Read Online Dress Like a Man by Antonio Centeno, Geoffrey Cubbage, Anthony Tan, Ted Slampyak - Free Book Online Page B
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dressing down."
A man can, of course, always avoid the issue by simply wearing a business-appropriate suit and tie to his nicer evening events. There's nothing wrong with that approach.
But it does tend to look a little stiff, and suggests that the wearer either isn't very imaginative or doesn't have much of a wardrobe at his disposal. Neither is an impression you necessarily want to send, which makes a clear day/night and work/play divide in your outfits worth building.
Section 4: Physical Properties of Clothing
C HAPTER 18: R AW M ATERIALS - P ROPERTIES AND P URPOSES
Textiles are an amazingly complex subject for study. People get graduate degrees in it.
An incredibly deep understanding of fabric isn't necessary to dress well. But some basic information about the raw materials that go into menswear can help you shop smarter and take better care of your clothes.
The following is a very short overview of the major types of materials commonly used in constructing garments for men: wool, cotton, linen, silk, and synthetic fibers.
Wool
Sheep's wool is the base material for the vast majority of men's suits and the higher end of men's overcoats.
Finished bolts of cloth woven from wool can vary dramatically depending on the type of wool used, the method used for spinning the threads, the weave that joins the threads, and many other factors. Wool is not a single, uniform clothing option.
In general, however, all wool-based menswear shares a few desirable properties:
Drape - Wool has a strong tendency to keep its shape. That makes it ideal for structured garments (like suits and jackets), and helps give it a smooth "drape" over a wearer's body.
Durability - Wool cloth is densely packed with tiny fibers, and takes many years to break down or wear out. The biggest dangers to wool cloth are direct heat (which will shrivel and bunch the fibers) and insect damage. Water does not harm wool, but improper drying can shrink or distort its weave.
Luster - Wool threads have a soft, textured surface that absorbs dye well. Colors tend to hold deep and fast in wool cloth, giving it a very rich appearance. Wool also contains its own natural oils, which help keep the surface supple and soft-looking.
Water Resistance - The same natural oil, lanolin, helps wool cloth repel water. A wool jacket isn't a rainproof shell, by any means, but it will keep the clothes under it dry for a surprisingly long time in light rains.
Warmth - Without getting too technical here, wool threads contain more air pockets per square inch than those spun from other fabrics. That creates thousands of tiny, insulating chambers throughout the garment, resulting in a very heat-retaining piece of clothing. Simultaneously, it's more breathable, meaning you stay warmer and get less sweaty than you would in a garment of comparable weight made from another fiber
Because there are so many kinds of wool (including exotic options from animals other than sheep), and because it can be spun and woven in so many different ways, the material is also incredibly versatile. It can be used to make everything from coarse, hairy tweeds to ultra-fine jackets with an almost silken handfeel.
With all that said, why isn't every garment made from wool? It comes with a few disadvantages as well, which has led to at least some market for alternatives:
Cost - Sheep are a lot less cost-efficient than fields of cotton, or machines cranking out synthetic fibers. The cost-per-ounce of wool fabric is much higher than other materials. And the finer the wool, the higher that cost gets, making it -- if not exactly a luxury fiber -- certainly one of the more expensive options out there for a man.
Care - Wool is sturdy, but it needs to be washed and dried carefully. Wet wool loses much of its strength, and can be distorted or stretched if it isn't washed gently, while any intense heat will damage the fabric during drying. That makes most wool clothes hand-wash or dry-clean only. While those
A man can, of course, always avoid the issue by simply wearing a business-appropriate suit and tie to his nicer evening events. There's nothing wrong with that approach.
But it does tend to look a little stiff, and suggests that the wearer either isn't very imaginative or doesn't have much of a wardrobe at his disposal. Neither is an impression you necessarily want to send, which makes a clear day/night and work/play divide in your outfits worth building.
Section 4: Physical Properties of Clothing
C HAPTER 18: R AW M ATERIALS - P ROPERTIES AND P URPOSES
Textiles are an amazingly complex subject for study. People get graduate degrees in it.
An incredibly deep understanding of fabric isn't necessary to dress well. But some basic information about the raw materials that go into menswear can help you shop smarter and take better care of your clothes.
The following is a very short overview of the major types of materials commonly used in constructing garments for men: wool, cotton, linen, silk, and synthetic fibers.
Wool
Sheep's wool is the base material for the vast majority of men's suits and the higher end of men's overcoats.
Finished bolts of cloth woven from wool can vary dramatically depending on the type of wool used, the method used for spinning the threads, the weave that joins the threads, and many other factors. Wool is not a single, uniform clothing option.
In general, however, all wool-based menswear shares a few desirable properties:
Drape - Wool has a strong tendency to keep its shape. That makes it ideal for structured garments (like suits and jackets), and helps give it a smooth "drape" over a wearer's body.
Durability - Wool cloth is densely packed with tiny fibers, and takes many years to break down or wear out. The biggest dangers to wool cloth are direct heat (which will shrivel and bunch the fibers) and insect damage. Water does not harm wool, but improper drying can shrink or distort its weave.
Luster - Wool threads have a soft, textured surface that absorbs dye well. Colors tend to hold deep and fast in wool cloth, giving it a very rich appearance. Wool also contains its own natural oils, which help keep the surface supple and soft-looking.
Water Resistance - The same natural oil, lanolin, helps wool cloth repel water. A wool jacket isn't a rainproof shell, by any means, but it will keep the clothes under it dry for a surprisingly long time in light rains.
Warmth - Without getting too technical here, wool threads contain more air pockets per square inch than those spun from other fabrics. That creates thousands of tiny, insulating chambers throughout the garment, resulting in a very heat-retaining piece of clothing. Simultaneously, it's more breathable, meaning you stay warmer and get less sweaty than you would in a garment of comparable weight made from another fiber
Because there are so many kinds of wool (including exotic options from animals other than sheep), and because it can be spun and woven in so many different ways, the material is also incredibly versatile. It can be used to make everything from coarse, hairy tweeds to ultra-fine jackets with an almost silken handfeel.
With all that said, why isn't every garment made from wool? It comes with a few disadvantages as well, which has led to at least some market for alternatives:
Cost - Sheep are a lot less cost-efficient than fields of cotton, or machines cranking out synthetic fibers. The cost-per-ounce of wool fabric is much higher than other materials. And the finer the wool, the higher that cost gets, making it -- if not exactly a luxury fiber -- certainly one of the more expensive options out there for a man.
Care - Wool is sturdy, but it needs to be washed and dried carefully. Wet wool loses much of its strength, and can be distorted or stretched if it isn't washed gently, while any intense heat will damage the fabric during drying. That makes most wool clothes hand-wash or dry-clean only. While those
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