The London Lounge

In my quest to diversify beyond worsted suits, I have been looking at fresco and flannel.

My experience with freso has been fantastic. I like its surface interest and durability. I can imagine all of my spring/summer suits in fresco.

Flannel also has great surface interest, but lack durablity.

Questions:
- Do you think it is practical to build a fall/winter suit wardrobe largely of flannel, or should one also include a good number of staple 13oz worsted?

- Is flannel in the same weight, say 13oz, warmer than similar weight worsted?

kolecho wrote:Questions:
- Do you think it is practical to build a fall/winter suit wardrobe largely of flannel, or should one also include a good number of staple 13oz worsted?

Do you work, and need to wear suits during the day while travelling or in an office? If yes, then you should probably plan to have some worsteds around unless you are intent on a signature look of flannel and have enough suits to rotate.

kolecho wrote:- Is flannel in the same weight, say 13oz, warmer than similar weight worsted?

Generally yes. You can mitigate some of that by lining the trousers. To me, the extra warmth of flannel is most pronounced in humid weather.

It sounds like flannel is linked to winter, like linen is to summer. Both have panache about them that is attractive, but difficult to embrace as staple business suits for practical reasons.

so how formal is flannel compared to worsted?

All other things being equal, I prefer flannel to worsted. But worsted has its place. I think anyone who wears suits five days a week will want at least two winter worsteds before he starts in with flannel. Worsteds for interviews, funerals, presentations, smart dinner parties, etc. For me it's solid gray SB and solid navy DB. After that, the "essentials" are covered. I confess that I still have more worsted than flannel at this point, but that is slowly changing.

I do consider flannel to be slightly less formal than worsted. For a truly formal event, only worsted will do.

manton wrote: For me it's solid gray SB and solid navy DB.

Uncanny! Except the solids are subtle herringbones in my closet.

DDM

I am warming up to include some DB suits in my rotation. Sounds like a navy DB in Lesser 13oz is calling

Some merchants have worsted flannel books. How are they different from other flannel books eg: Minnis?

[quote="kolecho"]I am warming up to include some DB suits in my rotation. Sounds like a navy DB in Lesser 13oz is calling [/quote

Bravo! Go for it...DBs are always great.

Technically a fresco IS a worsted, though in a plain weave instead of a twill.

I have to confess that the only (winter) worsted I have is an old navy blazer. I prefer flannels, and I dont think they are less formal.

Strange, how is it I had an assumption flannels were most suitable for baby pyjamas?

HappyStroller wrote:Strange, how is it I had an assumption flannels were most suitable for baby pyjamas?

No, flannel goes far beyond lumberjacks and pyjamas.

so for a minimum 2 worsteds would be ok! and for more gereral non formal it would be readly acceptable to to wear flannel.

so is flannal more porious than worsted or should i rephrase is more beathable?

I was looking at Lesser's 13oz flannel book today. Some are marked worsted flannel, others woollen flannel. Could someone enlighten me as to the difference?

Jona wrote:Technically a fresco IS a worsted, though in a plain weave instead of a twill..

I can add that worsted yarns for a fresco weave are hard spun.