Introducing
CRISPAIRE
by
Holland & Sherry
This is the first is what we are planning as a series of cloth reviews. We regularly get new fabric collections in and enjoy road testing them. In part this is due to our inquisitive nature, but also driven by a desire to improve our knowledge of fabric.
When we sit down with you and talk you through your new garment we want first hand knowledge of how a particular cloth reacts, how it drapes and how it performs in the long run. This is part of a long term commitment to continual improvement and giving you the best possible service.
With this in mind this series is about giving you the best information we can so you can make the best decisions.
First up is Holland and Sherry and their “Crispaire” collection reviewed by Scott. H&S are pretty new to us so we felt it was a good starting point. They are a merchant we want to learn more about and know exactly how their cloth performs. So it was an obvious starting point
Enjoy the series and let us know in the comments what you think.
Scott & Rich
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HOLLAND & SHERRY “ CRISPAIRE” REVIEW
The bunch arrived mid July just as peak wedding season was coming to an end. Its a shame as it would have been perfect for the wedding season, but it will still be around in 2022.
Crispaire is a 10oz cloth rooted in the mid weight category with a firm, crisp handle (hence the name?). It struck me as very similar to Dugdale’s excellent New Fine Worsted but with a slight, but noticeable push on the design side. However the bunch feels like it was designed by tailors, for tailors, with an emphasis on quality, which feels like a very English trait. In this regard the styles are slightly more reserved but with room for some more exciting colours towards the back.
You’ll notice as this article (and series) goes on that we stay away from using the merchants terminology and defaulting back to their marketing literature. Our focus will be on honest and straight forward reviews of the cloth from first hand experience. In essence, written from the wearers (and your) perspective.
The last year has seen some pretty dramatic changes to peoples days and work schedules. With more people working from home and more people commuting less it felt important to make this suit work in as many situations as possible. We wanted it to have an emphasis on flexibility and to a degree casuality. The jacket was stripped back somewhat by removing any internal backing, the shoulder pads finishing with a half lining. Typically we would only recommend doing this on a heavier weight cloth as the fabric has to do all the work itself. But we had a sense that the cloth could cope with this demand and as the focus was on a flexible garment then a degree of casuality was desirable.
I would like to say this drove the cloth choice, but in fact the cloth choice drove itself. The brown puppytooth cloth (ref 3321025) leapt out as soon as the bunch was opened. This can happen occasionally, especially when its a colour or style (or both) that hisnt commonplace. Therefore the cloth definitely lead this decision. But it was nice (and lucky) that it fell in with the design ethos too.
One thing to consider when making a suit flexible is always the degree of sheen a cloth has. In general the more the cloth sheens. the more formal it is. The more matt a cloth the more informal it is. This is a loose rule and one you can definitely ignore at times. But still worth remembering.
With Crispaire it has a lovely matt finish that absorbs the light, meaning it has next to no sheen. Pick the right pattern with a degree of texture and it’ll work as a jacket (just about) but its natural home would definitely be a rock solid 10 month a year suit.
The lack of structure in the jacket does come with some downsides though. Whilst it does allow the jacket to be worn as a standalone item (shown below) it does lose that clean and crisp finish you would normally want from a suit. The cloth has little support so goes where ever it wants giving a slightly wavy effect to the front of the jacket (shown through the body in the first image) and shows little pull lines around the button point. There is no tightness at all in the jacket, in fact its a little loose in the midsection, but its a consequence of the lighter make.
If you were using the cloth for a business suit and wanted a clean and sharp finish we would definitely recommend a little more structure through the body and some slim shoulder padding to tidy it up. Its definitely a cloth that would stand up to business demands so it worth considering for professional use.
The suit (and jacket) have been put to work over the last 2 months and given no special treatment. I wear my suits pretty hard and as I have large legs and a generous seat from of football and tennis, meaning the top of my thighs rubs together and cloth frequently wears through in the crotch. I’m pleased to say the cloth has performed as expected and given wonderful results. Not a sign of wear or friction and the trousers in particular have kept that lovely sharp crease for multiple wears.
When it came to wearability it slid easily into my wardrobe and went into regular wear quickly. In part this is due to my slightly reserved colour palette. I just don’t have the time each morning to plan my dress or to overthink my outfits. By the time I have got my daughter up and out of the house I’m normally left with around 25 minutes to get ready before I’m due on my train. Therefore a slightly narrower colour selection focusing on brown, blue, grey and white really pays off each morning.
This all comes back to the colour choice at the start of the design process and being a little bit more careful with the things we buy. Experience is a big part too, as after doing this for so many years I have a good eye for how a garment will make up and usually can see the end result in my mind.
Its definitely a learned skill and something you will get better at as you design and make more garments, but also something we as a company are keen to help with and guide you through
Its worth noting that will you likely never read a bad review in this series. That’s not to say we wont test things out and not like them. But if we don’t like them then we will remove them from our showroom anyway. It renders it pointless to show you these fabrics or to talk about them. We will give space and time to those bunches we want you to know about and those that we know you will love.
I’m glad to say that as the first in the series Crispaire did exactly what we wanted it to do, and with aplomb. We would recommend it wholeheartedly for anyone after a lighter weight suit with increased body and durability. Therefore those of you with larger legs and more demanding physiques should give this a try.
It will work perfectly for slightly lighter business suits too. Maybe not the 3-4 day a week style, but definitely one to go into regular rotation alongside others. Just be sure to add some structure to it.
We always recommend that if you are looking to build a wardrobe that you start with 13-14oz fabrics for at least the first couple of suits. Crispaire is a good third suit option for someone looking to add a lighter weight suit to their collection.
This suit has also made me learn an important lesson. A few years back I saw a grey and brown glencheck in a Loro Piana Tasmanian bunch. It was beautiful but I held off making it into a suit as I had so many. By the time I did decide to make it up the cloth had sold out and was never replaced.
I’m still a little sad about that but like to think I learned my lesson. If you like a cloth as soon as you see it then don’t hesitate. Buy it…..I did with Crispaire and it turned out just great.
Who said you can’t teach and old dog new tricks ;-)
Photos by instragram.com/JABRZ
Scott & Rich
T - 0121 729 6503
Read our other blog posts here
Colmore Tailors are specialists in soft tailoring and men’s bespoke suits and shirts.
STYLE | LUXURY | FREEDOM
GARMENTS WORN
2pc Crispaire Suit
White Button Down Oxford Shirt in cloth ref GE043
Striped Blue Tie (wearers own) by RL
Shoes (wearers own) by Carmina
Beige Striped Shirt in Cashmere/Cotton (SOLD OUT)
Glencheck Brown Tie (wearers own) by RL
Navy Trousers in H&S Airesco (review coming soon)
CLOTH DETAILS
Merchant - Holland and Sherry
Bunch - CRISPAIRE
Weight - 9/10oz
Cloth - 100% Wool Worsted
Price at Oct 2021 - 2pc £1199.99, Jacket £849.99, 3pc £1199.99
Cloth - 3321025 (26) Brown Puppytooth
