Summer tan/fawn

[Concordia]

OK-- I've been trying to get a few more casual suits into the wardrobe. Light brown herringbone DB (14oz) is here, a solaro SB is in prospect for spring and early summer. But what of the dog days of July, when something lighter is needed? Tan tropical wuits seem to be a standby in tradly RTW sorts of places--Brooks, Banks, etc. But except for a few in the Minnis Finesse book ( http://www.hfw-huddersfield.co.uk/hardy ... =600033980? ), I've not found any fabrics for bespoke that have the right color. Lessers tans are pretty boring, for example. Smith has one but it is 8oz and I wonder about its sturdiness. This is a natural for a fresco, but nobody seems to have come up with one. Irish linens do exist, but I want a worsted.

Anybody had success on this errand? How effective is the Finesse line in coping with Northeastern heat on a Friday?

[DD MacDonald]

Concordia, what a great idea. I have been thinking about a summer tan suit for so long. The ideal would be a worsted wool, khaki with a touch of cinammon to take it from the boring "american tan" to the "british tan". Sandy might be a good color name.

Saturday morning being what it is, quiet in my house, i had the chance to look at the Hardy/Minnis site and propose three others to the Finesse 850:

1. Hardy Riviera 7511, herrningbone with subtle blue over check. As a weave, HB is sturdy and elastic.

http://www.hfw-huddersfield.co.uk/hardy ... =914685153?

2. Minnis Airborne 0431, 6.5/7oz. In a color called "oatmeal", i like the variegated nature of the tan. I think that texture is always good in plains.

]http://www.hfw-huddersfield.co.uk/hardy ... =797534042?

3. Minnis Fresco 0519 9/10 oz "wheat", some variegation.

http://www.hfw-huddersfield.co.uk/hardy ... =268600493?

I don't have swatches of these cloths, but if anyone is meeting with a tailor soon, a group photo of all of them and any other proposals would be great.

DDM

[Concordia]

I'm actually looking for something boring and American. For whatever reason, I've never much liked that wheat fresco, and the Airborne book seems utterly too fragile to me. Maybe I'm wrong about that. Has anyone tried it?

What little I know of the Hardy Riviera book is that it's good for jacketing, and a little fuzzy. Better for spring days than really nasty summer ones.

[Concordia]

Come to think of it, that Riviera pattern is very useful, and would straddle categories very nicely. Now to see if it (a) hold up in trousers, and (b) feels like something other than flannel when the humidity breaks 70%.

[iammatt]

I have a pair of pants in the wheat fresco, and while I think it works well for pants, the color is slightly strong for a suit.

I have a tan cotton suit in progress right now, but nothing like you mention in worsted.

[DD MacDonald]

Personally, I want to get away from the tan-poplin look. Cloth with some depth without being too strong. A feel of linen in wool, Fresco would be a great cloth but I agree that the Minnis Wheat is a bit strong for a suit. Give me one color value back to neutral.

Was there anything in the Fimmeresco book?

DDM

[Concordia]

There were a few. One made a nice pair of pants-- I don't know if it would be right for a suit.

[storeynicholas]

Cream tussore.

[kolecho]

I had the wheat fresco made up an odd jacket at first, but am now adding some pants to match. I do prefer the drape of a high twist fresco to a typical worsted. It is likely, however, that these will be worn as separate items most of the time.

[Will]

I have a blazer from the Minnis wheat fresco. Agree that it's a bit strong for a suit.

[manton]

I'm surprised you don't like the tans in Lesser tropical. I have the middle shade (of three) and I love it.

Still, dislike is dislike. Check out Minnis Rangoon: same weights, comparable quality, different colors and patterns.

[Concordia]

I'm surprised you don't like the tans in Lesser tropical. I have the middle shade (of three) and I love it.

Still, dislike is dislike. Check out Minnis Rangoon: same weights, comparable quality, different colors and patterns.

http://www.hfw-huddersfield.co.uk/hardy ... =804488098?

Except for the next-to-last check pattern, I don't see anything in the right family of color in Rangoon.

Maybe I should re-visit the Lesser khaki-- it's a bit dull but might make a better suit than something richer.

[manton]

Yeah, I couldn't remember if Rangoon had any tans or not. It has a nice summer glen plaid with a red overcheck (Lesser only has blue). And it has a killer midnight blue hairline; Lesser's blues are all plainweaves. Those are the two Rangoons I have.

Raphael swears that each book is made by the same mill to virtually identical specs, only Lesser charges more for theirs. I don't know if he's right or not, but I love them both, and think them miles ahead of any other tropical worsteds.

[Concordia]

I meant to post this one. I think. (No edit function on my account.)

http://www.hfw-huddersfield.co.uk/hardy ... o=M?cate=R?

[Alias]

Shouldn't Woodhouse have some nice summer tans?