Fabric recommendations

[Manself]

I'm thinking about my next commissions and would like advice about fabrics. I'm based in London and these are for winter wear, so I'm happy if the cloths are substantial.

I'd like a light grey whip cord for trousers - who's bunches should I look at?
I'm contemplating a velvet smoking jacket - who makes the best velvet?
And what about a cloth for DJ trousers?

Any suggestions will be gratefully received.

[alden]

Light grey whipcord is hard to find (if you find some, let us know), Scabal has excellent velvet, and Smiths has a great selection of cloth for DJs.

Michael

[ay329]

The only whipcord I have found in a decent weight comes from Dugdale

http://www.dugdalebros.com (press online shop) It directs you to Huddersfieldcloths

It will ask you to register (its really easy) & then it automatically gives you the password (out of courtesy, I will not post it...but let you navigate your way to find it)

Then press More Cloths & Linings...then press Coatings
At the bottom, there are 4 whipcords in 16oz weight....none in light grey...e-mail them to see if they have older stock of light grey

Smith Woolens has some light grey whipcords in 16oz (I just found an old sample)

Edit on 8-24-10: Today I received some nice grey Whipcord (listed as covert coating) from H.E. Box in the 16oz range. I like it (and my tailor found it to be more tightly woven and a better value)
http://www.he-box.co.uk/index.htm

[Manself]

So far I have found a mid-grey whipcord at Smith & Co that weighs 16oz, which seems just about perfect. I also went looking for cloth for dinner jacket trousers, and found a great 17oz barathea with a wonderful depth of colour (or depth of absence of colour) but I get the impression from what I read here that barathea is warm to wear. The problem is that it's conspicuously better looking than the 14oz version!

[ay329]

Was the 17oz black barathea from Smiths?

Out of some 20 black barathea's that I handled, in various weight ranges, this was the best balanced overall...outclassing H. Lesser (which cost 50% more), P&B's Universal, H.E. Box, and other Huddersfield/Yorkshire made cloths.

Only Dugdale had a fine 17oz competitor & for 28 pounds less than the Smith's (Dugdale's website is very easy to use & resourceful).

The highlight of my decision making process was having my tailor invest some 20 minutes going through the various cloths...explaining their strengths and weaknesses...and then reducing the contenders by the process of elimination.