The London Lounge

On Saturday, 5 of us went to Tip Top for one of the occasional field trips. For some reason I migrated to the "precious fiber" department and bought 2 1/2 yards of an English worsted cashmere jacketing, about 8 or 9 ounce I would say. I believe it was from Woodhouse. It looks a lot like one of the classical patterns in the P&H Glorious Twelves book (wool worsted with a tweed-like appearance). I don't buy cashmere as a rule, but the pattern and weight appealed to me. Much nicer than the Italian cashmere jacketings. It looks and feels like a tropical worsted with fabulous coloring, I assume owing in part to the fine weave.

Can anyone tell me about this type of cloth? Advantages? Disadvantages (price: I believe this outdid Collarnelton's expenditure on an industrial quantity linen order)? I will post a photo when I receive the cloth next week.

I would fear that will wear very warm. Cashmere insulates extremely well. It much warmer than comparable weight wool. I'm not sure that will really work for summer, as a practical matter.

Can anyone tell me about so called "summer" cashmere? I've read about it, and I guess this is it. Too fragile? Too warm? Too expensive? Looks great, feels wonderful. Very fine quality, much nicer to me than the Italian lightweight cashmere jacketings.

I wonder if it would work for early fall, late spring? I wore a "summer cashmere" Zegna (from Tip Top) in Boston last March, while it was still cool, and it worked well. This English cloth seems to be a finer weave and is much lighter.

A "novelty" item then, Mr. Manton?

I really don't know, as I have no experience with it. I know from my experience with overcoats (and from its reputation) that cashmere is well insulating. A cashmere overcoat can be much lighter than wool and insulate to about the same degree. I am generally feelin' the heat in summer, and woul steer away from anything cashmere.

I own 4 "summer weight" 100% cashmere sport jackets. They work very well during the winter months in Miami, Florida., They also are comfortabe during the New York City Spring season. Forget July or August.

My experience is that jackets from lightweight worsted cashmere are terrific in San Francisco or Los Angeles during the summer months and are absolutely murder in teh more humid parts of the country.

probably because the "coldest winter was a summer in San Francisco" when the fog rolls into the city, over the bay...lovely!

What struck me as a little unusual is that my cashmere jacketing is English. It cannot be more than 8 ounces. The Italian versions I have are certainly heavier, even though "lightweight"


Mr. Fashionicon, is your jacketing English or Italian?

Three jackets were made from Loro Piana cashmere. The other cashmere was from an English mill.

They all feel the same: great in the fall & winter and also in the spring unless it is a humid day.

There was a baby blue in the same range. This cloth is very soft, around 8 or 9 ounces.

Are the two herringbone cloths made in Italy or England. If Italy, Zegna?

Made in Italy, for Zegna: the mill was A.D.A.M. which RichardCharles helped me to identify.

FWIW, the best lightweight worsted cashmere in my opinion is Harrison's Millionaire from England.