W.Bill Linen question...Help.

[IronRock]

I really want to get a bright blue suit made in the W.Bill 14oz linen (I'm moving to Singapore). I've seen the fabric once in the flesh but now I can't find any mention/picture of a swatch on the internet.

I want/need to have some sort of reference of the colour - yes I need to show my wife...

Can anyone help?

 

[Manton]

14 ounces in Singapore will kill you, even if it's linen.

 

[IronRock]

Originally Posted by Manton

14 ounces in Singapore will kill you, even if it's linen.
Uh oh. Shows my amateurish ways! I thought I'd read somewhere that the heavier the better, even in hot/humid climes - perhaps not. So 8oz-12oz? Anyway anyone have a link/picture? edit: Interestingly just found this link on the London Lounge, makes for good linen reading... http://thelondonlounge.net/forum/vie...php?f=36&t=173

 

[whatsinaname]

Seconded. I was surprised just how warm my 12oz linen shirtjacket (cooler than unlined suit) could be. I run a little hot, but its difficult to wear it above about 80 deg F.

 

[Concordia]

And yet I find a heavy linen suit very nearly bearable on hot days in NYC. Which can be killers.

Part of the trick is to avoid very fine cotton shirts. They will soak up sweat like nothing else while refusing to let it evaporate. So a linen/cotton shirt would be much better for underneath.

 

[Will]

Nothing is comfortable in real heat but 14 ounce linen comes closer than most. I was, if not cool, all right in one in Manhattan this past August.

As Concordia wrote, part of the trick is wear either a linen shirt or a high twist cotton that breathes.

 

[IronRock]

Thanks all - I think I'm going to hedge my bets and go for something a bit lighter - around 12oz or whatever the gram equivalent is. Moving from aircon to heat/humidity every time you walk outside seems like it will be akin to moving from central heating to the winter air in the Northern hemisphere.

 

[apropos]

I wore a 12 1/2 oz linen last winter ('winter') in singapore and it was alright, if you stay indoors about 75% of the time. The walking in/out of airconditioned places is actually the essential bit - you use your time indoors to store a cool blanket of air inside your jacket and to chill your jacket for outside, just the same way you might walk into a heated area on a cold winter's day to store some heat in your outfit before venturing outside again.

 

[rphk91]

Having moved from moderate climes to those more torrid at the start of the summer at 22 degrees N, my advice is to Go Native and wear as little as you can for a while, telling your colleagues that "my clothes haven't caught up to me" until you acclimate a bit.

FWIW, Hong Kong businessmen seem to stay cool by staying indoors as much as possible - long working hours in the office help - and by going open-collared even in suits.

 

[George]

I think you should just ******* and go nude. We've been reliably informed, that all Singaporean girls are < 4/10 and if you bat for the opposing side all Singaporean men are fat, small & ugly, so there shouldn't be any problems if you know what I mean.

 

[Kent Wang]

Where are you buying the fabric and how much does it cost? I'm also looking to have a similar suit made.

 

[Vintage Gent]

As a point of reference, I have a suit in the Harrison's Mersolair (linen). The fabric is 300g and the suit is quarter lined. It's probably my second coolest suit; it's generally effective when the heat index reaches the 110F mark, which is at least 3 months out of the year in these parts.

 

[Manton]

You people are reptiles.

 

[poorsod]

Originally Posted by Vintage Gent

As a point of reference, I have a suit in the Harrison's Mersolair (linen). The fabric is 300g and the suit is quarter lined. It's probably my second coolest suit; it's generally effective when the heat index reaches the 110F mark, which is at least 3 months out of the year in these parts.

Which is your coolest suit?

 

[andreyb2]

Originally Posted by Kent Wang

Where are you buying the fabric and how much does it cost? I'm also looking to have a similar suit made.

If you call (not e-mail!) W Bill (http://www.wbill.co.uk/), they will be happy to sell you a length. Price is around 60 GBP per meter, as I recall.

Andrey