Fabric for summer weight suit?

[Rooster]

I'm pursuing getting a summer weight suit made. Vintage 30's style, SB, peaked lapels, belted back with "bi swing vents". I'm stuck on what fabric to get it made from.[huh] Any suggestions? How about color, anything I should be considering here?
Thanks.

 

[Feraud]

How about cream linen.

Btw, who is making the suit?

 

[Fletch]

My pick would be a light wool gabardine - say tan, bone, pearl grey or eggshell.

Are you dealing with an Iowa tailor or sending away? I'll be back in Ames in April - let me know if there's anybody doing this stuff locally. I'm sure I could beat New York prices.

 

[Rooster]

I'm considering http://www.magnoliclothiers.com
I don't know of anybody locally that would have a clue what a 1930's inspired suit would look like.
So, you fellows would think that a lighter color would be the way to go?

 

[Mr. Rover]

I'd like to see a suit made in a striped linen- I saw one on a mannequin at the tailor who makes my shirts and I like the look of it. I wonder how opaque Magnoli's linen's are.
I like Magnoli's Marakkesh suit, although it's made from cotton. It'd be a nice very casual suit.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Ask Indy what he might suggest. I'd trust his opinion. He knows his stuff.

 

[Will]

I'm pursuing getting a summer weight suit made. Vintage 30's style, SB, peaked lapels, belted back with "bi swing vents". I'm stuck on what fabric to get it made from.[huh] Any suggestions? How about color, anything I should be considering here?
Thanks.

If it's for summer, gabardine will wear too warm. Linen rumples, and is a better weekend suit than a work workhorse.

Consider ten ounce fresco. It drapes well and breathes, so it's cool. There's also Solara, but it's closer to 12 ounces. Cooler than gabardine but not as cool as fresco.

If you want to be really authentic, 14 ounce fresco was the standard summer weight suit in the 1930's.

 

[Fletch]

What's fresco? How widely available is it? What are some typical uses for it today? Does it go by any other names? How the heck come I've never heard of it?

 

[Will]

What's fresco? How widely available is it? What are some typical uses for it today? Does it go by any other names? How the heck come I've never heard of it?

How the heck would I know why you've never heard of it?

It's cloth for summer suitings, odd jackets and odd trousers that's woven to let air pass through so it wears cool. Tightly woven cloth like silks and gabardines wear hot.

If you look at the cloth photos on Holland & Sherry's site, you can make out the weave.

http://www.hollandandsherry.com/pages/apparel/cloth_pages/spring_summer/hs329_crispaire_fresco.htm

As to availability, you can get it from most tailors. You'll never see it ready to wear.

 

[Fletch]

This is big news for me. I sweat like a milkshake mixer in summertime. Off to the tailors I guess...

 

[Jovan]

I would suggest either of his cotton twills, myself. Khaki would be fine for work and not be as hot as say... navy. Plus you can wear the pants or jacket alone. Yes, it will wrinkle more than wool, but much less than linen. Linen additionally can look "too" casual for work, whereas cotton twill has a more smooth look about it.

It would rock if he had fresco, but it'll probably cost more. It is a very good fabric from what I hear and has the look of any other wool fabric. Not quite certain how well it drapes.

In the end, get what suits your lifestyle. For any summer suit, be sure to ask him about a lightweight floating canvas and minimal lining in the jacket, which will make it even more breathable.

Although it wouldn't look very period (especially with belted back), double vents would also help the jacket be more airy. But this is just my personal bias, as they're my favourite style of vent. I always get them if possible.

 

[Big Man]

I would suggest either of his cotton twills, myself. Khaki would be fine for work ...

Speaking of khaki cotton twill, what are the toughts about this for a 1920's - 1930's suit?

 

[Jovan]

I think cotton suits were around then, but I'm not sure about khaki ones. I think those might have only come about around WWII. Magnoli has a '20s-'30s style cotton suit shown in goldenrod however. Maybe he could enlighten us?

 

[cookie]

Wearing Linen Suits at Work

I wear one every day to work this summer and thank God because the times I wore wool it was too hot.

I agree though ...it may depend on what is acceptable in the workplace. Some people cannot handle rumpling or crushing.

Wearing navy blue in a heavier weight Irish linen eg 8 oz will resolve the crumpling problem.

Italian linen rumples/crinkles a lot more due to its lighter weight IMHO...ditto Chinese.

 

[Will]

Wearing navy blue in a heavier weight Irish linen eg 8 oz will resolve the crumpling problem.

I have two suits in 14 ounce Irish linen. They rumple much less than the 8 but wear warmer.

 

[renor27]

summer suit

I had a pair of pants ( might still have them in storage ) made from what my father called 6oz wool. He got them made in Hong Kong in the late 1950's they are /were almost transparent but still wool. As I remember were almost like wearing shorts so cool. Not sure if that fabric can be found here in the states but would love a summer suit made in that. As for color something dark for formal, light with a nice straw hat for hitting the cafes and eating out in the evening.
David

 

[avedwards]

To revive and old thread, I have a question about summer weight fabrics. I've spotted a nice DB jacket in a vintage shop which is made of a light weight wool and mohair fabric. Can anyone tell me how well light weight wool compares to linen or cotton in warm temperatures of about 25C? I need to know as it's forecast to be warm this weekend but I want to look smart as well so I'm interested in knowing whether the jacket I've got my eye on might be suitable.

 

[Tailor Tom]

My thoughts...

It would depend on the ratio of wool to Mohair, but it would probably be in the 9-9.5 oz. area. Mohair itself would have been traditional for light weight suits, and is also used in formal attire quite often (think of a bunch of people at an event in small spaces with little ventilation....sweat).

Mohair itself creates lovely garments and a really crisp look. It won't wrinkle as much as Linen, and breathes very well.

Have fun at your event.

 

[avedwards]

It would depend on the ratio of wool to Mohair, but it would probably be in the 9-9.5 oz. area. Mohair itself would have been traditional for light weight suits, and is also used in formal attire quite often (think of a bunch of people at an event in small spaces with little ventilation....sweat).

Mohair itself creates lovely garments and a really crisp look. It won't wrinkle as much as Linen, and breathes very well.

Have fun at your event.

It was 70% wool and 30% mohair. That's why I'm more concerned about whether the wool will be breathable enough, though the fabric of the jacket appears to be very porous (at least compared to the modern mid-weight suit I was wearing whilst examining it). The thing which really drew me to the jacket was its colour - black and grey striped liked morning dress trousers.

It's not for an event, just for visiting my mol since I always make it a point to dress up when I see her. However, the hot weather means I'll have to put more thought in than usual.

 

[Qirrel]

I have a couple of mohair/wool trousers which are extremely thin, but not at all transparent. I would say they are about the same "coolness" as some of the lighter linen stuff I have. I would prefer mohair as a day to day fabric over a thin linen due to the wrinkling.