At the Young Tailors Symposium in a couple of weeks, we will have one floor of the Stefano Bemer atelier dedicated to my favourite Holland & Sherry cloths.
Holland & Sherry have generously supported the event, and I thought the best way to return the favour was to show off 10 lengths of cloth that I have had made into suits or jackets recently.
That way, readers can see and feel the cloth first hand - not just on screen, and not just in a swatch book, but at a scale where you can appreciate the colour and texture, and even drape it about yourself to see if it would suit you too.
The 10 cloths we will be showing are (Click on the thumbnails to enlarge):
1. Brown high-twist suiting
Crispaire, 332037
Used for my suit from Sartoria Dalcuore, which was featured as a fitting earlier in the year, and I'm just putting the final post together on now. I'm increasingly using Crispaire instead of Fresco or any similar fabrics, because it has the breathability and ability to maintain its shape (in fact, is probably better at that) and is not scratchy.
2. Grey pick-and-pick worsted
Cape Horn 11oz, 662036
This was the suiting I made my Camps de Luca suit out of, a two-piece, two-button versatile business suit. Pick and pick is a nice weave as it gives a little more surface interest that a plain weave or twill - but less than a bird's eye, for instance.
3. Green flannel
Flannels, 753402
I had a pair of trousers made up in this green flannel by Elia Caliendo over the winter, and they featured in this post about my oatmeal jacket from him. Green is not an easy colour to get right in flannel, but this is greyed and muted - not too strong and at first glance no difference to darkish grey.
4. Super-heavy cream trousers
Pardessus, 983009
This was the other pair of trousers Elia made me over the winter - in Holland & Sherry's Pardessus bunch. It is super-heavy and usually used for overcoats (even for curtains) but I love it. It has a beautiful handle and I love the cream and olive colours. The trousers were featured in the piece on my Escorial jacket.
5. High-twist summer suiting
Cape Horn High Twist, 232061
The cloth I used for my recent suit with Manning & Manning. Lighter than Crispaire and with a particular resistance to creasing - though once it does crease you do have to press it out again. This shade is not quite colonial tan, but has a touch of olive to it, which is a bit more urban and modern.
6. Beautifully deep tweed
Harris Tweed, 892020
The more I have things made, the more I like subtle pattern and texture, rather than big checks or stripes. And so the more I like Harris tweed. Such fantastic colours. This is an update on the tweed I had made into a jacket a few years ago - and was much appreciated when photographed in Scotland. So useful.
7. Grey trousering
Dakota, 953806
I liked the Dalcuore brown Crispaire so much that I'm having the grey version made into trousers by Solito. Very versatile in the summer. This is also carried in the Dakota bunch.
8. Solid navy worsted
Classic Worsteds, 654060
This was the navy worsted used in my Classic Bespoke suit from Whitcomb & Shaftesbury, and is a great starting point for a first suit. Eleven ounces, nice twill and great body.
9. Versatile cavalry twill
Dakota, 953406
I'm having this made up into trousers at the moment. Cavalry twill is a great option for odd trousers - nice texture in the twill and without the sheen of the wool gabardine normally recommended. This is a pale beige colour that should be very versatile.
10. Cashmere donegal jacketing
Serendipity, 922510
Last but not least, a lovely donegal in 100% cashmere, which I have earmarked but am yet to use. I've always liked donegal, for its haphazard texture, and in grey it makes a nice bridge between formal and casual jackets.
How many ounces are the super heavy cream trousers?
27oz / 840 gr
Damn that’s heavy! How do they feel to wear?
Lovely in cold weather…
Dear Sir,
While I was trying hard to differentiate the grey pick and pick from the grey Crispaire, it finally occured to me that the posted pictures are the same 🙂
Would you please be so kind as to update them, so we can enjoy the grey Crispaire?
Thank you very much for the time spend on this website, it is very much appreciated on my side of the Channel.
Have a nice day,
JBH
Oops! It was actually the pick and pick that was wrong. Have updated now
Thanks!
I had found it very interesting on your CdL suit, and thought the cloth on the picture was not so interesting after all (in the sense of my initial interest, don’t get me wrong;)
Glad to see the mistake went this way
Hi Simon
Cloth is something that really should get more attention. I find it hard to tell how a swatch will look at suit size (which can lead to expensive mistakes although more often than not just the feeling I should have gone for a shade darker of lighter). Its nice to have some picked out to think about an compare with other options.
I particularly like the tweed, Donegal and grey crispaire. I wonder if you could do some more articles on cloth?
Best
Rob
There’s actually a big project coming very soon Rob – good timing!
Great looking forward to it.
Details possibly?
Not at this stage I’m afraid.
Rob,
Try buying the fabric in advance. Order the lengths you need and have it about the house for a few months. I wish I’d done this previously – I’d have saved myself a coupe of near-unwearable commissions.
Most tailors should quote CMT these days, if not ask them to order the cloth for you.
Hi Simon, maybe you — or a reader? — could help me with this:
Which brand with a German shop presence would you recommend to buy shirts from? I’m looking for classic dress shirts to wear in the office. I am very unimpressed with what I find in typical department stores (cut way too loose or ridiculously tight, cheapish facrics). Having shirts tailored is not an option (too expensive). Buying online is neither. I want to try them on.
Can anybody recommend a good maker available in German retail?
Many thanks!
Try Van Lack, though I don’t have a personal experience with them. And depending on where you live in Germany, Hirmer (Munich) or Eckerle should carry good offerings.
Hi,
In every big city there’s always two or three … little shops, not more, generally behind or even away from the main Streets, where you can find lovely well made items. One is always stunned by the high quality of their offerings!
I hope this helps.
John
Hi Simon – Great post (as always)
Not sure about your cavalry twill as my experience with this material is one good and one bad. Good is a heavy weight gabardine type that i purchased from Cordings in the traditional style, colour and weight. They are simply stunning to wear. Crisp, formal, free from creasing, move beautifully when you walk, the drape is superb and are in my top two trousers. The bad one is a cavalry twill from W Bill WB14829 – 9/10oz which are pretty horrendous. You just look at them and they crease! Therefore i am not happy with them.
I am also puzzled by your Crispaire comment. For example my second pair of favourite trousers are J and J Minnis Fresco. Light and non creasing (have yet to see the shape being lost) whereas on Wednesday i wore a brand new pair of Holland & Sherry Crispaire and i found them creasing on the crotch area and behind the knee in just that one wear!
Bradley
I have to agree about Crispaire; it does tend to wrinkle. Am also a big fan of Minnis Fresco (now called Hardy Minnis, having dropped the J and J for some reason), and have a suit in the works currently from the Fresco 2 book.
Thanks both. I think Crispaire gets small wrinkles but holds a crease very well – better even than fresco. And of course fresco is not the nicest fabric to the touch
Hi Simon,
Have you considered the London Lounge Brisa? In my experience it is far superior to both Fresco and Crispaire. It has the airiness of the Fresco, but is softer to the touch than Crispaire (because of the inclusion of lamb wool I think). The decent weight of 13oz gives it good drape, and it is very crease resistant (much more than Crispaire).
S
Thanks, no I haven’t. Not sure I’d really wear a 13oz trouser as a summer option, but willing to give it a go
I would highly recommend that you give it a try Simon. It would be of great interest to read to your thoughts on LL cloth. As to 13oz being too warm for summer, I can assure you that the Brisa wears quite cool (air goes straight through as it is very porous), especially with a half lined jacket. As long as you can wear any type of suit in the heat, the Brisa would do the job.
S
Another voice of dissent about Crispaire but i see your point.
Also, in the CdL post, you said it was a 13oz, now it stated it was the Crispaire 11 oz?
Not Crispaire on CdL, Cape Horn – good spot on the weight though. They don’t do the 13oz any more so I included the 11oz
Really enjoyed this post, Simon.
As a pet owner – a cat who is shedding terribly as we head into the warmer season – I would be interested to hear your thoughts on cloth that is less prone to catching pet hair.
On lighter coloured fabrics it will probably be less obvious but I tend to wear darker fabrics to work. I have a 16oz lesser navy hopsack which seems not only draw every hair in the immediate vicinity but is also resistant to brushing.
Never thought about that before! I’d guess smoother fabrics would be better? Like fine worsteds
Totally agree on the classic navy worsted for a first suit. I picked the 13oz almost identical cloth (654035) for mine. On reflection it might end up being a little heavy but I thought it might need to be on the heavier side until I can add more bespoke to the wardrobe. Something like that pick and pick maybe.
some great ideas for cloths to use in future simon. Ive always loved the look of harris tweed and wearing it as a school boy many years ago 🙂 ive never used it though as the view on some of the forums (yes I know they are full of cranks!) is that it isn’t a good cloth to use in bespoke as it stretches and pulls and wont take a good line. whats your view on this simon?
In a casual jacket I think it’s wonderful. My Cifonelli and Caliendo ones hold a great line – certainly better than any summer jacketing material other than the heavy linens
Hi Simon. I’ll be visiting London soon and would like to purchase cloth. I’ll ask my tailor to make this cloth into jackets, trousers, etc. Could you recommend cloth merchants in London where I can see cloth in a shop and buy relatively short lengths? Thanks
There aren’t many any more I’m afraid, but Scabal is the best of what there is (for range and stock on site), followed by Holland & Sherry
Try Hardwicks fabrics in the east end opposite Upton Park Station. He has a treasure trove of cloths from various mills and merchants and tailors trimmings from 15pounds a meter, average price being 20pounds. Ive been going there for 15 years. He has alot of heavier weight cloth.
The showrooms of cloth merchants Holland & Sherry and Scabal are on Savile Row in central London whilst Dormieul is just around the corner on Sackvile Street.
You will be able to view their collections but none of these companies carry stock in central London.
Where were these images of H&S cloth taken from? Been looking to find some of the swatches I have. I assume you have taken them personally?
No, H&S supplied them
Hi Simon,
I have a question that is somewhat related. Is there anything I can do to stop the crotches of my suit trousers wearing out so quickly?
I have always bought two pairs of trousers with every suit as per your suggestion from articles gone by, and I thank you for this invaluable tip. However, this is still an issue and after a year or so some of my suit trousers (both pairs) are threadbare. Obviously, buying heavier and more tightly woven fabrics helps and I am doing my best to purchase accordingly, but is there anything else I can do? It’s frustrating as I wear a suit every day to work and the whole thing can get very expensive.
Ps – redesign looks great.
Cheers on the redesign.
It’s hard to say on the trouser, other than the obvious – two pairs (at least), heavier fabrics, tougher fabrics, not wearing them every day so they dry out. Beyond that it’s all lifestyle, eg the fabric of your chair, how much you move back and forth on it, riding a bike in them etc
First and foremost, I want to both thank you for, and congratulate you on, Permanent Style. Since being introduced to it a little over a year ago by a Partner at my firm (I am a city lawyer), I have visited the site daily, and have subsequently purchased six Shetland sweaters from Anderson & Sheppard based on your 2013 post on their slim-fit knitwear!
The reason I am writing your this email is that I plan to commission my first 2/3 bespoke suit(s) soon, and I wanted to seek your advice on which cloth(s) to choose. As stated above, I work in the city as a lawyer and will be wearing these suits regularly, so I require them to be “hard-wearing”. From my research, I understand that when looking at cloth ratings (Super 100’s, Super 150’s and higher), these numbers refer to the count, or fineness, of the yard used in the cloth. Hence, the finer the count, the more wool used per square inch, which results in a finer and softer cloth.
What I am worried about is that, whilst the Super 120’s and higher cloths may look beautiful, they won’t wear very well, and won’t be as durable as a Super 100 cloth. Do you agree?
At the moment, I am of the opinion that I should opt for either a Super 100 or Super 110 cloth, as they will last much longer. However, I welcome your opinion on the matter, and any other advice/wisdom you could kindly offer.
Hi James, nice to hear you find the suit so useful.
You’re right that while high Super numbers will feel silkier, they won’t wear as well. I would recommend you go for a 100s-120s, and get at least two pairs of trousers. Also aim for heavier cloths if you can – 11oz or up.
Simon
Dear sir,
How heavy is the deep tweed ? 500 gr ? I always fear tweed is somewhat to heavy to wear
Thanks in advance for your reply
I’ll check, but many tweeds are certainly not heavy and easy to wear. Perhaps not all day in the office, but lightweight shetlands and even some harris tweeds are lovely to wear
P&H Glorious Twelfth have some fantastic patterns, all bulletproof and at a comfortable 11ozs.
Not my kind of thing – too many countrified checks and not enough real tweed to make the material appealing
Simon, what do you mean by “real” tweed?
It’s not worth going into the technical details here, but I dislike tweeds that are made finer, lighter in weight and with a harder finish, to make them more like suitings. For me, it removes all of the things I like in tweed. In the same way as worsted flannel does to flannel.
From an entirely subjective, aesthetic viewpoint, I don’t like most tweeds with big checks. Often windowpane, often too bright.
Interesting. The big names in the LBD stable are the highest quality tweed producers in the land. What’s not to like?
Hello Sir, did you find the fabric’s weight ? Your thankfully Didi
On these cloths, how hard wearing is flannel? I am wondering how it wears comparatively to its worsted counterpart, can it do 150-200 wears as a suit with two trousers?
Yes, at 11oz or more and well looked after. It depends on a bunch of things like finish on the cloth, and it will never be quite as hard wearing as a heavy worsted, but should still be ok
Hi Simon does the Pardessus cloth wear well in the rain as denim does? Also, is fabric that is worsted not suitable for a pair of odd trousers (risk appearing as suit trousers)? Thanks.
Not particularly no, it is wool after all. Just heavy wool.
Not having worsted for a pair of trousers is a good start, but unfortunately it’s not quite that straightforward. Many other things like weave and finish contribute to the look too.
Choosing fabric is the one thing I HATE about bespoke. Probably 50% of the items I’ve commissioned havent turned out how I’ve hoped despite the help of the tailor… a light grey suit had a brown colour caste I didnt see in the shop, a hopsack fabric was far too formal etc.
So that in mind, I am looking for a grey fabric, a bit darker than your typical “mid grey” but certainly not charcoal for a casual unstructured sports jacket that can be worn (possibly at a slight stretch) with jeans down the pub/for casual friday or can be dressed up a little for a meal in a restaurant and want to avoid it being “country”. Would the Donegal above hit the mark or is there something else you could recommend?
I think the Donegal here would be good for that, yes
Hi Simon. Would Crispaire work as an odd double breasted jacket? Also, if not navy, would another color be able to perform double duty both for day and night events? Thanks.
No, I’d keep it to a suit. Try hopsack instead – navy would be best, otherwise perhaps a very pale grey, but ideally something with a check or pattern
You mentioned your fondness of Crispaire, particularly in the grey standalone trousers (Dakota). I’m looking for a versatile standalone trousers, and like you what draws me to Crispaire is the plainish weave/depth but also breathability. However from your experience would the trousers not be able to be worn throughout the other seasons in London? Personally I prefer lighter cloths but I am not sure of how ‘airy’ this cloth actually is.
It could be worn through most seasons, yes
Hi Simon,
I’m commissioning a suit in the Crispaire fabric, for casual work/travel and am strongly considering having it unstructured (no canvas). Any downside to doing so in this particular fabric?
Only that it is really a suiting, and would arguably look best with structure for that reason. But then again, it will hold its shape better than something soft (eg cashmere or flannel) would without structure.
Makes sense. Are there specific fabrics you would suggest for an unstructured (travel-friendly) suit?
High-twist wools will generally be best for travel. The unstructured point is harder to answer as it depends a good deal on what you’re trying to achieve
Hi Simon, thanks for your ingisht. I had a couple of question relating to durability. I have always known Crispaire to be a midweight, durable, crease resistent fabric, perfectly suited to London pretty much all year round and great for those that are hard wearing around the crotch. However, for Dubai and hotter climates, it could be argued that it is too heavy. Is their something lightweight with similar properties that you’ve come across. Secondly, do you know of a Dormueil and/or Scabal equivalent to Crispaire? A piece on the Scabal cloths you have known and the same for Dormeuil would be interesting, if possible…
Thanks Matt.
Weight is obviously the biggest thing that helps with durability – but that heavier things are always better, but that you start to have more options in terms of yarns and weaves.
At anything light than Crispaire, I’m not sure what would make that much difference to durability. But I’ll look into it.
Simon
I was wondering if you know how close the shade of brown in the Harris Tweed above is to your jacket? I’ve been mulling between this one (892020) and the darker brown in the same book (892018). I’m a little worried the lighter won’t go with raw denim but yours definitely works. You may never have compared but worth checking! I quite often seem to go too light when choosing brown jackets.
Thanks
Rob
It’s very similar Rob. If you like my jacket I’d go with 892020
Thanks Simon.
Hi Gents, Maybe I am looking in all the wrong places, but what is the weight of the 892020?
Thanks.
Richard
Hi simon
i cant find 892020 anymore, are they discontinue
Pretty much all of to these won’t exist now Stanley – either they will have been discontinued or they will have been moved into new, refreshed books, and have different codes.
Best to check with H&S on which one it is
Does your view on texture/fabric still hold over say stripes. I very much prefer solids but in looking for a fabric for Ettore’s ‘safari’ jacket (Also seen from your writing) I was inspired by the stripes although wanted something less bold/subtle tonal striping which gives the tailored/sporty look to the jacket. Having visited H&S have located a subtle mid-dark grey fabric. I had looked through the usual flannel, sherry kash. tweed H&S books but nothing particular caught my eye. Any particular bunches to try seeing as you have seen the jacket model in person? Thanks!
Not in particular but I would avoid stripes – looks a little too gimmicky. How about a Donegal or herringbone tweed? That or a cashmere, maybe Loro Piana or Joshua Ellis
Dear Simon,
I’m a first time commentator but regular reader. I appreciate your blog and draw a lot of knowledge as well as inspiration from it. May I ask if you know what happened to Sherry Tweed book? I’ve been looking around and it’s not listed on the Holland and Sherry website for quite a while already. I’m planning commissioning a tweed jacket for next autumn and thought this book is worth consideration. Thank you!
Hi. It is in the process of being updated – this happens every 2 or 3 years. I’ve seen the new one and it will be out soon I believe
Brilliant, thank you!
Wonderful cloths Simon!
I’m particularly taken with the green flannel and the fantastic brown tweed.
Considering having something made out of both.
Do you think the flannel would be too light (not hardwearing enough, not holding a crease) for a full suit at 340g/m and the tweed too monstrously heavy at 470-500g/m?
I wouldn’t do a suit in the tweed, as it would be too spongey. But the flannel would be fine
Hello again! My language skills are challenged by the adjective spongey. Am I right in assuming you feel the tweed would be to warm (spongey?) for a suit, but the flanell sufficiently sturdy? Also, thanks for your kind response!
By spongey I mean soft and springy, not sharp enough to hold a good line or drape well
All right, green flanell suit is next in line. Thank you!
Hi there, after reading you post, I have also picked crispaire (337023) instead of fresco. I love the subtle check that in beautifully woven. Hopefully it will be nice 🙂
Simon,
Any experience with the City of London (HS1862) bunch?
I have seen a beautiful dark grey (6218046) and appears to be a decent weight as well.
Stephen
No, sorry
Hi Simon, thanks for the post. Considering the 9/10oz Crispaire for a travel suit and like that it will hold a crease. Would you suggest this could be a year round option or would the more open weave make it impractical for the cooler months in New York/Toronto?
If wouldn’t really be a suit intended for that kind of weather, but then nothing really is year-round, particularly in New York.
I’d suggest a heavier high twist if possible
Dear Mr Crompton,
Have you ever tried fabrics from Harrison’s P & B universal bunch? I am asking this because I am very interested in heavier cloth and I was wondering regarding quality how do they compare to other English fabrics.
All the best
No, I haven’t tried that bunch sorry
Number 6. Is it 892020 or 8919020. Second one looks more chocolate-ish than orange-ish but that might be just my computer screen…
Hello! A question if I may! Stupid question but here goes! You seem to be a fan of many Holland and sherry fabrics. Are they “better” or we are paying for design mostly?
I think I have managed to find an almost exact replacement for your brown tweed jacket, but it’s not Holland and sherry but general harris tweed. Ordered samples and I cannot tell the difference between both. So what makes Holland and sherry worth it?
There isn’t much of a difference there between a brand like H&S and a Harris tweed maker. It’s mostly design, access and stock.
The time to worry is it it’s something woven elsewhere, eg in Turkey, Asia and so on. That might still be very high quality, but more risky.
Thanks! You put my mind at ease! Considering Holland and sherry has discontinued that particular design, im happy to have found a replacement!
Hi Martinis. Would you be so kind as to share details on your Harris tweed find (i.e. merchant, perhaps product code)? Thanks!
Hi Simon,
Could you give an idea on how much fabric you would need for a pair of trousers for an average person and expected cost based on cotton and wool fabrics from your experience.
Kind regards
Rupesh
Rupesh, this is going to depend a lot on you and on the fabric you choose. They vary widely. I’d suggest talking to your tailor about this
Hi Simon,
Can you advise from your experience if Massimo Pasinato and Dalcuore offer Holland and Sherry and Drapers fabric for trousers/suits?
kind regards
Rupesh
Yes, I’m pretty sure they offer both. Most tailors offer most cloths. The only exceptions are usually very small or regional ones.
I have a question to the color midnight blue form H&S (Cape Horn, Classic Worsteds etc.). Is it true midnight blue or just a dark navy and H&S just differentiates between different shades of navy blue like others who call it dark navy? Is it wearable as a business suit or too dark?
I haven’t looked at it in person I’m afraid, so can’t say. I’m also not likely to get to somewhere with swatches for at least a couple of weeks. Sorry
Hello, thanks for this article. I‘m thinking about a navy suit, double-breasted. So far I`m thinking about a holland & sherry InterCity, 100% wool worsted, 12oz. This is my first navy suit, what do you think about this fabric? The navy fabric you prefer seems to be a little bit „lighter“. But for a DB it could be better to have a more structured fabric like the one I`m thinking about? Looking forward to your comment and opinion. Best regards, Lars
I think that would be very nice Lars, good idea.
I don’t think you need a heavier fabric for a DB, I wouldn’t say that was a factor really.
Looks as if H&S has introduced new reference numbers with 1 digit more?
Wondering if the chocolate brown Harris Tweed above corresponds to H&S ref. 8919020 ….and if H&S could supply the readers with their updated ref.numbers 🙂
Yes Burt, unfortunately all reference numbers tend to change every couple of years as bunches get refreshed.
That dark brown tweed above is no longer available though, unfortunately.
Hi Simon, before you picked the tan H&S cavalry twill for trousers did you also consider the fawn (website says 9518011)? What are your thoughts on the fawn?
I’m afraid I can’t remember Chris, it’s been a long time. But the fawn does look nice and useful, from what I can see
I love the subtlety of the Harris Tweed cloths for overcoating. It looks like H&S have added a digit to their numbering system…
Could I please ask, Simon, if your Liverano Ulster coat was made in ‘bitter chocolate mix solid’? It’s coded as 8919020 now on the H&S catalogue but seems to be the same fabric. It’s such a rich but versatile colour.
I’m torn between it and the ‘forest green solid’ (8919019) from the same bunch for my next overcoat!
Hi Flynn,
I’m afraid the material I used for my coat is no longer available. I actually rewove it earlier this year with Holland & Sherry and made it available to readers – see article here. But it’s now sold out.
If you would like to get some from the next run, contact the support team on [email protected]
Simon
I’m looking to get a solid navy suit (to replace my old made to measure suit that lasted 12 years), and I’m trying out a new tailor. He has more Italian fabrics than British, but he does carry the entire Holland and Sherry line. It has, of course, changed over the years, but I’m really considering 3 books, Intercity at 12 oz, City of London at 13 oz, and Classic Worsteds at 13.5 oz. I believe when you got your Classic Worsteds it was 11 oz, but I suppose they changed that. All appear to be twill weave, 100 percent wool, no Super number. My question is, based on your experience with cloths, should I expect any real difference other than weight between these different suiting books? I would expect the 13.5 oz Classic Worsteds to be slightly more durable and drape better, and of course warmer as well, than the 12 oz, but would there be any other quality difference? It seems odd to me to offer 3 ranges that are so similar, I mean only .5 oz difference between the Classic Worsteds and City of London, unless there were some other difference as well. And of course I recognize the ranges will have some slightly different offerings as far as patterns, although they have a lot of the same as well (for example all have navy solid twill). Thanks as always.
On a side note, even though I sign up to be alerted to new comments, I haven’t been getting notified recently of those for some reason. Not sure if I’m the only one having that issue but I thought I’d let you know.
Hey,
There may be differences between the bunches still. Even if they don’t mention super numbers, one may be finer than the other; some may be a little twisted to be drier and more breezy; and the finish may be very different as well (eg flannel is a finish…).
It might sound silly, but it is worth looking at them a bit in person and just feeling the cloth, considering how they feel different and which you might prefer. There’s a little about that in our Guide to Cloth introduction here.
Thanks for alerting me to that bug. No, no one else has reported that issue, so I suspect it might just be you, though of course hard to tell.
Could you specifically tell me which boxes or places you are selecting, in order to be notified?
Thanks a lot
Simon
Yes. The only box I am selecting is the one that shows up like a bell to the left of the “post comment” button in my Google Chrome browser.
OK, thank you. I’ll ask the developer to check out what’s going on
By the way, are you aware that that alarm box only alerts you to replies to your comment? Not to comments overall?
To get all new comments, you need to use the ‘Subscribe’ option above
I was not aware of that, however I’m getting not notifications. Not even your replies to my comments.
Ah, ok, thanks. In that case I’ll raise it as a bug.
S
Hi Simon,
The pardessus cloth above, is that a wool? Looks to be discontinued, but what bunch would you typically find that type of cloth in? Thanks.
It is a wool, yes, and a heavy one. To be honest I’m not sure I’d recommend it today, unless you have lots of other options and a real love of heavy cloths. It’s now available in one or two colours but only in the interiors H&S selection!
It’s most similar to a heavy flannel really, and that’s where I’d look for an alternative. Like a Fox 19oz one
Hi Simon
Do you know if the Pardessus cream bunch is still around? Could you recommend some cream fabrics for the coming Autumn/Winter?
It’s not, no, and I’m not sure I’d recommend it anyway – it was very heavy.
I’d say the Fox cream flannels are the best, though I have a pair and find I only rarely wear them these days. They seem that touch too showy
Simon are you saying that you rarely wear the Fox cream flannels because of the cream color itself, or that their particular fabric seems a bit showier than other cream/flannel fabrics out there? I thought you liked cream as a color despite the slight maintenance difficulties from dust, etc.?
Because of the cream colour itself. I do like it, but as things get more casual I do find it harder to wear. I find myself going for a white jean or a slightly more stone-coloured trouser instead, such as this one
Thanks Simon. Are there examples where off white jeans won’t work? What about tailored trousers in a ecru denim material?
This seems a very difficult area with no obvious choices. Could PS do some fabric to fill this need?
Well, off-white jeans have their own issues, which we’ve covered previously here.
I’m not sure designing a fabric would help though. It’s more just the fact that a bright trouser like that is always going to attract some attention.
Ah I see gotcha. Even with smarter, formal styles like with sport coats, my guess is you rarely wear cream trousers with them anymore? While I totally understand, it’s a bit of a shame since cream is such a gorgeous color!
Also, I thought you recommended to your readers to try finding a nice, ecru/cream colored jeans in an article not so long ago? So even with jeans then, no more cream if you can help it, but more stark white and stone-coloured jeans?
Sorry just interesting to see your shifting styles over the past many years of reading your blog that’s all!
On jeans, no sorry I still wear those – my point was that they are an easier way to wear cream than with tailored trousers. And stark white is harder not easier!
With jackets, yes rarely and yes it is a shame. I’d be more likely to wear a stone colour, or perhaps wear the cream with a knit or even dress it down more, with say a chore jacket
Thanks Simon this is a helpful discussion. When you talk about the stone colour – can you point to any fabrics or RTW options that achieve this without it looking fuddy? I recall you saying that ivory chinos don’t work well with sport jackets, so presumably we are looking for something wool. If looking for something casual enough to wear with tweed jackets (like flannel is), what is the best option? Just stick with ecru denim? Cav twill always seems a little old-mannish to my eyes
Yes, we’re talking about wool – the pair I highlight here are good in that regard, to me. But that was from a discontinued Zegna bunch, and I haven’t found anything else I like as much.
It’s hard to define materials in this area, because some are easy to pin down, like flannel, and others are just wool twills, with varying degrees of denseness and finishes. Some do look fine with tweed though, like those highlighted above.
They look fantastic because they seem to have that casual air of chinos, but without the rumpling/creasing. It would be really great if Zegna or another mill could team up with PS to make something like this – like you did with the excellent escorial wool. Seems like there are a lot of us out there looking for a good winter ecru/ivory trouser