Fresco & High-Twist Summer Suiting
What is High-Twist Cloth
Fresco & High-Twist Suiting Explained
Holland & Sherry - Airesco
Its May in the UK and the sun is shining and the mercury is around 24degs. Whilst this isn’t always common weather, its becoming more commonplace. A general trend towards rising temperatures does seem to be prevalent.
I get pretty excited about this. I’ve always enjoyed the way the sun makes me, and others, feel. And I like the playfulness and lightness of summer cloth.
That said, I destroy trousers. I have quite large thighs, probably caused by playing right-back since the age of 8. This causes the very tops of my thighs to rub together when I walk.
Also I can be a little tardy with maintenance of my suits. Having 3 girls is wonderful but it doesn’t leave much time for anything else. When im getting ready in a morning I get 7 minutes to get changed and get out of the house (yes I’ve timed it.) As such I prefer cloth that is low maintenance and can look good from the get-go.
Oh, and I get hot……I never realised this until I got slightly older. But I wear linen shirts at the height of winter and prefer softer jacketings. Its taken me a lot of trial and error to reach this conclusion, but as long as im learning I’m happy.
So all in, that’s quite a specific set of requirements when it comes to summer suiting, and summer trousers specifically. Breathable enough to feel comfortable, durable enough to last and low maintenance.
The solution is a family of fabric referred to as high-twist cloth. A slightly dry feeling, crisp cloth that has all the characteristics I require.
You will often hear high-twist referred to as Fresco. Fresco is the name of the original bunch of high-twist fabrics and a collection still available from Huddersfield Fine Worsteds.
High-twist cloth is as it sounds. A cloth that has yarns that have been twisted more tightly than normal, and often with more yarns that normal. As standard worsted cloth has 2 yarns, commonly referred to as 2-ply. High-twist cloth normally comes in 2-ply, 4-ply, and even 6-ply.
The 6-ply I found was even accompanied by a picture of some biceps alluding to its inherent strength. Made me smile.
Drapers - Ascot
This allows the cloth to be woven with a more open weave, allowing for enhanced breathability and air-flow. If you hold a high-twist cloth up to the light you will see the light streaming through. This doesn’t make the cloth see-though unless the colour is very light, but it does mean to go easy on a lining choice.
This open weave nature leads the surface to take on an almost corrugate feeling. As you run your fingers over the surface you feel each ridge and gap. It’s a unique feel which historically felt quite scratchy. But over the years has improved greatly and todays high-twist bunches are much more tactile. Speaking to one merchant at Pitti this January he said the finishers has singer the surface of the cloth to remove any errant ends.
Normal logic would assume that an open weave cloth be less durable than a tightly woven cloth, but thanks to the extra yarn and its tight twist, the cloth is extremely durable. I would go as far to say that it’s the single most durable summer cloth going. Its that good.
When it comes to maintenance I’ve really put these types of cloth through the ringer to test them out. I’ve routinely flown on holidays and business trips with high twist trousers rammed in the suitcase to see how they come out the other end. And every time they have worked out perfectly. So much so that a friend was in shock at how good they looked when I got changed in Malaga airport into some that I had kept in my suitcase. He thought somehow I’d either been wearing them all along or had hidden them in my carry on bag.
The downside of high-twists are likely to be felt in their tactile response. The dry handle feel isn’t for everyone. But it does give the cloth a very matte and deep aesthetic, so if this is your thing you will love it. Its one to get your hands on though.
Also the crease resistance is so good that it can cause the trouser crease to start coming out after 3-4 wears. Not a problem on a personal level as I use a trouser press every night, but something to bear in mind. Nothing 2 minutes every now and then with a press-cloth and an iron can’t solve.
I’ve successfully seen high-twist suits made as dinner suits, casual suits and separates. So, its versatile. That said, I feel its best suited to me as high twist suits or high-twist trousers. But I’ve also got an Airesco high twist suit from Holland and Sherry and this breaks up both ways. Great odd jacket, great odd trouser, even better suit. Best try it and find out where it work best for you.
Current bunches:
Drapers - ASCOT – 2/4/6
Dugdale – Tropical Breeze
Holland and Sherry – Airesco
Huddersfield Fine Worsted – Fresco
A couple of other bunches are not strictly high-twist, but have the same characteristics so I would treat them the same
Drago – Bluefeel2
Drapers – Supersonic
Its also worth noting that any cloth woven with mohair will have similar performance and feel. Albeit quite often with a slight shine and formal tone. Therefore best suited to dinner suits and evening wear.
For me, I’ve found high twist summer trousers paired with a wool, silk and linen jacket works best for me in the summer. I put the strength on the legs where its needed and can afford to be more playful on the top half.
As always I recommend open dialogue and testing things out to find what works for you. And as ever, both myself and Ruben are here to help.
Any questions pop them in the comments
Scott 😉
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