The London Lounge

What do members think of cotton suits?

Cool? Warm?
machine/hand washable?
lined? unlined?
SB, DB?

Thoughts appreciated.

My preference in cotton suits is as follows:
SB
Unlined back
Good professioanl cleaners
(I cant conceive of a cotton suit as "warm".)

There are at least 4 kinds of cotton material that could be used.

First, there is the broadcloth type that is the best for a cool unlined suit. This is the kind of suit I like to wear for casual purposes during the day. This fabric is ideal for shirts and trousers worn by Chinese monks, especially for Taijiquan practice early in the morning.

Second, there is the oxford type which is thicker and not so cool for suits. They're a bit neither here nor there when you want something very cooling or something for warmer use.

Third, there is the drill cotton type. These are very suitable for safari suits and photographer/tropical hunting jackets. Makes good anti=pick pocket jackets if there are many, many pockets plus zippers.

Fourth, there is a much thicker kind of cotton than oxford, somewhat smoother. Maybe it's Garbadine, otherwise, Garbadine is the fifth type. I use this fourth type for the kind of cloaks used by Chinese monks. In the evenings, I like to wear either the set of clothes made of broadcloth which I mentioned could be used for Taijiquan practice and put such a cloak on in an airconed room or when it's pretty cold because of the season. Such a complete set=up makes me feel good doing meditation.

Adding lining defeats the purpose of using cotton for suits. The tailor would want to charge more because the interior needs to look as good as that in a shirt, which is a good unlined example.

Americans have a funny affection for cotton poplin suits in tans and olives. Our summers can be hot and there is every reason to look for lighter colored, natural fabrics. Porous seersuckers and frescoes answer beautifully. In contrast, I find the popular poplin suiting very hot because the cloth is so tightly woven. If you think that cotton must be "cool" because shirting is made for it, consider that W. Churchill's concern over pilots being downed in the North Sea promted the development of a cotton cloth called "ventile" which is nearly impervious to water.

I have never looked at cotton swatches for suiting and can't direct you to or from anything. I can echo a lot of advice that you'll hear here, it is the structure of the cloth and not weight that governs hot weather comfort. Think porous and open. Hold a swatch to the light, if light does not penetrate, neither will air. If the fabric is gauzy like chambray, it will probably not hold up as trousers and jacketing for the expense of making whereas thicker yarns more loosely woven like a fresco will.

Good luck.

DDM

Happy Stroller, it sounds like you are describing shirt cotton, not suit/trouser cotton.

Poplin or some reasonably sturdy twill are the most common fabrics for cotton suits. I have a 7 ounce brushed cotton twill suit. I asked that it be made unlined, but the tailor said that the cloth could not take it. It would wrinkle even worse than normal, drape poorly, and wear out faster. So I consented to a lining. I have to admit that he was probably right. The suit is quite cool, but sort of slouchy looking. That's just the nature of the cloth.

pchong wrote:What do members think of cotton suits?

Cool? Warm?
machine/hand washable?
lined? unlined?
SB, DB?

Thoughts appreciated.

Generally, the cheap cotton RTW suit will be advertised as washable. This is the cotton poplin suit made by Haspel and sold at Brooks Bros., J. Press, and other trad outlets. You used to see armies of men wearing the tan and olive poplin suits in the Wall Street area.

Generally, a good cotton suit cannot be washed and must be dry cleaned. Washing wiill cause shrinkage in either the outter cloth or the inside structure or both. Machine washing would destroy a good suit.

I have had a summer suit in tan from Loro Piana cotton. I also have one in Loro Piana seersucker. The seersucker is cooler.

The cotton twill from Loro Piana wrinkles readily. The seersucker has a wrinkled texture, and it doesn't wrinkle as much.

Does anyone have a source for the Ventile cotton cloth mentioned previously? I presume it is an English cloth.

Terry, you can try the company:

http://www.ventile.co.uk/index.html

DDM

amazing knowledge here...I knew I could count on you guys for great info.

I don't really like seersucker...it puckers, and is naturally wrinkled. I am not sure itwill drape properly too. I was leaning towards more like twill, or canvass.

The British military wore cotton twill, canvass as uniforms and civilian wear in India when she was part of the Empire...but my friends in sub-continent tell me these are quite hot, and only mad dogs and Englishmen would suffer these.

I wonder if anyone has done a suit in the new materials like Gore-tex and like?

Yes, Manton, I was referring to shirt cotton, as used by the innovative Indians in that Asian sub-continent to make their pants. Dries in 3 hours after a wash.

I still have no idea what poplin, fresco and twill are. Even garbadine, tweed and other Scottish wools. Still learning. imean their texture; patterns are easier to figure out. Sorry.

manton wrote:Happy Stroller, it sounds like you are describing shirt cotton, not suit/trouser cotton.

Poplin or some reasonably sturdy twill are the most common fabrics for cotton suits. I have a 7 ounce brushed cotton twill suit. I asked that it be made unlined, but the tailor said that the cloth could not take it. It would wrinkle even worse than normal, drape poorly, and wear out faster. So I consented to a lining. I have to admit that he was probably right. The suit is quite cool, but sort of slouchy looking. That's just the nature of the cloth.

Hey, P Chong, in case you're interested, I see there are two 100% pure brush thick cotton navy blue suits made by Gieves & Hawkes of 1 Savile Row on auction at a very well-known site.

pchong wrote:amazing knowledge here...I knew I could count on you guys for great info.

I don't really like seersucker...it puckers, and is naturally wrinkled. I am not sure itwill drape properly too. I was leaning towards more like twill, or canvass.

The British military wore cotton twill, canvass as uniforms and civilian wear in India when she was part of the Empire...but my friends in sub-continent tell me these are quite hot, and only mad dogs and Englishmen would suffer these.

I wonder if anyone has done a suit in the new materials like Gore-tex and like?

I would say that cotton twill is warm. Better off with silk, mohair, or linen.

I wonder if cot5ton twill is drill cotton commonly used as cotton trouser material?

pchong wrote: ,,,<snip>...
The British military wore cotton twill, canvass as uniforms and civilian wear in India when she was part of the Empire...but my friends in sub-continent tell me these are quite hot, and only mad dogs and Englishmen would suffer these.
...<snip>...

I woke up one day and decided to get a heavy tan cotton suit like the one I sort of remember that I had at the University of Virginia back before there were cell phones and computers.
I got some great cotton drill and had the suit made. It wrinkles but hangs wonderfully and looks terrific. Of course, its unbearably hot and can only be worn on unseasonably cool days in late april, may, and september.
Linen and seersucker are much more useful.

DD MacDonald wrote:I find the popular poplin suiting very hot because the cloth is so tightly woven.

Absolutely true. Not only that, but cotton absorbs a great deal of moisture, which prevents moisture underneith it from evaporating easily (and thus prevents it from cooling the skin, which of course is its purpose).