Plain weaves vs others?
Entirely a patzer question, but to make sure I've got this right, if a suit or pair of pants is labeled as a particular type of weave, say flannel or twill, it's a plain weave, right? Any S100 to S♾️ is a plain weave, if I have this right. I ask because that seems like any easy rule follow for thrifting; no plain weave separates. Worsted wool vs worsted wool flannel vs woolen flannel (are there woolen plain weaves?) threw me off, but hopefully I've got all this sorted.
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The guide to cloth: Weaves and designs
The next in our series on Cloth is a guide to weaves and to designs. As with the A-Z this is meant as a reference tool, which we will link to as we publish more detailed pieces about trousers, jackets or overcoats.When we describe the benefits of gabardine for trousers,...
twill and plain weave are actually different things
if i understand correctly, you are trying to work out how to accidently avoid buying an orphan bit of a suit?
you do get wool plain weaves
and flannel could be a plain or twill weave
Right, that's what I was getting at, and yes, trying to avoid suit separates.
That link was a huge help, particularly this "What generally defines a flannel is the milling process, where the cloth is beaten about and the fibres broken, producing that fuzzy effect"
if you look on the right of that page, he has a whole guide to fabrics and suits and stuff thats very detailed and helpful
That piece, flannel being the result of an addition process on top of the choice of worsted or woolen fibers was what a I was missing.
I had thought flannel referred to a sorr of weave
Oh yeah, that's a great link, hadn't come across it before.
Hes got a very traditional view of what it means to dress well, and has a fairly conservative style, but has a good knowledge of fabrics and stuff
Honestly I'll probably end up with a traditional sort of style, so that's not entirely a bad thing
Are there any sites like that for more modern styles/outlooks, so I could better understand the difference?
erm
yeah good question
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Reading Formality in Tailored Clothing
Let’s get something straight: wearing a suit or sport coat in 2015 is going to make you look dressed up....
there are some good articles on put this on, and they are a bit more open to playing with stuff I think
I think with the orphan suit thing, you end up with a checklist of things to consider, rather than a hard and fast rules. There will be some things that instantly say 'this is a suit' but I dont wear enough tailoring to know what they are
https://putthison.com/is-this-an-orphaned-suit-jacket-i-recently/ this again is helpful
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Is This an Orphaned Suit Jacket?
I recently received a couple of emails from readers asking if I thought something they were looking at on eBay...
I've been reading Derek's stuff, and it's been enlightening. His piece on Drakes' Games Flannel, where he quoted Bruce Boyer is exactly what I'm after: "“The gray flannel suit is the epitome of this approach for me precisely because it has a deshabille, a slightly rumpled nonchalance denied to crisp worsteds, It’s got an easy elegance that can’t be beaten in a tailored garment.”
"Rumpled nonchalance", "easy elegance" - that's what I want to put together for myself.