Definitive guide to wool that won't shine

radicaldog · Oct 7, 2009

Voxsartoria's clothes don't get shiny because he has too many of them. Incidentally, that's probably the only significant fault of his wardrobe and of his way of dressing.

Other things being equal, heavier wool wears better (obviously). It also drapes better, and it's easier to tailor. Go for 14oz and above.

The Louche · Oct 7, 2009

Originally Posted by radicaldog

Voxsartoria's clothes don't get shiny because he has too many of them. Incidentally, that's probably the only significant fault of his wardrobe and of his way of dressing.

Other things being equal, heavier wool wears better (obviously). It also drapes better, and it's easier to tailor. Go for 14oz and above.

Yes, a large rotation will inevitably reduce wear on any given piece. But there still has to be some sort of solution for those of us with normally sized wardrobes.

And to your point about heavier suitings - does weight really reduce tendancy to shine? Sure, a heavier suiting will last longer because there's more mass to wear through, but the surface - which is the part that shines - is presumably the same as a lightweight suiting.

radicaldog · Oct 7, 2009

Originally Posted by The Louche

Yes, a large rotation will inevitably reduce wear on any given piece. But there still has to be some sort of solution for those of us with normally sized wardrobes.

And to your point about heavier suitings - does weight really reduce tendancy to shine? Sure, a heavier suiting will last longer because there's more mass to wear through, but the surface - which is the part that shines - is presumably the same as a lightweight suiting.

I think wool gets shiny when the warp of weft gets exposed (I hope that's the right terminology). A heavier wool just has more stuff on top of the warp, it seems to me. But maybe I'm wrong, and the cloth savants will soon correct me.

The really interesting discussion here, though, is the one about how an excessively large wardrobe ends up making you look worse. I really believe that.

pkincy · Oct 8, 2009

It is caused by too many dry cleaning cycles. Steam your wool clothes and don't dry clean them unless absolutely necessary and they won't get shiny.

PK

The Louche · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by pkincy

It is caused by too many dry cleaning cycles. Steam your wool clothes and don't dry clean them unless absolutely necessary and they won't get shiny.

PK

Actually I have a suit that has been drycleaned no more than 1-2 times in 5 years; it is very shiny in a few places, namely under the forearms and on the seat, which looks like a mirror at this point.

Film Noir Buff · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by The Louche

Actually I have a suit that has been drycleaned no more than 1-2 times in 5 years; it is very shiny in a few places, namely under the forearms and on the seat, which looks like a mirror at this point.
Sounds like bad pressing. You can scorch wool. This applies even to new suits where a bad pressing job is used by people with no experience with nice things. Steam pressing is the way to go and it's not expensive, you just need a cleaners that cares, understands and caters to higher end clients.

The Louche · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by Film Noir Buff

Sounds like bad pressing. You can scorch wool. This applies even to new suits where a bad pressing job is used by people with no experience with nice things. Steam pressing is the way to go and it's not expensive, you just need a cleaners that cares, understands and caters to higher end clients.

I was hoping you'd weigh in, FNB. Vox alluded to the fact that you've ranted about wool shining before - maybe that you particularly had a problem with frescos?

Ataturk · Oct 8, 2009

Yeah, it's hard for pressers to resist ironing the hell out of the seat of the pants and the elbows and forearms of the sleeves.

The Louche · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by Ataturk

Yeah, it's hard for pressers to resist ironing the hell out of the seat of the pants and the elbows and forearms of the sleeves.

Really? That seems odd - those places don't really wrinkle that much IMO. I have never thought twice about getting my trousers pressed frequently, thinking that a press wasn't nearly as dangerous as a cleaning. I will be much more wary of pressing now.

For years I have assumed that shine was caused mainly by hard wear. It now seems to me that while that may be true, it takes some time for hard wear to result in shine.

bigbris1 · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by Ataturk

Yeah, it's hard for pressers to resist ironing the hell out of the seat of the pants and the elbows and forearms of the sleeves.

Film Noir Buff · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by The Louche

I was hoping you'd weigh in, FNB. Vox alluded to the fact that you've ranted about wool shining before - maybe that you particularly had a problem with frescos?
I dont have problems with shining wool. Well, I don't like it but it doesnt happen to me much. I've seen it, even with people who have nice suits, and it's not usually a function of wear (Although it can be) but rather with bad pressing. Second rate wool will shine quickly but first rate wool, if properly care for will take an awful long time to "shine". Vox did not allude to any coloring temperament on my part. He did mention fresco, which doesn't have an innate shine problem (unless of course, it is mis-pressed) but looks homespun after a few wearings.

unjung · Oct 8, 2009

(Full disclosure: not big-timer.)

I have some crappy (couple hundred buck) suits that have gotten shiny within two years, primarily on the elbows, as I wear my jackets at my desk and rest my arms on my chair's armrests. Mind you, I am wearing a crappy herringbone fabric today and this one shows no signs of shine.

dopey · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by Film Noir Buff

I dont have problems with shining wool. Well, I don't like it but it doesnt happen to me much. I've seen it, even with people who have nice suits, and it's not usually a function of wear (Although it can be) but rather with bad pressing. Second rate wool will shine quickly but first rate wool, if properly care for will take an awful long time to "shine".

Vox did not allude to any coloring temperament on my part. He did mention fresco, which doesn't have an innate shine problem (unless of course, it is mis-pressed) but looks homespun after a few wearings.

This. Also, certain weaves, especially gabardine and serge, lend themselves to picking up shine more easily than other weaves.

JT82 · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by The Louche

I have never thought twice about getting my trousers pressed frequently, thinking that a press wasn't nearly as dangerous as a cleaning. I will be much more wary of pressing now.
I was under the impression that it's unwise to press frequently without a full cleaning, as this would press into the cloth any dirt or other particles that might be on the fabric.

The Louche · Oct 8, 2009

Originally Posted by JT82

I was under the impression that it's unwise to press frequently without a full cleaning, as this would press into the cloth any dirt or other particles that might be on the fabric.

This is a good point too. I always knew about this, but am so irritated by less-than-sharp creases in my trousers that I overlooked it.

Definitive guide to wool that won't shine

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