At any rate, what are usually called year-round suits are anything but. Too cool for winter and too warm for summer, mid-weight suits are generally made from 10 ounce/300 gram or lighter cloth, a reasonable weight for 3-6 months of the year depending on the local climate.The rest of the time they leave a man's legs too cold beneath his overcoat, or force him to remove his jacket in the heat of a New York subway (admittedly, sometimes even the lightest of suits are too warm for that environment). And mid-weights are unfortunately some of the least interesting suits a guy can have as well, being worsted wool generally. Some might be blended with a bit of mohair but woolen flannel and tweed cannot be woven as mid-weight cloth.
I do not know any of these year-round suit men so I can only imagine that they are new to bespoke tailoring and looking for something that will give them a lot of wear. Mid-weight suits will do that, in fact I have written before that they should be the first suits in a man's wardrobe. But they ought to be joined by lighter weight suitings for the heat, and heavier suitings for the cold as quickly as budget allows.
So order some flannels. There is no such thing as a year-round suit.
Illustration: Apparel Arts
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8 comments:
Very interesting, Will. What is the range in wieght you define as mid weight? I've had a lot of suits made in a 260 to 230 gram weight identified as summer suits by various tailors. They are definitely not summer suits.
I think it has much to do with climate control. I was in Dubai this December and it was 30-32 Celsius outside. Sitting in an airconditioned meeting room for three days straight and I was chilled to the bone in a 200 gram suit.
I can imagine that mid weight suits work well in climate controlled environments. If you have a meeting in Milan during the winter, you'd be tempted to wear flannel, but you will suffer terriblly indoors, including the taxi ride.
Well, both my friend and i wore flannel in Milan earlier this month and it was a good weight for the temperature.
Mid-weight is usually defined as 280-375 grams, or 9 1/2 to 12 1/2 ounces. It is perfect for air conditioning.
260 grams and below are definitely summer suits, though if worsted still too warm to wear unless woven as high twists. You need breathability in summer cloth.
Will, IMHO 300+ worsted and flannels are good for the scottish highlands. When I am in Milan, or almost any other city in Europe, i find my 190 -220 gr Kiton suits comfortable under a coat in winter and almost comfortable during the summer... They also work fine in Dubai ac :) I just can't see the need for heavier cloth.
My first thought reading this was that the year round suit would be perfect for Seattle, except that everybody in Seattle who can afford Savile Row don't tend to wear suits.
Cool murky summers, cooler murky winters, with every day unpredictable and tempermental about how cool or murky it's going to get... plus most long time residents have been conditioned to shrug off cold and damp, and tend to underdress even during cold snaps.
Heavier cloths are better but for the summer. Year-round suits should be made of heavier stuff, like in the old days. I live in a temperate climate verging on the hot side and I only have a problem with heavy stuff in the stifling heat of the summer.
Will, what weight and fabric would you suggest for a climate like Seattle? As Malwae noted, a "year-round" suit would be perfect for Seattle.
Thanks,
Shawn
I have lived in the Seattle area for 40 years. Seattle does have good "suit weather." But it sounds like there are some mis-conceptions because its not as moderate as you might think. The southern Oregon and northern California coastal areas are really much more moderate than Seattle.
We almost always get a half dozen snowy days a year and blizzards that last 3-5 days are not that uncommon. Cold temps can easily get into the low 20's and even the teens on winter nights.
True, it does rain constantly in the winter but summers can actually be quite dry. Your lawn will almost certainly turn brown most years if you don't keep it watered regularly. Summer days in the mid 80s and even the low 90s are not uncommon in late July and August.
Seattle weather is not as really as mild as you might think. The coastal areas of southern Oregon and northern California are much more mild than Seattle. Low temps can easily get into the lower 20s and teens on midwinter nights. Mid 80s to low 90s are not uncommon in August. As for Seattle having "good suit weather," I prefer not to wear a suit in the rain regardless of the temperature.
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