The London Lounge

Hello all, I have just the joined forum and am glad to be here - this seems to be best spot for legitimate and informed discussion about sartorial issues and mens traditional dress in general. I am from New Zealand and one of what seems to be very few people actually interested in traditional dress or even looking good in business wear(suits)/clothing full stop, here in NZ. I am yet to bespeak any clothing but am eagerly awaiting the day, yet still it is never the less great to be able to follow the types of discussions happening in this forum.

I am seeking some advice about flannel. I have a bespoke (believed to be anyway) tweed suit which was made in east yorkshire, england some time between the 40s and 60s. it is a really neat suit, well made SB 3 button, with notched lapel, rolled to the 2nd button, cuffs on the bottoms and buttons inside the waist for fastening braces - of which i own none , that I bought in a vintage fashion shop.

Anyway when i have tried the suit on I have really liked the way tweed feels, it seems a lot more comfortable than a worsted. Its a heavy tweed and it seems to stretch with you when you sit and bend etc. It feels quite comfortable for me, it seems to not constrict on my thighs as a worsted does with my larger than normal(in proportion) thighs - (bearing in mind that all of my clothing is either off the rack or mtm and doesn't necessarily accomodate this).

So my question is would a flannel or maybe a worsted-flannel (can someone please explain the differences) be a suitable option for something thats in between a worsted and a tweed? I am hoping to go grey for my next suit and it would more or less be a city suit but be used for some occasions other than work. would a flannel be tough enough to be a bit of an all-rounder and last me a few years?

HI again and thanks for any help you can offer,

Kirk

Welcome Kirk

My first bespoke suit was a mid gray flannel suit made with two trousers. I still have the coat. The two trousers served many years.The amount of wear you can expect from any fabric depends on how you wear and maintain your clothes. A flannel suit can be used for 20 years if it is part of a rotation of suits such that it is worn once a week or every two weeks.

You would probably be better to look at a gray worsted suit to start out and integrate flannel once you have a few suits to wear. Flannel is a bit of a luxury as it can be fragile.

For discussions of worsted vs woollen flannel, search the forum to find many of them.

Cheers

Michael

I am just having the LL triple check flannel made up. There will be enough fabric left for a second pair of trousers. Would it be advisable to have a second pair of trousers or is that particular fabric solid enough for regular winter wear (once a week)?

Richard3 wrote:I am just having the LL triple check flannel made up. There will be enough fabric left for a second pair of trousers. Would it be advisable to have a second pair of trousers or is that particular fabric solid enough for regular winter wear (once a week)?

If there is enough spare cloth, a second pair of trousers is always a good investment. You may wish to consider a waistcoat if you have not bespoken one already.

ok thanks alden, that sounds pretty logical. Can you recommend a type or grade of worsted that has a bit more stretch in it, or is of a softer variety?

Mrkirk:

Stout tweed is indeed a resilient cloth, but is it possible that part of the comfort and freedom you feel in the tweed suit might result from the cut? An English tweed suit from the '40s - early '60s may well be cut with fuller thighs than most modern RTW suit or odd trousers. If you are planning to bespeak a suit from a good tailor, you should be able to move comfortably in any cloth he would be willing to use. If not, you and he have probably not yet achieved the fit you should expect from bespoke. You should certainly point out your concern in this area at your initial appointment for measuring up and discussion of style choices.

That said, a good worsted flannel will probably be a bit more durable than a woolen flannel of equivalent weight/quality, if having slightly less character. Gray flannel is always a good staple, and as much of an all-rounder (in terms of versatility for various occasions) as you'll find, but if your rotation is relatively small and hard wear is expected, you might also consider other cloths such as a substantial nailhead or sharkskin, which can have surface interest without a pattern so strong that it much reduces versatility (especially for evening occasions).

couch; yeah it probably is partly the cut of the trousers that makes them more comfortable, but the tweed is just a nice feeling material, it seems to stretch nicely over the knee when sitting.
I will investigate a suitable worsted-flannel as it will be used in rotation with other clothing, so wont get thrashed at all. I want to try and get the best of both worlds(comfort/durability)
thanks for the advice
kirk