Men: Guide to Suit Fabrics

When looking at a group of people wearing suits it can be hard to distinguish the fabrics without touching or examining the suit.

Buying a suit can be a big investment. This means it is important to get it right. This all starts with choosing the material you want. We have gathered the eight most popular fabrics that are designed for suiting and defined the benefits of all these, helping you buy the perfect one.

Fabrics to Consider:

Wool:

When it comes to suit fabrics wool has to be the most popular of choice. This is due to its versatility and aesthetics. Also due to wool being a natural material, means it breathes well and can be worn in the mid-day heat and cool nights, wool is soft and wrinkle-free remaining smart for however long it’s been worn.

One criticism that the material has is it can be bulky, for those who like slim fitting fabrics wool isn’t the material for this.

Cashmere:

100% cashmere or cashmere as a blend is regarded as very luxurious. The downside of this fabric is it can give an unwanted shine. We would advise steering clear of cashmere in the workplace but for pleasure, it’s a great choice.

Linen:

Linen is an extremely lightweight material. This means even when tailored into a suit it maintains coolness in high temperatures. A massive disadvantage of linen is how easily it creases and stains, meaning you will be at the dry cleaners regularly.

Choose linen as a casual alternative for cotton or wool. Ideally for the summer look.

Cotton:

Another very popular suit fabric is cotton. Similar to wool cotton is a breathable flexible material. Unfortunately, cotton tends to crease easily, meaning they don’t remain smart. Compared to wool fabrics cotton lacks a luxury feel.

Silk:

Silk is one of the most expensive fabrics however, it offers superior comfort and luxury. The material is great for regulating temperature. Its breathable fabric means it retains the body’s heat in cool conditions and heat is expelled in warm weather.

Velvet:

The texture of velvet is luxurious and breathable. Velvet is a great choice for a dinner party jacket and can be worn all year round. However, we advise keeping it away from the office.

Polyester:

Polyester is deemed lower quality due to its none natural quality’s. Made from synthetic materials, not natural like wool. Polyester suits become creased easily and are known for not being breathable. Polyester suits tend to have a shine to them compared to wool and cotton suits, this can make the suit look cheap.

Worsted:

Worsted wool is a compact textile that prides high durability. This high durability is due to the way the wool is spun. Worsted wool is combed in a carding process to remove any short and brittle fibres. This means short brittle fibres are removed. Leaving a product that is made up of long strands of fibres producing a smooth and tough product.

Worsted is woven a mixture of ways to produce tweed, flannel, gabardine and fresco cloths.