Cloth for first casual tweed suit

[davidhuh]

I couldn't see dissuading anyone from using Scabal.

Dear Gegarrenton,

do you remember the taste of strawberries in grandmother's garden? Different from what you get in a super market today, right? That's what I tried to say. If somebody is happy with Scabal, so be it

Cheers, David

[gegarrenton]

I couldn't see dissuading anyone from using Scabal.

Dear Gegarrenton,

do you remember the taste of strawberries in grandmother's garden? Different from what you get in a super market today, right? That's what I tried to say. If somebody is happy with Scabal, so be it

Cheers, David

Certainly. But I would put Scabal next to any cloth.

[hectorm]

I would put Scabal next to any cloth.

I'm afraid that you are comparing apples with pears. Right, W. Bill (and even more a Molloy cloth) would look more rustic than a Scabal and the photoshopped pictures we are used to see in glossy magazines are more likely to be made with models wearing Scabal or other mass produced fabric. What these big mills do is very good for RTW and ok for MTM. A tailor however deserves better

My limited experience with Scabal cloth is very good. Also, one can browse through the extensive Scabal catalogues and one will notice that the fabrics are way above the industry´s average.
Having said this, speaking in general terms about all the cloths sold by a merchant is misleading. W. Bill is a merchant. Scabal, although owns a big mill (and a bespoke/MTM tailor firm), is also a merchant with a huge range of options. We may discuss different merchant´s reputations, but when it comes to a specific cloth the story may be very different.
In the case of Donegal (and I hope that what rings in your ears when you read this word is like the Irish say it: danny-gOll) I agree with David. The cloths of Molloy & Sons (and for a suit, the machine woven ones) are better than anything Scabal can offer.

[gegarrenton]

I would put Scabal next to any cloth.

I'm afraid that you are comparing apples with pears. Right, W. Bill (and even more a Molloy cloth) would look more rustic than a Scabal and the photoshopped pictures we are used to see in glossy magazines are more likely to be made with models wearing Scabal or other mass produced fabric. What these big mills do is very good for RTW and ok for MTM. A tailor however deserves better

My limited experience with Scabal cloth is very good. Also, one can browse through the extensive Scabal catalogues and one will notice that the fabrics are way above the industry´s average.
Having said this, speaking in general terms about all the cloths sold by a merchant is misleading. W. Bill is a merchant. Scabal, although owns a big mill (and a bespoke/MTM tailor firm), is also a merchant with a huge range of options. We may discuss different merchant´s reputations, but when it comes to a specific cloth the story may be very different.
In the case of Donegal (and I hope that what rings in your ears when you read this word is like the Irish say it: danny-gOll) I agree with David. The cloths of Molloy & Sons (and for a suit, the machine woven ones) are better than anything Scabal can offer.

Certainly. I was just speaking in generalities. Scabal carries as good of lines as anyone, that's all.

[YoungLawyer]

Does anyone have any idea what cloth this might have been/ know of a similar cloth in production today. It's billed as a 'thornproof'.

https://plus.google.com/photos/10056600 ... 7316323423

[hectorm]

Dear YL,
Difficult to say from just that picture. Color shade and very subtle windowpane are exactly compatible with what you would expect from a thornproof. Drape and apparent weight, less so. In my limited experience, all the thornproof I´ve gotten my hands on has been around 18-20 oz and stiffer. I´m pretty sure the last time I checked Porter & Harding had a similar kind of heathered thornproof on their books.
BTW, I´m impressed by the extremely high gorge on those lapels.

[alden]

If the suit was made in '73, there is a good chance it was real thornproof. Looks like it to me but hard to tell. Its a rough scratchy cloth of about 500-550 gms.

Cheers

[YoungLawyer]

Thank you both. I don't see a similar grey/blue colour (let alone with a tastefully thin orange over-check) in any of the books I've seen so far. In Thornproof, are there any good alternatives to the P&H book at 12/13oz or 18oz?

[alden]

W Bill used to have a real thornproof line, but it is gone, at least the real stuff they used to have. I know because I bought one of the last lengths years ago. What's being offered by them and other merchants is just a plain weave cloth, nothing to write home about.

Cheers

[hectorm]

YL, the first few cloths on the H&P thornproof swatch book (image almost at the bottom of the page) seem to have the kind of shade and overcheck you´re looking for. I hope this is helpful.
I´m afraid that Michael is right and the times of the real thornproof (you could run a nail up and down the cloth and it would self repair) might be gone forever.
http://ameblo.jp/keta-chan/entry-11847452100.html

[gegarrenton]

Does anyone have any idea what cloth this might have been/ know of a similar cloth in production today. It's billed as a 'thornproof'.

https://plus.google.com/photos/10056600 ... 7316323423

I am not able to help much with finding an alternative I'm afraid, but I just wanted to say that is a fantastic looking cloth.

[YoungLawyer]

It certainly is fantastic! The closest, in terms of colour, appears to be this:

https://shop.hfwltd.com/media/pieces/7631.jpg from the Worsted Alsport bunch, 631 (https://shop.hfwltd.com/collection/30) at 370g. I haven't seen the cloth in person, so I'll go back and ask to look at this. I don't think I looked at the book at all, as I expected it to be too light.

For plain tweeds, I like the look and feel of this:
http://www.intweed.co.uk/goods-for-sale ... -tweed-575

[gegarrenton]

It certainly is fantastic! The closest, in terms of colour, appears to be this:

https://shop.hfwltd.com/media/pieces/7631.jpg from the Worsted Alsport bunch, 631 (https://shop.hfwltd.com/collection/30) at 370g. I haven't seen the cloth in person, so I'll go back and ask to look at this. I don't think I looked at the book at all, as I expected it to be too light.

For plain tweeds, I like the look and feel of this:
http://www.intweed.co.uk/goods-for-sale ... -tweed-575

I quite like the Alsport range, I have two jackets from it. I don't go for overly heavy cloth though.

[YoungLawyer]

I don't know if this was made by the LL in 2011, but it looks superb cloth: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thelondon ... 397117623/
Did anyone here make a suit from it?

Also, I couldn't tell whether this was tweed or not; was this ever made?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thelondon ... 562476588/

[Screaminmarlon]

I don't know if this was made by the LL in 2011, but it looks superb cloth: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thelondon ... 397117623/
Did anyone here make a suit from it?

I think so. Re-issued again last year: I subscribed for a suit lenght, it's superb.