Designing cloth has become one of my favorite aspects of running this blog. It’s great to see a cloth materialize, after months of planning, and then see readers send their lengths to tailors, so they can be turned into suits and sport coats. In the past, I’ve put together special edition runs of tobacco brown Fresco, navy houndstooth Fresco, and a silk-linen blend I call “summer tweed.” The last one is my favorite.
It’s also apparently a favorite of readers. In the last year, I’ve gotten more emails about this one than any others. Those who subscribed have written in to say how much they like their fabrics (and the resulting jackets they had made). Those who missed out have asked if the cloth will ever be offered again.
So, I’m doing one more run of this fabric – this time with a special collaboration with Sartoria Formosa (more on that below).
For those unfamiliar, the cloth is modeled after the jacket you see above on Taka from Liverano & Liverano. Raw silks such as that one are terribly hard to find nowadays, unless you have access to vintage cloth vaults, so I decided to put together something similar. Mine is made from a silk-linen blend (40% to 60% split, respectively), which allows it to wear cooler than pure silk. More importantly, it features a flecked and slubby texture. I think of it as a spring/ summer version of your favorite fall tweed jacket.
Pictured above are some close-ups of the fabric, along with a jacket my friend had made with his length (the tailor was A. Caraceni in Milan). As you can see, the fabric is woven with a mix of light- and mid-brown yarns, giving it some variegation in color. There are also subtle, irregular flecks, much like you’d find on Donegal tweed. It’s hard to tell in the photos, but the fabric is made with a semi-open weave, which allows it to breathe better on hot and humid days.
A run down of the basic details:
- Weight is 9/ 10 oz per meter, which is light enough for summer, but heavy enough to still drape well. Composition is 40% silk and 60% linen. Cloth is woven in England.
- Price is the same as last year. $70 per meter, with a $47 shipping fee for delivery to any place in the world. Readers in Europe, however, can expect a lower shipping fee. Just email me for a price quote (you can reach me at derek@dieworkwear.com)
- Since this has been run once before, I can offer swatches. Price for a swatch to be sent out is $3. Again, just email me at derek@dieworkwear.com.
Maybe the thing I’m most excited about: No Man Walks Alone, an advertiser here, is taking a length of the fabric and using it for sport coats. The tailoring is done at Sartoria Formosa, who I think is offering the best value right now in ready-made tailoring. Their jackets are made to the same standards as bespoke (indeed, they’re made in the same workshop), but just cut to ready-to-wear patterns. I think this is great because it allows readers who may not have custom tailors to get in on this.
From the Formosa sport coats I’ve tried, I’ve found the cut to be both flattering and forgiving. Formosa’s shoulders are soft, but straight and slightly extended, and they’re coupled with a slightly fuller chest (giving the impression of an athletic figure, even if you, like me, don’t have one). Quarters are also slightly swept back, which gives the jacket some dynamism. You can see some examples of their work in this old post.
The sport coats are available right now at No Man Walks Alone on pre-order. Price is $1,495, although you can knock 15% off with the checkout code PREORDER15. That brings it down to about $1,271, with free shipping to boot.
The window for ordering closes at the end of this month (so, July 31st). That includes both the cloth and Formosa sport coats. Cloth will be delivered sometime at the end of October/ early November. Since the Formosa jackets can only be made once the cloth is finished, readers who pre-order the sport coats should expect delivery sometime in February or March of next year.
Pictured below: A couple of photos of my friend Andy, who bought a length of the fabric last year and had a double-breasted suit made through MyTailor. I’ve also included some photos of similarly styled jackets, which hopefully will give you an idea of how something like this can be worn.