H Lesser are strictly conservative classic suitings: just decide on plain weave, herringbone, chalk stripe, pin stripe, weight and color, and tell Chan. Lesser's jacketings are limited, although their Barbera 7-8 ounce jacketings are very nice, but very expensive.

Harrisons is worsteds, their Porter and Harding are classic tweeds and sporting cloths. Porter and Harding jacketings are also pretty classic, choose a pattern, approx weight, and colorings, is my advice. Ask them to send you a scan of the lightweight jacketing they are going to do for me with my latest order.

The goal would be to get the first one or two iterations going, and subsequent orders perfected with Chan. You have a very good choice of an excellent outcome by actually going to HK.

I mentioned the windowpane because I thought with my height (6'6") it might look nice on me.  The cru bunches and 150s would be great for Phoenix but I  think would be more costly than I can get at the moment.  That is why I was thinking the lighter weight in more standard materials.  I did not know the hopsack would stay cooler so thank you for that bit of advice.  I think the barbera stuff is astoundingly elegeant but I think it is a bit pricey for me on this trip.

Just my $.02, but I've found the Lesser cloth to have the finest, smoothest finishes for business cloth and it sheds wrinkles beautifully.  Lesser has a 4-ply book of cloth for sport jackets, the only 4-ply I know of, that is worth checking out, if it hasn't been discontinued,

Can't advise you much on suitings but for jacketing fabrics, the Porter & Harding Solway collection would be nice for you in Phoenix. These are fairly lightweight (8.5-9 ounce) worsteds in British country styles. At this moment I am wearing one that Chan made for me and have another one on order from Chan. I also have a jacket from Porter & Harding's Glorious Twelfth collection (similar but heavier--11ounces) on order from them.

On reflection, you might consider the Holland & Sherry Snowy River collection for your suit. These are lightweight (ca. 8.5 ounces) but very sumptious worsteds. I was hoping Chan would have the Snowy River jacketings on this tour, but they only had the suitings. I have one jacket from this fabric. I like the Snowy River better than the P&H Solway, but it costs a bit more.

Last edited by captainpreppy (2008-04-10 15:04:53)

well fnb that was some serious bloviating .  If wearing Lesser turns some people off, they are probably not people I want to associate with anyway.  I am not a modern man, my own mother tells me that I appreciate the past so much that some people think I am an anachronism.  So be it. I like history, rustic food, old architecture and the english empire.  I hate shiny finishing on cloth.  Whenever I see zegna or loro piana I do not like it.  I was convinced a couple years ago to get a blue sportcoat in an 8 oz zegna fabric and I really don't like it because it has no character.  I had a sportcoat in a Dormeuil fabric and I don't really like it.  I love my smith woolens suit which is verrrry dry and serious in a deep deep navy self herringbone.  I owuld rather achieve the sine and color with ties than suits in general. I plan on sitting and reading in my rare book and map library one day while smoking a pipe in a flannel suit.  I save the modern looks for when I go out in jeans looking for girls, but for suits my true personality seems to come out.  So given all this it seems like lesser is very much befitting of my personality and at least worth a try.

Marc, I think that is a very nice looking suit.  I am surprised but I actually like the look of the peak lapels with the ticket pocket also.

BTW, you guys are awesome, I really appreciate the advice and appreciate you letting me use you as a sounding board.

Thanks, Matt.  I wore that suit to Richard Torregrossa's book-signing party for his Cary Grant book.  Even when the pic is enlarged to the max, similar to looking at the actual suit up-close, the windowpane is very subtle.  In contrast, Drapers sells a more flamboyant version in a mid-grey with an off-white windowpane that is the nicest windowpane cloth I've seen.  I'm envisioning wearing just a jacket made with that cloth, SB, peak lapels, with jeans.

^^^^  I don't dislike that suit as much as a lot of people do, but it is not something I would feel all that comfortable wearing.  He wears it well, though.