Cloth
Fabrics
British and Italian cloth, chosen for how it wears rather than how it photographs.
We buy from long established mills in Huddersfield and the West Yorkshire valleys, and from Biella in the north of Italy. British cloth for structure and longevity, Italian for handle and drape, and a fair amount that sits between the two.
Cloth is chosen at the fitting, in the light of the room, against your colouring and a clear idea of where the garment will be worn. A cloth that looks right folded in a book does not always look right on the shoulder.
The books
Weights run from open weave high twists and fresco for summer, through mid weight worsteds for most of the year, to flannel, tweed and heavy twill for winter. Knitwear and overcoats draw on cashmere and cashmere blends.
Plain colours, chalk stripes, pinstripes, glen checks, windowpanes and district checks are all held in the books. Anything in a mill's current bunch can be ordered whether or not a swatch is to hand.
- Can I supply my own cloth?
- Yes, if it is suit weight and there is enough of it for the garment with a margin for matching and alterations. Bring it to the fitting and we will check the length and the hand before anything is cut.
- Do you keep house cloths?
- A small set of core cloths in the weights and colours a wardrobe is built on. Most commissions are cut from a mill's current bunch rather than stock.
- Is there a cloth library online?
- A browsable library is in preparation. Until it opens, the books are best seen in person at a fitting, which is also where cloth is best judged.
Good to know
- Huddersfield and Biella mills
- Summer high twists to winter flannels and tweeds
- Cashmere for knitwear and coats
- Your own cloth welcome, subject to weight and length
- Cloth chosen at the fitting, in the light