Linen

[uppercase]

Who makes good linen?
What weight do you want for Summer?
What are best colors for a Summer suit?
SB or DB? Does a DB linen suit make sense given that you want to be cool?
Configuration?

I assume that otherwise everyone agrees that it needs to be soft, unlined and made in Naples.

UC

[sartorius]

I recall various threads over the past couple of years on this subject, and I think it is fair to say that opinion is divided...

My own views are as follows:

1. Go for Irish linen (W Bill have an excellent book) - it wrinkles much less than it's Italian equivalent.

2. The classic colour for a linen suit is usually said to be beige. Personally, I think beige has three distinct disadvantages: it may not be very flattering on someone with pale skin - you need to take care that the tone is right for your complexion; a beige suit looks great in the mind's eye but takes a fair bit of confidence to wear unselfconsciously - it will be harder to carry off than something more discrete; thirdly, it will mark easily and the creases will appear more pronounced because every shadow and line will be visible. I have a navy linen suit which I find much more practical than beige.

3. To my eye linen is intrinsically more informal than other cloths and I personally would steer clear of a DB.

4. As to location, my linen suit was made on SR. It is fully lined and not in the least soft. I love it. It is probably my favourite bespoke garment. Something else which I consider very important is ongoing care and maintenance. A linen suit will require more TLC than your other suits (I have mine pressed at least twice a year) and so I would not want to spend big money on bespoke with an artisan who I didn't have ready access to. For me that means SR. Naples just wouldn't be practical.

Sartorius

[shredder]

I agree that Irish linen would be near the centre of the radar screen. However, there is one Italian mill that specialises in linen, whose name unfortunately escapes me at the moment, that may be worth a look. I can't remember whether it is second or third generation business, but I understand that the current proprietor wears linen all year round. He has fascinating books of linen, everything from the old classics to those with subtly beautiful and rarely encountered hues as well as those that look incredibly like worsteds in classic patterns like chalk stripes. As I recall, they have an excellent hand and appear like they will make up very well. I hope someone here knows whom I'm on about...

[Jordan Marc]

Shredder:

You might try Holland & Sherry, which has a linen bunch with a good range of colors, all in 14 oz.

JMB

[shredder]

The company I had in mind is Michele Solbiati. The man I had in mind is Vittorio Solbiati. I believe that their offer goes up to 600g. Linen overcoat anyone?

On the configuration, I think linen works equally well in a DB or SB.

s

[Lance]

Thank you shredder, they have a very informative website; and in English, too! Great source for linen and flax. I've been looking for just this type of cloth to dye with natural indigo. http://www.mastersoflinen.com/en/

[luk-cha]

get H&S shannon 2ply plain weave, it has great colors and only 10OZ

[shredder]

Thank you shredder, they have a very informative website; and in English, too! Great source for linen and flax. I've been looking for just this type of cloth to dye with natural indigo. http://www.mastersoflinen.com/en/

Lance, I'm glad you found it to be of some interest. As I told another LLer, they recently stopped requiring clients to purchase entire bolts and are now happy to sell the length required by the tailor. Well, at least on this side of the pond... I do not know whether the change also applies to their US distribution.

Belgium, funnily enough, is quietly known for linen, and one of the more prominent firms is the daftly named Libeco. They have a mill shop in the west of Belgium, near Bruges, that carries hundreds of bolts in all sorts of weights, colours (dyed and undyed) and weaves, all reasonably priced. You can literally spend the whole afternoon in the shop rummaging through the piles of bolts. So, in case you happen to get lost and end up in Belgium, you might want to look them up for your little project.

[Lance]

I intend to contact them with my request so I will let you know about minimum orders here in the US. And thanks again for the additional source. Hopefully, I'll find myself lost in Belgium one day.

[couch]

I somehow had not put this together, but yes, Belgian linen is a staple in the book restoration/conservation world. Thanks!

[signorlaine]

Belgium, funnily enough, is quietly known for linen, and one of the more prominent firms is the daftly named Libeco. They have a mill shop in the west of Belgium, near Bruges, that carries hundreds of bolts in all sorts of weights, colours (dyed and undyed) and weaves, all reasonably priced. You can literally spend the whole afternoon in the shop rummaging through the piles of bolts. So, in case you happen to get lost and end up in Belgium, you might want to look them up for your little project.

Now that the summer is getting closer and closer, I thought of linen. I have had difficulties in finding high quality fabric – so thank you for the Libeco info. I have a few questions regarding their linen. Their Milano and Napoli Vintage ranges look ideal (weight and color) for trousering:

http://www.libecohomestores.com/en/finl ... ro&un=mete

http://www.libecohomestores.com/en/finl ... ro&un=mete

However their fabrics seem to be meant for decorative purposes (curtains etc) and bedding. Would they be suitable for clothing purposes?

[shredder]

As I have only seen bolts after bolts after bolts rather than going through a book of various ranges, I do not know which one is called what. I have only ever bought lengths to be made up as bedding, so I was not looking for cloths that could be used for trousers and such. That said, some of them did catch my eyes / fingers as having potential for tailored garments.

I plan to go back to the factory shop to buy more for bedding (since we are quite pleased with how the last lot turned out) as well as for trousers, including a pair of Gurkha shorts for which I would like a heavy, tightly woven linen. However, I won't be making the trip for another month or so.

It seems that they sell swatch sets, so you might want to order one or three? Just keep in mind that they give weights per square metre rather than the linear metre usually given by the apparel trade.

Sorry I can't be of much help. And, do you think we'll ever get summer? Even spring seems like a mirage these days... Blizzard in Majorca!!

[signorlaine]

Well at least here in Finland the temperatures have rose above the freezing level and the sun has been shining warmly – that is a promising sign for me.

I didn't notice the weights were given per square meter. That changes things a bit. I guess I should order (buy?!) swatch sets.

[signorlaine]

I've now ordered linen samples from Libeco and W Bill. If there are more companies offering quality linen, please let me know.

[tteplitzmd]

This seems like the right place to post the question:

I understand there are yarn dyed and lot dyed linen. Which one is commonly used for tailoring purposes? I presume the former???

P.S.I highly recommend the noir film In Bruges, speaking of Bruges. The movie trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jh2Xct8AMo