Canvasing for a Quality Suit at a Good Price

In a quality suit the jacket needs to drape well and in order for it to drape well you need to consider the skeleton of the jacket i.e.:

The Canvas 

Ideally the canvas of the suit should be hand basted rather than fused i.e. the layers of the suit are stitched together rather than glued together. Fused canvases will not move as freely or drape as well so may bubble and pucker over time. Canvases which are hand stitched to the wool shell will move with the rest of the suit.

A hand basted full canvas front will work out more expensive , so to make it cheaper you could opt for either a half canvas front or a floating canvas chest piece.

A half canvas front – the canvas is only half fused and only at the lower part where it doesn’t really touch the body. The top half is stitched so the jacket can mould itself better to the shape of the user. There is also padding sewn in to the lapel where it rolls to give it soft support which lasts longer than a fused suit where it can become flat quicker.

J by Jasper Conran at Debenhams

Can’t afford designer? Then go for their diffusion lines. J by Jasper Conran at Debenhams is £230 for a grey checked two piece suit with a half canvas front and half lined trousers.    80% wool, 10% polyester and 10% polyamide,  www.debenhams.com
 

A floating canvas chest piece – here some glue is used in the top part of the suit but is not completely stuck to the front of the suit as in a fully fused suit.

T.M.Lewin's Red Label range

T.M.Lewin’s Red Label 2 button suits are contemporary slimmer suits for everyday wear. In this collection is the Borough Navy plain weave with sky piano facing lining and was chosen by the England cricket team. It is made of 100% super 80s merino wool, and with a floating chest piece. Was £450.00 now promotional price of £219.

 Trousers come unhemmed so the right length can be specified and carried out for free.

www.tmlewin.co.uk

All prices correct at time of publication.

Every Quality Suit has a 'Silver ' Lining

Well it doesn' have to be silver, but you've gone to all the trouble of choosing a 100% wool so your suit can breathe, so you want the lining to also be able to breathe.   

Silk satin will make the suit more expensive so a cheaper option is Cupro. This fabric breathes like cotton, feels like silk and is actually lighter in weight.

Charles Tyrwhitt Black Label range

Charles Tyrwhitt’s Black Label collection is their most contemporary style with a slim cut fit and has cupro body lining with silk trims.  Here they have 3 suits: a black twill, a black & white Prince of Wales check and a tonic blue suit – all at £700 but in the promotion reduced to £350.

The suits in this label are of 100% pure new wool, half canvas construction, and 4 working cuff buttons. The buttons are also of natural horn. The trousers are half lined to the knee with one rear hip pocket. www.ctshirts.co.uk

And every quality suit should have trousers which are lined at the front down to the knees. You don't want to be chafing your delicate skin now do you?

M&S Sartorial suit

Marks & Spencer ‘s  Sartorial pure wool 2 button Pow Check suit in grey is of 100% pure new wool and the trousers are lined.  The Birdseye cloth is from Alfred Brown, a Yorkshire mill renowned for weaving fine worsted fabric.  The price tag of £199 makes it a great quality buy.

www.marksandspencer.com