26oz cloth?

There's no proof that heavier cloths are any better than lighter ones with the possible exception that cloths of like quality might last longer than ones of heavier quality but that intellectual honesty has a lot of variables to it in the form of preparation and use hurdles. Additionally it is used by the dishonest to create an illusion which proves heavier cloth is superior. Anyone going over 13 oz needs to have a very good reason such as a vascular disease which makes them extraordinarily and artificially sensitive to cold.

I think with 26oz you're really getting into coating weights, though, some of the John G. Hardy tweeds are up there at around 24oz. I don't think cloth of this weight is practical for a busy man in today's world. I agree with FNB, 13oz is tops for suits, if it's to cold outside for a cloth of that weight, wear a bloody overcoat. I think it's just another example of the 'if it's older/heavier, it's better' school of thought. I hear this almost every day in my profession.

I think it may be partly what you are used to. The first Super 150 10z suit I had made up felt like tissue paper and uncomfortably insubstantial. However once I got used to it I liked the feeling that I wasn't encased in my suit and now most of my suits are around that mark. Before that most of my suits were 13oz so it's not like they were exactly heavy to start with.

If you like to feel the weight of your suit then go for it. In the olden days cloth was heavier because it needed to be warmer and also simply because it couldn't be made lighter - the looms weren't up to it. Modern technology has eliminated most of the advantages of heavier cloth and building heating has done the rest - although on the way some truly shocking cloth was produced (Nino Corvato has a horror story about an early lightweight Super 120 which he refused to make up).

If you're prone to cold, wear heavier cloths. The weight is less an issue with how a cloth drapes than it's stiffness. H.E. Box has some very nice calvary twills that are great for trousers, really comfortable and hold creases great: it's a 22 oz cloth. doesn't wear particularly warm either. Some of the 20+oz Lovat tweeds are very thick and warm (suitable for only the coldest days). On the other hand, I have some 10 oz cloths that are hotter than hell. So if it works for you, do it. My personal experience is that the weight of a cloth is a secondary consideration to its surface finish and construction whe it comes to how warm it wears. I'm having a suit made up out of some 17 oz Ried and Taylor worsted and on first try-on is wears rather cool and the jacket doesn't feel "heavy"- so go figure.

Both Sator and Yachtie make excellent points, the construction and finish make a huge difference. The obvious examples are come of the nastier lightweight super number cloth which has a very dense weave and hard finish, you may as well be wearing a bin liner as far as breathability goes, whereas a Fresco can be heavyweight but because of the open weave breathes well.

Personally I don't like heavyweight worsteds because they give me the feeling of being encased in the suit, probably down to the stiffness that Yachtie mentions, which I associate with the clothes I used to get forced into as a child. Flannel is more interesting - Minnis flannel I find very hot but Fox flannel seems much cooler. I have a 13oz Minnis flannel that needs Arctic conditions before it is wearable.

I would happily wear heavy cavalry twill trousers in the English countryside. Have worked on farms in during holidays they are the only thing to wear for farm labouring, doing bailing shreds denims in short order but strong twill trousers survive. In my now more advancing years I like them because you can walk through almost any undergrowth without getting ripped to shreds.

I don't understand how anyone can wear heavy Harris Tweed unless they live somewhere like Harris or Lewis. It's designed to trap a layer of air in the loft of the fabric which then acts as insulation. The movement of the cloth disrupts that layer so if you are working you don't overheat. The ideal for real Harris tweed is a heavy cloth because you want minimal movement in the cloth when you are not moving (for example if you are stalking) in the freezing horizontal rain the Hebrides and Highlands specialise in. In reality most Harris Tweed is sold for more mundane uses so a heavyweight cloth is not really a good idea because you will overheat and as this is the target market true heavy tweed is fairly rare (what there is tends to be for overcoats and the like rather than jackets).

l've never been into heavy cloths until the last year. l find that l feel alot colder if l don't wear heavy cloths now. When l wore lighter cloths, l was alot more hardy and could withstand the cold better. Maybe heavy cloth is a curse for someone in my geographic area.

This is a very interesting topic.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2008-10-13 23:15:26)

I'm planning to have a lounge suit made of 22 Oz cavalry twill. It's an unusual choice but after much thought, I've decided to go for it. No I don't outdoors.

The H Lesser 16 Oz book is my favourite from that company. What a pity they don't offer anything in a decent weight. I mean, 16-17 Oz worsted is still pathetic tissue paper for the lily livered