I had an elephant gray Dupioni silk suit on order with Thomas Mahon until a while ago when I was told that they could not find the cloth. I was surprised because Scabal carried it for years but, lo and behold, when I went to check its availability it had disappeared from their catalog.
As I have written in the past, Dupioni is of interest because it is a midweight 10 ounce/300 gram suiting with a great deal of texture from the slubs and other irregularities that occur when two silkworms do their stuff in near proximity (if you will stop looking at Ms. Bacall in the photo for a moment you will see them in Mr. Peck's suit). That feature makes the stuff highly desireable in my texture first and pattern second world, but of course that is of little use when one cannot find it.
Shortly after I heard from Mr. Mahon, I asked Dino Romano of Napolisumisura if he had seen any Dupioni and was informed that they had never made a suit from it. That was unexpected since I had been told that Scabal actually obtained their silk from an Italian mill and it just stood to reason that everyone in Italy would know where that was. And then recently the infamous Mr. Voxsartoria asked if I knew a source since his tailor could not find any.
So there is the challenge dear reader. Do you know where suiting quality Dupioni is woven? The first two men that can respond with contact information will receive one of my unlined Neapolitan neckties, and if that is not an incentive it is only because you have not tried one.
The source is Drapers, the Italian cloth merchant represented in the United States by Jodek International, which has navy and tan but not gray in the current book. Thank you to TT of Chevy Chase, MD.
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6 comments:
Call Oconnells in Buffalo NY and ask where they get theirs. Multiple sportcoats made from the material. Happy holidays Will.
My understanding is that Drapers carries it, but maybe that is no longer the case. Truly a shame if it has become unavailable. Perhaps a custom run (or several, for various colors) can be arranged in that event?
My dupioni DJ is 30 years old and the tailor is long gone so I cannot help directly but had you considered Jim Thompson as a possibility.
Favourbrook on Jermyn Street uses a good deal of it (they spell it douppion), perhaps you could inquire where they source it.
Does this suit:) you?
http://it.made-in-china.com/co_juluntex/product_Silk-Double-Jersey-Fabric_hrhnehihg.html
http://it.made-in-china.com/co_juluntex/contact_info.html
Hunt & Winterbotham (part of HMS International) has a white dupioni silk (235g - 7.5 oz) in their prima fila lookbook. It is made in Italy.
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