I like, and have made, both tweed and cashmere for sportcoats, about in equal proportions. Variety is the spice of life, and all.
As much as I like Harrisons cloth, and as much as I know the Millionaires Cashmere is the best grade available, I don't like it. The shine reminds me of high end RTW and I can't get that out of my mind.
If I were to cut myself, I'd bleed tweed. Cashmere tends to stretch over time and so I just enjoy cashmere in sweaters. Golden Bale is a good substitute for cashmere, it has the "preciousness" and softness of cashmere with the advantage of durability.
I couldn't imagine owning a tweed suit, really, but I love tweed odd jackets. I do not own any cashmere other than sweaters.
I only have one pair of tweed odd slacks, but I never wear a jacket with them, just shirtsleeves or sweaters.
RL often has some interesting cashmere fabrics that resemble tweed. I like their green/olive/brown based plaids with plum/purple accents.
I have one 85-15 wool-cashmere blend jacket and consider it the most elegant of my cool-weather jackets. However, I am very fond of the tweed jackets I own as well. Since I work in a very casual office environment, they do not come across as inelegant. If I worked in environment where conservative business dress, i.e., worsted suits, was regnant, things might be different. I have one jacket from Porter & Harding's Glorious Twelfth (11 ounce) on order that should fulfill the functions of lighter tweed without the bulk and roughness, and I may commission another jacket from the H&S Peacock V book, which fabrics are in the same ballpark, this summer.
Last edited by captainpreppy (2008-05-11 16:39:01)
While I was quite suspect about your advocating of "luxe" (to my mind, anyway) cloths, I'm starting to come around and think
these might be a good alternative. I like the idea of taking something like a design or color pattern that is traditionally associated with a rougher fabric and going the luxe route. I don't know, I still have purist roots, but it's something to think about.
That said, I saw a great linen/wool/silk jacket from Ben Silver that I might have to get. Rarely do I care for the jackets in their catalog, but this one had something about it.
Ever go to a Yankees game in a tweed jacket?
Yes, many times. But Im a Red Sox fan. Yankee games are interesting. A mix of high end businessmen and near mutants.
Last edited by Tom Rath (2008-05-13 10:03:11)
Some of the pure cashmere jacketings look a bit like the wool/silk blends of say, W Bill, Scabal, and so on. They do have a brightness in the colorings, to my eye. I presume it has to do with how silk and cashmere take dyes. You see this in oriental rugs with silk in them as well.
Another possibility, is that "millionaire" cloth has been degraded by inflation. I think Harrison's now has a "billionaire's" cloth (sic).
Made by Woodhouse, with their "Royal Cashmere" name on the selvage.
It was an unusual cashmere piece at Tip Top: most of their cashmere jacketing are Italian, in fact, I don't think I've seen any other UK cashmere jacketings there. I have not seen a book of this, Woodhouse is funny, and thinly distributed. It was expensive for Tip Top.
I am keeping it in inventory for now, haven't decided on a plan yet.