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Bespoke trousers - extremely heavy vintage linen twill - a pictorial review

Rudie

Call Me a Cab
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2,069
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Berlin
A few months ago I was fortunate to acquire some pretty heavy vintage natural linen twill. It weighs in at 17 oz. per square metre! That's even heavier than the usual 17 oz. as these fabrics tend to be 150 or 160 cm wide. The fabric is absolutely amazing.

I went to a local trousermaker and asked her to make me bespoke trousers similar to an illustration from a 1938 Esquire. I am sure many of you fellow loungers are familiar with it. Here it is:
400_6235383034353930.jpg


It sports a 4" waistband with two straps to fasten. No belt loops.

The result is totally amazing in my opinion. The trousermaker hated making them. She said these were the heaviest trousers she ever made and extremely difficult to work on. She made a great job drafting the cut and the drape of that heavy linen has to be seen to be believed. In the end she asked me if she could take some pictures of me wearing them (which she never did before with any of her previous clients) because they were so unusual and the fit perfect. We're both very pleased with the result.

So please enjoy the pictures and tell me what you think of the trousers!

Side view on the floor:
400_6565663064306465.jpg


Waistband with fasteners:
400_6632326637633364.jpg


Waistband and British pleats:
400_6231353036316231.jpg


Front view:
400_3733366237393266.jpg


Front details:
400_6230386164316334.jpg


Rear view:
400_6264646363363232.jpg


Rear view details:
400_3661653265616666.jpg


Fastener details:
400_6235353365643033.jpg


Cuffs are 5 cm with a neat little detail - they can be unbuttoned for ease of cleaning:
400_3133303165333138.jpg


More pictures in the next post!
 
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Rudie

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2,069
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Berlin
400_3733306231663932.jpg


And now for the really interesting stuff - the fit.

Front:
400_3632366237616139.jpg


Left side view:
400_3637303062366437.jpg


Right side view. Note how perfect the fit is. There is a clean line without a break in the front as well as in the back - without braces!
400_3234316465313132.jpg


Rear view:
400_6338313436323035.jpg


400_3634376366343137.jpg
 
Nice. Really interesting waist straps. I wouldn't have though they'd have been that long, but they work well. That's an interesting feature on the cuffs as well. I have only ever seen button feature that on German trousers.

There's a chap here in London who does really nice copies, too. I currently have him running off a pair of grey flannels for me (from an original pair of "bags" that I gave him for reference). He did a pair of linen trousers for me, and nailed the 30s British Fishtail back trousers perfectly. Now I just need to get the jacket (my guy only does trousers) …
 

Edward

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London, UK
Bravo! You and she should go into business with these if you can find more of that material. Sign me up as customer number one...
 

Rudie

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2,069
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Berlin
Yes, that's the problem with my trousermaker, too. She only does trousers. But her workwomanship is impeccable and her price is hard to beat. I have seen trousers that don't fit half as well but cost five times as much.
I'll be in San Francisco in March and hope to place an order with Matt Deckard.

I first saw this cuff detail on Italian trousers.

Where do you get your flannel fabric from?
 

Rudie

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2,069
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Berlin
Edward, the material shouldn't be a problem. But she is drowning in work already (no wonder, 120 Euros plus fabric is hard to beat) and really hated working on my trousers because the stuff is just too heavy. I'll try to dye the rest of the linen I have. She's already dreading my next commission with this fabric. For now she is working on two pairs of lighter summer trousers...
 

Djupis

One of the Regulars
Messages
139
Location
London, UK
There's a chap here in London who does really nice copies, too. I currently have him running off a pair of grey flannels for me (from an original pair of "bags" that I gave him for reference). He did a pair of linen trousers for me, and nailed the 30s British Fishtail back trousers perfectly. Now I just need to get the jacket (my guy only does trousers) …

I'd like to hear more about this chap... :)
 

Rudie

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2,069
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Berlin
Really? Funny indeed. Were you inspired by the same illustration? Is yours a heavy linen twill, too?
 

cookie

I'll Lock Up
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5,927
Location
Sydney Australia
I would use that pattern again and before you dye the material I would have a pair of shorts made from just cutting the leg length into shorts. They will be pretty authentically like the early WWII patterns of desert shorts worn by Commonwealth troops and seen on What Price Glory etc military surplus. The side would not be two but one thick strap witha buckle fastener. http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=118&cat=KD+&+JG+UNIFORMS

The point that is always made about linen is that the heavier it is (up to a point) the better it hangs and can also be cooler as a result - as it does not cling - and allows for better wicking of body sweat. Heavier linen also can be good for between seasons. All that said I supect 17 ozs will be too heavy for a suit jacket.
 
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Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
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13,719
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USA
Wonderful trousers!

They hang exceptionally well and look to be well made. I agree with the Baron (I'm speaking for him ;)) that the buckle placement could be an inch or two forward towards the zip , as the illustration exhibits. Also, I have the button-cuff treatment on some of my Italian made trousers and have found it a bit gimmicky.[huh]
 

Rudie

Call Me a Cab
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2,069
Location
Berlin
Thanks for the compliments!

Tomasso, I don't find the buttoned cuffs gimmicky at all. It's so much easier to brush the cuffs when they can be opened. I wish all my cuffed trousers had this feature.
 

GBR

One of the Regulars
Messages
288
Location
UK
Nice. Really interesting waist straps. I wouldn't have though they'd have been that long, but they work well. That's an interesting feature on the cuffs as well. I have only ever seen button feature that on German trousers.

There's a chap here in London who does really nice copies, too. I currently have him running off a pair of grey flannels for me (from an original pair of "bags" that I gave him for reference). He did a pair of linen trousers for me, and nailed the 30s British Fishtail back trousers perfectly. Now I just need to get the jacket (my guy only does trousers) …

Ambrosi uses the button cuff.
 

resortes805

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2,019
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SoCal
Great trousers! I also would echo the suggestion to scoot the straps about 3 centimeters closer to the center.
 

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