The London Lounge

I am interested in getting a blue chalk stripe. Any suggestions for a cloth?

I am looking for a classic flannel that is a rich bluey blue. Meaning a dark, navy, blue with the blue color still showing strong. The ideal cloth would look dark navy but show a blue in the bends and folds. Weight should be somewhere between 14oz and 16oz, though I suppose I could be persuaded to try 13 oz.

To date, I have looked at nothing with this particular target in mind so I have no pre-conceived ideas about who does this well.

I believe LBD/Harrisons has a flannel in this color that is quite nice. (14 ozs)

Both the Fox and Minnis blues are pretty dark blue.

M Alden

These colors don't reproduce well, but they might indicate something to try for.

http://www.hfw-huddersfield.co.uk/hardy ... o=M?cate=F?

Thank you, both. The Minnis colors really don't show at well on the web, but if the website images are color true thn they are, as Alden notes, too dark. Here is an idea of what I am looking for, snipped from manton's wedding article.

Astaire's suit below is also very close to what I am talking about, although this is not the best photo for showing it (Tutee?):

Hmmm. I've seen that shade, although I don't think the Minnis book has it in a chalk stripe. Definitely at least one solid that's lighter than navy. THose samples on the web are a lot darker than life.

Scabal has oodles of flannels in all weights and types. Maybe they would turn up something.

Perhaps it's just my monitor, but the suit pictured in the AA/Esky illustration looks more like a petrol blue to my eye. That particular color is a smart alternative to dark or midnight navy.

The Minnis book does have a blue chalk lighter than Navy which is stunning -- not quite the cloth pictured above though.

Concordia wrote:Hmmm. I've seen that shade, although I don't think the Minnis book has it in a chalk stripe. Definitely at least one solid that's lighter than navy. THose samples on the web are a lot darker than life.

Scabal has oodles of flannels in all weights and types. Maybe they would turn up something.

I looked through the Harrison's flannel book at Len's yesterday - there are a few blue chalk stripes, of varying width of stripe, that approximate the blue you want, though perhaps just a tad darker. The cloth itself is spectacular.

Surely the better approach is to go your tailor and look through some of the buches or even at any cloth if he has some?

I find that anything on screen is not a good rendition and whilst people can recommend - seeing is believing. I need to wear it and so however much anyone likes something the buck rests with you?

Thanks again for all your replies. This cloth is second on my list of flannels as a solid gray is my immediate next stop in this category, but I want to get a head start on thinking about the blue chalk stripe.

DFR: I will certainly take a look at the books in person, but not every tailor has every book so if there is something missing from one tailor's selection, I can always ask him to try to get it. What they have lying around in lengths is also worth looking at, but obviously, that is hit or miss.

As an example, I have not seen the new Smith frescos at Raphael, but Dege had that book when in New York.

Dopey, are you looking for charcoal or mid grey?. Minnis have an excellent mid-grey that one day I will make up as a DB. But that will not be for some time.

Mid-gray, perhaps a touch lighter. I like the Minnis flannels and there are some others I have seen that are nice too. While each is different, it seems that there are many nice grays to choose from. Blue chalk stripe is a bit tougher, especially if you don't want something as dark as navy.

I have the 14 ounce Minnis blue chalk. It is more of a "postman's blue." Sort of blue gray or steel blue, or whatever. The stripe is VERY pronounced. While I would not call the color light, I will say that I wore it in London on Monday, and while I did not exactly feel out of place, compared to what everone else was wearing, I might has well have been in cream linen.

Minnis also has a navy chalk in 16. The stripes are quite a bit fainter. The overall color is darker than the AA pic you posted. Harrison also has a navy chalk at 14, basically the same color as the Minnis navy, with a more prominent stripe, and two ounces ligher. FWIW, Frank made the Minnis and the Harrison virtually at the same time for two different clients. He pronounced MInnis the much superior cloth to sew.

London is a city of dark suits. FIFO

Although I don't recall the book, Edwin DeBoise made up a terriffic DB worsted dark gray flannel with a chalk line from the LBD/Harrisons range ( my notes leave it as #76020). The cloth is 13 or 14 oz and has a terrific hand and presence for a standard kind of business suiting.

DDM