Quality cloth

[alden]

As many of you will know by now, I have a particular appreciation for quality cloth and a real focus on it in my own wardrobe. In the recent photos of overcoats and jackets I have posted, the quality of the cloth employed has been just as important in achieving the desired effect as the design of the garment and work of the tailor.

In my opinion there are three fundamental reasons why one should employ quality cloth in the making of bespoke clothing:

Tailoring: Quality cloth tailors better.

Line: If the cloth tailors well it will fit and drape better as well. Its overall line will be more appealing. And that line will improve with time as the cloth marries the shape of the body. Inferior cloth will bag and lose its shape altogether.

Longevity: A quality cloth lasts long enough to take on the patina and character so appreciated by “real” connoisseurs of bespoke clothing. It’s very much the same reason we like the patina on a well aged shoe, or that to be found on heirloom furniture etc. Age confers character. If the product cannot or will not age because of its inferior quality, then a good deal of the pleasure of possessing it is lost. Of course, its only after many years of use that the patina comes into play. If you are new to the game, you’ll have to wait patiently.

Clearly, the economic advantage of durability is also a key consideration for many responsible buyers.

It is a popular misconception to align a fabric’s quality with its weight. I have held 700 gms Brora tweed in my hand that was as soft as mush and useless for the making of handsome clothes. On the other hand, there are very lightweight fabrics that have the proper construction, use quality threads that will deliver tailoring, line and longevity in spades.

The making of quality cloth occurs when the proper threads, construction and design meet happily in a weave no matter what the weight of the cloth may be. This coalescing takes a great deal of work and expertise to achieve with consistency. So choose the weight of cloth that suits the way you live best. Focus on its quality.

You only need to speak with the specialized distributors of cloth to the bespoke trade to know that the availability of truly exceptional cloth has been reduced in the last thirty years by closures, bankruptcies, consolidations, and a general lack of interest from consumers. The latest rekindling of interest in custom clothes in the last few years has helped to some degree but the outlook is a bit negative long term.

In the short term, my advice is to buy the best cloth you can afford.
It is probably an antiquated notion, but I feel its almost the duty of a bespeaker to offer quality cloth into the hands of any artisan.

Cheers

M Alden

[dufossat]

On this note, my favorite quality cloth (for suitings at any rate) is Lesser's 16oz range. What was once a fairly large range of conservative patterns, however, has been much depleted and not yet renewed when last I checked. I had heard that Lesser would be coming out with a new 16oz range. Does anybody know if they have done so or will be doing so in the near future?