Brown ‘Art du Lin’ suit from Pirozzi and Whitcomb

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Quite a few people have asked about how the ‘Art du Lin’ linen from Solbiati performs, as it’s become quite a trend across different tailoring brands. Indeed, I hear Solbiati have now largely sold out of a lot of it and there are longer lead times on orders. 

This is the suit I had made in the material recently, as a result of a new jacket from Sartoria Pirozzi and trousers I already had from Whitcomb & Shaftesbury, which were featured previously in a PS piece about sandals.

I think these images are a pretty good reflection of how this linen, with its version of a washed finish, performs. The thing that grabs the attention is the matte surface, but its softness is just as distinctive. This means it wrinkles a fair bit but the lines are soft, not hard, and so more subtle. 

Traditional Irish linens are denser and usually heavier. They make up into a very sharp suit, with trousers that hold a great crease, but this also means the wrinkles are sharper too. My tobacco suit from Dege & Skinner is a good example. 

The alternative has always been European (usually Italian) linens that were lighter and more loosely woven, basically so they were cooler. The downside of this is that they produce more wrinkles, and could be accused of looking something like a crisp bag (see my older tobacco suit here). 

The Art du Lin is closer to those European linens, but the washing and treatment hide a lot of the wrinkles. It looks more like a suit that is already well worn and aged.

There have always been washed (often marked ‘délavé’) linens in European bunches, but they weren’t as matte as this, and so didn’t have that aesthetic half of the attraction of Art du Lin.

The softness of the material means it’s not great for trousers really - fine in a suit like this, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it just for trousers. A little bit more body is good in trousers even if you don’t want a super-sharp look. My other Solbiati ones here are a good example of that. 

In fact, the easiest way to wear the material is probably in a blouson like the Linen Harrington. There the material simply drapes, without having to be shaped or wearing in the same way. 

I’ve had this jacket for a few months, but only shot it recently at Pitti. (It’s always nice to take the opportunity to just shoot somewhere different.) In that time I’ve worn with a lot of different things, and I find it often looks best with a fair bit of contrast. 

If you wear it with something subtle in colour and soft in texture, like a grey piqué polo, everything just blends together. White or black is better, and better still if it’s in a material with more sheen, like a fine cotton or even silk. 

At Pitti I wore the suit as pictured during the day, with a black Finest Polo, as it was really comfortable, easy and cool. But in the evening I switched to a cream silk/cotton shirt and black knitted-silk tie (below). I also switched the footwear to Edward Green Piccadillys in black suede. 

In the daytime outfit, the shine of the alligator belt and its brass buckle also help to create some contrast.

Note too the sunglasses in the breast pocket - I have the pocket bags made to this depth (or adjust them later) so that the glasses peak out. It’s like a pocket square but more subtle and functional.

As to the coolness of Art du Lin, it was high-twenties (celsius) in Florence and I was perfectly comfortable. There are European linens that would have been cooler, but I’ve been hotter in Irish ones. 

Readers have also asked about Art du Lin in terms of robustness, and I’d say it’s been the same for me as those European linens too. It’s not a winter workhorse, even if it might be appear to be a colder-weather material in some ways, but I haven't found it worse than other linens. 

There are two weights of Art du Lin available by the cut length, a 410g and a 530g, plain weave and twill. Mine is the lighter, code NS20005. I don't have any experience of the heavier weight but the finish is similar. 

The other thing I’ve enjoyed wearing with the suit is denim, whether a lightweight denim-like linen shirt, or a chambray, or a heavier-weight western shirt. These aren’t particularly high-contrast but the fact they’ve got so much going on in terms of texture and design seems to make them work.

There’s a video of me doing one of our ‘Walkie Talkies’ in this suit and a denim shirt on Instagram, if anyone wants to see the suit in motion. 

As to Pirozzi, they continue to be one of the very best Neapolitan tailors in my experience. Everything they’ve ever done for me has been well fitted, nicely styled, consistent and correct. Those who have used Neapolitans will know how unusual that is. 

They’ve also happily evolved their style over the years, and remembered how I like mine. That first cord suit I made with Nunzio many years ago was pretty tight and short, even after I made a few changes, but this time around they started looser and had no problem going looser still. 

It’s useful, actually, to have all those old suits broken down in the Tailors Styles series on PS. It means I can measure the new one and see exactly how it compares to the old. In this case, the jacket is a full 3cm longer, the shoulders 1cm wider, and the buttoning point 2cm lower. 

Elsewhere in the outfit, I’m wearing Classic Sagans from Baudoin & Lange in black suede with a cheeky bit of suede alligator. This reflects the alligator of the belt I guess, but more importantly adds another point of interest in an otherwise plain outfit. 

The watch does that too - my Cartier Tank but on a chestnut-brown strap, which stands out for its different and brightness but still feels complimentary. 

The grey tote is the opposite: a colour and texture that is very much of-a-piece with the suit and fits in with it, rather than standing out. My Frank Clegg tote in a similar chestnut to the watch strap would have been an alternative and provided similar contrast. 

Finally, no it doesn’t annoy me that much not to have cuffs at my wrist. Not when things are this casual and it’s this hot. 

And I’m sitting down because I was knackered and it seemed like a nice way to reflect the soft, comfortable nature of the fabric. 

All other questions below please. Thank you. 

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Joshua

I did not understand the part where you said that you would want a little more body. Does it mean that you would want it to be heavier? If yes would you be able to explain if possible why would you not recommend this for just trousers?
Also does linen shirt look good with linen trousers when there is no jacket?

Chris

Simon you should also consider different weights/textures of linen. Lighter on top, heavier for the trouser for example.

Chris

Thanks Simon. Yes, to the question posed above by Joshua and to which you replied above.

Joshua

I generally prefer not to wear a belt. Would a combination like navy linenshirt with dark brown linen trouser look good if I am not wearing a belt as both will be darker in appearence?

Joshua

How about trousers being linen cotton blend and shirt being linen. Would that provide the much needed difference?

Max

Hi Simon, what would you add if its getting colder if you would wear the outfit Manish rockin in the last picture with the white trousers and button polo?

Max

Thank you Simon! After sending the message i remember thats possible just to tuck it in, so it works like every other polo but with a full button front row 🙂 sometimes its simpler as first thought 🙂

Philip

Very nice suit! I especially like how the buttoning point is level with the top of the trousers, the width of the lapels, and the gorge line. Perfect!

Dario

Hi Simon,
You say that Pirozzi evolved their style and remembered your preferences. Isn’t there also a bit of adjusting to the current trend to it? What do you think, and have you asked them about it?
By the way I really like both the fabric and the suit!!!

Amon Malchow

I really love the relaxed fit of the suit, without it being too baggy. The low buttoning point and long jacket makes it kinda similiar to the anglo italian style, which I dig a lot.
The fabric seems nice too!

Chris

Actually Amon the buttoning point is not low, but at the correct height, which should always be in line with the wearer’s elbow.

Chris

Savile Row Bespoke Academy standard for a “correct” height is in line with the wearer’s elbow.

Chris

I agree that there will be variations, but also note that over the years you have often commented that you feel the buttoning point on a finished coat is too high or too low.
Surely there has to be a “standard” from which one can then deviate?

Thomas

The jackets that made Giorgio Armani’s reputation had a low buttoning point. He waa following the example of the suits that Cary Grant and Gary Cooper wore in the 30’s and 40’s, the most elegant suits ever. However, those jackets were cut closer in the waist, and were not voluminous like the Armani version.

Noel

Looks nice, Simon. Would you wear the jacket separately or is it too smooth?

Robin

On the subject of linen with the proliferation of linen in RTW it would be good to hear from yourself and PS readers brands doing good RTW shirts , trousers in linen ?

What weight (in grams) linen do you suggest ?
I hear the heavier (12oz plus ) is better .

Markus S

On the casual side, I can recommend the linen shirts by Luca Faloni. I wear them tucked and untucked and also with overshirts. However, they are not so good with jackets because the collar doesn’t fit.

Ian

One property of this cloth seems to be that it tends to look crumpled rather than creased. If that effect is preferred, I wonder if a cotton/linen mix would be the best first choice as finding a suitable ‘soft’ pure linen sounds difficult.

Aleksandar Ivic

Hello Simon and everyone,
I’m an avid long time reader of Your site and very grateful for your work. I never comment since I don’t feel competent enough.
I have just seen this Instagram reel and found so funny and just a little bit appropriate….
If You don’t share my opinion, please feel at ease to just delete it….
Best regards, Sasha
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8l_w1btt8O/?igsh=bWZtamswam9jaWxw

Aleksandar Ivic

Oh, thanks for the information, I must look it up.

Robert

Morning, Simon.
There is an interesting point here about having parts of the suit made by different makers.
Are there any benefits to taking this approach? For me, trousers always seem to be a bit difficult, so I suppose if I found someone who could make those consistently well, it would take away some risk.

Henry

Indeed, I saw a video of the Redmayne tailor who goes by the name “Sawile Row Tales” on youtube about this. That there can be subtle differences in hue/ colour in different bolts of cloth – even though you order the same cloth from the same manufacturer. Have you ever experienced this Simon?

teekay

And splitting up the parts would mean you’d have to buy more fabric as well, right?

Shaoul

Thanks for this.

I’d be curious to hear a bit more about how you take care of your linen suits . I tend to avoid either dry cleaning or pressing my suits. If I do dry clean, it would be the trousers and I will make sure to bring them back to my tailor to be pressed before wearing them again.

I simply find that wool suits (especially in the heavier weights I wear) look and smell perfectly fine even after wearing them 20 times- and the creases resolve after 3-4 days.

I feel that linen is an entirely different ball game and will be interested in your take. I am about to receive my first linen suit (500 gr from Fox).

Do linen suits resolve creases as well? If not, should one assume that the suit will further crease with every wear unless pressed? If so, what is your regiment?

Many thanks.

Thomas G

Simon, you appear to be sockless in your loafers. How do you manage perspiration and its unfortunate sequelae?

Nicolas Strömbäck

A trick from the Saman Amel and Stoffa playbook. Lovely colour and its seems a great choice for a summer fabric.

Mohammad Reza

I have trousers made up in the same brown linen and have thoroughly enjoyed wearing them with smart casual/semi-formal outfits. The only difficulty I’ve had is in matching a sports jacket. From your experience what sort of jacket do you think would work well? I’ve tried Navy but the jacket I have is made up in a hopsack with a bit of sheen which I think doesn’t work well with the muted tones of the linen.

Julian

Thanks for sharing your experience with Art du Lin as a suiting fabric, Simon.

I noted your suit is fully lined; does this not defeat the purpose of wearing linen in warm weather? I’m curious why you opted for this, as opposed to a buggy lining or going unlined. Does it have to do with wishing to have a semblance of ‘body’ in the suit, or something like that?

Would also appreciate finding out more about the makers of what Manish is so coolly wearing! Thanks!

art

the tote looks nice, any details on it?

Mario Carneiro

Hi Simon, could you comment on the versatility of this color versus “Tobacco” as in your other suits mentioned in the article links? I am interested in purchasing a suit in Art du Lin (probably those by The Anthology. RTW, yes, but I can’t just yet afford bespoke) and the less saturated browns seem to me as they could be more versatile, especially if worn as separates. The photos seem to make this particular bunch (if you could specify that it would be great, too) lighter or darker depending on lighting, and that is something that actually pleases me – especially when worn with a contrasting shirt. Finally, what color shoes do you think look best with your particular suit? Thanks!

Mario Carneiro

Hi Simon, thanks for replying!
When I said “Bunch” I probably should have said “color code”, as I thought Art du Lin was the type of work done by Solbiati to the fabric to give it this kind of matte finish, regardless of color. I loved the actual color you picked which is why I was interested to know what it was called. Apologies if my terminology was confusing or wrong, I’m only starting to get the hang of this.
Anyway, I will investigate further. Thanks “a bunch”!

Mario Carneiro

(PS: I just realized the code is in the article! NS20005 Duh!)

Sam

Simon, you have the lighter version, not the heavier. 20005 is the brown in three ply twisted, not the heavier Criseide series.

Mike

Good article. I didn’t know they made a 270 gram version of Art Du Lin. I’ll have to look that up. I live in south Texas and have been looking for a lightweight linen that doesn’t get tissue paper creases. I had something made out of the 12 oz W. Bill linen a few years ago but found it too heavy for the south Texas heat. I considered Art Du Lin but my tailor advised me against it, which I tend to agree with after my experience with the W. Bill fabric. Have you seen anything made from the 9 oz Fox Brother linen? I ordered a few swatches of it and it feels more like one of the 12 oz linen fabrics from Dugdale or W. Bill. I’m curious if it will crumple rather than crease.

John

What is the gorge height of the linen jacket, and how does it compare to your corduroy one? Was the corduroy at around 2 3/4 inches?

John

Has there been a change in the house style, or was it by your request?
How does the change affect the formality of the jacket? Can both jackets be worn with jeans (if you wear linen with jeans), considering both are Neapolitan jackets and supposedly less formal?

Nathan

Great combination Simon. Nice to see it’s half lined too. I have one heavy linen made unlined so the revers is the same as the body and it becomes too heavy. If I put things in the inner pocket, the inside part bags ever so slightly from the outer layer and as a result the lapel looks like it’s separating near the roll/buttoning point.. I don’t know if my descriptions are clear!

Ray

Hey Simon, looking very good in that suit! I was just curious if your decision to go with jetted pockets was just to mix things up or a deliberate decision to counter the potential bagginess that may occur over time with patch pockets for instance. Thanks!

Tamaki

Would you know by any chance the trousers that Manish is using on the last picture? Is it bespoke/tailored? Linen?

Jackson

Pretty beautiful suit! This and the Assisi suit may be two of my favourite things you’ve ever commissioned!

Brief tangential question for you.

Do you think the dark olive art du lin as a jacket would be able to work as a separate with these trousers:
https://www.atemporubato.com/products/dress-chino-in-sage
Or do you think that the greens aren’t different enough?

Thomas

The sunglass idea is brilliant.

Matteo

Hello Simon, I love the suit and even more your outfit! What would you think about combining, as a separate, a jacket made of this kind of lightweight linen with heavier Irish linen trousers? What obout the opposite?

TM

Now that you have this version, do you think the 530g version would make up as a suit better (help the trousers with a better crease, etc.)?

m

Simon have you considered producing more YT video content to cover your tailoring commissions? It could be one way to reach new audiences and get more value out of the commission or maybe extra creative outlet for you.
I’m thinking something between what Kirby and Mark do. You presenting the item, talking briefly about its features and how it turned out, commenting about situations where the item would work and giving quick styling advice. Like you usually do in article. Have some slow-mo b-roll street shots between cuts/segments. Maybe also include introduction and few words from the tailor that made the item to show their general vibe.
It seems to me that you have all the tools available for this as you already order the item, visit the tailor and have a photography session. You would only need to invest extra into editing, which these days can easily be outsourced and shouldn’t be prohibitive.

Leif

Great outfit, Simon. Especially with the dark shirt and dark loafers.

Kenneth

Good morning….much congrats 2 your wonderful linen suit….BRAVO!!!!! enjoy your weekend….cheers

Paul

I have three pairs of Art du Lin trousers – really beautiful but would not buy again, they are just too fragile – have worn them a dozen times or so very carefully but there is noticeable fading and wear around seat, pockets, fly and at creases, very noticeable especially on the indigo but also on the chocolate brown colour.
I don’t expect they will be wearable after a few seasons sadly – a great pity.
Folk at Anglo Italian told me they were batch dyed and dissuaded me from buying an Art Du Lin jacket from them to make it into a suit because of color matching issues, which was very decent of them.

Flynn

Hi Simon,
The softer, ‘peached’ texture of the Art du Lin intrigues me. It may partly be just the feeling of novelty, although I see The Armoury is using it in MTM items now.
I’m in the market for a plain chocolate brown linen suit for summer wear here in Australia (and it will be okay for my office as well): SB, natural shoulders, could be worn as separates.
The W Bill Irish linen that you showcased for the Sexton Offshore DB suit was always going to my first choice as a fabric in weight and colour, actually, but then this came along…
The W Bill may be marginally drier and therefore cooler, but leaving that aside, it’s otherwise likely to be largely a subjective choice. Could I get your perspective on which fabric you would pick if you were I?
Kind regards,

Brett

What do you think about combining “Art du lin” jacket and Ascot 4ply trousers, Simon?
I’m not a fan of suits really, I like to keep the outfit casual as much as possible.
But I wonder if 420gsm for a jacket is too heavy for hot weather in Asia, and mixed with 370-380gsm trousers (jacket heavier than trousers), is it weird?

Brett

Thanks for the advice.
My place is the same, also mid-thirties but quite high humidity.
Will try Art du lin, its effect looks interesting.

Ryan

Hi Simon,

If I am correct, the jacket is from an Italian tailor, and the trousers W&S. I know you have written in the past that you shouldn’t try and force tailors into making cuts they do not specialise in, so do you think it would be a bad idea to ask W&S to recreate this entire suit for me? It’s wicked.

Tim J

Hi Simon,
I hope you are enjoying your holiday. I actually came across the Art du Lin book at a tailors yesterday and recalled you’d written about it.
Noting your comments re: wearing this with denim shirts, I was curious to know whether you’d worn the jacket with jeans? If so, I’m keen to hear your thoughts as it is one of 3 x fabrics I’m considering for a jacket to wear casually as a separate.
While unrelated to the above, I though something you may wish to consider doing is going back and revisiting some of the jackets / coats you’ve commissioned (even as part of a suit) and showing a number of different ways of using/styling the piece. I’m sure it’s not just me who sees value in how you put an outfit together and given you’re dressing a little more casually these days and/or pairing tailoring with more casual pieces, I thought there may be a nice opportunity to run a little series along the lines of ‘1 piece, 5 ways’. You’ve certainly published pieces along those lines with the ‘if I only had X jackets / trousers / shoes’ and some of your packing for travel pieces get into building a capsule of pieces that can be worn interchangeably… but I was thinking more along the lines of how commissioning or buying a good piece like a jacket of coat gives you a range of choices (like the sliding scale of formality article, or even some of the outfits you were cataloguing during COVID lockdowns).
Cheers,
Tim.

Jackson

Seconding Tim’s idea. Think that would be some much needed ‘Vintage Permanent Style’ content.

Ryan

Hey Simon,

Messaged you once before. I am a uni student, second year (I got my first Whitcomb suit thanks to your referral, it’s great). I picked this up on eBay today, it’s cool. How would you style it? It’s W&S from 2014 I guess? A little worn, but has some character.

Screenshot-2024-08-17-130515
Josh

Hey Simon,
May you recommend any worsted wool branch or brand that has the similar finish or fading color like Art du Lin linen to be made on tropical suit?
Josh
Thank you

Justin

Simon-
Since getting into tailoring, I’ve always disliked belt loops on suits for the reasons you espoused since early PS days. Hilariously, in the world of large law firm culture in NY and LA, the decision was even viewed as a pretty dramatic choice early on.
That said, I have come to appreciate narrow, elegant belts in suits made for more casual settings (as here and in from your other writing, as well as the looks of the Saman Amel, Rubato, Brycelands, etc. folks). I’m thinking of having a navy Art du Lin suit made up in a soft cut and deciding between clean waist or loops. I would primarily wear it with chambray and navy polos, but also the occasional knit tie and more formal loafers (the latter a pinch in a more casual business setting or formal dinners).
At this point, would you always have a suit like described made up with belt loops, or do you still see a situation where you’d go for a cleaner waist? Thanks!

Joshua

Could trousers such as these which doesn’t have enough body and not densely woven look good with just polos and casual shirts or would the trouser risk looking odd because of the softness of it? I can understand the trouser not looking that smart but apart from that does it have any risk?

Joshua

In a way then any European linen trouser would not be a good select for a trouser?

Joshua

I was talking about these olive linen trousers specifically which I had purchased a while back and wanted to understand whether these could look nice with polos in a casual setting or should i discard it all together?

WhatsApp-Image-2024-11-26-at-15.23.59
Josh

Hey Simon,
I do love how fade and matte looking of Art du Lin so much
But since i look for something that provide a little bit more of formality and wrinkle
i dont think i have come across any of the similar type of wool that provide the same finishing or color especially one that for summer.

Do you have any commendation bunch that you might suggest me look into?
Thank you