VBC
Super 100’s Flannel
Cloth Properties
Vitale Barberis Canonico
→ Woollen Flannel
100% Worsted Wool
340g
I have quite a bit of experience with VBC cloths and their flannels as I’ve had suits and trousers in the super 100’s and 120’s quality.
I think for many their cloths serve as an entry to the world of choosing fabrics for MTO suits, but that’s not to say that they aren’t any good. It’s simply that they provide such a vast variety of bunch books and cloths in the whole price range and they do provide you with the assurance of their long time in the business. In fact, the longest if I’m not mistaken.
And of course, they produce quality fabrics, lest we forget.
I’m not sure how often VBC updates their books but the brown cloth I chose from the book with the same qualities last time wasn’t there.
Although I had the intention of choosing the same cloth, I now see this as a fortunate coincidence.
The flannel I chose this time is a woolen flannel weighing 340g, the same as my previous suit.
I usually tend to choose British mills and merchants like Holland & Sherry or Fox Brothers, but with flannels I find VBC to be a great value option.
They hold up nicely, drapes fairly well for flannels and comes at a good price point.
This last aspect isn’t something I would put as a priority if having something made that hopefully will last you years or even decades. But for garments that gets about 2 months of wear every year, 3 if I’m pushing it, price becomes a factor.
Given the nice touch, the suitable warmth it provides and durability I reckon I will be back choosing a VBC Flannel also in the future granted I find the shade and pattern I am looking for.
Cloth Look
For this flannel I wanted to reproduce the colour of my previous suit as close as possible while still of course being open for some reinvention.
The reinvention comes in terms of the small colour nuances within this brown flannel. There are some orange tones visible within the weave. Subtle at first glance, yet pronounced on closer inspection.
It’s actually quite a stunning cloth and adds a nice level to an otherwise solid dark brown shade.
The two aspects of choosing this fabric that I am most happy with is the fact that I finally once again have a brown flannel suit, while there simultaneously being enough difference in the cloth for it to feel new.
