The London Lounge

Gentlemen:

How does 14/15 oz fresco feel against the skin?

I'm considering a fresco suit because I'd like to go up a notch in weight--you've had a profound influence on me--yet still stay fairly cool here in Southern California. The sample I have is Minnis Fresco No. 0533 14/15 oz., and it's a very nice, open weave. But it seems a bit rough to me, and I don't want lining in my trousers. In fact, I'm not even certain I want the coat fully lined.

Have any of you felt that fresco can be a little scratchy? I hope I can be forgiven for my niavete.

PS.
My sample is navy blue--Is it likley to shine?

Thank you again!

Although I only have the prototype rather than the production version of the cloth club Brisa, I can submit that my length has a decidedly less raspy hand than most frescos I've encountered. I don't recall whether it is quite as heavy as 14-15 oz., but when I have it made up I don't plan to have the trousers lined. (I may have the coat lined with ermazine for shape retention and abrasion resistance, but it should still be pretty breathable.) So you might check to see if any of the Brisa cloths meet your needs and are still available . . . .

Minnis 14 oz fresco is great for jackets, but I am not sure if they would be too scratchy for trousers. I suspect they would be in the beginning but as they wear in, the scratchiness gets better. This is my experience with Minnis 10oz fresco trousers. They all drape like steel for their weight class. Great traditional cloth!

Let me also suggest you try a pair of trousers from the Brisa cloth at, I believe, 11 ounces. It's not scratchy in the slightest.

Gentlemen, thank you.

Will, your blog also is on my list of favorites. I enjoy it very much.

The Brisa cloth is, IIRC, made from lambswool and is much softer than standard-issue Minnis-- especially in the heavier weights. It is also not especially available.

For a close if imperfect substitute for the Brisa, the 11-12 Finmeresco has some good trouser colors.

If you're considering the industrial strength fresco, also look at hopsack in the Smith 14oz "Steadfast" book. There's a dark grey and (I think) a navy. It isn't really a warm-weather suit, but it navigates smoothly between the cool outdoors and the slightly stuffy inside.

If anyone has an opinion on lining or not lining fresco trousers, I would really appreciate some assistance:

I'm thinking of getting some pairs made from Minnis lighter offerings -- mid gray high twist (8-9 oz) and oxford gray two-ply (9-10 oz) -- and I lean toward trying them unlined for really hot weather.

The roughness doesn't affect me, but I'm concerned that the pants might be too see-through or if there might be some other disadvantage I'm not aware of. Thanks in advance.

Dear MTM,

strictly no lining on whatever trousers, no worries

cheers, David

MTM, the only way Fresco trousers make sense to me is unlined. They are meant to breathe, ventilation is their forte. If you line them, you lose this advantage and element of comfort. Just as you miss the pleasure of feeling the warmth and softness of a good flannel on your thighs, rather than the cold and slippery lining - so take David's word for it.
I would also go for the heavier Fresco from Minnis. Don't be shy
Oh, and see-through is not an issue.

Flannel is soft, but won't fresco irritate the skin?

In my experience, it doesn't. You can always have your trousers lined later on if you are particularly sensitive. But it's worth trying them unlined...

Thanks a lot, guys. The roughness hasn't bothered me in fresco; it's just the transparency that concerns me.

I have suits in Minnis, Smiths, and H&S fresco, all of them with minimally lined jackets, but w/ pants lined in the front. Our weather here is pretty temperate year-round, so I haven't felt the need to get them unlined and that was just how the tailor made them. I don't mind people seeing my shirt through my jacket at times, but I'm sure not so sure about the pants! But this suit will be for a wedding in Indonesia in a non-airconditioned church, so I'll probably try them unlined this time.

I live in the mid-Atlantic US and have three suits made from assorted, Minnis, 10 ounce frescos. All the trousers are unlined. Transparency has never been a problem nor have they seemed unusually harsh on the legs. The trousers are the most satisfactory summer ones that I have found. The coats are lined only in the sleeves and over the shoulders. I plan to commission a DB suit in mid gray and a pair of odd trousers in light gray in early spring. All in all, it's the best way to go for summer. The heavier fresco might be even better, but for all the good LL advice I just can't bring myself to order 15 ounces of anything for summer.

I'm in love with the heavy Fresco. It's a shame it comes in so few colors. I have a fully lined black sport jacket that I wear comfortably in hot Canadian summer days (30 C). The lining is the most open-weave material I could find - it's available from The Lining Company out of the UK as their Cupro quality.

The only transparency I've noticed is in flash photographs, you can see right through the cloth. Minor issue in my opinion. Despite being 15 oz the cloth doesn't look bulky. The seams press nice and flat. I really like the dry, matte appearance of the cloth.

I'm currently making a suit in the mid-grey. Don't have the trousers yet but I will report how they feel on the skin.

I suspect that the translucency will increase the lighter the color and the lighter the cloth.