summer Fabrics pt. 3
Jackets - Wool & Other Mix Cloths
For some context I would advice reading part 2 first, but other than that I’ll just jump right into it.
I’ll stress again the fact that these are observations and as such anecdotal and that when push comes to shove, we are dealing with minuscule differences and within a climate that does not cater to wearing jackets.
In part 3, I am focusing on 100% wool cloths, 100% cotton and some unusual mixes, among some where wool is substituted by cashmere or cotton. Once again arranged by wearability, from least to most.
⑦ Caruso
Twill Herringbone
(weight unknown)
100% Cotton
Jacket Model: Butterfly
I added this mostly for perspective, because I see jackets like this one being worn in summer in Europe. This epitomises how great the difference in climate is. Despite being a cotton twill jacket it was listed as supposedly being a summer jacket. Honestly, I might as well wear a thick wool sweater. As the next cotton jacket example (3rd on the list) will show, if it’s 100% cotton, an open plain weave is crucial. That being said, for spring and fall this works perfectly and it is an exquisite jacket nonetheless. I’ve written a presentation of this jacket which you can read here.
⑥ Ferla
290g
Plain Weave
Wool 37%, Nylon 25%, Silk 19%, Linen 19%
Ring Jacket Jacket Model No-286
As much as I disdain nylon and synthetic fibers I took Ferla’s reputation into consideration on this one. The colour scheme and texture of this jacket was just so different than anything I’d seen before and upon trying it on I was sold. That being said, I decided there and then that this would not be a part of my summer wardrobe as such, but rather something for spring and fall. I’m adding it to the list seeing as it’s a part of the spring/summer collection (probably mostly spring) and that the composition of fibers is interesting, with the added nylon. Nylon was as far as I knew not inherently cooling and in a cloth like this which is quite dense, I couldn’t see the properties adding anything in terms of wearability. Upon researching some more apparently it does actually have a cooling effect, but then again, this seems to be disputed by others. Moving on, the texture has a bouclé type of feel to it which is quite interesting. Not something I’d normally be into, but it makes for an amusing look seeing that it’s quite a vibrant green.
I’ll just add that I am all but negative about this jacket ( I did buy it after all). It’s such an interesting addition to the wardrobe and once the weather allows me I’m looking forward to wearing it. But I think we can cross this off the summer list, although, ironically, I find this easier to wear than the Caruso jacket.
⑤ Errico Formicola
(weight unknown)
Plain Weave
100% Cotton
Jacket Model: Rotta 2
The model itself in my opinion is perfect. It encompasses everything I want in terms of look. This jacket is wearable during summer, but not the hottest days. I’ve concluded that 100% cotton becomes a little too warm and the Novara suit I recently acquired confirms this. Between that suit, this jacket and the Caruso jacket, all with different weight, none are suitable in mid summer. The one thing this jacket has going for it is it’s lighter colour which doesn’t attract the sun as much. This jacket was also presented in an earlier review if you want to know more about it.
④ Balloon Fresco
(weight unknown)
Plain weave
100% Wool
Ring Jacket Jacket Model No-269
I have gone into detail on this jacket and the Balloon fabrics from Ring Jacket earlier, but needless to say, with it’s reputation and the Fresco part of the name, this is a great summer jacket. I’m not sure what the weight is, but around 280g would be a good guess. I will add this to the high-twist part which will be out soon, but for now, one cannot go wrong with a high-twist and its great properties for summer. The only thing I would add is that being a navy jacket it can still get quite warm in the sun.
③ Carlo Barbera Lana Vita
(weight unknown, approx. 260g)
Plain Weave
100% Wool
Ring Jacket Jacket Model No-254
This jacket is also one of my favourites, easily paired and great without a tie.
It’s plain weave with three threads; blue, light blue and blue aligned in the warp and weft.
The windowpane pattern is created with an accentuated pink and light blue thread. Despite being 100% wool, this cloth has some properties which are perfect for summer. First of all, the weight is pure estimate but It wears very light. The three aligned threads makes for a perfectly open weave and thus breathability. It’s light blue in the darker range, but just about light enough to not absorb sunlight too much. I don’t experience much difference wearing this in comparison to the the Carlo Barbera wool, silk and linen mix cloths in the previous article. All in all Carlo Barbera provides some great, colorful cloths, perfect for summer.
② Drago
210g
Twill
Cotton 44%, Wool 32%, Linen 24%
Ring Jacket Jacket Model No-269
One of my favourite jackets for all the right reasons. Beautiful colour and pattern, perfectly light weight and great breathability. I’m struggling a bit figuring out what type of weave this is. The diagonal pattern leads me to believe it’s a twill. That conclusion might be all well, and the only reason it’s important is for the assessment of how the type of weave plays a part in the overall breathability. What makes it difficult to asses, even within the twill designs, is that there are several threads in the warp and the weft. So, when cutting through the fabric swatch, all you’re left with is a bunch of thin threads sticking out and the weave is so loose as to make it difficult figuring out if there’s a weave pattern.
In any case, that last part makes for a great summer cloth; the fact that these threads are so loosely put together makes it immensely breathable.
The most prominent fibre being cotton, is still quite low percentage wise, so even though 100% is out of the question, in this mix it makes perfect sense.
① Piacenza Alashan Breeze
190g
Plain Weave
Cashmere 60%, Silk 32%, Linen 8%
Ring Jacket Jacket Model No-289
Another new jacket model for me personally, but that’s not what we’re here for (I’ll do a presentation of this and the No-286).
Piacenza has a reputation for great fabrics and this is a great example of that. I am in awe of this cloth and still considering the brown version of the same jacket.
First of all, the most obvious part; its weight. Cashmere more often than not being lighter than wool makes it great for summer. The other noticeable difference if compared to some of the fabrics presented in part 2, is the high percentage of silk. Unfortunately none of the wool based fabrics have a similar ratio but it would be interesting to see how a significantly higher silk percentage would affect wearability. As for this cloth, all I can say is that it is seemingly the perfect ratio. This jacket can be worn any day throughout the summer. Despite being a navy jacket it doesn’t feel like a solar panel and wears cool all throughout the day.
This is not a particularly open weave, quite similar to the Zegna cloth from part 2. That being said as I also mentioned, with plain weaves like these, it seems the lighter weight makes such a big difference that the over all wearability exceeds some of the really open weaves, even the previously mentioned green cloth from Drago.
Piacenza does come at a price, but out of all the cloths presented, this is my best recommendation.
Conclusion
In this third part there’s quite the disparity between great fabrics and the not so great.
Granted it wasn’t a fair competition seeing as the ones presented here were the ones that did not fit into the wool/silk/linen bunch, and as such didn’t necessarily enter on the same terms.
What I can say though is that I do not consider 100% cotton in tailored wear to be suitable for the summer for me personally. Keep in mind that we’re talking about 30-40℃ and humidity (although the humidity does decrease the further into summer we get).
Also, in this part the Drago fabric and the Piacenza fabric presented are clear winners from these two comparisons, so it’s not like cottons properties aren’t suitable at all.
My recommendation first of all would be the Alashan Breeze. Really, there’s nothing quite like it and Piacenza makes some incredible fabrics for all seasons.
Secondly, if you can find a fabric with a similarly open weave as the Drago one, where several threads are woven quite loosely and you have the added benefit of a remarkably light cloth, that would be my second recommendation.
I know these two presentations weren’t necessarily an expert level deep dig, but I’m hoping you got some idea as to what you can look for if you’re not particularly well versed in the summer fabric area.
