Do the pinch, squeeze and roll
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:46 pm
There are an awful lot of cloth books around at your tailor’s shops. The choice can sometimes be confusing. Most distributors carry excellent quality cloth and your main preoccupation will be its color, pattern, texture or style. But you really should learn to judge the quality of cloth on your own. I recently read about an internet merchant working the forums selling tweed with polyester. I was simply flabbergasted. And there are other inferior goods being pitched here and there. So arm yourself with the knowledge contained in the following two tests, a lot of sartorial caveat emptor and you will do fine.
In the first test we want to determine the density of the cloth. Remember that the weight has nothing to do with the density of a cloth, you can have a very heavy cloth that is empty and you can have a lightweight cloth that is very full or dense.
So we will take the cloth between the digit finger and thumb and simply rub it between the two. Can you feel your thumb? If you can feel it, the cloth is either too loosely woven or made of inferior threads.
In the second exercise, we will test the vitality of the cloth: is it alive or dead in the hand. We want to see bounce.
Form a pincher with your fingers like this
Now pick the cloth up in the pincher and try to roll it between your fingers. The cloth should roll easily creating a firm and resilient wave. If the cloth crushes, collapses in your pincher such that it will not roll, you have a dead and inferior product that will neither tailor well not wear very long. Chuck it out the window post haste.
Now that you have learned these two fundamental tests you are able to judge the quality of the cloth that interests you with your own two fingers. No need to rely on marketing pitches. Just pinch, squeeze and roll your way to the truth.
Bespoke tailoring is an expensive endeavor, so never skimp on the quality of the cloth you use. It’s a losing proposition that is very easily avoided. If you must have a lightweight fleecy coat, buy one RTW to knock around in. If it falls apart or bags after a few wears, you can still use it for something and you will not have wasted a tailor’s time or your own money.
Cheers
In the first test we want to determine the density of the cloth. Remember that the weight has nothing to do with the density of a cloth, you can have a very heavy cloth that is empty and you can have a lightweight cloth that is very full or dense.
So we will take the cloth between the digit finger and thumb and simply rub it between the two. Can you feel your thumb? If you can feel it, the cloth is either too loosely woven or made of inferior threads.
In the second exercise, we will test the vitality of the cloth: is it alive or dead in the hand. We want to see bounce.
Form a pincher with your fingers like this
Now pick the cloth up in the pincher and try to roll it between your fingers. The cloth should roll easily creating a firm and resilient wave. If the cloth crushes, collapses in your pincher such that it will not roll, you have a dead and inferior product that will neither tailor well not wear very long. Chuck it out the window post haste.
Now that you have learned these two fundamental tests you are able to judge the quality of the cloth that interests you with your own two fingers. No need to rely on marketing pitches. Just pinch, squeeze and roll your way to the truth.
Bespoke tailoring is an expensive endeavor, so never skimp on the quality of the cloth you use. It’s a losing proposition that is very easily avoided. If you must have a lightweight fleecy coat, buy one RTW to knock around in. If it falls apart or bags after a few wears, you can still use it for something and you will not have wasted a tailor’s time or your own money.
Cheers
