Mens Suit Fabrics

Overview of Mens Suit Fabrics

Even though wool is the most common fabric for men's suits many different natural fabrics as well as textile blends are used. This article will give you a good overview on fabrics, will teach you what to look for when buying a suit, and will also teach you about advantages and disadvantages of each fabric.

Wool
Wool is the most popular fabric for mens suits, and this for a good reason. Wool is a very insulating fabric giving warmth and comfort. At the same time it is a "breathable" and moisture wicking fabric. When buying a suit look for the inner label indication the materials used. Quality suits should be made from pure wool. Do you also see a number such as 100, 120, 140, etc? This number indicates the quality of the wool. The higher the number the finer the individual wool thread. High wool numbers are much more expensive. They have more shine, a very soft feel, but are also much more likely to get wrinkled. For daily business attire we suggest suits made from super-100 or super-120 wool. Higher numbers are better suited for special appearances and for tuxedos worn for black tie attire.

Polyester & Blends
Even though fabric blends containing man-made fibers are usually associated with lesser quality there are some advantages. First of all most fabric blends are much cheaper in price. Second, fabric blends containing synthetic fibers such polyester, nylon, and rayon, are much more care-free and do not wrinkle as easily as a pure wool suit. In addition they do not absorb odors as easily. For this reason suits made part from man-made fibers are well suited for certain professions such as limo-drivers and wait-staff. To make the suit more comfortable and "breathable" we suggest that suits are at last made from 60% wool.

Cotton, Linen, & Other Natural Fabrics
Suits made from cotton and linen are much less common in business. They usually have a much less formal appearance. Suits made from linen are popular in the south - think Panama Jack - and are commonly made in lighter, natural colors. Linen suits can range very widely in quality in price. High quality linen has almost no "knots" in the fabric". The down-side of linen, besides the high cost for quality fabric, is that it wrinkles very easily and must be steam-ironed and cannot be dry-cleaned.


Your Bows-n-Ties.com Team