Choosing the Perfect Fabric for Your Custom Suit: A Beginner's Guide

Fabric shapes everything about a suit: how it looks, how it feels at 3pm on a humid afternoon and how many years it lasts. At Rashmi Custom Tailors we have about 2,000 fabrics to choose from, so we know how daunting that first look through the swatch books can be. This guide covers the basics so you can walk in with a clear idea of what you need.

Start with what the suit is for

Before you think about colour or texture, answer three questions:

• Where will you wear it? Office, weddings, travel, evenings out?
• How often? A suit worn three days a week needs a harder-wearing cloth than one kept for special occasions.
• In what climate? Hong Kong's summer calls for a very different cloth from a winter trip to Europe.

Your answers quickly narrow 2,000 options to a manageable handful.

Wool: the default for good reason

Most suits are made from wool. It breathes, it handles moisture well, it drapes neatly and it recovers from creasing better than most fibres. Worsted wool, made from long, combed fibres, gives the smooth, clean finish of a classic business suit. Woollen cloths such as flannel are softer and fuzzier, warmer and more casual.

If you are buying one suit to wear in Hong Kong, a lightweight worsted wool is usually the most versatile choice.

Understanding cloth weight

Suit fabric is usually described by weight, in grams per metre (g/m) or ounces per yard (oz). As a rough guide:

• Lightweight: around 230 to 260 g/m (roughly 7 to 8.5 oz). Cool and comfortable in warm weather, a little more prone to creasing.
• Mid-weight: around 270 to 320 g/m (roughly 9 to 10.5 oz). The all-rounder, good for air-conditioned offices and travel.
• Heavyweight: 330 g/m and above (11 oz and up). Structured and warm, best for cold climates.

Lighter cloths feel better in the heat but are generally less hard-wearing, so for a suit you will wear constantly, many people choose the heavier end of lightweight or the lighter end of mid-weight.

Weave matters as much as weight

Two fabrics of the same weight can feel very different depending on the weave:

• Open weaves such as hopsack or high-twist "fresco" style cloths let air through and resist creasing, which makes them excellent for hot weather.
• Plain and twill weaves are the workhorses of business suiting: smooth, dependable and easy to wear.
• Textured weaves such as herringbone and birdseye add depth and character without being loud.
• Flannel is soft, warm and relaxed, better suited to cooler climates than a Hong Kong summer.

Linen

Linen is the coolest fibre you can wear and feels wonderful in the heat. The trade-off is creasing: linen wrinkles easily, and that relaxed, lived-in look is part of its character. It suits summer weddings, weekends and holidays better than the boardroom.

Cotton

Cotton suits are breathable and comfortable but more casual than wool, and they crease more readily. Cotton really shines in shirting. Common shirt weaves include:

• Poplin: smooth, light and crisp, the classic business shirt
• Twill: slightly heavier with a subtle diagonal texture, and it resists wrinkles well
• Oxford: a thicker, textured weave for a more casual look

Blends

Wool and linen blends keep some of linen's coolness with fewer creases. Wool and mohair blends are crisp, springy and good at holding their shape. Wool and silk blends add a gentle sheen for evening wear. A blend can be a smart compromise if you like linen but need to look sharp all day.

Colour and pattern for your first suit

If this is your first custom suit, choose something you can wear often:

• Navy: the most versatile colour there is, for work, weddings and evenings
• Mid to charcoal grey: equally smart and very easy to pair with shirts and ties
• Subtle patterns: a fine stripe or a quiet check adds interest without limiting how often you can wear it

Save bolder choices for your second or third suit.

Budget

At our Hong Kong shop, suits start from HK$3,500 and shirts from HK$580, and the final price depends on what you order. Ask for the price of any fabric you like before you commit, and do not assume the most expensive cloth is the best for you: a very fine cloth may be less durable than a sturdier one for everyday wear.

A few practical tips at the shop

• Look at swatches in daylight as well as shop lighting
• Scrunch a corner of the fabric in your hand and see how quickly the creases fall out
• Hold the swatch against your face to see how the colour works with your skin tone
• Tell Larry how you will use the suit; he can narrow the choices quickly

For advice specific to our weather, read our guide to the best suit fabrics for Hong Kong's heat and humidity.

Come and see the fabrics

The best way to choose is to feel the cloth in person. Visit us at 12/F, Block A, Suite A3, Burlington Arcade, 90–94 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (about 2 minutes from Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Exit B1) to browse our fabrics with Larry, or book a video consultation if you are planning a trip. We are open Monday to Saturday 9am to 8pm, and Sundays and public holidays 10am to 6pm, by appointment only. Message us on WhatsApp at +852 9745 7058 or email [email protected] to arrange a time.