My favorite shirt fabric company. Many more fabrics need to be listed but I think it hashed out enough for people to inspect. Acorn will have an area on facebook to evaluate coming or proposed designs and I think will accept suggestions. I hope they also have an archives section.
http://www.acornfabrics.com/
It's much better than the old site. The competition is tough and growing. I hope that the firm is doing well.
Good stuff.
Acorn are a merchant not a mill.
They'll probably source from all over Europe and beyond in fact given the size of the range I doubt it could be done any other way.
Lancashire has few cotton mills left.
Acorn will specify construction, pattern, finish and ultimately control quality. I do not see this as a problem.
Prices per metre seem extremely good value.
Like FNB, I have dozens of shirts made from their stuff. Acorn offer great shirt material and great patterns.
In my opinion leave the super dupa Italian stuff to the iGents as its too delicate. Especially so if you are heavy bearded as I am. A days growth will quickly wreck the neckband. They also don't last well when machine washed, are a pig to iron and don't stay crisp throughout the day. Given that shirts sit next to the skin and with all that that entails a good solid 100's cotton is the way to go. I will concede that they do feel good on though, but a good quality 100's isn't exactly hairshirt.
I only carry Acorn and Loro Piana for shirtings, all my own shirts are all made from Acorn. They last me about 4-5 years which I think is pretty good.