Fabric hunt: H&S Perennial collection, Bunch HS507 #657076

[Mr Hillier]

Holland & Sherry Perennial collection, Bunch HS507, #657076, plain black 13oz/400gr

Dear Members,

Can anyone suggest how I would go about tracking down a metre and a half of this fabric, which I believe was originally from the 2007 collection?

I have a suit which needs some remedial attention in order to be wearable.

Many thanks!

[davidhuh]

Dear Mr Hillier,

I would suggest that you contact their London office, http://www.hollandandsherry.com/apparel/contacts.aspx

Cheers, David

[Mr Hillier]

Dear David,

I would suggest that you contact their London office

That would seem sensible. The fabric is not one of that bunch listed as available on their website, so I automatically discounted that possibility without thinking.

However, it does make perfect sense to begin the search there.

Regards,

Mr H

[hectorm]

I have a suit which needs some remedial attention in order to be wearable.

What kind of remedies is your tailor thinking of? A meter and a half of cloth sounds like new trousers to me, but if it is something else, like sleeves or part of the jacket, the new fabric might not look good against the rest of the worn out garment.

[Mr Hillier]

What kind of remedies is your tailor thinking of? A meter and a half of cloth sounds like new trousers to me

New trousers is exactly right. The suit has not been heavily worn, so I think it is worth tracking down a trouser length if possible and seeing what it looks like with the jacket.

[Melcombe]

It may sound odd, but black can be difficult to match - even from cloth within the same production run.

If the coat is plain black, why not pair with some grey / black dogtooth check trousers, or striped trousers for the full stroller ensemble? Just a thought.

[Mr Hillier]

If the coat is plain black, why not pair with some grey / black dogtooth check trousers, or striped trousers for the full stroller ensemble?

Thank you Melcombe, that is a useful suggestion which I had not considered.

In fact, perhaps there should be a dedicated thread on the subject of how to make use of garments, such a suit components, which for one reason or another cannot be used for their original purpose.

[Mr Hillier]

Dear Members,

Thanks to the forum, I now have two options when I thought there was a good chance I had none.

I would suggest that you contact their London office

The fabric is indeed in stock, but has changed number since 2007, which is why the search of the website did not yield results. Thank you for reminding me of the danger of unconscious assumptions!

If the coat is plain black, why not pair with some grey / black dogtooth check trousers, or striped trousers for the full stroller ensemble?

Though I have tracked down the fabric, rather more easily than I expected, I am also quite taken with the idea of the the stroller ensemble. From some preliminary research, it seems that the 'stroller' (is it also known as this in Britain?) is a slightly dressed-down version of morning dress. I'm left with more questions than answers though...

I take it that the trousers are traditionally grey and black striped trousers, the same ones that barristers wear in court. However, a grey herringbone or POW check also seem acceptable with a short coat. Would they be acceptable with a tailcoat too? I'm considering the long-term versatility of the outfit here.

My jacket is a conservative two button, single-breasted notched lapel style. The only slightly noticeable feature is slanted hip pockets. The fabric is a softish-handle twill, that is, not quite as sharp or as formal looking as something like a barathea or even a plain weave. Would this work? One thing I want to avoid is a cobbled-together outfit, or at least one that looks cobbled together.

The last question revolves around the waistcoat. It seems that the waistcoat is usually double-breasted, and either black or dove-grey. Is a single-breasted waistcoat acceptable? Any differences between a black and grey waistcoat? What fabric are these waistcoats made of? I suppose a black waistcoat should be in the same fabric as the coat, am I right?

Oh what fun!

[Melcombe]

I think this is a good look - seem to be PoW check trousers. I suspect that stripes might be too synonymous with wedding attire or (quel horreur!) getting you mistaken for the maitre d'...

assuming you're not wandering around with your coat undone, you possibly don't need a waistcoat. If you do, any plain s/b is likely to pass muster, although a black w-coat seems preferable (again, dove grey is a bit wedding-y) and I really like the canary yellow shirt with stiff white collar in the illustration.

[hectorm]

My jacket is a conservative two button, single-breasted notched lapel style. The only slightly noticeable feature is slanted hip pockets. The fabric is a softish-handle twill, that is, not quite as sharp or as formal looking as something like a barathea or even a plain weave. Would this work? One thing I want to avoid is a cobbled-together outfit, or at least one that looks cobbled together.

Dear Mr. Hillier:
I understand your concern regarding the cobbled-up outfit and I believe you have good instinct. IMO, in order to pull off a good full "stroller" look you´ll need a rather formal jacket with lots of character. By that I mean -for example- a ventless longish coat, with peaked lapels, straight side pockets with no flaps, in a substantial cloth. I´m afraid your current black coat might look too much like an "orphaned jacket" and not withstand the gravitas of a double breasted buff or dove waistcoat either.
In any case, as Melcombe says, checked trousers (one pleat and without turn ups) would be definitely better than cashmere stripes.

[Mr Hillier]

I think this is a good look - seem to be PoW check trousers. I suspect that stripes might be too synonymous with wedding attire or (quel horreur!) getting you mistaken for the maitre d'...

assuming you're not wandering around with your coat undone, you possibly don't need a waistcoat. If you do, any plain s/b is likely to pass muster, although a black w-coat seems preferable (again, dove grey is a bit wedding-y) and I really like the canary yellow shirt with stiff white collar in the illustration.

Thank you Melcombe. Interesting to note that the butler is wearing something very similar but a step up in formality. He is also the more portly of the two gentlemen. A perfect illustration of the principle of 'less is more'.

I´m afraid your current black coat might look too much like an "orphaned jacket" and not withstand the gravitas of a double breasted buff or dove waistcoat either

Hectorm, I do have that concern. Having looked around the web at some pictures, though, I think it could be done. I think the balance between the jacket and trousers is very important, in terms of the matching of the types of fabric in each item. The striped trousers I have seen - for me it has mainly been in barrister's court dress - are very crisp and formal, and my jacket isn't quite there. However, I do think a softer PoW (not a POW, as I wrote in my previous post... I have no idea what the sartorial legacy of Prisoners Of War is) or herringbone might work. I see many pictures of notch-lapel jackets in strollers when I search the web, and I have also noticed some with buff waistcoats, as you mention. And, although

dove grey is a bit wedding-y

I see a few combinations with grey waistcoats that don't look wedding-y in a clichéd way. Having said that, I'm not sure if I'd wear a stroller in every situation where I'd wear a lounge suit.

I think it may be one to mull over. We've reached the point where I am considering the purchase of a new pair of black trousers, a pair of herringbone or checked trousers, and a waistcoat, and that brings me full circle to where I need to think about whether that should be my next spend, or whether the Need for Tweed trumps silly black and grey ensembles, and I should order a nice crisp, tailored brown herringbone three-piece tweed suit...

Onwards and upwards!

[Martin]

I have a question regarding the coat. I recently acquired a beautiful black double breasted, ventless coat in a fairly substantial cashmere. Is that appropriate for a stroller?

[hectorm]

Dear Martin,
a black ventless DB jacket is perfect for a stroller provided it has besom pockets. If yours has flaps, you can always tuck them in. The jacket preferably should be in a worsted cloth with a smooth finish but IMO a more fuzzy nap like the one your cashmere coat might have is also acceptable specially for colder weather.
Here's another nice example with houndstooth checked trousers:

Although a purist would say that for semi-formal day wear the trousers should be without turn-ups.