 degrees in the summer. Probably four months of 5-15 degrees.

why not a flannel or tweed jacket then?

 

[oldworldelegance]

I live in Copenhagen, so we get as low as -7 degrees celcius for a few weeks in the deep winter, and as high as 30 degrees in the summer. Probably four months of 5-15 degrees.

600g might be too warm inside unless the building isn't heated beyond 20C. Depends on how you tend to feel of course.

From your picture, it doesn't seem like it would look like an orphaned suit jacket. For navy jackets, I like adding patch pockets (hips only) and raised edges to make the garment more casual and less like a suit.

Some potential alternatives:
- Holland and Sherry SherryTweed, just over 300g so on the light side.
- London Lounge Ultimate Blazer (420g). A nice mix of angora and wool specifically for blazers https://thelondonlounge.net/
- Fox Brother's Sport jacket (430g): https://foxflannel.com/collections/sports-jacketing/products/sp12
- Fox Brother's Tweed (510g), various navy alternatives: https://foxflannel.com/collections/fox-tweed?page=1&rb_snize_facet1=Char-Navy
- Abraham Moon's Shetlands and Lambswools (twills and herringbones), 370g. The most competitively priced. I have a charcoal shetland jacket which I'm very happy with. They have a few blues to choose from: https://www.moons.co.uk/apparel/sartorial-fabric-shop/

Heavy hopsacks could also work, worsted but with a nice texture and commonly used for blazers. I have a summer hopsack blazer which is nice. I haven't seen a heavier version 'in the flesh', so perhaps others can provide better guidance.

I wouldn't go for flannel (some people do) as to me it's too smooth for an odd jacket.

 

[oldworldelegance]

I've subscribed to this outstanding London Lounge Tweed. I love the interlocking pattern (never seen it anywhere else) and the depth of colour. I plan to make a suit and use the jacket separately sometimes.
We are halfway through so hopefully it will get made. Email Michael at [email protected] if you're interested. It's called the Outdoorsman's Tweed:

https://www.thelondonlounge.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=12573

 

[MarxismWinsAgain]

600g might be too warm inside unless the building isn't heated beyond 20C. Depends on how you tend to feel of course.

From your picture, it doesn't seem like it would look like an orphaned suit jacket. For navy jackets, I like adding patch pockets (hips only) and raised edges to make the garment more casual and less like a suit.

Some potential alternatives:
- Holland and Sherry SherryTweed, just over 300g so on the light side.
- London Lounge Ultimate Blazer (420g). A nice mix of angora and wool specifically for blazers https://thelondonlounge.net/
- Fox Brother's Sport jacket (430g): https://foxflannel.com/collections/sports-jacketing/products/sp12
- Fox Brother's Tweed (510g), various navy alternatives: https://foxflannel.com/collections/fox-tweed?page=1&rb_snize_facet1=Char-Navy
- Abraham Moon's Shetlands and Lambswools (twills and herringbones), 370g. The most competitively priced. I have a charcoal shetland jacket which I'm very happy with. They have a few blues to choose from: https://www.moons.co.uk/apparel/sartorial-fabric-shop/

Heavy hopsacks could also work, worsted but with a nice texture and commonly used for blazers. I have a summer hopsack blazer which is nice. I haven't seen a heavier version 'in the flesh', so perhaps others can provide better guidance.

I wouldn't go for flannel (some people do) as to me it's too smooth for an odd jacket.

Thank you for this. Beautiful suggestions, but where does one go about procuring Moon fabrics in Europe outside of the UK?

I don't think I tend to run hot or cold really, but would prefer just putting on a knit in the dead of winter together with the coat rather than having a very heavy coat to begin with.

 

[MarxismWinsAgain]

why not a flannel or tweed jacket then?

Yeah, I think a non-Harris tweed might be the ticket.

 

[circumspice]

I've subscribed to this outstanding London Lounge Tweed. I love the interlocking pattern (never seen it anywhere else) and the depth of colour. I plan to make a suit and use the jacket separately sometimes.
We are halfway through so hopefully it will get made. Email Michael at [email protected] if you're interested. It's called the Outdoorsman's Tweed:

https://www.thelondonlounge.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=12573

Uncle Ralph has a parquet tweed (look carefully, it isn't a herringbone):

The Morehouse Collection Polo Coat | Ralph Lauren

Shop the Men's The Morehouse Collection Polo Coat and other classic styles from Ralph Lauren. Free Shipping With an RL Account & Free Returns.

www.ralphlauren.com

I feel like this is in the orbit of diamond tweeds that also are hard to come by. Ardalanish might have one covered on that front with:

Diamond Twills Tweeds - Ardalanish

Our range of Diamond Twill pattern tweeds. Sold in lengths of up to 4m. Please contact us for wholesale prices. All our tweeds are woven at Ardalanish, using 100% pure new Hebridean, Manx and Shetland wool. Our unique shades are achieved through careful sorting and creative blending.

ardalanish.com

Their pics' color tone are super accurate, btw. I have a sport coat length of the "silver" cool brown on the shelf.