Regular readers know that I consider flannel, a woolen cloth with a soft, felt-like surface, the best type of cloth for cool weather tailored clothing (like the suit worn by the man in the photograph). But for all those complimentary words, I have never actually defined the stuff, probably because I do not have words that do it justice.
Flannel you see is woven from yarn that is spun from wool fibres of varying lengths, which are mixed together so that they lie across each other in all directions. A fibrous, compact, but rather uneven thread is produced that bonds together when milled, making a comfortable-to-wear cloth with an uneven surface. That surface traps air against the skin where it is warmed by the body and in turn helps keep the body warm. It also tends to absorb light instead of reflecting it, so after dyeing its colors are soft and rich.
Medium English wools are used for ordinary flannel, and merino for the best quality stuff, known as Saxony after the area where it was first produced. Either may be mixed with 5-10% cashmere to make it softer still, though in my experience the cashmere mixes are less desirable for trousers as they have a harder time holding a crease.
Flannel is woven into solid colors of course, with mid-gray being the most familiar. Stripes of the wider sort like the ones in the photo, known as chalk stripes, are classic, as are glen checks in grays or browns.
The combination of the process and the mixed wools used to produce flannel mean that it cannot be produced in weights lighter than 12 ounces, or about 360 grams. The lighter cloth that goes by the same name is actually a worsted that neither looks nor wears exactly like the woolen versions but has its place in warmer weather.
And that is flannel.
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11 comments:
Excellent post! I really enjoy being able to read the definitions of these different materials and being able to have them pulled apart, so to speak, to hear of the advantages and disadvantages and what they should feel like. I am new to the pants-buying game, and was very pleased to get a precise, but non-science textbook answer that is much more helpful. Perhaps this could be a series?
Great summary Will. And yep nothing looks quite like the 13 oz flannel. You're also right about the admixture of cashmere and it's impact on creases. The problem is it makes one want to go out and restock the wardrobe.
Thanks for the excellent definition. I've been wondering about this recently, after reading various quality menswear blogs like this one.
Could you point to any good examples from online retailers? That would seal the deal.
Well done. Lots for you to help with in this vein, like, next, teaching about Cheviot and--to the extent known--how H Lesser (now owned by Harrison's owners) gets the mill to carry out that wonderful hard, dry finish, and why some Italian cloth makers I am told actually "burn off" or somehow "fire" cloth in the finishing.
Regards,
I am just about to take delivery of my first bespoke suit. It's a mid-grey flannel 13 oz, and it has been made by one of the few bespoke tailors outside London in the UK.
I'm wearing my favorite SB mid-gray 13 oz. flannel today. As it is -8F outside in Wisconsin this morning, it seemed the prudent choice.
Beautiful pairing. SW1 shoes ? What's the brand ?
The photo above is picture from Jeeves And Wooster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeeves_and_Wooster), I guess.
How is flannel in terms of wrinkling? I just commissioned a 12oz flannel 3 piece in glen check, my principal requirement being a comfortable suit that I could wear without worrying about it wrinkling too much. Flannel was recommended by my tailor - thoughts? As an aside, I just wore a wool and cashmere 3 piece to an event, and by the end of the evening it may as well have been linen, it was so creased!
Many thanks in advance..
It won't wrinkle too much, but give it two days rest after wearing. Flannel needs the extra day to recover.
Thank you Will, much appreciated..
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