Peak lapels on tweed

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

-Honore de Balzac

Rowly
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Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:06 pm

I agree. The less is more rule of thumb wouldn't go amiss in this one, although the wearer seems to be enjoying a flamboyant mood !
hectorm
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Wed Jul 25, 2012 9:17 pm


Peak lapels on tweed are not my cup of tea, but I have to admit that they seem to work fine in the case of Mr. Hitchcock. They give some illusion of height to a tweed texture and pattern that otherwise could render his figure portly.
Concordia
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Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:17 pm

hectorm wrote:

Peak lapels on tweed are not my cup of tea, but I have to admit that they seem to work fine in the case of Mr. Hitchcock. They give some illusion of height to a tweed texture and pattern that otherwise could render his figure portly.
+1. It's a nice look-- on him.
cathach
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Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:11 am

Thanks to all the members for their comments so far. However how patterns are treated in wool flannel is still curiously different to that of tweed. A window-pane check or chalk-stripe flannel is unexceptional or at least well-known when made-up as a DB suit or SB with peak-lapel.

The examples from Richard Anderson state that they are in a 17oz Cheviot tweed. So we must assume that they are real tweeds.

Leaving worsted tweeds and other 'faux' woolens aside, given that a flannel and tweed have a similar yarn component with a similar soft mottled or hairy/fuzzy surface why can patterns/stripes in one be made into a suit with peak lapels and the other not?
Gruto

Thu Jul 26, 2012 6:41 am

Thinking about cheviot, I find there is a difference between tweed, which tend to be fuzzy, and cheviot, which is more smooth, although still coarse. In regards to the texture, it makes sense that cheviots were popular for city suits, including db's, 100 years ago.
hectorm
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Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:59 pm

cathach wrote: Leaving worsted tweeds and other 'faux' woolens aside, given that a flannel and tweed have a similar yarn component with a similar soft mottled or hairy/fuzzy surface why can patterns/stripes in one be made into a suit with peak lapels and the other not?
Cathach,
I´m not sure I can agree with your statement of the similarity between flannel and tweed regarding yarn, soft hand, or patterns/stripes, but in any case -on the subject of this thread- my bottom line is:
Tweed has a practical/utilitarian origin related to country living and activities. Peak lapels are associated with DB jackets and, on SB jackets, with city/fancier dressing. Marrying peak lapels to tweed is not a natural match.
Last edited by hectorm on Fri Jul 27, 2012 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
cathach
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Thu Jul 26, 2012 10:43 pm

hectorm wrote: Cathach,
I´m not sure I can agree with your statement of the similarity between flannel and tweed regarding yarn, soft hand, or patterns/stripes, but in any case -on the subject of this thread- my bottom line is:
Tweed has a practical/utilitarian origin related to country living and activities. Peak lapels are associated with DB jackets and, on SB jackets, with city/fancier dressing. Marrying PK with tweed is not a natural match.
Twould be a dull world if we all agreed! On the technical side of things both tweed and flannel are woven from woolen-spun yarn as opposed to worsted-spun excepting of course worsted flannels and faux tweeds etc. Some tweeds of a certain weight and depending on their finishing may have a similar handle to flannel, although of course most do not.

But bold chalk-stripes and window-pane checks in flannels (cf. Signor Agnelli) or worsteds are made into DB jackets and tweeds with similar patterns rarely are. To my mind the fact that a tweed will absorb some of the boldness of a check or stripe or herringbone should at first glance make it more suitable to being made up as such, we have only to look at our old Esquire drawings to see herringbones and checks on a large scale made up into city suits.

Its plain that some people don't like the idea at all and some are intrigued a little so I would ask members with access to old plates or with opinions of all shades to continue to contribute that we may tease out the issue further.
Rowly
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Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:32 pm

But bold chalk-stripes and window-pane checks in flannels (cf. Signor Agnelli) or worsteds are made into DB jackets and tweeds with similar patterns rarely are. To my mind the fact that a tweed will absorb some of the boldness of a check or stripe or herringbone should at first glance make it more suitable to being made up as such, we have only to look at our old Esquire drawings to see herringbones and checks on a large scale made up into city suits.
I agree completely. If the texture and pattern of the tweed is harmonious with the proposed cut....why not?

http://www.tweed-jacket.com/GALLERY%20P ... 02_jpg.htm

Above is what Bookster calls Skye Tweed...it is actually from the Lovat Kirkton book. I would not hesitate to have it made as a db, in the style of Angelli. Other louder tweeds would not work. There are flannels that mimick tweed patterns to good effect. There are tweeds with chalk stripes, as shown by Richard Anderson. The more choice, the better.
Rowly
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Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:53 pm

Tweed has a practical/utilitarian origin related to country living and activities.
Consider the Covert coat. It was designed for very utilitarian use.The surface is teasled to increase the nap and to encourage rain to run off more easily, making the twill behave like micro gutters. The look is pleasing and it has been taken on as city wear more for the sharp looking style than for function. Why should its origin preclude such developments...and should the same latitude not be applied to tweeds?
Simon A

Sun Jul 29, 2012 4:30 pm

Rowly, I have a suit made from that particular Lovat tweed. It is a subtle pattern, but it is definitely a country cloth, with a pretty robust hand. It is my workhorse winter suit and is worn in the paddock, on tractors, horseback and in the factory; hard as nails. If you were going to make a city coat, a softer-finished Saxony or Shetland might be a better choice. I seem to remember photos of a DB coat made from LL Agnelli Tweed somewhere, it looked pretty good.
GSC
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Sun Jul 29, 2012 5:15 pm

I seem to remember photos of a DB coat made from LL Agnelli Tweed somewhere, it looked pretty good.
Is this is? http://www.thelondonlounge.net/forum/vi ... 8&start=15
Rowly
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Sun Jul 29, 2012 5:32 pm

Rowly, I have a suit made from that particular Lovat tweed. It is a subtle pattern, but it is definitely a country cloth, with a pretty robust hand. It is my workhorse winter suit and is worn in the paddock, on tractors, horseback and in the factory; hard as nails. If you were going to make a city coat, a softer-finished Saxony or Shetland might be a better choice. I seem to remember photos of a DB coat made from LL Agnelli Tweed somewhere, it looked pretty good.Simon A
Simon, thanks for sharing your experience. I didn't mean that I would wear the Lovat tweed as a city suit...just that I would make it db as a country suit. From a practical point of view...do you find the trousers comfortable in terms of scratchiness? I am very tempted to follow your lead.
And yes, the LL Agnelli looks superb as a db....it's a great pity it's sold out.
Simon A

Sun Jul 29, 2012 5:58 pm

It is very scratchy on the legs, even if lined. I got around this by making some knee-length boxer shorts and wearing long socks, then it is completely fine.
Rowly
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Sun Jul 29, 2012 6:08 pm

Getting back to Cathach's query, then,........assuming a subtle citified pattern is chosen....I wonder if any cloth experts in the LL can advise where to look ( other than the obvious CC.productions) for genuine tweeds that would be comfortable to wear, and would also be acceptable in an urban environment?
Rowly
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Sun Jul 29, 2012 6:14 pm

It is very scratchy on the legs, even if lined. I got around this by making some knee-length boxer shorts and wearing long socks, then it is completely fine.
Simon, If you aren't already aware.....these are a great product...and not bulky.

http://eu2.icebreaker.com/150-Ultralite ... s-leggings
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