Winter is the season that puts a man to the test. It tests his tenacity, driving skills, mental toughness (commuting to work before sunrise and returning at sunset can take a toll on you), and, of course, his ability to stay warm.
However, it's also the best time of year to wear suits.
What other time of year can you find yourself sipping a steaming cup of coffee while donning a sumptuously warm cashmere scarf and overcoat and inhaling air so chilly and crisp it makes you feel like you're breathing from the top of Everest? There is none other. Winter is the best because of this.
Nothing could be further from the truth than the idea that winter suits are dull and boxy. A well-put-together winter clothing looks as fashionable as anything. Make sure you are doing what you are supposed to be doing.
Weights and types of fabrics
When it comes to fabric types, wool and flannel are the two that are most popular. These two materials keep you warm. Because of this, you won't wear heavier thread in the summer (more on that in a moment). The reverse is also true. Not for keeping you warm in deep, wet snow, linen, cotton, and thin blend suits are designated for sipping mint juleps at the Kentucky Derby in the summer heat.
It's most likely because the fabric's weight is too low if you are shivering while wearing a suit in the cold. Yes, there are several fabric weights. And they are essential.
Look for suits in the 16-ounce range for flannels and wool when shopping for ones that genuinely keep you warm. Despite being overly bulky, they are thick enough to keep you warm without giving the impression that you are wearing a cropped overcoat.
Consider this figure to represent the weight of the wool itself. The importance of a yard of the specified wool fabric determines the amount you see (in ounces).
Wintertime calls for heavier wool and flannel. That should be the main takeaway from reading this article.
That's for a reason, too.
Both wool and flannel are excellent at retaining heat and can withstand the actual construction of a suit. Both have advantages and disadvantages: thread can come in a bewildering array of various kinds. GQ advises keeping flannel away from trouser bars on hangers unless having a significant mark on them is your thing.
It's easy to understand that heavier fabrics have greater weights (in ounces), and smoother garments have higher twist counts for worsted wool (combed and spun yarn).
A Worsted Suit: What Is It?
Worsted is a term that is frequently used in men's wool suits. Except for worsted wool, which is first carded (detangled and straightened) to remove short, brittle fibers, most threads are made from spun yarns. The long, thin strands are what is left, and they are twisted and spun into yarn. Longer strands result in finer, more robust wool.
Layering is the Key to Staying Warm
Although this is common knowledge, applying it when wearing a suit may be challenging. It can be not easy to ease yourself into a new pattern come winter if, for example, you're only used to wearing the same undershirts and the same shirts in identical suits with the same ties.
Cuadro supports layering for warmth, recommending that thinner layers be worn next to the skin and heavier layers as you move away from your body.
Pay attention to the use of a light quilted vest, he adds. Excellent under a sportcoat or topcoat.
Apply the same ideas to your winter-suiting clothing if you spend a lot of time outside during the winter. Instead of wearing an undershirt, put on a base layer, then a heavier shirt, followed by a winter weight. You might even start to sweat just thinking about it.
Additions
Isn't this the finest part? Men's winter suits are precise, stern, and exquisite because of everything the winter "forces" us to wear.
Cuadro has one piece of advice that applies to anything that touches skin: Stay in your weight class. If you're wearing a tweed suit, you should forgo your favorite silk tie in favor of something more acceptable (or whatever the non-HGTV term for "festive" is).
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