Dugdale Bros. Question

"The brute covers himself, the rich man and the fop adorn themselves, the elegant man dresses!"

-Honore de Balzac

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lowndes
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Thu Mar 11, 2010 5:07 pm

I recently found several Dugdale Bros. cloths that I like in their English Classics book. One was a Navy Pick & Pick and the other was a Grey Pick & Pick. The cloth weight was 13 to 14oz. Was wondering if anybody has any experience with this cloth and could attest to how well it makes up, how durable it is, and overall how much you like it.

I really enjoyed the way the cloth looked and felt. There just seemed to be something different about it. Never heard of Dugdale Bros. though. Also, the price compared to other cloths that I am looking at seemed too good to be true.

Thanks for the help.
Cufflink79
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Thu Mar 11, 2010 5:56 pm

I don't know anything about the Dugdale firm, but I found their website.

http://www.dugdalebros.com/

Hope this helps you out.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79
mlongano
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Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:58 pm

I ordered and received both the grey and blue. They are beautiful fabrics, and represent a real bargain. Although I have not had them made up yet, I have other similar fabrics form Huddersfield (same price), and they have turned out beautifully. By the way, the two Pick & Pick fabrics have the name "J H JOSEPH HIRST" on the edge of the fabric.

Rian Taylor at Huddersfield is a great guy to deal with.
Last edited by mlongano on Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jordan Marc
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Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:00 pm

lowndes:

Dugdale Bros. is a well-respected name and their cloths wear well, ie, the firm knows how to make durable
fabrics that last. No suit lasts forever, of course, even if you give it a one- to two-week rest before putting it on again. But Dugdale fabrics will outlast many of their competitors' offerings, and you don't necessarily
have to go through a middleman to buy their goods, albeit with an exhorbitant markup attached. Contact
Dugdale directly and pay them a visit. Flipping through the swatches in their books is a delight, and with
luck you might be given a tour to see how cloth is woven.

Your choice of blue and grey pick & pick cloths is admirable. Tailored suits of this beautiful worsted fabric with its subtle lustre have always been favored by businessmen and professionals, but pick & pick can also be used to make an elegant dinner suit with silk-satin or ribbed faille lapel facings. Have a look at the herringbone weaves in black-on-black and midnight blue-on-midnight blue in the formalwear book from Dugdale Bros. Gorgeous!

JMB
lowndes
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:02 am

Thanks for the help everybody. I'll have to look through some more of their books. The only book I saw was their English Classics. Great looking stuff though and the price was unbelievable. Seemed almost too good to be true.

On another note can somebody help me with how much cloth I need for a suit. Haven't 100% picked a tailor yet but I am going to get a few suits made on an upcoming trip to HK. Is 5 meters enough for a Single Breasted suit with an extra pair of trousers? Would 5 meters be enough for a double breasted suit with an extra pair of trousers? How about a Chesterfield overcoat that ends right around my knees. Would 3 meters be enough? I am about 6'2" and wear around a 41L or so in suits if that makes a difference.

Thank again
old henry
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:07 am

These Gentlemen all took the words right out of my mouth . Dugdale is a damn good ,strong ,sturdy ,durable, old school cloth . It makes up great and your tailor will love you .
Jordan Marc
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 3:50 am

lowndes:

Whether you prefer single-breasted or double-breasted, six to seven meters of cloth is plenty for a suit with an extra pair of trousers. If you want a four-piece suit, say, in woollen flannel (coat, vest, and two pairs of trousers), order eight meters of cloth. And don't forget to have a look at the beautiful linings
in the book from Lear Browne & Dunsford. You can find LB & D on the Harrisons of Edinburgh website.

Regarding the Chesterfield overcoat, the length of the coat should be somewhat longer than kneelength. Ending an overcoat at the knee proper is more suitable for a British Warm or a covert cloth coat, neither of which has the elegance of a Chesterfield. As to the cloth, have a look at Harrisons overcoating book and read what Frank Shattuck has to say on reversing the fabric of their cashmere offerings for a deluxe coat. It's at the top of page 4 in his comments. For a remarkably stylish update of a Chesterfield, google Cesare Attolini.

JMB
Costi
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:11 am

JMB, good advice on the Chesterfield, but that sounds like a huge amount of cloth for a suit. It also depends on the size of the customer, but 3 - 3.2 mts is enough for my tailor to make me any kind of two-piece suit.
Lowndes, if you are particularly tall (over 1,9 mts), if you like particularly deep cuffs on your trousers, if the cloth has a large scale pattern or all of the above, you should make further allowance up to as much as 4 mts. For a waistcoat add about 0,8 mts.
If you are particularly corpulent such that the body of your coat and/or your trousers cannot be cut from a single length of cloth (1,5 mts wide), or if the cloth needs to be cut in one direction only (e.g. velvet), then you do need the advice of a tailor or at least that of a good cloth shop assistant who knows how to use a measuring tape to estimate your needs. If you buy single-width cloth, you pretty much need to double the usual length you require. If you don't care how much you spend on cloth, buy more and you can always have waistcoats and caps made of what is left - or picnic plaids :wink:
lowndes
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:49 am

Again, thank you everybody for the help. I actually just contacted several of the HK tailors I am thinking about using and got quotes anywhere from 5 meters to 5.75 meters.

I still have a lot to learn about classical mens style and I am trying to get it right and still express my personal style so I appreciate the comment about the Chesterfield. I have a few books coming in the mail that I hope will better explain things and help me make choices.

If anybody, is interested here is a link to the cloths I selected. The two Dugdales that I am going to use are on the right. (Also, definitely getting that Minnis Flannel on the left and possibly the Minnis Flannel in the middle. Still looking for a good mid grey flannel if anybody has any suggestions).

http://s982.photobucket.com/albums/ae30 ... 0I%20Like/
shredder
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:47 am

The Brunette is having an overcoat being made up using one of Dugdale's 20 oz coatings. Fantastic cloth. I am sure that it will make up very nicely.

s
The_Sartorialist
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Fri Mar 12, 2010 10:58 am

Lowndes,

I haven't tried out the fabrics from the Dugdale bunch that you are presently considering, but echoing the many before me, I can chime in and say that I am very satisfied with my wool/mohair 2-piece from Dugdale's Cape Breeze book.

Good luck!
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