Fabric Shopping...

Today I went fabric shopping in London, however had an unsuccessful day. I began in Goldhawk Road as this is where the cheaper fabrics tend to be. I had been advised by my tutor to get a 14oz wool and had looked at some samples at Uni to get an idea of the weight I would need. Below are photos of a few of those samples that I particularly liked.

 It was soon apparent that trying to find an appropriate fabric would be harder than I had anticipated. This was chiefly because no one knew the weights of the wools and many suggested that the thinner wools would be more suitable for a suit, as thicker wools tend to be used for coats. With little experience or knowledge of wools and suit fabrics, I found it extremely difficult to judge the weights by touch, with only the memory of the samples at Uni to go on. I was able to take a few pictures of wools in one of the shops as I was unable to get samples.

(I liked the purple checked fabric here even though I am looking for a plainer fabric)

The fabrics in Goldhalk Road generally ranged from £10-20.

Unsure of what to do, I headed to Berwick Street, more to see if I could get a better idea of the weight of fabric rather than to buy any, as fabrics are generally more expensive here. I did see some nice fabrics, however I hit the same problem as before and therefore continued to have trouble distinguishing the weights. I spoke to an very helpful shop assistant who advised me to choose something I wanted to work with or that would look right if I was unsure of what to get, and that you could always increase the thickness of the fabric by combining it with horse hair. I did get some samples and particularly like those from the Berwick Street Cloth Shop though these are too expensive (£45/m). I think I'd like to find something similar to the black herringbone as its fairly plain but has some detail.

 

I was disappointed that I did not get my fabric today, but I resolved on going home and doing some research on fabrics because I did not want to spend a large amount on fabric that might not be suitable. I think I should have done more research before going as I felt unprepared, but I did not know it would be so difficult. I have since come to the realisation that a 14oz wool might not have to be as thick as I think it should, as I think if the weave is tighter, it will produce a smoother and thinner feel and look.