Choosing which fabric a suit is made out of can be one of the most important decisions to make when buying a suit. A fabric’s breathability factor can determine how hot the wearer of the suit gets as the day or night goes on. Body heat that gets trapped against fabric that can’t breathe well will build up and make a person sweat.
Additionally, fabrics that are softer will make a suit more expensive. This fact is part of the reason why silk suits and cashmere suits are so pricey. People will pay hefty sums to feel comfortable, and the more breathable and more comfortable a suit’s fabric is, the more expensive that suit will be.
Choosing a 100 Percent Cashmere Suit
Cashmere is extremely soft and extremely expensive. One of the downsides of cashmere is that it is not as durable as all of the other fabrics listed here. Because of this, a suit made with cashmere tends to show wear earlier than suits made out of cotton or wool.
Choosing a Cashmere Blend Suit
Cashmere is often blended with wool in a suit. This blend can make the suit feel more substantial and heavy, which can be associated with higher quality. Cashmere and wool suits also tend to look a bit glossier than their counterparts do, and this aesthetic difference can really set these suits apart from other standard suits. Cashmere and wool blended fabric also drapes a bit better than fabric that is 100 percent wool, leading to more flattering fits in many cases.
A downside to wearing a cashmere blend suit is that many people have noticed their cashmere blend suit pants don’t hold creases very well.
Choosing a 100 Percent Cotton Suit
Cotton is probably the second most popular fabric for a suit behind wool. Cotton suits perform and breathe well in hot climates and at outdoor events, which can help keep the wearer cool. However, one of the downsides to purchasing a suit that is made with 100 percent cotton is that cotton tends to crease and wrinkle somewhat easily, which can give a cotton suit a sloppy look.
Choosing a Cotton Blend Suit
In men’s suits, cotton is often blended with Lycra or even spandex to give it an element of stretchability. Suits made from cotton blends, much like suits made from pure cotton, are notorious for their breathability and for their comfort.
Choosing a Linen Suit
Many people prefer to purchase and wear linen suits for outdoor events in the summer. Linen suits are incredibly lightweight and can keep the wearer cool even when it’s hot outside.
Unfortunately, suits that are made out of linen have a reputation for being difficult to care for. Linen suits wrinkle easily, and it can be very difficult to get a stain out of a linen suit. A person who owns a linen suit should expect higher dry cleaning bills due to a higher rate of cleaning and pressing. Because linen is such a fickle fabric, it can also be very difficult to pack a linen suit without having it wrinkle. Therefore, linen suits aren’t advised for people who plan on travelling frequently.
Choosing a Polyester Suit
Polyester is generally viewed as a cheap material, but sometimes budget, and not style, is the primary concern when suit shopping. Polyester is a synthetic material that is usually blended with other, more expensive, natural materials in order to cut costs. Suits that are primarily composed of polyester tend to wrinkle a lot less than their counterparts that are composed of natural fibres, but suits that contain all polyester or polyester blends also have a reputation for not breathing very well. Polyester suits also have a bad reputation of being more shiny than suits made from other material, so a polyester suit might look out of place in a corporate workplace.
Choosing a 100 Percent Silk Suit
A silk suit might be the finest article of clothing a man can buy. Much like a suit that is made out of cashmere, a suit that is made from silk is incredibly comfortable and incredibly expensive.
A suit that is made with 100 percent silk will be incredibly breathable. Many people enjoy wool suits because of the fact that they tend to adapt to any climate, but suits that are made with 100 percent silk perform even better in that regard. A silk suit will make a person feel cool when it is hot out and warm when it gets chilly outside.
Silk suits come in a variety of weights and thickness, which means that a person can get a thinner or lighter silk suit for the summertime and a heavier silk suit for the winter months.
Choosing a Silk Blend Suit
Suits that are made with silk blends are a bit more costly than suits that are made from a common base material like cotton or wool, but these suits also gain many of the benefits of a suit made out of pure silk. A silk blend suit will be quite breathable and will have a more luxurious feel than a suit made from pure cotton or pure wool. Silk blends also tend to hang or drape better than suits made from common materials, and better hanging and draping leads to a more flattering fit.
Choosing a Velvet Suit
A suit that is made out of velvet is sure to turn heads, which makes it best for a social event outfit rather than a business suit. Velvet is a very popular suit fabric in Europe, and it gives a sense of sophistication and richness to the wearer that isn’t easily duplicated by wool or cotton.
Choosing a 100 Percent Wool Suit
A suit that is made out of 100 percent wool is perhaps the safest and best choice if a person is unsure of which fabric to select for their suit. Unlike a material such as polyester, wool is a natural material. Additionally, suits that are made out of wool breathe well, which means that even when the temperature is rising, the wearer will stay relatively cool. Wool is also a good choice of fabric for suits that are going to be worn in cold weather because of wool’s insulating properties. Lastly, suits that are made out of wool are surprisingly stylish for being created out of such a common material.
Types of Wool Suits
Many people don’t realize that several common types of fabric are composed of wool fibres. For instance, flannel is a type of wool and is not actually a material itself. Here are the types of wool suits a person can expect to see while suit shopping.
Tweed
Tweed is a heavy fabric that makes it easy for the wearer to keep warm. Because of this fact, tweed is often favoured by older men in colder climates. A downside to a tweed suit is that it tends to be unflattering to heavier people.
Flannel
Flannel, as mentioned before, is a heavy wool. Anyone who is shopping for a winter suit would do well to find a suit that is made out of flannel. Flannel is a durable, hardy fabric that doesn’t wear down as quickly as other fabrics. Flannel suits are especially flattering when they are shades of gray. Suits that are made from flannel aren’t great starter suits though, so anyone who is looking for a flannel suit should already own a few basic styles and types of suits.
Tropical
There are tropical wools that breathe well and are slightly more lightweight than their traditional wool counterparts are. However, tropical wool suffers from the same shortfalls that linen does. Suits made with tropical wool tend to wrinkle very easily, and they will be in the cleaners more often than other suits are. However, suits that are made with tropical wool can be a good choice for a summer or a hot weather suit.
Worsted
Worsted wool, despite the name, is a great fabric for a starter suit. Worsted wool lasts for a long time and is very durable. Worsted wool can also be woven into various levels of thickness, which makes it ideal for both summer and winter suits.
Choosing a Wool Blend Suit
Wool suits are often blended with silk. These suits have increased breathability and also have a more luxurious feel. Wool suits are already known for their ability to keep their wearers warm in cold weather and cool in warm weather, and with the addition of silk, this ability is enhanced.
Caring for a Suit No Matter Which Fabric it is Made With
No matter which fabric a suit is made from, a person will want to make sure that they take good care of the suit to make it last as long as possible. Frequently dry cleaning a suit can weaken and damage the fibres, causing a suit to need to be replaced. If a suit is clean and just needs to look a bit crisper, a dry cleaner should be able to press the suit without using any harmful cleaning chemicals.
Additionally, it is a good habit to brush a suit with a clothes brush after it is worn and before it is put away.
We know that making the step to choosing a new suit and getting one made is a very important task. We are here to help, you can schedule an appointment for a telephone consultation or to meet us or have our head designer come to meet you, So if you want to do that, use the little friendly box at the bottom right, we will confirm your appointment right away.
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