Cloth for first casual tweed suit

[Concordia]

If you go for Donegal, Molloy's is softer and richer in texture than Porter & Harding's Thornproof.

Speaking of which, here's the new book (not on P&H's own website).

Also on Merino Brothers, there are a lot of "clearance" cards from W. Bill. Anyone know of those are still active, and if there's a storefront in London that will allow one to browse?

[YoungLawyer]

On the aside of etiquette in legal London, I was within recent memory pulled aside for not wearing a waistcoat. I think fashion has, however, accepted covert coats just about anywhere, even in the Inns of Court. Formal hats such as fedoras are making something of a comeback this year.

Thank you all for the continuing cloth recommendations. I've just stopped to look at the Thornproof book in a local tailor's. My first impression was that I liked how tightly woven the cloth was, and instantly preferred this bunch to any harris tweed. I looked at some Bill's donegal tweeds, but I wasn't as taken. I might well pick a cloth from the Thornproof bunch, unless I can find a really small patterned black/white herringbone (with a little blue interest, that would be perfect!). The herringbone tweeds I have seen are too bold with too wide a repeat.

From the Thornproof:
62263 is a lovely mid-grey, but the colour is possibly too plain.
62270 (grey), and 62271 (blue) are top of the list at the moment in the 18oz. All of these are the donegal-like tweeds.

On weight, I was originally thinking of something a little lighter, around 16oz. The only heavyweight suit I have is a dress suit in 18/19oz P&B barrathea, and that does wear quite warm, although it is very structured.
The 62253 is a lovely cloth (similar to 62270?), and is 12/13 oz. I've had worsteds in that weight before, and decided to opt for 14-16oz as standard city suiting. Do any of you have any experience of the 12/13 oz thornproof? I think it might be a little on the flimsy side.

My gut feeling is this is a balance between wearability for more of the year and utility. My usual mode of transport in town is almost indistinguishable from this https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/419749627744929867/ (save that mine acquired blackout paint over the chrome), and the 18oz fabric might well survive cycling much better, despite the 13oz stuff being called "thornproof".

[hectorm]

The use is for university teaching and weekend use. It would have to withstand some regular cycling, so I plan to find a good tweed.
The real decision is cloth.

Being your first tweed suit and for that kind of use, my best advice is to go with very subdued pattern and color. Something in medium grey like the stone (plain weave with specks) Porter and Harding thornproof, although this one might be a bit heavy. Maybe the blueish grey cheviot from Lovat Mill which is lighter in terms of weight.
You can learn from my mistakes. Having fallen in love with tweed, in the last six I commissioned -among other stuff- 2 3 pc. suits in irresistible shades of green and brown with rust and blond overchecks. I have found very little use for both since they are too country and loud for wearing in the city, and my rural outings have been sparse and too informal for a full suit. In the city, and on weekends that call for tweed, I always end up wearing just jackets or the same grey Donegal suit I´ve had for half a lifetime.

[YoungLawyer]

Thank you hectorm - that's very good advice indeed. I liked the donegal tweeds generally and the Thornproof for just those reasons - they can be much more subtle and muted.

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/419749627745532967/ This is probably my preferred cloth after looking at the Thornproof book, albeit I'd be interested to hear if anyone has had anything made in the 12/13oz cloth in this style.

[mimile]

Dear Younglawyer,
I know your question is about tweeds. If I were you I would choose a tweedy-like milled worsted. I would take the POW # 9467 from the Town classic book from Dugdale's. It is 14 ozs, of amazing quality and can be worn for the weekends, etc..

[Frederic Leighton]

Dear Younglawyer, I know your question is about tweeds. [...]

...and with this YoungLawyer has been recommended both flannel and worsted instead of tweed

I remember reading Michael's opinion on these subjects before in the LL: of the compliments received when wearing the LLCC star-pattern thornproof (wasn't that a brown/green/oatmeal shade?) in St. James's and also of the inferior quality of the cloth in the Thornproof book (nothing to do with a true thornproof cloth).

I'd like to add here a reminder of the moral value of wearing Donegal Tweed woven in Donegal, as opposed to a donegal-style cloth

[YoungLawyer]

Nothing beats seeing fabrics already made up. On that logic, I looked into a ready-to-wear/MTM shop called Walker Slater in Fulham earlier today, on the basis that they have a reasonable selection of tweeds made up as suits already.
I was quite taken by this type of cloth (http://www.walkerslater.com/edward-suit ... egal-tweed) - does anyone have a good guess what book that comes from? It's about 14oz, I think, if that helps. The actual tailor was away today, so I couldn't be told.

[Luca]

I'm a big fan of Walker Slater. I have a jacket and vest in that very material (well, the lighter, grey one) and I've bene quite happy with it. In terms of price vs. quality they are very, very useful and also offer good service.

[YoungLawyer]

They do seem to offer good value, although I don't fit their block that well - I'll consider their MTM service, but at the moment I'm leaning more towards bespoke elsewhere, but in a similar cloth.
I think this blue donegal-like cloth (if I can identify it), or the grey from the P&H book, in either 13/14oz or 18oz reflects my final choices on cloth.

[Melcombe]

...(http://www.walkerslater.com/edward-suit ... egal-tweed) - ...

Im sure theyre not connected, but an interesting name for a business - in any line (to anyone much over 50 with a memory for such things...). I once met Jim Slater - interesting chap.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slater_Walker

[hectorm]

I think this blue donegal-like cloth (if I can identify it), or the grey from the P&H book, in either 13/14oz or 18oz reflects my final choices on cloth.

Have you had the chance of looking at the Scabal or W. Bill donegal books. They have several machine-woven donegal-type cloths ideal for suits (tighter fabric and with smaller specks).
While I agree with Federico on the moral value of wearing Donegal tweed from Donegal, the original cloth one can find is generally hand-woven and with bigger wool specks, more appropriate for jacketing.

[YoungLawyer]

Of course I don't dispute the moral value, merely the practical application! I found the Bill book today, and while it is lovely jacketing, I didn't like the idea for a suit. I'll look again for the Scabal book.

[davidhuh]

I found the Bill book today, and while it is lovely jacketing, I didn't like the idea for a suit. I'll look again for the Scabal book.

Dear Young Lawyer,

de gustibus non est disputandum, and choosing the cloth you like is the purpose of going bespoke. However, when I see you comparing W. Bill with Scabal and preferring Scabal, then it is perhaps appropriate to say something. I'm afraid that you are comparing apples with pears. Right, W. Bill (and even more a Molloy cloth) would look more rustic than a Scabal and the photoshopped pictures we are used to see in glossy magazines are more likely to be made with models wearing Scabal or other mass produced fabric. What these big mills do is very good for RTW and ok for MTM. A tailor however deserves better

Cheers, David

[gegarrenton]

I couldn't see dissuading anyone from using Scabal.

[hectorm]

I found the Bill book today, and while it is lovely jacketing, I didn't like the idea for a suit.

If you found them lovely but not convenient for trousers, I´m almost sure that you browsed through the hand-woven cloths. And you are right, that cloth would make handsome trousers but not the best at least in terms of keeping the shape or wearing out (and IMHO you would have to line them unless you want to feel more "in touch" with the cloth).
But W. Bill also carries machine-woven Donegal which I sense it´s more like what you are looking for. I´m almost sure you could find some bunches on their shelves. Would you be able to make it to their store on Sackville St.?