Finally getting it right: The tobacco linen suit
Over time, I am certainly dressing better - more tastefully, more expressively and more personally - but there are ups and downs. The trend might be upwards, but it’s still a scatter diagram.
My history with tobacco-linen suits is a good example. I’ve loved that colour in linen ever since it appeared in street-style images shot by The Sartorialist and others, back in the early 2010s. In the same way as something like Solaro, it seemed the epitome of Italian chic - subtle colour, usually with a simple ‘Italian background’ of blue shirt and navy tie.
In 2014 I had one made by the Spanish tailor Langa, when I visited the country covering people for Permanent Style. It wasn’t great unfortunately, with the shoulders in particular being oddly unbalanced. The linen I chose - an eight-ounce from Scabal - was also rather light and it wrinkled more than I had expected (below).
Still, I wore it a fair bit (I didn’t have much else) often with the jacket being worn on its own with high-twist or gabardine trousers. The wrinkling was less of an issue with sharp trousers below.
Two years later, I tried to correct the mistake by having a new one made at Dege & Skinner on Savile Row (above). This was certainly better made, and I deliberately chose an Irish linen this time, W Bill 11oz, which also performed better.
However, the linen was a little more orange than the previous suit, and over time it proved to lack that subtle sophistication - it was too bright, closer in style to a bright blue than being an interesting variation on brown.
I had also chosen a Savile Row make because I thought sharpness would help with the wrinkliness, doubling down on that solution. But while it was a lovely, sharp suit, a softer Neapolitan make would probably have been better.
I found I wore the Dege less than I thought, and that soured me on the idea of tobacco linen for a while. I turned to other things when I wanted something unusual, like Solaro or seersucker.
I finally returned to tobacco this year, and it looks like I’ve finally nailed it. The suit here was made by Sartoria Ciardi in Naples, in W Bill linen but a shade darker than my Dege (61355 rather than 61358). It has the softness of a Neapolitan make but the body of an Irish linen, and that feels like the perfect combination.
This could all seem very off-putting to someone considering bespoke tailoring for the first time. Eleven years to finally get the right thing, and thousands of pounds wasted along the way?
Well, not wasted. I enjoyed wearing both suits for a while, and only slowly came to understand what I would improve about them. I’d also say that my success rate with commissioning bespoke is still fairly high, and that I made just as many mistakes with RTW when I was young. (Etro suit with a paisley lining anyone?)
The difference with bespoke is that lack of ability to see something made up before you order it. It’s one reason I sometimes recommend to consultancy clients (I was talking to one last week about this) that they consider MTM when they’re starting out, even if they can afford bespoke. Because with MTM you can often see something already in RTW, and then have it made to your specifications.
Regardless of the bumpy round I took to get here, I’ve been hugely enjoying this linen suit since I got it a couple of months ago.
The particularly pleasant surprise was how good it looks with black, as in the outfit above (see if you can spot my earring!).
For regular readers this will be obvious, but I’ve been wearing an increasing amount of black over the past five years (the first article on it was here) largely because it’s dark and everyday, but not the navy or charcoal of business attire.
The fact black works with this colour of tobacco is the best illustration of its tone, as well. Black would have been far too stark a contrast - cheap looking - against that more orangey linen of the Dege suit. This shows how it’s basically just a variation of brown - lighter, redder - and that’s how it really looks in the W Bill bunch.
The other combination is the classic Italian Background, with an old denim/linen shirt and a navy grenadine tie.
In London, however, the thing I wear it with most is a denim shirt like this worn open-necked, or other shirts with some pattern and colour going on. A blue-and-white butcher’s stripe is great, for example, as is a green stripe.
They’re all summer combinations, certainly, and in the UK you’d want it to be a sunny day really. But it’s a more subtle option for the sun than a cream linen or some brighter colour. And it’s great for a wedding somewhere in the Mediterranean.
The other thing tobacco is lovely for is mid-brown leathers, like the Edward Green Belgravia loafers shown below. They’ve had a lot of love and polish over the years, but even so, with linen like this those brown tones really sing. Goes for belts too.
The starting price for a Sartoria Ciardi suit is £4000. The W Bill linen is 12/13oz and is WB61355.
The other clothes shown are:
- Bespoke linen/denim shirt from Luca Avitabile
- Drakes’ big-knot grenadine tie
- ‘Hardy’ sunglasses from EB Meyrowitz
- Olive socks from Anderson & Sheppard
- 'Belgravia' tassel loafers from Edward Green in dark oak
- Black knit from Rubato
- 'Piccadilly' loafers from Edward Green in London Grain leather
- Must de Cartier watch on green alligator strap
Photography: Lorenzo Sodi
Hi Simon, very timely article and very nice suit. I just picked up an SB tobacco linen suit from Tommy & Giulio Caraceni this week. Mine is a similar color and weight Irish linen from Drapers Portofino Linen bunch. Both Drapers and W Bill’s irish linens are made by Spence Bryson, so they may be the same.
My new suit is also a bit of a correction of an error. I had a medium brown, sort of milk chocolate color so lighter than your Sexton DB suit, DB linen suit done by Ferdinando Caraceni a few years ago. In most linen bunches, it is the shade of brown darker than tobacco. I went for that because I was unsure about tobacco, even though I have always liked the color in pictures. It turns out that suit was a bit of a mistake, as DB Irish Linen is for me too hot and I like the color less than tobacco. I still use it, but not as often as I hoped. I expect that I will get a lot more wear out of my new tobacco linen suit.
Interesting, thank you Andrew
Out of curiousity, how do you rate your linen suits in terms of ease of wear, or utility?
Mine would be
I would love a black linen suit for summer evenings but it is something that I would use so little it doesn’t make much sense.
I’d say beige or something between that and cream is always top.
Then dark brown
Then olive or tobacco
Navy blue I never liked that much as it tends to look a little tired to me. I’d rather have something like seersucker in navy on navy
I tend to agree with you on the blue. It was my first linen suit and I thought it was a safe choice but it is a bit boring. If I had to do it again I wouldn’t go for blue. I would go for a dark brown if I wanted something more for the day or black if for the evening.
Do any of you have recommendations for good beige linen cloths?Surprisingly (!) I cannot find any good ones. Have looks at many linen bunches (W. Bill, Art du lin, linens from HFW, Maison Hellard etc.) but none of them have the «muted beige» I am after…
They can vary a fair bit. I like Harrisons 28306 but that’s a little paler than you might want
There is a nice one in a Eurotex bunch and also in W Bill. I’ll have a look and send the references on Monday.
The beige I quite like is WB61362 in the W Bill Irish Linens Bunch. WB61361 is also nice, but it is more of a rope color than beige. The color would be pretty light when made up into a full suit, so maybe it would be less versatile than beige.
I cannot find the number of the Eurotex linen I mentioned, but it is very similar in color and weight to WB61362.
Any ideas of which Spence bryson linen is closest?
I have never looked at a Spence Bryson bunch. I believe both W Bill and Eurotex source their linen from Spence Bryson, as many bunches do, so there is almost certainly a direct match. But I don’t know what the code would be.
I actually asked spier Mackay if they have one and what would be closest in Spence Bryson. They suggested this might be the one. Any thoughts? https://www.uwfabric.com/product-page/tropical-coffee-8102-ultrasoft-145cm
There isn’t a close equivalent in the Spence Bryson Tropical book. 8102 is a much darker brown. Earth 6130 is probably closer but it can appear very orange in direct light.
Andrew, very interesting to learn that Portofino and W Bill might be the same. I have trousers in both, and suspected as much. But I will say, Portofino has the edge color-wise (25142 is perhaps the archetype beige, looking smart with both brown and black).
I’ll throw my hat in concerning tobacco linen suits. I have one in the original London Lounge Irish linen, which may also have been coordinated by W Bill. Mine is more of a golden tobacco–what I might call a Connecticut shade-grown leaf, rather than corojo or maduro. I’ve attached an image of the bolt for reference.
I like the darker browns as well, but this lighter, yellower, golden shade looks great with a palest blue shirt and navy knit tie. The jacket also looks good with washed out old jeans.
A good article and somewhat recalls your experience with cotton suits. Do you find that this color really works in northern Europe? My feeling is that it might somewhat work this year given the dryness, but it really seems more at home in the med (esp southern Italy) where the color echoes the color of the buildings and arid landscape. Maybe it still works in the north but the south seems its natural home if that makes sense.
It does Richard, I know what you mean. Certainly older buildings, towns etc are nicer with these kinds of materials. There are those kinds of places elsewhere of course and on a sunny day there isn’t that much difference. But I see why it would be more use to someone that lived there, or travelled there
really nice one
I’ve been looking forward to this post ever since I saw the photos of you in this suit at Pitti yesterday, such a sharp look. Pairing it with the black polo is spot on, effortlessly stylish, almost cocktail chic, but still subtle. I’m thinking about picking up a linen suit I can break up, this is very tempting. Originally I was thinking beige, do you think that would be a more versatile option?
Yes, beige would certainly be more versatile I’m afraid!
Surely more versatile in combinability. However a mid to dark brown like yours would suit a wider range of occasions, including evening, and even seasons, carrying one into early fall, in a way in which beige would not. Beige linen looks great but it’s hard to justify the cost for a bespoke garment which can only be worn two months of the year, and which even then is a bit uncomfortable in heavy Irish linen during our increasingly warm summers. Even if it doesn’t have the same charm, a beige suit in a light tropical wool is much more practical.
I would wear it for more than half the year probably, more focusing on sun than heat. But a darker beige or light brown might be better still, like my Armoury one
Thanks Simon, do you agree that a tropical wool would be more practical? I assume Michael is more referring to daily (work) wear?
More practical yes, but tropical wools don’t really take colour in the same way as linen and most colours don’t look great – I’ve yet to see a beige I like
Yes I agree, although I would call your Armoury suit more brown than beige. It is a perfect shade, very cool (in terms of saturation) and unassuming.
By practical I meant cooler and more durable (Ascot 2-ply for instance is very cool and not that wrinkly), but I agree linen is more chic.
Thank you Michael, yes I agree
I would also distinguish between tropical wool and high twists, like Ascot or Fresco. I am not sure if this is technically correct but my observation is that most tropical wools are lightweight with a more open weave but are not high twist. Based on my limited experience with one tropical wool suit, it is cool but wrinkles much more easily than a high twist Ascot or Fresco. The trousers for example need pressed almost after every wear.
The two, three or four plies make high twists much more wrinkle resistant than tropical wool. If I had to get another summer wool suit, I would choose a high twist every time over a tropical wool.
I would have to check as well Andrew, but I think it’s more of a scale than a clean division, and often tropical wools will have some twisted or slightly twisted yarn as well.
I have been waiting for this article since I saw the first stories with this suit, it looks really nice and caught my attention immediately!
I have a tobacco linen suit that I bought about four years ago at suitsupply, and I wore, and wear, the hell out of. It is fully unconstructed, made of irish linen from Baird McNutt.
Being unconstructed means that also the jacket front is far from the cleanest looking, so for me it’s in essence a very casual suit and that’s how I use it. Mostly with white, light blue or blue striped open shirts. In rare occasions I will put on a navy or black grenadine tie.
I had never thought of using a green striped shirt with this suit but I will give it a try. Neither have I ever tried mid brown shoes with it, I use mostly very dark brown suede or deerskin.
One last thing, is that the linen did fade a bit over these years, you can clearly see the difference between the linen on the inside and outside of the jacket, or even under the lapels. So if you use this suit a lot it might become lighter at some point.
Thanks Dario, good to know. That sounds like it could be quite nice, and hopefully won’t make it more like the Dege one given that is a stronger colour rather than a paler one
No, the fade has not made it stronger in my case.
Nice!
I think a good advice when picking cloth is to make it a bit darker, a bit colder and often also a bit heavier than you first think.
Generally good advice Carl, I agree, thank you
Tobacco is such a great colour and the soft cut is perfect. If I had a suit like this I’m not sure I’d want to take it off. Congratulations on finding ‘the one’!
Along with the PS Harris tweed I think this tobacco linen really hits the mark !
A real gem of advice you dropped in this article which is to go with MTM as at least you’ll see the end result beforehand .
With regards the tobacco colour would it work with all skin tones .
Being of northern Indian heritage with Manish’s skin tone I just don’t want to get the colour wrong .
P.S. I notice how you’ve ‘aged’ with the photo of the earlier tobacco suit and despite western culture considering aging in a negative manner you look better now then previously .
May that continue …. For us all
Thanks Robin, that’s always lovely to hear. There was an article recently setting out how I think I dress my body better than I used to, including the importance of things like hair length, beard, and wearing glasses. Those are the biggest things looking back on those images I think
Hard to say on skin tone without the experience, but I see your concern. Perhaps I’ll see if Manish can chip in
Look forward to Manish’s response.
I just want to avoid the ‘washed out’ look.
It’s something I’ve never understood though it’s been explained alot .
Hi Robin,
I actually had the same question recently when reading Manish’s piece on knitted t-shirts. Like you, I’m Indian and have a similar skin tone to Manish. From my experience, tobacco – though a beautiful colour – has never really worked for me, even after trying a few different shades. It just looks odd, even with a nice cream or light blue shirt underneath. Shame, really.
Cheers,
AK
Speaking of the Harris Tweed from PS, is it also muted enough to pair with black?
No I think it’s too warm for that. You want something colder, like my WW Chan jacket or the PSxFox houndstooth tweed
Lovely cut, too. Width of the lapels looks better than your old green cotton suit from Ciardi, in that one the lapels were imo too wide and notch too high.
Hi Simon, question regarding the walkie talkie video you posted today.
I see you are using the Ichizawa Hanpu tote. I believed you had the ecru colorway originally. Did you dye it and change its color?
No, it’s a different one, a dark grey
How do you find its versatility compared to the ecru version?
Pretty similar to be honest, I just like this darker colour with a few things
Absolutely agree that you’ve nailed this one! Colour is wonderful and looks great with the black polo too. Speaking of this tone, will the black Japanese denim shirts be restocked in the near future?
I have a W. Bill tobacco linen suit made here in Rome by Sartoria Ripense. Despite the association with Italian summers, linen—especially heavier weight—is more suitable for our shoulder seasons. Even with minimal lining, it’s just too hot when the temperature hits 35 degrees. A fresco or hopsack wool is cooler.
Another issue with tobacco linen in summer is that sweat can leave stains. It all comes out in dry cleaning but not with plain water, so there’s no use trying to spot clean at home.
All that being said, I love the suit and plan to bring it on holiday in the UK in August where I’m hoping (praying?) the temperature will be more amenable.
Thanks Max. In the UK you never know, that’s the fun!
I have several bespoke suits in W Bill linen, including the same tobacco cloth as yours. My favourite, though, is in a darkish sage. I don’t have the cloth number but it by far the most versatile. There isn’t a colour it doesn’t compliment, and it can go from super casual to quite formal.
Rather than go 3 roll 2, though, mine are all single button, much in the Huntsman style, but cut in a very Neapolitan way.
This extends the torso, nips the waist but still gives that very soft, unstructured profile which just works so well.
Thank you. I guess you don’t recognise that sage from the Bill website, so we could know which one it was?
Difficult to tell, but I’m guessing either 61359 or 61352
Thank you
As for greens in that bunch, I personally really like 61363 and 61361. The former is a sage or light olive, where latter is almost more of a grey with a green overtone. I have the 61361 and it is super versatile.
Thanks, that’s a really interesting point! We get a lot of heat and humidity here (we top 35 daily for several months a year). I will keep your point in mind.
Hi Max
I was in Rome, where I believe you live, this week for two days: one day I wore an Irish linen suit and one day an Ascot four ply. If being cool when it’s really hot is the only priority, I would agree you are right that high twist is cooler.
I think though that linen has a few advantages in the summer compared to other cloths: in my opinion linen takes color better than any other fabric. The summer colors that are so nice in linen – tobacco, beige, cream, sage or olive green – don’t look as good in wool high twist or any other summer fabric. Even if you could find a bunch that had these colors, a high twist wool suit in tobacco or sage green would risk looking a bit unusual, while those colors look great in linen. And this gets better with age as linen fades and, like an old pair of jeans, looks even nicer.
The other is that the performance advantage of high twists versus linen I think really only applies to the heavier ones like ascot four ply. Ascot 4 ply is somewhere around 380-400 grams and is cool, drapes well and holds a crease. In my experience, the lighter high twists in the 250-280 gram region do not drape so well or hold a crease, stick to your body in the heat, and are wrinkled by the end of the day.
For me, once temperatures go above 35 degrees there is no suit that is going to keep you feeling cool. The only solution is to try to mitigate overheating as much as possible, partially with the fabric but also with abandoning any though of a tie, maybe socks as well if you can get away with it, and wearing a hat.
Hi Andrew, I agree about the great color choices with linen. And you’re right that in this current heat, any suit or sport jacket is challenging. I live around the corner from the Italian Senate so I see a lot of suits and ties in the neighborhood, but beyond government workers, it’s become rare here in summer.
Very interesting article. I quite like the English tailoring style, even for something a bit more “casual” (I wear denim but not with sport coats). That said, I think the Ciardi is a better look for this. It’s quite sharp, Simon. Good look.
On a slightly different point, my greatest frustration with bespoke and made-to-measure is something you and Manish have both touched on but not discussed in detail (unless I’ve missed it, in which case, please forgive me) — that it is very hard to extrapolate with any precision the color, texture, and pattern of a fabric as a full garment from small swatches. They invariably differ from the small swatches and have been the cause of more than one mistake. While seeing the full the garment on another person makes it easier to envision, they do tend to differ somewhat based on cut, and perhaps, tailoring style and skin tone.
Yes, we haven’t written about that in detail – what would be helpful? It’s hard to give many tips, except things like colours and patterns often appear stronger
For context, bespoke never used to be like this. It was much more common for tailor shops to sell from bolts of cloth only. The old A&S shop was just big tables of cloth in the front. But that’s become harder as bespoke volume has decreased and in some respects cloth ranges have got wider
I’ll defer to you on that. It may just be hard to discuss. My primary tailor also uses bolts of cloth – probably left over from when his dad ran the company – but they’re often pinstripes. Almost everything I have made these days is sport coats. The four suits I have are plenty for my needs. Since I don’t really like pinstripes in sport coats (at least for me), we generally look at the swatches. The swatches are more vivid than the swatch color and the patterns hard to suss out. While we never look at the versions on the internet, I have wondered from time to time whether they might be more accurate.
Sorry, “[t]he swatches are more vivid than the sport coat color,” not “[t]he swatches are more vivid than the swatch color.” Pardon the error.
Hi Simon,
It’s a very cool looking (in all respects!) suit, The end of your Odyssey – or perhaps not. Just general question, how do you dispose of your bespoke clothing mistakes? I know you mentioned a WhatsApp group and like myself you use Marrkt, which is fine for rtw, but I suspect more of a challenge for bespoke. Just curious as I would surmise you have invested a great deal of money over the years
It’s a mixture of those things and friends. Sometimes the occasional private sale.
I have, but it is also lovely to see others enjoying them after I can’t any more, and I can recoup something
Hi Simon,
2 questions if you would, please
First, do you find this tobacco, or the dark brown linen from Edward Sexton more versatile/ useful?
Second, what is that black Rubati knit? A polo? I didn’t see any on their site.
Thank you!
I think the brown Sexton would be more versatile, but ideally in a single breasted, if versatility is your priority.
They don’t currently sell that knit. Our Finest Polo works well too though – I’m wearing that in the Reel today on our Instagram as well as other shots from Pitti
Perfect.
One last thing – someone mentioned above that the W. Bill (or probably all linen) at 13oz is still too hot for 30°C and warmer. Do you find that to be the case? If so, do you find a breathable wool weave best?
That temperature is common where I live.
I don’t, it’s ok for me, but I find I can wear slightly heavier things than others.
Yes a light, high-twist wool is often cooler, though not by a lot
Thank you!
And now the winder version. The perfect caramel/rust corduroy suit?
I’m actually looking at that at the moment Martins, as I may have to replace my A&S cord suit shown here
Current favourite is Caccioppoli 540339
Not to hijack but regarding fall colors for a suit, what are your thoughts on the Fox TD10 : Russet Herringbone Tweed? It is on their site.
https://foxflannel.com/products/red-yellow-herringbone-tweed
I think it may be best as a sport coat, the colors are beautiful. I wonder if it is too strong, even for autumn. I guess this is another example of wishing one could see it made up, first.
Yes I think so Mike. When colours are this strong it’s particularly needed.
Also, great as that Fox Tweed is, it’s not ideal for trousers, as most tweeds made more for jacketings aren’t. (More on that here)
Thank you, again!
Mike, if it’s of any help at all, I had a jacket made of TD28, autumn brown plaid. It’s somewhat different from TD10, but similar, probably, in a reddish brown tone. My jacket is terrific, and I think TD10 would be excellent as well.
Will you write an article on how great pieces age out due to wear and tear?
Sure, I can
Interesting… All I could find is a picture of a small swatch but it seems almost a normal mid brown? Well looking forward to the article! 🙂
Dear Simon
One of your best commissions.As I told u before suites u very well. Ciardi and Salino two different styles works well for you. Looking forward to see your next project with Salino.
Nazim from Paris.
Looks great. I think it’s very common for each of us to return to our favorites over the years, once we figure out what our favorites are, rather than have variety for the sake of variety. By favorites, I mean the tailored clothing that we gravitate towards outside of the standard navy and charcoal suits. And that’s the essence of style.
I love this suit Simon – cloth, cut, accessories, everything. The only issue I have is that I don’t have an obvious place in my life for such a suit.
Unfortunately, for me, suits are now used in ceremonial settings, so higher-level business (interviews, client facing), weddings or funerals. It might work for a wedding depending on the nature of the wedding, but clearly not in the other two……which is a shame because I can’t really justify the expense for a more niche item.
I don’t know if others can relate to this.
I’m sure they can James. Perhaps a light beige or off-white might work well, in that you could split up the top and bottom, and still where the suit to the occasional summer wedding
Thanks Simon,
Can I be cheeky and add to this. Given our summers do seem to be getting hotter, and many business conferences are in the summer months, it would make sense for me to get a more summer aligned business suit.
In view of this, with that brief, what would you lean to – a high-twist or a linen (in a smarter colour, heavier Irish weight as here)? I personally prefer English cuts for business suits if that has any relevance – my personal preference would be an English-cut high-twist in a formal colour (probably grey) but would be good to hear your thoughts.
Thank you!
I think if it’s for business, high twist would be better, and your idea of make – in a dark grey or a navy – sounds great
As Richard above mentioned, for me in northern Europe this would be a niche item, I don’t see myself investing bespoke money into something like this. But if I were to have it then I’d see myself wearing it during summer evenings to open air bars, lounges, parties or more intimate concerts. I don’t think it’s a hard item to pull off if your lifestyle supports it, the issue is that you can achieve similar effect with more versatile items. Now if I were to live anywhere on the globe thats below Germany then it would be a different story.
That is a good looking suit!
Boom!!! You’ve nailed it, best of the 3 and the accompanying shirts/shoes complement very well 👍
Thanks Colin
The color is absolutely fabulous. I know that the wrinkles are part of the “charm” of linen but they bother me and so I stick with wool or a wool blend. I suppose it might be possible to find a tropical weight wool in the same color that would mitigate wrinkles. In my part of the world it never gets very hot and that might work better for me. Enjoy your new suit.
Thanks Mark. I would be careful about transferring colours between materials – the texture makes a big difference to how it comes across. I’ve never seen a wool in a relatively strong colour like this that I personally like
Great article, Simon.
You mention that being able to see and try on a RTW piece can make MTM a good starting point, even for those who could afford bespoke. If I can try on the RTW version of a sport coat (The Anthology’s Fox x PS houndstooth for example), would you recommend going bespoke for my first commission, or is MTM still the better route?
No in that case I don’t think my advice applies, as you can see the jacket made up and then choose MTM or bespoke, depending on the level of make and fit you want
Very interesting thanks Simon. Out of interest, are there any key points of difference compared to the Art du Lin suit you wore to Pitti last year? For example you had mentioned that you wouldn’t recommend the Art du Lin trousers on their own, although the fabric was lighter than an irish linen on warmer days.
Yes good point Alexander, I’d say this Irish linen is much better for trousers on their own. It’s stronger and holds a crease better
Thanks Simon, and are the trousers with your customary mid rise and flat front?
yes
Thanks – and in relation to the complete summer capsule of 2024 )where you noted a dark brown or dark green linen suit might be more versatile than a cream for using the trousers separately) would this tobacco colour replace the other options for your own summer capsule?
No, I’d still say those are the best options, but the dark brown perhaps not Art du Lin, just a regular Irish linen
(First off, hope Pitti is/was a great time, safe travels Simon)
This tobacco feels much richer and warmer compared to your Model 101 from The Armoury.
1. Would you say that colder, more muted shade is more versatile? Or are these colors just different.
2. Are you still getting wear out of that one, or is this effectively a replacement?
Good point Zawaad. Yes that one is more versatile you’re right. I think I will wear it a little less than this one just because it isn’t bespoke, and because I really enjoy this colour and have some good opportunities to wear it. But that mid-brown would be a better choice for most people
Nailed the colour. To clarify, starting price is GBP 4000 or EUR 4000? If the former, that’s a considerable increase from what Ciardi used to charge.
Apologies, you’re right, that should be euros. I’ll change it now
I really appreciate the prices being disclosed in these posts.
I have been a bespoke customer of Thom Sweeney for about 10 years but the price increase over the last couple has made them almost inaccessible (for me anyway).
I’m now at a cross road where I either stick and commission one thing every few years, or to the point where I’m considering trying someone new. May even get in touch with Ciardi
OK, well let me know if you need any advice there NL, eg on the potential style differences
Hey Simon, I notice that you often wear black Piccadilly loafers in a lot of your tailoring posts as opposed to other shoes you own, particularly your bespoke ones. Is there a reason you reach for them over others?
I’d say it’s a combination of:
– Loafers are the best for crossing formal and casual, so not making a suit too smart for instance
– Bespoke loafers are hard to make and I don’t have any, let alone black ones
– The Piccadilly in an unlined, stretchy leather like the London Grain is particularly comfortable
What about your bespoke G&G loafers from Daniel? Did you give them away?
Yes, unfortunately. The fit was never really good enough
Small typo Simon: “…looks likeI think I’ve finally nailed it.”
cheers Jon
Interesting to see a post about summery linen and talking about wearing black in summer, I recently got some polo RL black linen trousers, I rarely wear black but I’ve been wearing these almost daily, with a linen shirt or a very nice silk crew neck jumper for j.p Hackett. I think PS has been a big part of me coming round to the idea of black more. This looks great with the black, and those Belgravias are stunning, a testament to ageing well.
Thank you, and nice to hear we’ve led you down an interesting path
Everything A1. Simon ,but the tank watch on green alligator strap clinched it for me. I hope it has a deployant buckle., excellent.👍 It’s the details as always.
It’s a lovely suit. Looking at the two W Bill swatches I can see exactly what you mean in that the 61358 is quite bright, but not sure that would have been obvious in the other direction (extrapolating from the swatches to how the suit would look).
Interestingly I had just come to the same conclusion, that MTM would be a better place to start my journey into higher end tailoring despite being able to afford bespoke. If I were to commission something like this for myself it would likely be something like The Armoury Model 103, which would also have the advantage of not requiring a trip to London or Naples (AFAIK Ciardi does not do trunk shows in NY).
That’s a lovely suit! I noticed that the sleeves on your linen suit appear slightly longer than your usual style. Was that an intentional choice compared to your wool suits? Also, how about trousers length?
I’m not sure if that is the case Ken to be honest. Sometimes tailors do cut them a little longer though to account for the centimetre or so they will lose during the day as they wrinkle.
Trousers equally
Simon,
It’s interesting that you say “I’m certainly dressing better” but then add the caveat; “It’s still a scatter diagram”.
This doesn’t surprise. My experience is flaneurs with unlimited access to schmutter don’t always make the best choices. They don’t consider as long and hard as us mere mortals.
This isn’t a criticism. It’s a good thing. You make mistakes on our behalf and save Ps readers time and money in the process.
In this particular instance I think the colour and the cut of the suit are perfect. The problem is the weight of the fabric. OK heavier may show creases less but when it does, they show differently and give the impression that it needs ironing whereas the lighter cloth may crease more but that looks part of the whole schtick.
I recently bought a linen suit from Sunspel (£670) and it’s great. It fits like a glove and creases are just part of its DNA. The cut is also very louche – something I like.
Regards,
David
Hi Simon,
I have a Ciardi 3 roll 2 suit in tobacco linen which I wore to a wedding in London on Sunday. I was wondering if it would work in London but think it was fine – I think it pretty much has to be sunny like you said – you’re wearing it at Pitti and wonder how often you’d wear in London.
It’s the Cacciopoli 320374 – it’s 360 grams so pretty much the same weight as yours.
Is it the same shade of brown as yours? I think it is but would be good to know if you agree looking online. I ask because I’m looking for combinations to wear with it so your post is incredibly helpful – it’s less conventional than all my other suits so ideas very welcome to make more use of it . Thanks again
I think that’s the same Harry, yes. It looks it online, though of course it also looks different to how it looks on the Bill site
I would certainly try it with black, as here, with white or cream, and with stripes in pale green or pale blue
Simon – this looks really great on you. It is a lovely shade of Tobacco. On that note – how does this color compare to the tobacco PS overshirt? I have always wanted a tobacco linen outfit and was tempted when the overshirt came out but didn’t pull the trigger because I thought the color was a little too light and orangey. But am now second guessing that. This one is perfect! So how does the two compare and will you be restocking the tobacco overshirt? Thanks!
The overshirt is a little lighter and more orangey, yes. We don’t know yet whether we’ll be restocking it next year
Excellent article. Simon. And for me, it’s the journey, not necessarily the destination that matters. Thanks to articles like this, I can articulate my preferences. And it is a beautiful suit, despite being something that wouldn’t work in rural New Hampshire.
Thanks Tom
The colour suits you; however, it is too saturated and reddish for my tastes. To each his own.
I liked your Armoury MTM commission from the Lisburn bunch. The colour was lighter and more subdued for summer.
True
Do find any tailors are willing to get the cloth in sufficient length to drape over your shoulder in front of mirror to be more certain of its tone before you commit to the purchase?
I’ve had mine here do that saying he was willing to keep it if I wanted another cloth. He offered, but I think that’s extremely rare. Any experiences like that ?
Choosing to pull the trigger on these lovely cloths is getting harder over time for me because of several of these mistakes.
Just go for darker shades always to be safe? I’ve been on the fence for a tabacco linen and a solaro for too long …
It’s rare that tailors do that, yes, it’s just too high a cost when you have a lot of people coming through
Yes if you want to avoid mistakes you have to stay safe unfortunately, which probably means not going for tobacco linen or solaro
Pity the cloth merchants do not regularly offer cloth books in a much larger size. Mark cho at the Armoury showed these swatches for Drapers cloths that were far larger than most books I see. Seems like a decent compromise.
Great read, thank you. You mentioned pairing the jacket with high-twist or gabardine trousers – which colours do you think works best for the trousers in that case?
Well, cream would be stunning, but quite a bold look. Olive green might be nice, and I think some beiges too. I haven’t done it much I’m afraid though so don’t have too many specific recommendations
Thank you. I have a tobacco Iinen jacket that I never wear as I do not really know what to pair it with. I will probably aim for beige then, not feeling very bold about this.
Grey. Dark grey especially is nice with tobacco linen in my experience. Tobacco is fundamentally a brown. It is an orange-ish brown, but a brown nonetheless. It seems very different than a brown tweed you might wear in the winter, but in terms of what colors it goes with, it behaves very similar (though more friendly to white shirts).
Other colors (eg green) can work too, but if you’re wearing a tie, the rest of the calculus becomes tricky.
Great to see your old Belgravias make an appearance! They look better than ever.
Cheers Kevin
Lot of money to spend on clothes. You probably spent over $10,000.00 trying to get it right. However, it is your money not mine. But, I will say this. The ever increasing prices for bespoke turned me off of it.
I completely get that Dan. It is a shame. I guess the only counterpoint is that most things have got more expensive as well, including good RTW suits
True but for me the real turn off with bespoke is the cost per wear which is clearly a function of the casual culture.
I have a pretty active social life but attend few events where a suit would not constitute being overdressed.
Last week I was in NYC for three days and attended four events. I only wore a suit once!
It has become a rare sight to see you with a tie, and it is something I very much welcome! I hope you’ll come back to it, maybe playing a bit against the casual chic; ‘charming business’, or something along those lines.
Thanks, yes I feel the absence of it and it is a nice thing to come back to
Hey Simon, wonderful piece as always. Two quick questions, are you planning on showing the complete capsule you packed for Pitti this season? Even as an IG story format that would be fantastic imo (If you already released something, apologies, I missed it). Secondly, would you say that the particular direction you went with this suit in the end after the first 2 attempts is more a culmination of objective learnings (about fabric, color, cut/style) or subjective learnings about your pure preferences for each of these things and how they fit together for your body, wardrobe, and lifestyle. Im sure it’s some combination, but asked another way, would you recommend someone else only really “copy” your final version, or could your first or second attempt actually work better for plenty of people, just not for yourself.
I’d say the choice of this suit for tobacco linen is more objective. But the choice of tobacco linen at all is more subjective.
I haven’t published anything, no, sorry and have no plans to do a piece on it. You can see two of the outfits here this week though (this and the Cifonelli jacket)
Hi Simon, Apologies but there are already 109 comments so far so I am not sure if you have addressed this topic already. I understand your comment regarding Irish Linen being best in trousers only. If you were ordering, your first suit, from Solito, would you go Irish or Art du Lin, given your extensive linen journey to date…Btw your Tobacco and black looks so good !!
Thanks as always.
Thomas
Thanks Thomas.
It depends – how important is it to you to be able to break up the suit?
Thanks Simon.
Would probably prefer to have the option of breaking it up although not really a key factor in my decision. Just to be clear I meant to say first linen suit.
If it’s not a factor then I’d go with Art Du Lin if you really like the particular texture and look – but only then.
In all other cases I’d go with regular Irish linen
Thanks Simon. I hope you have a wonderful summer.
Simon re the listed Drake’s big knot grenadine tie this looks fantastic. Is the “big knot” in this particular tie achieved through a thicker or different lining than their standrd Grenadine, a wider cut/shape at a particular part of the tie or other tricks? Thank you.
Sorry no, I mean the weave of the tie itself – big gauze, garza grossa – not the tie knot
Lovely! I have had trousers made up by WW Chan in this exact cloth a few years ago and find it more versatile than expected. I love wearing it with white and/or cream on top. Brown loafers, light blue, pink or striped shirt, cream cotton sports jacket. Very high in my all-time top favourite summer outfits. But also good imo with a dark navy polo (like the merino Ps one), olive overshirt, light grey t-shirt etc etc.
Hi Simon,
If you recall i commented on your previous article looking for a recommendation for a heavier linen, that can be made into a sharp trouser. I referred to your article on the ramie shirt, but couldn’t find any links to linen bunches. Would you recommend this linen bunch to me? On a side note im a little confused as to how despite being heavier, you find solbiati’s Art Du Lin, to be lacking in body. (I might be misquoting you).
Another question, how insulating is Linen compared to wool and cotton, at heavier weights?
– Yes I would recommend this linen bunch, and also Mersolair, which the trousers in that Ramie article came from. These Irish linens don’t differ that much, and in fact often come from the same mills
– Art du Lin is heavier but softer. Lovely, but not as hard wearing or sharp as you’d usually want for trousers on their own
– Not very! Though no worse than cotton
My first and only bespoke suit is not perfect but it’s comfortable and fits well.
There are things I’d do differently, I actually prefer separates, I like to “mix and match”, affording much more versatility but I would be looking for a tailor/cutter who is consistent in his skills eg Hitchcock or W&S etc.
That said, we all need at least one suit in our wardrobe!
Love the evolution here—real proof that even seasoned dressers still refine over time. The final look hits that sweet spot: soft tailoring, rich tone, and subtle contrast with the black.
Simon I’m rather surprised you have gone for a Must, given that this subrand was originally designed to be, and still is, the cheap version of Cartier, mainly with quartz movements and plate rather than solid gold.
Is there a reason you chose it?
Thanks
Hi,
Yes, as I’ve talked about before in regards to watches, I don’t really care about movements – design is my priority and if anything I like the fact that it represents a particular moment in Cartier history. I also particularly like the small size and the cracked face
OK, I get that, but given your positioning on the finest etc, why but a subset of a brand which has been specifically designed to be a “cheap” entry point for it when it looks exactly the same as the original, but isn’t?
Because I’d still say Cartier is the finest in terms of design. And because budgets aren’t infinite so if I see a really nice one in this size, with this particularly nice cracked face, I’m happy with it
This is a wonderful suit, Simon! I can see your ‘progress’ with the tobacco suits over the years very clearly in this article. You inspired me to get a jacket in that fabric some 10 odd years back when I saw your article wearing that Langa jacket with cream trousers, blue shirt, and a green tie. I have copied that look many a time. This somewhat more structured Neapolitan cut is really well suited to keep firm enough to deal with the linen but still casual enough to work well for an ‘off-duty’ suit. The choice of fabric also looks spot-on, both colour and texture/firmness of the linen seem great.
In terms of combos, I think this would go great with a pale mint green shirt, a beige or cream knit polo (perhaps from your own brand in wool or Smedley in cotton?) or linen shirt, and also with that ‘old aristocrat’ look you did some years ago of a white shirt and black knit tie, which would dull out the more cheery colour of the suit. I do wonder how it would go with a navy knit?
Good suggestions, yes I agree with all of them. I wore it at Pitti with a mint-stripe shirt as well.
It does work with navy but only if the navy is very dark
Your suit and sport coats always look just a bit to long? Is that just me or do you prefer that style? How about a story showcasing your personal closet…..
It’s certainly the style I prefer, yes. If you look at our Tailors Styles section of the website, you can actually see all the different lengths of jackets I’ve had, and the lengths are measured for you on each article. You can find out which one you personally prefer
The whole website is my personal closet! But that section shows most of the tailors I’ve used, there is the Lookbook with lots of my looks, and there is a piece on my actual physical closet here
Hi Simon, where in London would you recommend for buying cloth? So far I’ve only looked at H&S, Scabal, and Anglo-Italian
If all you want is to see bunches, LBD Harrison’s and Dugdale etc have offices, but you’re not seeing much you won’t see in those same bunches as a tailor.
Also not all are really set up to sell to end customers. It’s not normal
Why not a guide to the best white loafers.
Aren’t cargo pants becoming a classic
White linen trousers
Beige chinos, very classic now in the US
backslick hair
What do you think about the current trend of 70’s trousers the tight ones with booty cut extraordinaire that many fashion houses focus on (Louis Vuitton FOR EXAMPLE).
Greetings,
Can recommend alternatively a chocolate suede shoe with this linen shade. Lends a unique richness.
I agree, I often wear a dark brown suede loafer with tobacco and brown linen and I quite like it.
On the general topic of finishing on suits, is it common for tailors to make a closed Milanese buttonhole? Similarly, do you have a strong preference for functional/closed lapel buttonholes?
No, tailors never have them closed that I know of. They should be open, and even when brands have them with baste stitches across, it’s not meant to stay like that – the sales person should remove them
Love the earring. Fair Italia has always been a place of lovely knockers.
I’ve made expensive mistakes with cloth choices in bespoke before. It’s especially problematic when choosing something unusual, rather than a navy or grey. I’ve found the best bet is to revisit the tailor once the fabric has arrived, before any cutting. Drape it over your shoulder, look in the mirror. It’s a much better option than choosing to spend thousands of pounds on a decision made from a rather small patch. If you decide you don’t like it, the tailor may offer to buy it (probably at a discount) or you can stick up for sale on the internet, you might make a small but not total loss on the fabric.
Simon, for example, would you still have chosen that Huntsman tweed if you’d seen it at large and tried it “on” you first?
Weirdly, I think I would have done – the mistake there wasn’t not knowing how it would look made up, but simply going for something too bold and unusual (fabric and style)
Simon. I love my A&S tobacco linen Gurkha waist trousers. Do you think this waist is ‘correct’ on a linen suit? Or should I just do what Iike?!
Gurkha waists are unusual and quite dandy, not classic and not that ‘correct’ really. I think you definitely do what you like, but be aware that this is the effect, and that with things like that, there’s a decent chance you might not like them in five years time.
I used to have some too, but went off them. On the other hand, I know some people that still wear them and love them. There’s just that extra bit of risk.
Thanks Simon. Do you have a belt with the Ciardi linen suit or side adjusters?
Belt
This is lovely, do your socks catch less on linen than on say flannel? Whats the secret, the pants don’t look overtly fuller than your usual pants from Cerrato, Ciardi, etc
Linen does catch less, yes. But overall I do have my trousers a little wider now and catching isn’t much of a problem (21cm usually)
Interesting is there that much of a difference over 20cm / 7.87″. It doesn’t seem like difference of 0.3x” in the trouser leg opening would make a difference in the taper, but I could be wrong. All of my Cerrato pants are 20cm, maybe I should ask him to open them up a bit.
Not a big difference, no, but of course it depends on our body sizes as well
Large quads and calves, I mean it’s not a horrible issue or anything, but it does happen with longer socks, especially cashmere socks with flannel pants, that is the worse.
This is an extremely attractive look, because, for me, the tobacco hits a perfect balance between cool and warm. Can I ask: Would you say that summer clothing is inherently less formal than spring/autumn clothing due to lighter colours and wrinklier fabrics?
I know what you mean, but if it is then I’d say only at the margins. Eg a wooly tweed jacket and big grain boots are pretty casual, and travel worsteds or high-twists are pretty sharp and not that wrinkly
Hi Simon,
Lovely commission. Can I ask what the width of the hem of your trousers is, if you know it?
JP
21cm. Bear in mind that this will always be proportionate to the person as well though
I’m 6ft, UK shoe size 8.5, and have a 31-inch waist — which one should I take into account the most when choosing the width to achieve a similar look?
The shoe size and to an extent the height, though also the style a little – how loose you like the jacket for example.
With those proportions you should be safe starting with the same measurements as me as we’re pretty similar, but try to think about the proportions and develop your own feel and opinion over time
I am 6 foot with a 10.5 UK shoe size, I have an athletic build with big quads and calves. Cerrato cut me a pair of trousers originally at 7.5″ hem, then we changed it after a fitting to 7.87-7.9″ (20cm), the flannel pair looks good, but there is lots of sock catching, the high twist looks larger, fabrics make a difference, I got a linen pair from him this year in 2025 and they look perfect, no break, just sublime. I will likely have him take out the flannels and high twist wools to 8″ to be consistent. The pants are otherwise comfortable, you need a taper in my opinion, or it looks costume like, but a proper hem width changes everything.
I agree, and letting those others out sounds like the right approach. In the end these are meant to be elegant trousers, and anything that’s catching on your calves is not going to have a very elegant line
Do you find there is still some catching with thin wool socks and flannel even with less taper and a wider hem? Particularly after sitting down?
These days, barely at all, since my trousers have got a little wider
Interesting is it more room in the calf past the knee or the hem width or all three?
All three, you’d generally alter all three when you change the width of the leg
Hi Simon,
I have two weddings in Cartagena (Colombia) next summer and want to commission a summer suit to wear to both. I wear suits infrequently and as a result only own two: a navy single breasted in worsted wool and a navy DB in mock leno (I wear the DB jacket often without the matching trousers).
I am debating between linen and a high twist wool in a light grey (Crispaire 3321046), the latter to match a pair of trousers I wear regularly to the office without a jacket.
Which would be (a) better for future summer weddings and (b) a more useful addition to my wardrobe overall? If I go with linen, what color would you recommend (tobacco, dark brown, light beige, etc.).
As context, I work in finance and wear a suit 4-5 times per year for conferences and meetings. And I’ve started to wear odd jackets casually, e.g., on date night or to the office but dressed down. So, aside from weddings, I’d likely only wear the jacket and trousers from this new suit as separates. I would think that the linen suit would be better as separates than the light grey high twist but am unsure.
Thanks!
The linen suit would be more useful to break up like that, yes, and more useful and slightly more casual things.
The high twist suit would be smarter and so better for work things in the future, but in some ways better for a wedding which is remotely formal.
I’d say pick on what you think the wedding will be like, and what style you think you’re more likely to wear the separates afterwards.
On colours of linen, I’d say dark brown or an olive probably, you’re most likely to get most use out of those
Thanks Simon
If you were going to have this tobacco brown suit made in the UK, where would you suggest.
If I wanted this style I wouldn’t use a UK tailor – I’d use a Neapolitan like Ciardi as I did here, who visit London
Many thanks
Hi Simon! A great article showing your journey with bespoke suits which many of us surely appreciate. It also reminded me of questions that are often on my mind when I read your posts.
How do you handle the logistics of working with bespoke tailors from different countries? Unless they visit your city regularly, you need to visit them for: measurements, choosing the fabric, fittings. I suppose it involves budgeting for some days off, flights and hotels.
What are your tips for people from other European countries who would like to try a bespoke tailor from London, Italy or France? So far I have used a local tailor, whom I appreciate, but I am curious about other house styles. I had also a chance to have 2 meetings with Luca Avitabile during my short trip to Naples last year but he also offers online consultations.
Do you try to squeeze in 2 fittings when you travel to, let’s say, Florence? Do you get the suit by post and meet the tailor online for the last fitting? What happens when the fit is amazing but you would like the jacket sleeves 1 cm shorter? Would you make this alteration at a local tailor to skip all the hassle with shipping?
Hey Greg,
I rarely travel to a tailor and have all the appointments abroad – most of the time they are ones who are in London or who are coming to London.
If you don’t have any local tailors, yes unfortunately it is pretty time intensive to get to see someone for the various appointments required. I would really only recommend it if you’re happy to go fairly often, or you don’t plan to have many things made. It also helps a lot if you have a local alterations and suit-care place that you trust, as small changes and later alterations can be done locally if you have to.
Sometimes a tailor can squeeze in two fittings or measuring and then a fitting within a few days or a week, but you can’t rely on that unfortunately. And while online is better than nothing, it is riskier than doing things in person.
Simon,
I like this suit much better than your English suit for the fabric.
I read through all the comments as well. Broadly speaking, I think you’re spot on: tobacco linen needs to be made in Italy (preferably Naples).
I also like the darker shade of tobacco (as opposed to your dege & skinner).
So congratulations – you finally nailed it. Bespoke is an unfortunate learning process. On that note, I have 3 questions – perhaps I can learn from you and avoid a costly mistake,
1. I have attached a photo of, what I view as, a great Irish linen shade. Would this be even a shade darker than yours?
While I like yours I get the sense that the darker shade might be more versatile and useful. I like the warmth of this fabric as opposed to your suit from the armory which tends to be a more little bit more sun washed (Not that there’s anything bad about that, I just don’t think it complements my complexion as well).
2. What do you think between the art du Lin vs. Irish linen vs. Maison hellard?
On some level, it seems like the Irish linen is the old standard and why mess with it. I don’t believe in breaking up my suits.
But, I also like my trousers to hold their crease (which is why, I particularly like 2ply fabrics in the summer – I found Drapers 4ply too hot). So it seems like that might push me toward the Irish linen.
One last note: I found Fox linen did not hold its creases well at all. I ordered the ecru herringbone linen as a trouser and I never wear them because the crease doesn’t hold after 10 minutes of wearing. That’s an expensive mistake because they were bespoke.
3. Do you believe that Irish linen as a double breasted would wear a little bit too warm?
Previously, like you, I had an English tailor Make me a double breasted Irish linen and That feels really hot in the summer. I remember I was in air-conditioning and sweating in the middle of summer. I would hate to re-order and make the same mistake again. I think previously it was a W Bill Irish linen around 12 ounces.
The last thing I want to do is reorder it and then have to reorder is a third time! (Although, I’d be in good company!)
-G
No problem.
1. Yes that would be a darker shade. More like my Sexton here
2. If that’s what you like I would definitely go with Irish. And avoid herringbone linens, they’re often softer and hold a crease less.
3. I wouldn’t say my DB linked to from Sexton is too warm, but I do wear it less because it’s a DB. If in doubt definitely go SB
Simon,
Great article along w incredibly informative discussion thread. My question: how does linen weave affect light saturation and level of formality? Should I always stick with a plain weave, or is twill another good option that takes advantage of being outside during the summer? Would I sacrifice holding a crease with a twill like i would with a herringbone? Drapers has a few lovely appearing twill linens two of which are 25122 and 25124 which to my eye would make up a lovely pair of summer trousers.
No, twill can be good too and would make good trousers. With Drapers I’d watch more for weight and whether it’s Irish linen (most Italian ones will not be). That will make them softer, more than considerations of the weave
Would you opt for a lined or unlined linnen jacket nowadays Simon? Cheers in advance, have a nice weekend
Generally, linen, but that’s because:
– I don’t run hot so heat is often not the biggest factor
– I have a fairly large seat and unlined jackets tend to sit/stick on it
This second issue is one I also have issues with haha.
Might try a lined linen suit and see how I like it.
Any update on the s/s releases for 2026? (As in, when will there be an article :))
Thanks Edwin – the article will be next week
Would you wear a linen shirt with your linen suit?
Or do you stick to other fabrics, such as Oxford, Chambray, or Madras.
I also have a tencel work shirt that I like for this
I do, yes, because they usually look quite different. However, I really like cotton/linen and often prefer that to linen with a linen suit. It looks more like cotton but has more of the performance of linen
Hi Simon, what’s your opinion on wearing this as separates? I was given the advice never to wear linen suit as separates due to it fading unevenly if for example I tend to wear the jacket more often than the trousers. Do you have any experience on this?
I think that can happen Brian, but only in more extreme cases – eg you are wearing the trousers three times as much as the jacket. As an occasional thing it’s fine
That is good to hear. Thank you!
I have a five year old tobacco linen suit with two pairs of trousers, meaning that I rotate the trousers more than the jacket, and everything has faded reasonably in the same way. You would not be able to tell the difference.
Hi Simon,
In your summer capsule piece you talk about the darkish brown linen «three-way» suit. I’ve been looking to get one made, originally in a dark brown/coffee color, but lately (largely due to this great article and others like it) i find myself gravitating towards a richer tobacco version.
I love the warmth of the tobacco hues but fear that if i stray to far from the dark brown it will hurt the versatility and the whole «three-way» concept.
Should i be mixing these thougths or are they two separate ideas that should be kept that way?
Ior is there perhaps a golden middleway fabric out there?
I think this brown shown is probably the midway point, but to be honest I think you should stick with darkish brown if versatility if your aim
Hi Simon, absolutely lovely suit here. I would like your advice here if possible. I have a wedding coming up in the summer in Portugal and naturally as it is going to be quite hot there I was thinking a linen or linen blend (linen/silk, linen/wool, linen/wool/silk) in the light brown family of colors (tobacco, darker beige, darker tan, etc). Unfortunately, suits these days for me are solely worn for particular occasions. A couple of questions for you:
Thank you!
1. I’d recommend pure linen. It will look and function best in that kind of situation. There is also an article here on picking linen colours
2. I’m not an expert on RTW suitings, but I would look to places like Anglo-Italian, Drake’s, Cavour
Interesting would you say that it is formal enough as a wedding guest? And would it be a superior cloth to some sort of high twist/tropical wool/fresco fabric?
As I’ve said quite often Jack, weddings vary hugely today in terms of formality, so it’s very hard to know. At some weddings, coloured linen might be too casual. At others, fresco would be way too formal.
Try to get a read on the formality of the wedding, and I’d go for fresco only if it seems a bit smarter
Great thank you!
Probably more appropriate for different thread but since it’s about Irish linen suit…
Where do you draw a line between chest is too big and nice drape? Is it wrinkles near armholes? But they could be masked by stiffer canvas… And considering Irish linen starts super stiff, how can you tell on a fresh jacket if canvas will break in at start the armhole wrinkles or it will remain a nice drape?
After loosing 10kg I just tried on natalino Irish linen. And I’m confused. Shoulders and neck fits nice. Waist can be taken in. But chest?
It’s a style decision and a personal thing, Martins. Tailors will disagree a lot about what’s right.
The break in won’t make a big difference to that
Dear Simon,
Back again in need of advice! Having built a nice collection of heftier fall/winter pieces, I pretty much lack a summer suit. Partly, this is because in July/August I would feel uncomfortable even with a light linen suit, so my thinking is: why spend the money to only wear a suit a couple nights out at more formal events? But I am now starting to appreciate linen more, and I would like a dark navy linen suit that can work as a summer tuxedo (I’d commission it as a db, with wide peak lapels and jetted pockets, and high waited single-pleated trousers at my favorite maker, The Anthology).
Cloth-wise, I am undecided: TA told me that the 530g Solbiati AdL would be perfectly aligned with my usual preferences. A sturdy, super-sharp suit with incredible drape that I could wear for 3 seasons. They added that the trousers would perform incredibly for being linen, if I chose this cloth. The cloth, and the color – a super-dark, muted navy – look stunning, no doubt about that.
My fear, though, is that it would feel crazy heavy with 29-32 celsius (I would simply not wear a suit beyond 32 so am not even considering higher numbers).
Alternatively, the best thing I found is this:
https://maisonhellard.com/products/3101
It’s as dark as the AdL and look as formal, but it is quite a bit lighter, without being too light. MH is getting a lot of praise, and some brands I discovered recently (such as Connoisseur Bespoke), seem to use it non-stop. TA, though, warned me that this is very very soft and would not hold its shape much.
Thoughts?
Thank you so much as always!
No problem.
The Hellard is a little soft and I would worry a little it isn’t what you want for that sharp evening look.
The AdL is special and unusual, but I would think about the weight as well as the sueded-type finish on it, which might not be what you’re after. Have you seen it made up somewhere to look at?
Out of interest, why not consider the Irish linens from the likes of W Bill? They’d probably be the best combination of performance and weight. Is there not a colour in there you like?
Finally, think carefully about whether navy is right – generally I recommend against navy in linen, as it can look a little dusty and old, not sharp like a worsted would do. It’s better in AdL, but often earthy colours like a very dark brown are better in linen.
See piece here on the best linen colours
Hello Simon,
For your Must de Cartier – is it the vermeil option? I’m looking at vintage options and trying to determine the value of Vermeil vs paying for the solid gold. Of course there’s always steel going the other direction!
It’s vermeil I believe. I think that’s fine on what’s not a high-end, expensive watch