Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[chogall]

Any recommendations for summer suit and odd jacket fabrics, for 85-100F with 70-90% humidity weather?

 

[Manton]

keep in mind that you will be miserable no matter what you wear.

that said, I have found that the coolest wearing cloth on me is the ultra light minnis fresco. Wodehouse "summer comfort" is also terrific but they went out of business. I have been told that Rubinacci bought the entire remaining stock so if you've ever been dying for a LH suit, now's the time.

I also do reasonably well in 6/7 oz cotton.

Linen, which everyone loves, does not work for me because the weave is typically too heavy. I love linen but I can't wear it in the blazing heat. Actually, for shirts it's great, but not for suits.

For jackets, the best I ever saw was the Carlo Barbera for Lesser lambswool 8 oz. It's also not made any more but there may be pieces floating around. Then there's Hardy Riviera, which may also have been cancelled. (HFW has an annoying habit of cancelling all their best products). I have not liked any summer jacketings beyond those books.

 

[Slewfoot]

Selling some fun tweed as seen in the link in my signature just in case anyone's interested.

Scabal shetland plus new-old-stock Hunters of Brora Carroll stock.

 

[Knox]

Woodhouse is still around, I think. Just quiet. When did the supposed buy-up happen? I have Summer Comfort samples. Only a few colors.

You ask about summer suiting cloth.

The panama that deserves more attention that it receives is Bateman Ogden Panache. Porous, with a dry, crisp hand. Lots of folks worship at the altar of the old Lesser panama, which was great for what it was. But, like Minnis Rangoon, it was a London July cloth. Certainly not a high temp, high humidity panama in the way that Panache is.

The 8/9 Fresco is fine if there's a breeze, but, if not, it's not so great in July and August. I'm a fan of English cloth, generally speaking. But they don't weave panama wool with an American East Coast summer in mind. (why would they?) Let's hope the Hardy/Minnis/H&W crowd moves forward with a 6/7 oz. Fresco (I think the test has been done).

For summer jackets: Robert Noble. Their "summer tweeds" (usually a wool-linen, wool-silk, or wool-silk-linen blend) are fantastic. Between 7 and 9 oz.

 

[Manton]

wodehouse closed around 5 years ago and I was told that the mill itself was demolished and developled for housing. The family sold primarily because the land underneath had just become too valuable.

 

[etkl]

According to its website, Bulmer & Lumb, the owner of Taylor & Lodge and Arthur Harrison, purchased the Woodhouse name in 2009. However, I don't believe the Woodhouse factory is still in operation.

 

[Renault78law]



HI everyone, I'm trying to find out which book the following jacket fabric is from but have had no luck in any of my searches. I'm pretty sure I saw someone mention the details of the gunclub check fabric in this thread but I can't find that post anywhere, The Armoury folk are very fond of this pattern. Many thanks in advance.

You were thinking of the Good Taste thread. The consensus was that that was JG Hardy Riviera.

 

[Knox]

I received a few Summer Comfort samples last year, thinking I'd buy big (60 meters).

The quality is BL139. My favorite was/is the solid gray. 250g, but the bulk is reminiscent of Crispaire, which is a no-go for the hottest, most humid days of summer. I can see why bench tailors love the stuff, but, again, for me it works better in May, June, and September.

There's Panache. Fox also makes a panama worthy of mention.

And, to borrow from an earlier post, if you're okay going the H&S route, there's Cool Breeze and Cape Horn Hightwist.

The awfulness that is a high temp-high humidity combo merits a more relaxed attitude toward the higher Supers stuff--and here I mean 110s and 120s. When it's that hot and sticky, fineness of fiber makes a difference.

An amendment of an earlier post: 7/8 oz. Fresco, not 6/7.

 

[Slickman]

Attempting to revive a cloth project from last year, looking to do a tobacco shade of brown in 17oz flannel, have been in talks with minnis and fox and they say it is quite doable. Still waiting on a cloth sample from each, but it seems promising, hopefully it can be done without a problem this time around. If anyone is interested, the minimum is 60m with minnis and comes out to around 35 pounds/m, which is very reasonable. Still waiting on word from fox about their minimum and price, will keep those interested in the loop.

 

[Renton]

Count me in as interested

 

[add911_11]

Slickman pls count me in as well.

 

[Concordia]

What counts as tobacco around here?

 

[Slewfoot]



What counts as tobacco around here?

I feel like tobacco brown is divided into two categories: shoes and fabrics.

With shoes it refers to a vibrant medium brown / gold tan.

With fabrics it refers to a darker, vibrant cigar paper type brown.

Why the difference I do not know.

 

[tim_horton]



Attempting to revive a cloth project from last year, looking to do a tobacco shade of brown in 17oz flannel, have been in talks with minnis and fox and they say it is quite doable. Still waiting on a cloth sample from each, but it seems promising, hopefully it can be done without a problem this time around. If anyone is interested, the minimum is 60m with minnis and comes out to around 35 pounds/m, which is very reasonable. Still waiting on word from fox about their minimum and price, will keep those interested in the loop.

I'd be interested as well.

 

[bertie]

I'm interested in the tobacco flannel.