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The Chai

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I don't think there are truly four season cloths. In winter, layering helps, although you would still be cold around the legs. In summer, you're going to be stuffed if you spend any amount of time outside of air conditioning. Better, then, to have a small number of pieces that aren't extremely seasonal (linen, heavy flannel) but sufficiently so (mock leno/heavier worsteds). Also: what are your needs? Do you need to dress for work or are you doing so for fun? Or are you looking for a safe uniform so you don't need to overthink things too much? (Welcome, then, on the wrong forum for you my friend).

At any rate: nailhead and pick-and-pick are suit fabrics only in my book. No odd jackets, no odd trousers. For odd wool trousers, use twills (covert, cavalry, gabardine) or flannels. Hopsack comes in all shapes and sizes, and serge comes in different weights. By the way, serge is a particular kind of twill, and no-one outside of this forum will ever even be aware of the difference. If you're not going for bespoke, go to a decent retailer, try on a few and have them tailor it for you.
There is no standard cloth for a business suit. Suiting books usually contain a mix of plain weaves and twills, either solid or patterned. Weaves and patterns are different: you can have a plain weave stripe and a twill stripe, a plain weave PoW check and a twill PoW check.

If you only need a small number of highly versatile pieces, don't overthink it. Buy two blazers, and two solid mid-to-dark grey suits, one each for warmer and colder weather. Buy them from reputable retailers, such as Ede and Ravenscroft or, at a lower price point, Charles Tyrwhitt. They will work now and ten years from now. Have them tailored, and then go on to live your life.
Yeah I learnt this the hard way. The closest thing I would think as a four season suit in an Australian context is mohair but again that’s strictly suiting. If you’re going to go with jacketing stick to seasonal
 

Concordia

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In the UK, I have found that one thing to consider is not just the temperature, but humidity. London and Oxford can feel like steam baths even at 65F. So having summer gear that won't look too stupid in October, and then something to hold you through the colder months is helpful.

Linen shirts are surprisingly helpful in summer, and can serve well in winter, too.

The main thing is to know what you're having to be covered for. If it is one night a week at the opera, or monthly brunch, that's one thing. Office work as a banker is another.

If I were holding myself over in the UK for 12 months, tailored wear would be at minimum:
  • dark suit (dark grey, probably) with 2 trousers (belted and with braces). This will help cover you if you are wearing more than once a week.
  • blazer (SB or DB)
  • less-formal jacket. Odd trousers (beige and mid-grey) to hold you with that and the blazer.
  • As needed, black-tie.
Ideally, one copy for summer and one for the rest of the year. Black tie is the exception, unless you will use it a lot. Probably stick to lighter weight fabric for this, as you can always layer it and formal events tend to be in really warm rooms all year round.

Otherwise for summer, that would mean a breathable worsted suit (like the High Twist 10oz from the Fineresco book), a mock leno or linen blazer, and something more obviously not-navy in linen.

For winter, the world is your oyster on fabrics. A good tweed will last forever.

Keep the suits plain and dark, so you can wear the trousers with sweater or odd jacket when packing lightly.
 
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losrockets

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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.
IMG_20201119_164131.jpg IMG_20201119_164135.jpg IMG_20201119_164156.jpg IMG_20201119_164210.jpg
 
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RogerC

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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

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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.

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:


purple.png
 

losrockets

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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

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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

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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.


What would you suggest? Many thanks in advance.
 

Concordia

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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

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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.


What would you suggest? Many thanks in advance.

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

4r36

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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)

thumbnail_6EBE8CA9-E12A-4D68-97A4-063440768FBB_1_201_a.jpg
 
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Simon A

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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

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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

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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

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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.
 

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