What weight for summer suiting?

For worsted suiting meant for spring/summer, what weights are recommended if you're looking for something that's cool wearing but still has some durability and drape to it?

8/9 oz?

It's a bit more complicated than weight alone. Weave and material also play an important role. Discussed at length in this thread and this thread

Originally Posted by TRINI

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8/9 oz?
I would guess so too, if not lighter. AFAIK the lightest Minnis fresco is 8-9oz, but as that has the benefit of the more open weave I would assume that a plain weave worsted would have to be at least as light if not more so to be cool wearing?

Originally Posted by RogerC

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It's a bit more complicated than weight alone. Weave and material also play an important role. Discussed at length in this thread and this thread
Thanks for the links. I've read through the first thread but couldn't access the second.

As for weave and material, I'm looking for a plain weave worsted wool in a light grey glen check. They had one from Ariston that looked pretty good - don't recall the weight but it was a super150 and I believe it was in a '4 season' book, so I'm concerned that it may be too delicate and at the same time not especially suited for warm weather?

Considering a plain weave worsted, what weights do you think I should be looking for and how high into the 'super #'s would you go and still expect some durability, drape and wrinkle resistance?

<Sator> 18/19 ounces <Sator>

Originally Posted by Kaplan

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I would guess so too, if not lighter. AFAIK the lightest Minnis fresco is 8-9oz, but as that has the benefit of the more open weave I would assume that a plain weave worsted would have to be at least as light if not more so to be cool wearing?
I can't speak to the second part of your question re: super's but I have samples of 8-9oz worsteds from the Lesser books and they're pretty light. My concern with using them for suiting is how much wear they could take before breaking down - especially in the crotch area.

Originally Posted by edmorel

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<Sator> 18/19 ounces <Sator>
Was expecting this, so thank you

Originally Posted by TRINI

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I can't speak to the second part of your question re: super's but I have samples of 8-9oz worsteds from the Lesser books and they're pretty light. My concern with using them for suiting is how much wear they could take before breaking down - especially in the crotch area.
I wonder if lighter worsteds are inherently fragile, regardless of their thread count?

Would you guys advice against a super150 suiting (when looking for the qualities mentioned above)?

Originally Posted by Kaplan

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Would you guys advice against a super150 suiting (when looking for the qualities mentioned above)?

I advise against anything above 120s; preferably 100s or 110s.

FWIW, Patrick Chu of W.W. Chan is very partial to Harrison's 11-ounce Frontier fabric for summer suits. The extra fabric weight improves durability and drape, yet the weave is sufficiently open to be relatively cool. I was quite comfortable wearing a summer suit of this fabric that he made for me in 85-degree weather while being outdoors for much of the day. I have two such suits now, one in tan, one in a medium blue. I may well add a third in pale gray before next summer.

1/2 or 1/4 lining also helps.

Originally Posted by JLibourel

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FWIW, Patrick Chu of W.W. Chan is very partial to Harrison's 11-ounce Frontier fabric for summer suits. The extra fabric weight improves durability and drape, yet the weave is sufficiently open to be relatively cool.
This sounds good. Do you have any thoughts on super 100's? (How high is too high...)

Originally Posted by Lonneker

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1/2 or 1/4 lining also helps.
All part of the plan

I am glad I don't have to think about this as temperature where I live gets to 100 degrees in the summer so no summer fabric will help but fresco and mohair have been more or less wearable. I would definitely avoid the supers for summer.

If I'm correct, the Lesser Superfine Tropicals don't even have a super number. They certainly aren't advertised with that. Neither does the Dugdale New Fine Worsted have a super number. But if you are looking for a beautiful, yet durable (if you Google both books, you'll find surprising amount of information) plain weave PoW summer suiting, you would be hard pressed finding anything better than those two books.

8 oz Is pretty good.

I think loro Piana "the wave" is around 7. I made up some trousers in this recently and was really impressed, it was was very light but quite strong and solid. Usually I find wools lighter than 8 oz are quite flimsy, perhaps the silk in there helps.

Originally Posted by David Reeves

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8 oz Is pretty good.

I think loro Piana "the wave" is around 7. I made up some trousers in this recently and was really impressed, it was was very light but quite strong and solid. Usually I find wools lighter than 8 oz are quite flimsy, perhaps the silk in there helps.

Loro Piana doesn't get alot of love around here but I really like thier "Summer Kid Karoo" it is 7 oz but has alot of mohair and some silk. Fairly slick and really robust stuff. Some of the "Summer Tasmanian" 7 oz stuff is also really nice.

Personally no matter what the weave I would be reluctant to go above 7.5 oz
and really would like to see more variety in the sub 7 oz