The London Lounge

I'd like to purchase some high-quality cotton for MTM shirts I'm considering. I've looked at some fabric books at my tailor's, but would like to have a wider selection. I'm primarily interested in the better-quality cotton shirtings--Alumo, Albini (Thomas Mason, D&J Anderson), Bonfanti, SIC Tess, etc. Can anyone provide some online sources for high-grade cotton? I have discovered the following one, and could get some fabrics from Alumo and Thomas Mason through them, (albeit a pretty small selection), but I'd like to look at other sources too:

http://www.hst.com.sg/acatalog/Shirting_Fabrics.html

For practical reasons, none of the large shirtings manufacturers will deal with you unless you have a VAT registration, as far as I know. You may be lucky and talk their local agent into selling you something.

I am not aware of any internet based retailers.

TVD wrote:I am not aware of any internet based retailers.

Well there is the one I noted above (HST) that I've been able to find so far. Under their Enrico Ferrante label, they have 140s from Testa and Albini, 180s from Alumo, and 200s from D&J Anderson. Under their Gianfranco Fila label, they have cottons from Albiate, Albini, Ferno, Testa, Thomas Mason, Canclini, Monti, and Stotz--all 100s as far as I can tell. They also have some Acorn offerings in 100s, 120s, and 160s. However, the selection is not really large. That's why I was hoping to find more online suppliers like HST. You'd have to think that there are some more out there, but maybe not.

http://www.hst.com.sg/

Crazy prices though . . .

smoothjazzone wrote:http://www.hst.com.sg/

Crazy prices though . . .

Smoothjazzone, by "crazy prices," I assume you mean the prices are too high. Since I'm a beginner at this, I'd be interested in knowing what reasonable prices are. Let me give a very abbreviated mini-list of what's on that website, with prices. I'll give the price for a quantity needed for one shirt (2 m. for 150 cm. wide; 3 m. for 90 cm. wide):

Gianfranco Fila: 2-ply 100's from many Italian mills: $66
Enrico Ferrante: 2-ply 140's (Testa and Albini): $130
2-ply 180's (Alumo): $216
2-ply 200's (D&J Anderson): $260
Acorn: 2-ply 120's: $99
2-ply 160's: $156

To roughly summarize, the necessary quantity of 100's cotton runs around $66; 120's, $99, 140's, $130, 160's, $156, 180's, $216, 200's, $260 (I realize, I'm summarizing over brands that differ in quality).

With a recent MTM shirt I had made with Thomas Mason 100's, the shirtmaker quoted me a price that was about $175 US higher for 160's. From that perspective, the price differences seen in the HST site seemed quite reasonable, in that the difference there between 160's and 100's was more like $100 (ignoring differences between mills).

So...what would reasonable prices be for one-shirt quantities of: 100's, 120's, 140's, ..., 200's? And I guess we need to keep in mind that we're interested here in purchasing small quantities (such as a 2 m. cutting)--as this company allows--and not the larger quantities that shirtmakers might order to build up stock for other customers, and that might, as a result of larger-quantity buying, cost them less.

US$ 129 per meter of S200s (at least that's what I get from their website) represents a profit margin of more than 300%!

I cannot find any reference to D&J Anderson, and the S200s range on that website is impossibly small. Albini (who own D&J Anderson) will supply cut lengths of anything in the D&J Anderson range (dozens of S200s fabrics), so there is no stock holding cost for the retailer, just the cost of Fedexing it out of Italy and any duties.

I am sure with a little bit of persistence and reseach you will be able to find somebody to supply you at a more reasonable price.

I believe Carl at CEGO can help you.

If you are in London, try London textiles, they have some lovely Sea Island fabrics in the 9-10 GBP range/mt

SouthPender wrote:I'd like to purchase some high-quality cotton for MTM shirts I'm considering. I've looked at some fabric books at my tailor's, but would like to have a wider selection. I'm primarily interested in the better-quality cotton shirtings--Alumo, Albini (Thomas Mason, D&J Anderson), Bonfanti, SIC Tess, etc. Can anyone provide some online sources for high-grade cotton? I have discovered the following one, and could get some fabrics from Alumo and Thomas Mason through them, (albeit a pretty small selection), but I'd like to look at other sources too:

http://www.hst.com.sg/acatalog/Shirting_Fabrics.html

You are probably going to be very limited in the selections you find online. If you were a retailer than you could have a vast selection of shirting. For the most part what you find on hand are going to be seconds and thirds of left over piece goods. When you purchase shirting cloth, who are you sending it to to be made up an how many yards do you normally buy?
THE REAL BESPOKE
www.marlonaustin.com

Dear All,

May I introduce my company, Acorn Fabrics Ltd. We are an English Mill
supplying the world (over the last 30years) with very fine shirtings, from
stock and with no minimums. Our fabrics are used in Jermyn Street and
Savile Row, not to mention all the top shirtmakers around the globe.
Our fabrics can be purchased direct and we do have credit card facilities.
If you would like more information, please contact me sales@acornfabrics.co.uk

Yours,

Chris Chatburn