Know your fabrics

As we approach the cooler fall and winter season, scarves become a popular selling item. Scarves come in many fabrics and blends but the four most common fabrics are summarized below.  Choosing a fabric is a personal choice depending on your likes.  Some fabrics are dressier and less durable while others can be worn more regularly.  The fabric also impacts the price of the product which I will discuss in my next blog. 

Silk fabric is known for its softness, luster, beauty and luxurious look. It is one of the higher grade fabrics, which gives the wearer comfort in all types of weather. It keeps the body cool in summer and warm in winter. It is the strongest natural fabric in the world.

Linen is a lustrous and flexible fabric and is considered smooth, elegant, and durable. Linen can absorb up to 20 times its weight and dries quickly.  It is also known to be non-allergenic and is resistant to wear.  Linen is often mixed with wool to provide warmth.

Satin has a high luster and gloss and is one of the most luxurious fabrics, made of silk originally. Sometimes satin can have a dull side and a glossy side but some products are made to have both sides glossy referred to as double-faced satin.

Wool fabric is soft, durable, gives warmth, and has an attractive look to it. It keeps you cool when it is hot and helps to keep you dry. Wool does not wrinkle easy and is resistant to dirt.  Types of wool include flannel, gabardine, and tweed. 

Some of the many fabric blends include nylon/wool, polyester/cotton, linen/silk, silk/wool, and cotton/polyester.  Blends make it easier to care, are more resistant to wrinkles such as all cotton would be, are more comfortable, soft, luxurious, and blends shrink less.

It is always important to read the label to know what the fabric is and to see the price because you will be wearing it and paying for it. I look forward to the next blog where I relate price to the type of fabric. Please inquire about the many types of specially hand-crafted scarves available at www.frascatisuits.com. 

Quality of Ties

The Luxury Tie sold by Frascati is a 100 percent silk, handmade, three-folds tie.  Three-folds means that the fabric was folded three times before being stitched resulting in a more luxurious feel.  The lining is made of the same fabric as opposed to a polyester material in most ties.  The tie has a colored saddle stitching hand-sewn on the back side to give it a finishing touch, showing the craftsmanship and personal detail put into the tie.

 Frascati's also offers a six-fold tie which is an exclusive hand-made tie for the real tie connoisseur and is quite rare and exclusive.  The material is folded six times before being hand-sewn and provides for an even more luxurious feel and look than the three-fold tie.  The lining is made of the same fabric and also has saddle stitching on the back side to give it a final tailored style.  Not all fabrics can be used for a six-fold tie if the weight of the fabric is too heavy.

More fabric is required for the six-fold tie than the luxury tie and is more expensive.  But pricing can vary on all ties depending on season, inventory, changing styles, etc. Most of the large retail establishments will not have these qualities and in the rare occasion they do, the price ranges up to $175.00 per tie. I always advise to wear quality clothing because the difference is noticeable but you don't need to pay too much for it.

What's the Difference between a Super 110 and Super 160?

You have probably seen this many times when shopping for suits.  S120, S130, S150 wool.  This refers to the high twist of the fabric and the spinning of fabric to be lighter and finer.  The process was developed by Italian Mills, making the finest wool in the world.   First of all, make sure you know if the material is a wool or polyester so that you are not misled to always think it is a fine wool which is of greater quality and price.   There are some key differences but it is important to note that a S110 and a 150 are both quality fabrics. The higher the number the finer the quality of wool, the silkier and smoother the look of the suit and it is much more delicate than a S110. A S160 should be worn less such as at special events, and dry cleaned sparingly.    A S160 may be more expensive than a Super 110 because it requires more wool.   It is also important to understand that quality isn't solely identified by the higher S number since the quality of weaving and the finishing process help determine this. In addition, the proper fit and tailoring of the suit determine how well the suit looks on you.   The finest fabrics don't necessarily make the best garments because they wrinkle easier and are more delicate. A Super 110 is considered more practical than a Super 150.  It is recommended to have a mix of suits to include the finer and less finer fabrics since they are made for different purposes.

Style Starters

                                     

June 9, 2011

By Scott Frasca

Style Starters by Frascati

Before wearing your next suit or tie don’t forget to consider some of the basics before going out in public.  What color shoes and socks do you plan to wear to look right with your pants? Have you ever seen white socks worn with black pants?  If so, I hope you saw it on someone else.  If wearing a navy suit and black shoes, wear navy socks.  If wearing a lighter suit, make sure the socks are darker than the suit but a shade lighter than the shoes.  Dark brown shoes look great with Navy, Khaki, and gray. Be careful of light brown shoes with suits since it is difficult to pull off and may be better for jeans or casual wear.   Black shoes make for a good match to most pant colors with the exception of light colored pants, especially in the summer.  Dark brown shoes are currently the most fashionable too.

Not sure what tie to wear with a shirt or what shirt to wear to a suit?  Start with the suit and then choose a shirt.  For example, the best shirt colors for a dark gray suit are Lavender, white, pink, or light blue.  Place the shirt in the suit in order to see the color contrast.  Then choose a tie.  If wearing a light blue shirt, the best color tie would be yellow, red, pink, or lavender and would match a dark grey suit perfectly.

Remember to use a tailor in order to ensure your pants are not too short or long.  The tailor will always cuff pleated pants and hem a plain bottom to flat front pants. And one last thing, don’t wear the same tie all the time. People will start noticing your lack of tie selection and style.  You owe it to yourself to look the best that you can.  

For more color option questions, please email sfrasca@frascatisuits.com.