VBC Chalk Stripe Flannel
Cloth Properties
Vitale Barberis Canonico
→ Woollen Flannel
100% Worsted Wool
340g
The quality I chose for this suit is the same as the brown flannel I will present next week; a woolen flannel at 340g from Vitale Barberis Canonico. Although not from the same bunch.
I had a look at quite a few different qualities from Fox Brothers, Zegna and Lanificio Corrado but in the end the decision to go with VBC came down to three factors: price, stripe width and the feel of the cloth.
With regards to price, VBC is a fairly budget friendly alternative. My initial thought was that I wasn’t quite sure if revisiting pinstripes would rejuvenate my interest and given that I seldom wear flannels compared to other cloths it seemed like a good idea. I also have quite a bit of experience with VBC flannels and this particular quality so I knew they hold up well.
What I didn’t expect was that I would actually wear this suit as much as I have, but that’s not to say I’m not happy with my choice. Which leads to the second reason; stripe width.
With my affinity for Fox Brothers I also looked at their flannels, but I found that what I wanted in terms of width was something in between their broad stripes and narrow stripes.
As for the third reason, both Zegna and Corrado just didn’t feel quite right. Of course they are both excellent cloths but not really what I was looking for.
With VBC there was just the right amount of softness and the stripe width was perfect for what I had imagined when first playing with the idea of acquiring a pinstripe suit.
The cloth is at a weight that keeps the drape nicely (to the extent that flannel does) but doesn’t feel like an overpowering winter cloth which is a death sentence to warm blooded people like me.
I also find it extremely comfortable to wear, putting my high-twists to shame. But with the inherent softness of woolen flannels you can’t really justify making that comparison. It’s apples and pears.
Maybe most importantly, the VBC cloth I chose had less prominent chalk stripes which is a nice segue into how I came about ordering a pinstripe in the first place.
Pinstripes in my style
To me solid navy suits has never really been a big draw beyond formal suits. But given the amount of brown and green prevalent in my style, I thought the second winter suit should be a navy one. Also, although those plans are being postponed to next year, I initially intended to order a green cavalry twill suit.
Seeing as I wasn’t too excited about the prospect of a solid colour fabric, it seemed a good opportunity to finally acquire a pinstripe suit. I used to own quite a few pinstripe suits. Most of them double breasted, but as with the winter suits, they fell pray to the results of my affinity for weightlifting.
What I learned from owning pinstripes before is that I seldom wear the ones in the power suit category; highly contrasting visible stripes to be more specific.
What I like about pinstripe flannels, at least this one, is that the natural appearance of woolen flannel is softer and has a softer drape and more casual appearance. Although a part of the next section, when adding patch pockets, you end up with an even more casual over all appearance than the standard navy pinstripe power suit.
Adding that, with chalk stripes like in this cloth the stripes are less prominent so you alleviate some of that edginess associated with pinstripes.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with a power suit and I might even venture into that at some point, but taking into consideration my style I can’t really see myself wearing a power suit very often and that was also the conclusion from my last run in with pinstripe suits after all.
