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Wool or wool blend material for a Navy blue blazer (sports coat)? and styling

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andymillichamp

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hey there,


I am in the market for a Navy blue colored blazer (sports coat), to wear for travel, and for semi formal occasions.


I live in the Southern part of the U.S so the temperature is warm to cold, but not freezing. I do travel too.


I have a tailor that I am trying out in the country I am visiting, I think he is good, but there is room for improvement.


I have seen some fabrics that are all wool e.g. 110s and some that are blend.


According to my tailor, a blend with Polyester is preferred, as it falls better. Is that true?


I do not mind spending more for a fabric that will look and feel better.


On a related note, what are the measurements used by finer tailors for the lapel width? and how about length below waist for the suit- my tailor said the length of the suit should be till where my thumb is when my hand is straight by my side.


Thank you lads,
Andrew
 
#3 ·
Your tailor is wrong and I'd be leary of using him. I would go with all wool. It's cooler in the southern summers and despite what your tailor says, drapes better than a blend. I'd go with a 120's, especially if you live in the South. A single breasted, two button. I just measured some clothess that I'm giving to charity. On the very low end of them is a Lauren blazer by Ralph Lauren. It has 4 inch lapels. I have a MTM Hickey Freeman which also has 4 inch lapels and a JAB which I keep for occasions when I worry about the MTM getting soaked in the afternoon deloduge which is part of the South. It has 3 1/2 inch lapels. I measured a MTM Samuelson and it is 4 inches also. Then I went crazy and measured all the suits. What else do you do at 3 am when you can't sleep because of a stupid cold that is driving you nuts and just won't go away and let you breathe normally so that you can get a good night's sleep and keeps you...But I digress. All the lapels except the Lauren had 4 inch lapels and all were pure wool. There's a pretty clear measure there about wool vs blended wool poly blends. Wool/cashmere blends also drape well. Of course, if your tailor uses fused vs full canvas, then nothing will drape well.
 
#4 ·
In all fairness, while many prefer pure wool in a fabric, a wool/poly blend may prove less subject to wrinkling in a high humidity situation (like the summer months in these parts). Also fully canvassed construction is generally going to cost substantially more than fused or half canvas construction. Just saying..... ;)
 
#5 ·
What you need is a heavier wool in an open weave. The heavier weight helps drape and prevents wrinkling while an open weave allows it to breathe. A 13 oz wool will fall better than a lighter blend. Lower super numbers like 110s is good. Lapel width should be between 3 and 3 1/2 inches. The overall length of the jacket should cut your body in half or at the very least cover your buttocks. People have different arm lengths compared to the rest of their body, so the thumb is not the most reliable measure of jacket length.
 
#6 ·
For hot weather it's hard to beat an open weave like J.J. Minnis'. Have it quarter lined and you will hardly know it's there.
 
#7 ·
andymillichamp said:
Hey there,

I am in the market for a Navy blue colored blazer (sports coat), to wear for travel, and for semi formal occasions.

I live in the Southern part of the U.S so the temperature is warm to cold, but not freezing. I do travel too.

I have a tailor that I am trying out in the country I am visiting, I think he is good, but there is room for improvement.

I have seen some fabrics that are all wool e.g. 110s and some that are blend.

According to my tailor, a blend with Polyester is preferred, as it falls better. Is that true?

I do not mind spending more for a fabric that will look and feel better.

On a related note, what are the measurements used by finer tailors for the lapel width? and how about length below waist for the suit- my tailor said the length of the suit should be till where my thumb is when my hand is straight by my side.

Thank you lads,
Andrew
Click to expand...
no_surrender said:
Good afternoon,

I am interested in the same. Following.

Regards,

Kevin
Click to expand...
I grew up with wool/poly blends as they were the norm in the '50's & '60's. What I experienced is as follows; contrary to common belief, a wool/poly blend can be cooler in the summer than all wool. But that's all things being equal since a fine all-wool tropical worsted also tends to be very comfortable and its properties are similar, but really high quality tropical worsted is special cloth and tends to be pricey. The reason for this is simple, wool/poly tends to evaporate moisture more quickly than all wool which holds onto it just as all-cotton holds onto moisture more readily than cotton/poly. If you buy technical clothing for sports, it's likely going to be made from poly or a poly blend with other synthetics because they evaporate moisture quickly.

Wool/poly also sheds wrinkles more quickly and wrinkles less, all thing being equal. But again, tropical worsted is quite similar.

But the one bug-a-boo about wool/poly or poly/wool is that it tends to wear much more poorly that wool, again, all things being equal. I have experienced some cloth made of blends that minimize this propensity, but many abrade readily. And I'd be quite concerned in the present day since poly is far less common, and it's most often seen in inferior cloth that does not even have the better properties of the best wool/poly blends of the past. Typically, it's a good deal cheaper to buy and make, truly fine tropical wool is pricey stuff. It needs to be made from high quality, soft fibers tightly spun into thinner yarn to have the best properties.
 
#10 ·
Matt S has given you the best advice. An open weave in combination with a high twist wool worsted will be wearable on warm- even hot - and cool days. A fresco will is perfect for travel. I make blazers using 12-14 ounce fresco cloth that my customers use for 12 months of the year. A wool poly blend is lighter than an all wool- but it is hotter. "Super" cloth numbers can be very misleading. ( Cloth is the raw fiber, the spinning, the weaving,and the finishing. One can purchase super 120s wool and use a cheap spinner, bad weaver, and poor finisher to produce bad cloth that can be called 120s fabric.) The jacket should cover your rear. This is a function of your body, not your arm length. There is a range of lapel widths that are acceptable 3"- 4". Your size and personal taste play here.
Paul Winston
Winston Tailors/ www.chippneckwear.com
212 687-0850
 
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