Reading the tag
The fiber content label is required by federal law on clothing sold in the United States, and it lists fibers by percentage in descending order. It is usually sewn into a side seam or under the collar label. Read it before you try anything on. A jacket described on the hang tag as a wool blend may turn out to be sixty percent polyester, and the label is the only place that says so.
The natural fibers
Wool is the most useful cloth a man can wear. It breathes, resists wrinkles and odor, and recovers its shape when hung overnight. Suit cloth is often graded with a number such as Super 100s or Super 150s, which describes the fineness of the fiber and not the quality of the suit. Cloth around 100s to 120s is smooth and durable enough for weekly wear, while very high numbers feel luxurious, wrinkle easily and wear out faster. A weight of about nine to eleven ounces per yard suits most of the year. Cotton varies with the length of its fibers, and long-staple cotton makes smoother, stronger shirts that pill less. Linen is the coolest fabric in heat and wrinkles at once, which is part of its character and not a defect. Cashmere is soft and warm, and cheap versions made of short fibers pill within weeks.
Where synthetics earn a place
Polyester and acrylic trap heat and hold odor, and a polyester-heavy suit develops a permanent shine at the elbows and seat. Small amounts of synthetic fiber are a different matter. Two or three percent elastane gives denim and chinos comfortable stretch. Nylon reinforces the heels and toes of wool socks and makes sound rainwear. For jacket linings, viscose or cupro breathes far better than polyester, and it is worth checking the second label inside the jacket that lists the lining.
Testing cloth by hand
- Crush a handful of the fabric in your fist for five seconds, then release it and watch how quickly the wrinkles fall out.
- Hold a single layer up to the light, since a dense, even weave outlasts a thin or patchy one.
- Tug gently across a seam to see that the stitches are small, tight and straight.
- Check that stripes and checks line up at the seams and pockets, which signals care throughout.
Note Natural fibers ask more of you in return. Wool needs brushing and protection from moths, and linen and cotton need pressing, so count the upkeep as part of the purchase.
