The London Lounge

Despite, or because of, the weather in London today I'm thinking about my summer wardrobe. I'd like to commission a jacket (perhaps a Kent-style DB) in linen/ silk/ wool mixed fabric cloth to wear on hot days. I see these used in expensive Italian RTW and, while the styling's invariably off, the effect on the hanger is alluring.

Does anyone have experience of commissioning clothes in these fabrics? How do they endure? How do they wear in terms of heat? Is there a cloth merchant I should be focussing on?

I am a little suprised that Manself's most apt question received no replies. Maybe by bringing it up again someone may have something to add.

I made two summer coats from a Drapers book (can't remember the name) this year: a 100% hemp in a PoW pattern and a light blue wool (or maybe wool/silk) which turned out to be made by Barberis Canonico (saw the selvedge at the fitting). The Barberis made up very well, whereas the hemp isn't quite as slubby as hemp can be, and I must say that it doesn't tailor as well as wool or linen. But I'm fairly pleased with the coat anyway. I'm still hoping that Michael will be able to come up with a truly comme il faut hemp summer cloth before too long.

My limited research has involved finding nothing at all at Scabal and finding two blue cloths at Holland & Sherry. One was too light in colour while the other was a good melange of blues just lighter than navy. It was the second of the two that H&S then informed me was out of stock, shortly after my tailor had given his approval to the fabric.

Thanks for the tip-off regarding the Drapers bunch.

Beleive this is the book you are looking for:

http://tapatalk.com/mu/daba12e4-6a57-c67a.jpg

Drapers do not in fact make the cloth, I beleive this is a Loro Piana or perhaps a VBC cloth in a re-branded incarnation.

Sorry, cannot edit my post above. THis is the actual picture of the book: