Inside the cloth library: the British and Italian mills we use

Cloth decides more about a finished garment than any styling detail. Weight, twist and finish govern how a suit hangs, how it creases, how warm it is and how long it lasts. The Roomten library runs to more than 6,000 cloths, drawn predominantly from British and Italian mills, and we narrow that down with you based on how and when the garment will actually be worn.

The mills we work with

• Fox Brothers — Wellington, Somerset, England, est. 1772. West of England flannel and heavier worsted suiting.
• Dugdale Bros & Co — Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, est. 1896. Fine worsteds and year-round English suiting.
• Holland & Sherry — Peebles, Scottish Borders, est. 1836. Suiting, jacketing and cashmere-blend coating.
• Harrisons of Edinburgh — Edinburgh, est. 1863. High-twist worsteds for travel and hard wear.
• Abraham Moon & Sons — Guiseley, West Yorkshire, est. 1837. Yorkshire tweeds and textured jacketing.
• Vitale Barberis Canonico — Pratrivero, Biella, Italy, est. 1663. Lightweight worsteds and summer suiting.
• Loro Piana — Quarona, Piedmont, Italy, est. 1924. Superfine wools, cashmere and wool-silk-linen blends.
• Drago — Biella, Italy, est. 1885. Soft-handling Italian suiting in lighter weights.

English worsteds — 260–340g

Combed and tightly spun in Huddersfield and the Scottish Borders. High-twist versions from Harrisons shed creases and suit travel and daily business wear. If you want one suit that works all year in a British climate, this is where to start.

West of England flannel — 320–450g

Woven and milled by Fox Brothers in Somerset since 1772. A softly brushed surface, warm in the hand and unmistakably British through autumn and winter. Flannel drapes rather than sharpens, and forgives a long day at a desk.

Tweeds and jacketing — 340–500g

Yorkshire tweeds from Abraham Moon, alongside Shetland, Donegal and Harris cloths. Cut for sports jackets, odd waistcoats and country wear that improves with age rather than wearing out.

Italian summer cloths — 190–260g

Lighter open weaves from Vitale Barberis Canonico, Drago and Loro Piana — fresco wools, wool-linen and wool-silk-linen blends for warm weather and travel. Open weaves move air; a fresco will out-wear a linen and crease far less.

Choosing in the appointment

Bring the diary rather than a swatch preference. Once we know the season, the setting and how often the garment will be worn, the choice usually narrows to a handful of bunches within a few minutes.