'Know Your Fabrics' - Worsted Wool

I’m getting back into the swing of regular posts after some hectic weekends/weeks of traveling, so I thought I’d start things off by putting up a new ‘Know Your Fabrics’ post. This time around, we’re taking a look at worsted wool:

Worsted actually refers to a type of yarn, and the name itself (like so many other textile terms) comes from a town in the UK (England, specifically), Worstead, which was one of the first manufacturing centers of the yarn.

Woollen yarn (yep, that’s the term), in contrast to worsted wool, is made from uneven fibers (both long and short), left with their natural crimps, which results in a light and airy yarn that is a great insulator, and is therefore well-suited to knit garments like sweaters and scarfs.

On the other hand, worsted wool uses only long fibers, with the smaller fibers being removed through a variety of processes that make the production of worsted yarn much more complicated and time-consuming that woollen. These long fibers are not carded, like with woollen yarn, but instead combed with long-tooth metal combs until the fibers are running in parallel, after which it is oiled and spun, resulting in a stronger, straighter, and sleeker yarn.

The combination of the less ‘fluffy’ hand-feel and much more involved and expensive manufacturing process, worsted yarns are almost never used  for knitwear. Instead, they are most often woven into a shiny and resilient fabric that has become a staple in suiting, but can also be found in carpeting and hosiery, among other less common goods.

Worsted suiting fabric.

In suiting, worsted wool is desirable not only for it’s slight sheen, which creates a more formal or dressy look than non-worsted wools like tweed or flannel, but also for it’s tendency to be less wrinkle-prone, as the slightly stiffer fibers bounce back to their straight form relatively easily. Additionally, the coarser yarn can be woven much more loosely, which is advantageous for tropical-weight fabrics as it results in much greater breathability.

It’s always a goal to end these posts with some recommended products. That said, since worsted wool is used almost exclusively (in menswear at least), for suiting, our picks this time around are a bit limited. That said, we did manage to throw in some variety when it comes to price and seasonality.

First up is this summer suit, made from that looser-woven worsted wool that we mentioned:

"Lotus" Lightweight Worsted Wool Suit | Barneys New York

Tropical-weight wool is actually kind of hard to find outside of bespoke suit-makers (this pick from Barney’s is one of the few ready-to-wear options that we could dig up), and even when you do find that lightweight suit, chances are it’ll be a bit pricey - this pick is quite obviously out of most of our price ranges. Hence, a lot of fellas end up with cotton or linen fabric for their summer suits, even though lightweight worsted wool will actually keep you even cooler.

Next, we’ve got a few all-season worsted wool suits. Since they are fully lined, they won’t be quite breezy enough for the hottest weather. At the same time, they aren’t a heavy, insulating wool, making them relatively versatile.

On the more affordable end of the spectrum, J.Crew Factory offers their worsted Thompson Suit for just over $300 (but much less during their relatively frequent sales):

Thompson Suit Jacket in Worsted Wool | J.Crew Factory (pants here)

At a more middling price range, Suit Supply is a very solid choice. They do have much bolder prints, but we'll stick with the staples and recommend this navy suit that clocks in at $469:

Blue Plain Havana Suit | SuitSupply

Now, if you want to go all sorts of baller, MR PORTER has this Richard James number, which runs a more significant $980, but is sure to make you the sharpest man in pretty much any room:

Prince of Wales Check Worsted-Wool Suit | Richard James via MR PORTER

I'm sure most of you who already own a suit will have something in worsted wool - any thoughts on the pros and cons? Share in the comments below.

'Know Your Patterns' - Argyle

Here we are with yet another episode of our 'Know Your Patterns' series. Moving on to another slightly eccentric but no less classic menswear pattern, this week we are taking a look at 'Argyle.'

The argyle pattern is characterized by a diamond shape, occasionally solitaire, but usually in a repeating pattern. Often, argyle patterns will involve two such diamond motifs overlayed, such as one in a windowpane diamond, laid over an offset pattern of solid diamond shapes. For example, the pattern below incorporates a blue/white diamond ‘stencil’ over solid diamonds in blue, grey and white:

Another way that argyle can vary in complexity is in the colors used. The most basic argyle patterns can be made out of just two colors, or even gradients of black and white, while bolder and brighter fabrics can be made using a wide variety of colors in one piece.

As seems to have been the trend for both patterns and fabrics, Argyle is named after a region of Scotland, Argyll, where the tartan patterns of Clan Campbell were transformed into the argyle patterns we know today. After the emergence of the pattern, argyle knitwear became very popular through Europe and America during and after World War I, when the style was embraced by the fashionable Duke of Windsor and mass produced by Pringle of Scotland (who are credited with branding the signature pattern as their own).

Throughout it’s history, argyle has been mainly used for gentlemanly sports attire - namely the high socks and ‘jerseys’ worn by golfers in the early 1900’s. Those jerseys developed over time into the frumpy sweater vests that many of us associate with the pattern, but argyle is still widely used as a sock pattern, and can be a stylish choice for a gentleman looking to inject a bit of pattern without going so bold as stripes or dots.  

Here are some picks to inject some argyle into your life:

For the best bang-for-your-buck, it’s hard to beat Target’s Merona socks, offered here in a nice light blue argyle pattern. These puppies don’t even break $5 a pop, and I’ve had great luck with Target socks holding up and being very comfortable.

Merona Argyle Socks | Target

If you’d rather aim for something a bit more high-end, try finding a pair in luxe cashmere, like these cozy-looking puppies by Pantherella:

Cashmere Argyle Socks | Pantherella

We mentioned that argyle was also a common pattern for golf jerseys. These days, that has translated into polo shirts, and of course sweaters, like this one by Lands End (on sale, bonus). Would I wear it personally? Maybe not (just not my style), but the quality should be solid, the pattern is unobtrusive, and the lambswool will keep you toasty this winter. In all honesty, this could look pretty sharp, in a kinda professorial way, layered under a grey flannel or tweed blazer. Old man style, all the way.

Men's Lambswool Argyle Crewneck Sweater | Land's End

Now, we really don’t recommend wearing argyle pants, especially off the golf course (although even on the course they’ll tend to be more garish than classic). However, if the mood really strikes you, or you need to dress up a la Bagger Vance for a costume party, check out the selection at your closest costume store, because chances are no self-respecting menswear store will carry any - although you never know, these trends are hard to predict!

Alright, before we sign off, we gotta be forthright and let you know we’re starting to run out of patterns to cover! We have plenty of fabrics left to run through (and a few more patterns in mind), but would love to start taking requests for anything you might be interested in that we have neglected to explore thus far.

Here is a list of the patterns we’ve covered by now (see all the fabrics here):

• Madras
• Gingham
• Glen Plaid
• Houndstooth
• Tattersall
• Paisley

...and a short list of the patterns we still have on deck:

• Tartan Plaid
• Foulard

...and that's about it, at this point! 

If you’d like to see something added to the list, share it in the comments, or shoot me an email at WideEyesTightWallets@gmail.com if you’re shy.

'Know Your Fabrics' - End-on-End

Still churning through our ‘Know Your Fabrics’ series, we’re back at it this week with a look at ‘End-on-End’, another very popular fabric used primarily in shirting.

End-on-end fabric (also called ‘fil-a-fil’ by the French - translates to ‘thread to thread’) is actually very similar to Poplin in that they are made using a one-to-one square weave, resulting in a nice smooth fabric. However, end-on-end gets a characteristic added visual depth by swapping out the horizontal threads with white, similar to the warp and weft threads in denim (although denim is produced in a twill weave).

The result is a shirt fabric that doesn’t appear as flat and even as a poplin or broadcloth, instead taking on a heathered, or even finely checked appearance up close. This adds some versatility as it makes the shirt easier to dress down (although still wholly acceptable as a formal dress shirt). These fabrics also tend to break in well over time, and can even achieve ‘fades’ like you see in denim as the white horizontal threads become more visible through the vertical colored threads.

The hand of the fabric remains very similar to poplin or broadcloth, as the close weave results in a lighter, smoother fabric, and thus it’s tendency to be used as a shirting fabric (rather than heavier fabrics that can be applied to trousers, outerwear, etc.).

End-on-end shirts are almost always woven with a single color (and the white threads), although sometimes textile producers will swap out the white threads for a second color, or will incorporate some stripes into the pattern (usually thin, white stripes).

Perhaps the most popular variation on end-on-end (at least in my wardrobe, and the modern menswear scene), is chambray, which differentiates from standard end-on-end only in the finishing process, which normally involves some type of ‘glazing’ or ‘calendaring’ to give it that characteristic hint of shine.

As we’ve mentioned, this fabric is almost exclusively used for shirting, although with the experimental nature of evolving fashion trends, I’m sure you can find it used in other applications somewhere. For now, though, we’re sticking to shirts, and have picked out a few of our favorites for anyone looking to add some end-on-end to their wardrobes:

First, about as classic as you get, here’s a solid number from Everlane. I’m a big fan of end-on-end shirts in these lighter, spring-timey colors like mint or this peachy red. I think the white threads help give a bit of a worn-and-washed look that keeps you out of ‘easter sunday’ outfit territory:

Slim Fit End-On-End in Red | Everlane

J.Crew also has some great end-on-end shirts in solid colors, and many are currently significantly marked down. 

We also mentioned that end-on-end shirts often incorporate a fine stripe, like this one from Brooks Brothers:

Blue End-on-End with White Stripe Sport Shirt | Brooks Brothers

You’ll find stripes in other colors, but we think just a subtle white one is the way to go:

While not as popular or widely available, you can occasionally find end-on-end shirts woven in other patterns as well, like this checked fabric available at Proper Cloth:

Thomas Mason Pink End on End Check | Proper Cloth

Because of the versatility inherent to an end-on-end fabric, we think it’s a great choice for a MTM shirt. Beyond the above, Proper Cloth currently has several other options in end-on-end fabric, in stripes, checks and solids.

Last, since we mentioned it’s very close relationship to plain old end-on-end, here’s one our recent favorites in chambray. It's not cheap by any means, but this popover from J.Crew is high on my wish-list:

Japanese Chambray Popover | J.Crew

Do you have any end-on-end fabrics in your wardrobe? Any favorite pieces? Share in the comments!

'Know Your Patterns' - Paisley

For this week's edition of 'Know Your Patterns,' we are taking a quick divergence from your more basic and fundamental menswear patterns to look at something a bit more unique, if not any less classic: Paisley.

Paisley is an especially interesting pattern due to it's extensive history and widely varied application and use. Depending on where you're reading, the pattern dates as far back as Babylon circa 2200 BC or as recently as Persian and Indian cultures in the 200's AD. The pattern is defined by a characteristic twisted teardrop shape, the origin of which is widely speculated. Some think it to be a vague mixture of a floral pattern and the shape of a cypress leaf, while others link it more specifically to other natural shapes like a budding palm frond or a pine cone.

Through the ages, the pattern spread, gaining popularity in Europe as it was traded en masse by the East India Company in the 1600's, shortly after which it began to be produced locally in Marseilles, England, Holland, and other European countries.

In time, the town of Paisley, Scotland became a central producer and eventually the namesake of the design in Western cultures (more historically, the pattern was called Boteh Jegheh by the Persian cultures in which it originated).

Later, paisley was widely embraced by the hippie, 'flower child' culture that latched on to Indian and Middle Eastern aesthetics, especially following the Beatles famous pilgrimage to India in the late 1960's.

Throughout it's history, the paisley pattern has been applied to any number of goods, from fine woven textiles of silk embroidered with gold and silver threads, to printed twill, to ceramics and pottery, Persian rugs, even garden landscaping. Among the menswear circles, it's most commonly found on neckties and pocket squares, although folks with bolder tastes will mix it into shirting, trousers, and sport coats as well.

To some, any mention of the pattern brings to mind these bright, psychedelic applications and are associated with other cheesy 70's icons like shag carpet and bell-bottoms, although recently there has been some return to a more classic and subtle use of the pattern.

Still, even today, the pattern is designed in a wide variety of styles. My favorite tend to be the more minimalist applications, with just the characteristic 'leaf' on a plain background. Some of the busier designs can veer towards the garish side of style, and should probably be avoided, but you can find some ornate patterns that really recall the Persian  heritage behind the design and come off really sharply when used in moderation (as in, on a tie - not a full shirt or sport coat).

Below are a range of options to inject some paisley into your life:

First, we have the uber-budget option, turning (as usual) to the Tie Bar, which clocks in at just $15. First is an all-blue option that is subtle and an easy entry point that won’t be hard to style:

Relic Paisley in Navy Cotton | The Tie Bar - $15

I’m also kind of into this brighter green fabric, which is a bit more untraditional, but very summery and season-appropriate.

Tears of Paisley in Emerald Linen | The Tie Bar - $15

Slightly up the ladder, J. Press offers literally dozens of paisley ties in a wide variety of colors and scales. This one, in a simpler blue and yellow color scheme, is one of my favorites (and currently on sale, which is a bonus):

Foulard Paisley in Navy | J. Press - $41.70 (on sale)

If you want to try out a more ornate pattern, ‘Ancient Madder’ ties are intricate but in darker, dustier colors and usually in a twill weave, as opposed to something in bright colors on a shiny satin fabric, which I think tends to look more tacky. This option from Brooks Brothers isn’t cheap, but isn’t wildly expensive and is a fine, classy example:

Ancient Madder Large Paisley Print Tie in Navy | Brooks Brothers - $57.50 (on sale)

Of course, you can always go big and get a shirt or jacket with an all-over paisley print. In my opinion, this is much easier to do with casual gear, where bold prints won’t veer out of appropriate business-casual attire (or other more structured situations). This short-sleeve, lightweight shirt from Denim & Supply might be a good place to start (and at under $50, not a big financial risk).

Paisley Woven Shirt | Denim & Supply by Ralph Lauren - $50 (on sale)

Do you have any paisley in your wardrobe? Getting funky with any big bold prints? Share in the comments!

'Know Your Fabrics' - Broadcloth

On to another week of ‘Know Your Fabrics.’ OK, so we’re admittedly kind of cheating here by having a separate article on broadcloth versus poplin, which we covered a few weeks ago. Why is that? To be perfectly honest, they are basically the same cloth.

Both have a one-to-one square weave, both are used almost exclusively for shirting, in fact there really is only one marginal difference: where poplin shirts can, and often do, use threads of differing thickness for the warp vs. the weft, broadcloth uses exclusively one thread for both.

In other words, poplin shirts can be woven in a way that provides a slight (usually vertical) ribbing, allowing for some extra texture which can either add visual depth or even dress down a fabric. Broadcloth is by definition flat and smooth, which means it lends very well to more dressy shirts:

Additionally, the popularity of broadcloth as a fabric for shirting means that you can find it in pretty much any style, color, or weight, and could potentially rock a 100% broadcloth shirt closet, summer to winter, and still inject a solid amount of variety.

Historically, broadcloth is probably one of the oldest textile weaves currently available. Like most fabrics, it was originally woven from wool, and was actually produced in larger-than-standard sheets. These sheets were then shrunk down through a washing process in order to reach the desired size, which resulted in a much tighter woven fabric, with fibers binding together for a felted hand-feel. 

To my understanding, woolen broadcloth is still produced to achieve this felted quality, which makes it durable and decently weather-resistant. You might hear this fabric referred to as ‘Melton Wool’ - and maybe we’ll do a separate article focusing on this subset in the future!

Meanwhile, we’ve picked a few options to try to highlight the range of broadcloth shirts on the market:

A classic, crisp white button-down is the go-to dress shirt for countless stylish men. This option from Club Monaco hits all the right notes, and is marked down by over 60% to just $50:

Slim-Fit Broadcloth Shirt | Club Monaco

These shirts from Ralph Lauren have been brushed to achieve what the call a ‘sueded’ feel that could be great for fall and winter:

Custom-Fit Sueded Broadcloth | Polo Ralph Lauren

Broadcloth’s characteristic smoothness makes it a popular fabric for printed designs, like this black-on-white pin-dot from Uniqlo:

Broadcloth Printed Long Sleeve Shirt | Uniqlo

Sure, it’s a bit out of season to be finding heavy Melton wool garments, but that also means that the pieces you will find are likely to be nicely marked down, like this pea coat by Schott via Orvis for just $220:

Naval Wool Peacoat | Schott via Orvis

Do you have broadcloth fabrics in your wardrobe? What are your favorite pieces?

'Know Your Patterns' - Tattersall

Our ‘Know Your Patterns’ and ‘Know Your Fabrics’ series are proving to be pretty darn popular, so we’re going to keep them rolling as long as we can keep thinking of more textiles to explore. This week, we’re back at it again with another edition of ‘Know Your Patterns’ and turn our eye to a classic; Tattersall. This is one that you surely see everywhere (it’s well loved for it’s versatility), but probably just never knew the technical name attached to it. No more!

A Tattersall pattern is made up of two thin, regularly spaced grids, traditionally placed against a lighter background (although some versions with light grids against a dark background can be found).

Beyond that, it’s easier to explain what Tattersall isn’t. First, it isn’t printed on fabric, but rather woven into it. Second, it is not a large-scale, windowpane pattern, but instead much smaller in scale (although some variation is definitely available). Third, Tattersall is not merely a graph-check (usually), and instead tends to be distinguished by the two, evenly alternating colors (although single-color patterns do exist, as you’ll see below). Also, unlike many other plaids, the spacing between the grids does not change, although the pattern will often be taller that it is wide.

The name itself comes from a famous race horse auction house, Tattersall’s London Horse Auction mart, established by Richard Tattersall in 1776. At that time, the pattern was commonly used by the auction house on their horse blankets, with the pattern being transitioned to men’s shirting towards the end of the 19th century.

Since then, the pattern has remained popular in men’s apparel through the ages, and as we mentioned, is favored for its versatility. Depending on the cut of the shirt, the pattern lends itself just as easily to casual wear as it does tailored suiting, and looks great with jeans or a solid-colored suit. Additionally, it is not a season-specific fabric, and a guy can wear it summer, fall, winter and spring. Lastly, the flexibility in the color and scale of the grids allows the pattern to be adapted to a variety of complexions and body types.

Recommending products here is a bit of a challenge. First off, the outright differences between Tattersall patterns are not that emphasized - each has a light background with some assortments of colors incorporated through the grids. The colors you pick will/should rely heavily on not just personal preference, but more-so what will work well with your current wardrobe. Also, the pattern is used pretty exclusively in shirting (you won’t really find Tattersall suits or trousers). That said, we listed a few personal favorites:

First, this shirt shows Tattersall at it’s simplest - one color, lightly printed on a white background:

Washed Shirt in Thin Open Tattersall | J.Crew Factory

As we mentioned, Tattersall usually comes with two colors, but at it’s most minimal will be monochrome.

If you are looking for something more interesting, the shirt below exhibits a more standard Tattersall with two colors over a light background:

Grayson Tattersall Shirt | Spectre & Co.

We reviewed Spectre a while back and loved their shirts, and this one looks like a sharp winner at just $45 (plus, blue and brown is one of my favorite color combinations).

On the more high-fashion end of the spectrum, Gant offers this classic:

Tattersall Sport Shirt | Gant via East Dane

Note the two colors (blue and red) alternating evenly on a white background. About as classic as it gets.

We wanted to show an example of Tattersall on a dark background, but those tend to be much more widespread in the cooler seasons, and we couldn’t find an option we liked right now. While we were hunting, though, we decided it was important to note that you will find a lot of ‘Tattersall’ shirts out there - note the quotations! These usually include more than two colors, irregular check patterns, or some other variation. Of course, these can be just as stylish, and this may not even make a difference to you, just know that they aren’t traditional Tattersall (and therefore we omitted for the sake of this article).

Do you have any Tattersall pieces in your wardrobe? Any favorites?

'Know Your Fabrics' - Poplin

And we’re back with more knowledge for y’all. This time, the ‘Know Your Fabrics’ series takes a look at Poplin, one of the most common shirting fabrics available.

Like twill, poplin refers to the weave of the fabric - while it was originally woven with specific threads (silk weft and worst yarn warp), those standards have largely been abandoned and the fabric can now be found in a wide variety of materials, from silk to cotton to wool and more (cotton tends to be the most common, and likely our favorite). The weaving pattern, however has remained the same.

Where twill was an ‘offset’ weave that resulted in diagonal ribbing, poplin is a square or even weave, which results in a much smoother, flatter finish. The characteristic pattern of poplin involves a thicker thread running one way (usually the warp), with a thinner thread running the other direction (usually the weft). Compared to broadcloth, a similar square-weave fabric that we will look at more closely in an upcoming post, poplin is normally less densely woven, which makes it softer, but also less crisp and therefore a bit more casual.

As poplin can (and often tends to be) a lighter fabric - plus that looser weave is much more breathable than many other options -  it’s a favorite of many for spring and summer shirting (although thicker poplin shirts can definitely be found and worn year round). A few of Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets’ go-to shirting companies offer a great selection through the warmer months, including Everlane, or Uniqlo for more bargain options.

Slim Fit Poplin Shirt | Everlane

Fine Poplin Long Sleeve Shirt | Uniqlo

Whereas we hunt down twill for any number of garments, our use of poplin is a little more limited to shirting. However, you can find some nice, water-resistant poplin jackets that make a perfect lightweight cover-up come cool spring nights or surprise showers.

Poplin Single Breasted Mac | Topman

Last, we have been seeing some poplin ties popping up - it’s not a huge phenomenon, as the fabric’s inherent thinness often doesn’t allow for much structure in a tie, and therefore often a weak knot, but we’ve seen it done very well by a few tie-makers. The results are definitely more casual, but the lightness of the fabric really hits the spring/summer vibe quite well.

Atkinson Irish Poplin Tie | Sid Mashburn

Slub Poplin Irregular Stripe Tie | The Hill-Side via Hickorees

Do you have any poplin pieces in your rotation? Any favorites? Chime in below.