Fox Brothers White Flannels

[hectorm]

Wearing white flannels has always appealed to me and I´m sure I´m not the only one.
Fox Brothers (yes, the famed cloth mill) also provides tailoring services through their branch The Merchant Fox and advertises West of England white flannel trousers MTM in two weights (10 oz and 13 oz).
I wonder if any of our LL members has had any experience regarding this.

[Man at C&A]

Swatches are on their way from Wellington and I hopeful that Fox's will enable me to scratch a long-term itch. I'm wondering however how succesful I'll be at keeping white flannels clean enough to be respectable.

[davidhuh]

Wearing white flannels has always appealed to me and I´m sure I´m not the only one.
Fox Brothers (yes, the famed cloth mill) also provides tailoring services through their branch The Merchant Fox and advertises West of England white flannel trousers MTM in two weights (10 oz and 13 oz).
I wonder if any of our LL members has had any experience regarding this.

Dear Hectorm,

I bought the cloth in both weights and had trousers and waist coats made
I have not tried their MTM though.

cheers David

[hectorm]

I'm wondering however how succesful I'll be at keeping white flannels clean enough to be respectable.

Don´t worry too too much.
There is something very suspicious about the man who wears his white flannels crispy and immaculate all the time. Given the outdoor and sporty nature of those trousers, some rumpling and a bit of soiling is to be expected. I would even say that they look better that way. Just be sure yours are not yellowing nor have ugly stains at the beginning of the day.
I don´t have any special trick to keep mine clean beyond the fact that I wear them only a few times a year. Having more than one pair helps.
As you said it, clean enough is the key.

[hsw9001]

Wearing white flannels has always appealed to me and I´m sure I´m not the only one.
Fox Brothers (yes, the famed cloth mill) also provides tailoring services through their branch The Merchant Fox and advertises West of England white flannel trousers MTM in two weights (10 oz and 13 oz).
I wonder if any of our LL members has had any experience regarding this.

Will made a run of the 13 oz a year or so ago. It is heavy and gets dirty easily. I can't wear it when the ground is wet otherwise I get dark spots all over it.

[hectorm]

It is heavy and gets dirty easily. I can't wear it when the ground is wet otherwise I get dark spots all over it.

Dear hsw9001,
well, I guess that comes with the territory once you decided to sport white flannels.
Is there anything else, but on the positive side, you can tell us about your 13oz Fox white flannel? Did you use their own MTM service?

[hsw9001]

Ercole made it up for me. It wears warm and has a yellowish tinge. An alternative is in the VBC flannel book that is more grayish in hue and I think a little lighter in weight.

[hectorm]

Ercole made it up for me. It wears warm and has a yellowish tinge. An alternative is in the VBC flannel book.

I see, hsw900.
White flannels (even in lighter weights) were not created with NYC summers in mind. Living under similar climate conditions, I wear mine only a few sunny but cold days in autumn and winter when the flannel warmth is needed.
Regarding Fox´s yellowish tinge: I find that hue desirable for white flannels provided that tone is even all over the garment. It makes the trousers look as if they have been “at the bottom of the trunk” for a couple of generations. Uneven yellowing due to careless wear looks really bad under sunlight.
I understand the Italian VBC flannels are only 9.5 oz., so no wonder they should feel light. Although I have not had direct experience with their fabrics, VBC is a very large mill and I have heard warnings about the big disparity in quality within their output. If Ercole carries their flannel book, I guess they must be good. Thank you for the tip.

[Macallan1926]

I would skip vbc flannel for the very reason that any flannel less than 13oz isn't really a flannel. Minnis has a solid flannel bunch if you're looking for alternatives but I don't believe they carry cream. I would go with the offering from fox.

[hectorm]

I would skip vbc flannel for the very reason that any flannel less than 13oz isn't really a flannel.

I don´t know, Macallan. Maybe they are fit for winter pajamas.

[hsw9001]

The VBC feels like a 10-11 to me. You should check the book. I remember doing a search and there were alternatives at different weights from H&S and Dormeiul. The Lesser formal book has something quite similar too.

[hectorm]

Thank you hsw9001 et al.
The truth is that I´m already sure I´m going to give the Fox MTM over the mail a try for these white flannels. But in the heavier 13 oz. of more "real" flannel which is similar to the one I have now and served me so well. They send you the form, you measure yourself, send the form back and you get your trousers. It´s not a particularly personal and rewarding relationship but I´ve had great final results (even for more complicated commissions) with similar MTM services like Bookster.
It sounds, and it is, simple but I just wanted to see if someone had had the specific experience with the tailors linked to Fox Brothers.

[Byron]

After reading about these trousers on a blog I send Fox an e-mail to inquire about procedure and prices. It's a nice idea, but the price they're asking is quite steep for MTM, seems you pay for bespoke, and my bespoke tailor doesn't charge more, so I will just order a trouserslength and have them made up in the same way. Looking forward to your results though, if I could I would give their tailor a try, with fittings though.

[hectorm]

Just an update on the topic of this thread:
This winter has been long and cold and I had the opportunity to finally wear my new 13oz Fox white flannel trousers several times. Overall I found Fox flannel excellent. Main pros are its warmth, great drape and "feel". It wrinkles a bit but it recovers beautifully. The cricket color –even from the start- was never too white and I particularly liked that the trousers never looked brand new.
Now, it seems that Fox doesn´t sell this heavier white flannel any more. At least not in cut length. Maybe if you hike to Somerset and talk to the in house tailor Mr. Smith you´ll get it. They offer instead a lighter worsted white flannel which is not exactly my cup of tea.

[davidhuh]

Dear Hectorm,

which one are you talking about? I have A1285/88, made trousers and a DB waistcoat, both beautiful. There was a lighter flannel in the same color, A1290/77m, which I used for another waistcoat.

Cheers, Daivd