Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[Concordia]

Are they done making 16oz cloth from lesser?

They might have changed their mind, but a few years ago they said they would let the book run down and not replace it.

 

[Bespoke DJP]

Guys,

Anyone know a good source for "honest to god" Camel Cloth for a Classic Polo Coat? I've gone to my usual go-to merchants (Harrisons, Dugdale, Fox Bros) and came up empty.

Alan Bee

Dear @Alan Bee,

Have you considered the offerings from the high-end Italian makers?

Best,

Dimitris

 

[dieworkwear]

@Despos @dieworkwear

Thank you Chris, Derek. Apparently the swatch serial #'s were changed as part of a recent restock. I was looking at the old bunch with the old serial #'s.

Chris have you worked with this cloth and what can you say about it?
Likewise Derek, I presume you've had your length made up into a coat? Any comments and also what other camel cloths did you consider?

Alan Bee

I don't have my coat yet. A friend of mine is using the same fabric for a polo coat and using the same tailor. We went back and forth on how a polo coat should look, so I'm hoping to see how his coat turns out before I settle on my coat's details. I'll prob get my coat at the end of this year.

 

[Fantastic Mr Foxx]

@Fantastic Mr Foxx
Thank you Mr Foxx, checked it out. At 640 grams it’s the beefiest I’ve seen thus far. Are you able to comment on the quality?

(...)

Alan Bee

I don’t yet have the cloth myself, but I have seen and felt a Ralph Lauren camel coat, which seemed to be be made from this cloth, and the quality is really good.

 

[Alan Bee]

The darker shade is the one to have. Worked with it once and liked the cloth. This was quite a while ago so can't vouch for the cloth as it is being produced today. Think if you want authenticity, camel hair is best for a polo coat. Cashmere tends to have a sheen and has a tighter/smoother nap rather than the fuzziness of camel hair.

@Despos

Thank you Chris. When you say the darker shade, which do you refer to? Top or bottom?

I believe Derek @dieworkwear got the top one from Harrison’s.

Alan Bee

 

[Alan Bee]

Dear @Alan Bee,

Have you considered the offerings from the high-end Italian makers?

Best,

Dimitris

Hi Dimitris, no I haven’t but only because I already have a relationship with the English Mills/Merchants mentioned.

Do you have any suggestions?

Alan Bee

 

[dieworkwear]

@Despos

Thank you Chris. When you say the darker shade, which do you refer to? Top or bottom?

I believe Derek @dieworkwear got the top one from Harrison’s.

Alan Bee

View attachment 1319472 View attachment 1319473

I went with the bottom, I believe (#27). It's the same fabric used here:

 

[Alan Bee]

I went with the bottom, I believe (#27). It's the same fabric used here:

Thank you Derek. Hence my question, which one is the darker (26 or 27)? Depending on how you define “dark”, either could be.

26 I am told (by Laura at Harrison’s) is the more traditional camel color while 27 tends more toward a tan. Edwins coat looks more 27 to my eyes due the tanish hue.

Alan Bee

 

[kolecho]

Guys,

Anyone know a good source for "honest to god" Camel Cloth for a Classic Polo Coat? I've gone to my usual go-to merchants (Harrisons, Dugdale, Fox Bros) and came up empty.

Alan Bee

Paone made up the Minnis version of pure camel hair. It made up very well.

Alden at London Lounge tried to source some camel hair and threw up his hands.

So the rest of the merchants are selling fake camel hair?

 

[dieworkwear]

Thank you Derek. Hence my question, which one is the darker (26 or 27)? Depending on how you define “dark”, either could be.

26 I am told (by Laura at Harrison’s) is the more traditional camel color while 27 tends more toward a tan. Edwins coat looks more 27 to my eyes due the tanish hue.

Alan Bee

I don't know, to be honest. I would just go with what you like. No one in real life is going to know whether your coat is one shade off from traditional.

 

[lordsuperb]

@Despos

Thank you Chris. When you say the darker shade, which do you refer to? Top or bottom?

I believe Derek @dieworkwear got the top one from Harrison’s.

Alan Bee

View attachment 1319472 View attachment 1319473

You can’t go wrong with either color. I believe my coat is from 27 as well.

 

[Alan Bee]

You can’t go wrong with either color. I believe my coat is from 27 as well.
View attachment 1319477

@lordsuperb

Noted Superb. Any photos of you wearing it with a complete rig?

Alan Bee

 

[dieworkwear]

We had a discussion about this in another thread, but I think the more important parts of a polo coat are a dropped button stance, straight lapels, Martingale belt, turnback cuffs, and mailbox pockets. The dropped button stance is the thing that often gets missed, but I think it really changes the look.

 

[S K M]

Still have two LL clothes for sale. Willing to throw in free worldwide shipping if someone takes both clothes.

LL clothes for sale

Available are a few lengths of LL clothes, some of them from the more recent productions: 3.5 meters of the Coops II Brisa - SOLD No further introduCtion to the LL’s Brisas should be needed, but a mid-weight hopsack weave in wonderful PoW...

www.styleforum.net

 

[Bespoke DJP]

Hi Dimitris, no I haven’t but only because I already have a relationship with the English Mills/Merchants mentioned.

Do you have any suggestions?

Alan Bee

Dear @Alan Bee,

I understand, however you may always expand your relationships on this winding Bespoke journey!

Therefore, should you want to branch out to Italian cloth, I would suggest you to contemplate the following:

a) Camelhair: Loro Piana, Piacenza.
b) Cashmere: Ermenegildo Zegna, Piacenza.
and because I believe that you can,
c) Cashmere-Vicuña: Piacenza.

It goes without saying that Italian weights are different from the British ones, but the aesthetic is different as well.

You may try my own merchants in Athens, Greece, the e-mail is: cashco(at)otenet.gr, you will not regret it; as I have mentioned in the past, the owner is very knowledgeable, helpful and honest, second-generation cloth merchant with a brick-and-mortar presence in downtown Athens, and representative for Greece of the above brands as well as Ariston Napoli, along with accessories personally selected from E. Marinella and F. Maglia.

Best,

Dimitris