The quality of a suit

[Sefton]

This fellow is the first to try the new Super 5000 suiting fabric:

The worlds first Double Breasted Single Breasted suit. Needs a good pressing, though...

 

[avedwards]

Machine washable suit?

In Marks and Spencer, probably Britian's best off the rack clothing shop (please don't execute me for not going vintage or bespoke but I can't afford it, yet) they sell machine washable suits. From a practical point of view this sounds like a good idea, as it saves money on regular dry cleaning, and you don't have to worry about getting the suit dirty. But from a quality point of view, could someone who knows something about suits tell me if machine washable suits would be of good quality? Or would they just be some cheap rubbish made from ugly cloth?

 

[Tomasso]

tell me if machine washable suits would be of good quality?

Well, traditionally made suits are constructed with a floating canvas front which probably wouldn't survive a ride on the spin cycle. Any hand stitching, linings, interlinings, wadding, felt, etc... probably wouldn't fare well either.

 

[Tomasso]

Men fail most often in their choice of footwear.

These would have been much more appropriate.​

 

[mt_spiffy]

I have probably missed the serious part of the thread so I'm too late . . . I dont have shoes shaped like feet or anything . . .

I buy suits because they look nice, not necessarily for the construction and longevity. I guess you could say the appearance of quality rather than actual quality. Also style. I'd like to take everything into consideration, but it's not within my budget.

That speaks of new suits, things I pick up at the thrift store vary drastically in quality . . . again, if I like the look of it, particularly on me, I buy it.

I wear a suit on average once a week . . . some weeks more, some not at all. At any given time I have between 10 and 50 suits, so the same suit gets worn no more than 4 or 5 times a year, some maybe once a year.

And I ALWAYS . . . ALWAYS . . . ALWAYS . . . either can no longer fit a suit, or get tired of it, BEFORE I see any signs of wear. MAYBE I'll get a spot on it, but cleaners can take care of that.

My point? I've never had an issue with wear, regardless of quality. Super 120s or regardless.

 

[mt_spiffy]

I will add, in response to the cleaners thing, perhaps one of the reason i dont have issues with wear is I try to avoid cleaning my suits. I dont take anything to the cleaners unless it gets a spot or stain, and even then I try with spot remover and a small amount of water first. If that doesnt work, then cleaners it is. Many of my suits have NEVER been cleaned. They last longer. I do steam them before I wear them every time.

 

[Matt Deckard]

http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/2007/05/much-ado-about-cloth.html

/\

Doesn't compare to fabrics made to pass the test of time.
Problem is that I am the 1 that likes wearing a suit more than once a week... and I want it to last years and years and years.

 

[avedwards]

When I mentioned washable suits a few posts ago I didn't mean a traditional suit, but more something like this:
http://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/p...IQJM&keywords=&mnSBrand=core&size=9&rh=&page=
Too much polysester to be particularly vintage, but would the wool part of it stop it from going shiny, as 100% tends to do over time? They might not be as nice in cut as vintage suits, but if I am to wear the same suit for two years (for the sixth form in my school the uniform is navy suit) mashine washable is almost a must, as I want to avoid constant trips to the dry cleaner and I don't know of any steam cleaners near where I live.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Polyesyer and natural fibers Blended tend to wear out faster. Polyester cuts at the wool. All wool or all Cotton or all poly is better in my experience when it comes to wear. If you aren't concerned with the suit feeling like plastic and feeling too hot or too cold all the time, then a washable polyester might be just the ticket. They do tend to hold smells and when they get mold, mold gets aggressive unless you dry the suit well... Yet it will take a lot of wear. Uncomfortable to me... And a percent of spandex will help, though I wouldn't trade skin comfort for washing machine ease.

 

[Macheath]

Polyesyer and natural fibers Blended tend to wear out faster. Polyester cuts at the wool. All wool or all Cotton or all poly is better in my experience when it comes to wear. If you aren't concerned with the suit feeling like plastic and feeling too hot or too cold all the time, then a washable polyester might be just the ticket. They do tend to hold smells and when they get mold, mold gets aggressive unless you dry the suit well... Yet it will take a lot of wear. Uncomfortable to me... And a percent of spandex will help, though I wouldn't trade skin comfort for washing machine ease.

You've probably been asked this before, Matt, but what do you do about the suits you wear to dances? Ties as well?

I'd like to wear my suits to dances but usually just wear a sportcoat, which I take off before dancing (Although on some days I just go with a club shirt). I'm afraid of sweating into my suits, and don't want to have to go through having to get them cleaned on any regular basis.

Ties, too. I have a few all-poly ties that I don't mind sweating into, but I can't bring myself to dance wearing my good ties.

 

[Macheath]

Bluchers with a suit?
....

These would have been much more appropriate.​

Try again. Those are still Bluchers.

 

[avedwards]

Polyesyer and natural fibers Blended tend to wear out faster. Polyester cuts at the wool. All wool or all Cotton or all poly is better in my experience when it comes to wear. If you aren't concerned with the suit feeling like plastic and feeling too hot or too cold all the time, then a washable polyester might be just the ticket. They do tend to hold smells and when they get mold, mold gets aggressive unless you dry the suit well... Yet it will take a lot of wear. Uncomfortable to me... And a percent of spandex will help, though I wouldn't trade skin comfort for washing machine ease.

So would 100% cotton be the solution maybe? I would assume it would be washable but also more comfortable than polyester. The only trouble is where to find it, since I don't have the money for bespoke and I haven't had the luck to find a vintage suit yet and all the off the rack suits in shops seem to be polyester-wool blends.

 

[Matt Deckard]

You've probably been asked this before, Matt, but what do you do about the suits you wear to dances? Ties as well?

I'd like to wear my suits to dances but usually just wear a sportcoat, which I take off before dancing (Although on some days I just go with a club shirt). I'm afraid of sweating into my suits, and don't want to have to go through having to get them cleaned on any regular basis.

Ties, too. I have a few all-poly ties that I don't mind sweating into, but I can't bring myself to dance wearing my good ties.

Gross points

For the ties, if you get sweat stains in them... even steak stains, use a Spray and Wash stain stick. Cover the area in the stick stuff and then rinse it under water by hand... even silk. Let it dry flat and the tie should be fine. I've found over time that some of my ties colors run (not made of America flag dyes) so I tend to be particular with what ties I wear dancing. If I am dancing rigorously and am breaking a sweat I loosen the ties to try and keep the knot away from the sweat.

Suits will get sweaty when dancing or as seen in another thread, bicycling. I'm not as worried about the wool since it can be cleaned by chemicals that I don't have to see... dipped in deadly chemicals that take out the darkness that sweats can sometimes leave behind. I haven't had the chance to really see sweat all over the suit's outside, though if I get too sweaty and haven't taken off my jacket yet, I recommend leaving it on for the sake of the ladies dancing with you, for underneath that wet wool is thin wet cotton. Unless you've just dove into an ocean and pulled her out saving her life, your wet dress shirt isn't welcome. If you are sweating through your jacket, TAKE IT OFF! It looks worse than being in a sweaty shirt. It won't ruin the jacket, though it may dry a bit out of shape needing a pressing. You can hang it and steam it a few times and where you sweat won't show unless you are a pretty salty guy, yet after going through it a few times, three or so, I say take it to the cleaners.

As for the cotton suit question... depends on the materials used for the shoulders and the chest. If you wash the yards used for the suit and it has little to no special construction like a normal suit then it could be wash and wear....

 

[avedwards]

Maybe I can live without a washable jacket, but I do need the trousers of my suits to be washable as they will need to take a lot of wear. I can take off my jacket if I need to but I'd prefer to keep my trousers on.

On suits which say dry clean only does that apply to the whole suit or just the jacket since the trousers do not have as complex a construction as the jacket (I'm assuming, I've never actually disected a suit)?

 

[Matt Deckard]

dry clean only means the jacket trousers and vest. I'd hate to see you pull a shrunken harry pair of wool trousers from the dryer cursing my name. It's the fabric that gives the label, not the construction. If the trousers are cotton and they say dry clean, they are probably unshrunk and a washing would take them down a few sizes. Anywho... Follow your labels.

 

[avedwards]

That is bad luck for me then. In that case I'll try to find washable trousers which match prdinery jackets as though they are suits even if they are not. I know it sounds unrealistic, but I have one of my father's old suits where the trousers went missing and I was able to find trousers for it which were an almost perfect match, although they were from a completely different clothing manufacturer and weren't even the same blend of cloth.

 

[Lamplight]

You know, I only have one suit, which is just a generic off the rack piece I got a couple of years ago when I needed a suit for a funeral. I don't have the opportunity to wear it very often, so I hadn't looked at it in a while. Quite a while, in fact, since before I joined this board and began learning a lot more about suits in general. But earlier I took it out and examined it, and it's really quite sad. I have fairly large upper arms and shoulders, and so the arm holes couldn't be any higher than they are. But they are attached to the body of the suit in such a way that I can't even lift my arm a little without drastically distorting the lapel area. And the lapels are paper thin and have no heft in the slightest. I'm not sure they even have any sort of stiffening material between the outer layer and the lining. And none of the outside pockets are even functional! I can't even use a pocket square with this suit. The more I examined it, the more pathetic it became. You definitely get what you pay for, and after doing some research I've seen that I could get a significantly better suit for less than twice what this cost me. Now I almost dread the next time I'll need to wear it. I definitely want something better.

 

[Tomasso]

And none of the outside pockets are even functional! I can't even use a pocket square with this suit.

Manufactures usually deliver jackets with the outside pockets sewn shut. Store tailors then open them during the alterations fitting. They can be opened using a sharp knife or razor blade.

 

[Lamplight]

Manufactures usually deliver jackets with the outside pockets sewn shut. Store tailors then open them during the alterations fitting. They can be opened using a sharp knife or razor blade.

It seems kind of strange that they would put the pocket material in there but leave the opening shut. Is there a reason they would do that?

Edit: Okay, I used a seam splitter and opened mine up and they were just as you say. So at least I can use the pockets now. Thanks!

 

[MattStat]

Higher count equals more lint

Higher count wools, especially after a dry cleaning, tend to collect more lint and debris than coarser material.

One of my "Super 120s" suits has been relegated to storm gear only because I can't walk down the streets without magnetically attracting every piece of fluff within twenty yards.

The suit was actually fine before I had spilled one too many lunches on it and had to have it dry cleaned. It was shiny and new when I took it out of the garment bag. Shiny, especially. Looked exactly like polyester.

Thicker wools are superior as far as cleanliness goes.