velvet or wool?

**LitTrog** · 4th February 12, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by MacLowlife

By all means, velvet, or at least not boring old barathea. Ask your tailor ( HC or whoever) about the various kinds available. I think we can agree on no acetate, but after that, you will ultimately have to choose sides. Silk notoriously spots in water, but I expect it makes cotton look drab. And I expect either one makes velveteen look shabby, much more so moleskin, which I like a great deal. Go for the feel and go for the luminosity. And then take good care of it, but remember it is merely a garment, not your master.

Look, look, look at samples, at swatches and finished garments. Somehow, I expect the most expensive doublet you can imagine will be a tiny percentage of the entire wedding budget- and far more likely to see additional use than most of the other expenses. Try to see it as what it is- an extension of your bride's dress- rather than merely what YOU are wearing.

If you look and act like Mike Myers, you will look and act like him in a kilt. If you don't, well, you are probably fine.

Wow. At first I wondered why i was unable to convey all this. Then I remembered that I'm a knucklehead. Great post!

**piperdbh** · 4th February 12, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by LitTrog

I have seen Mr. Newsome in a less formal sheriffmuir (tweed, I think) that looks great and can be worn more frequently than the velvet.

I have seen and handled Matt's Harris tweed Sheriffmuir and it is heavy! He wears it for day wear sometimes and it looks really sharp. Too bad that's not what this thread is about.

I have a piece of black wool suiting that I keep threatening to make a Sheriffmuir from, but if I'm going to have one, I don't want it to look homemade, which my creations tend to do.

**LitTrog** · 4th February 12, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by piperdbh

I have a piece of black wool suiting that I keep threatening to make a Sheriffmuir from, but if I'm going to have one, I don't want it to look homemade, which my creations tend to do.

Arrgh. (I'm affecting pirate-speak today, for some reason.) I've seen your "homemade" stuff and would stand in line to pay for it. Up to you, obviously, but I think your take on a sheriffmuir would be worth seeing. And worth wearing!

Arrgh. Me timbers be shivered!

**LitTrog** · 4th February 12, 07:52 PM

Yarrgh.

**cable scot** · 5th February 12, 02:00 AM

Well there it is.
I couldn't have asked for a better example of how I would like us to look,thank you, thank you,My girl felt the same .And to Maclowlife a healthy reminder of what is what is always welcome and why I am a member here.
I didn't think I would really look like Mike Myers,I just didn't want to look cartoonish or something. I wanted us to stand out in a sea of PC's and black argyll jackets, at my cousin's wedding if it wasn't for the plaid and her dress you wouldn't know who the bride and groom were.
So there we have it midnight blue velvet and a good conversation with HC and we'll be posting how to wear it happily pics too.

Thank you all once more
Andy & kaila

**Dixiecat** · 5th February 12, 04:36 PM

PS. "Horrible" might be a bit strong. I was trying to get across the view that cotton velvet is not nearly as nice a fabric as silk velvet

Indeed, horrible is far too strong a description for cotton velvet. It's fantastic fabric, well-wearing, good looking and quite affordable. Silk velvet is indeed the creme-de la creme of velvets and in direct comparison, silk and cotton look and feel completely different, but I would not have said that cotton was inferior. Silk velvet is beautiful, but it's very expensive, fragile and not as durable as cotton, your 70yr old jackets notwithstanding. I can only conjecture that you've not been exposed to the high quality cotton velvets that I have used.

All I can say is that the OP is now informed as to his choices and I look forward to seeing pics of the final garment. I'm sure it'll be fantastic.

**creagdhubh** · 6th February 12, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by McMurdo

Kyle, I agree my next will be a Regulation Doublet in velvet, I looked on the Scottish Tartan Museum webpage but did not see them offered any longer. I think Kinloch Anderson would be the perfect place to purchase one. I was looking at this offering from them

http://www.kinlochanderson.com/mens/...-special-order

Kinloch-Anderson is my recommendation for bespoke velvet doublets and coatees, but there are indeed plenty of other places - Sandy's (JSFMACLJR) tailor for example, would be a fine choice.

Cheers,

**creagdhubh** · 6th February 12, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by JSFMACLJR

Cotton velvet is a horrible fabric! I only have silk velvet. Some of the jackets I have that are made of silk velvet are over 70 years old. Cotton has an inferior sheen, and the hand is stiff. I would never choose it for a doublet.

PS. "Horrible" might be a bit strong. I was trying to get across the view that cotton velvet is not nearly as nice a fabric as silk velvet.

I agree Sandy.

**creagdhubh** · 6th February 12, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by LitTrog

I would love to get an emerald one, a dark blue one, a claret one...

I would like to own a coatee or some sort of Highland doublet (Balmoral, Kenmore, Montrose, Regulation) in similiar colours too, and I will one day, but first up is black.

Cheers,

**davidg** · 6th February 12, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by cable scot

What is crushing?

Dixiecat is right enough with advice about crushing but in my experience the single most reason for crushing velvet is inexperience, an iron and a pressing cloth. DON'T

If you try to press out any creases that way you will simply crush the pile and ruin the jacket. 100% cotton should have any creases fall out if hung in a warm room. Steaming is good, preferably from the inside, but avoid water spotting on the pile at all costs

I'd still go for barathea though. Velvet may have you stand out in a crowd but I prefer to blend in