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fabric weights


silas thatcher

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not having seen a topic on this.... what weights do you recommend for what garment ???

for a somewhat educated estimate, i figure light weight for shirts, medium for breeches, maybe heavy for a short jacket or justacorps...

what are peoples' recommendations ???

( for ladies garments, also )

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Okay, I'll start with Men's...

Cravat or Neckerchief - 2 to 3 ounce linen, or any lightweight silk, although I generally advise against Duiponi no matter what name people call it (Raw Silk = Duiponi = Shantung , again going from memory here, different names, same second rate silks)

Shirts - ~5 ounce (+/-) linen for an average shirt, you could go finer or heavier for a more gentlemanly or more working class shirt if you chose to.

Breeches - at least 7 or 8 ounce linen (or heavier if possible), or just about any weight wool you can find. Wool Garbendine (if memory serves me well) is not a very period authentic weave.

Jackets/Coats/Waistcoats - Same as breeches.

Not having worked with silk hardly ever, I will hope that someone more knowledgeable on silks will speak up. For now, off to dinner.

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what kind of wool is period? My guys are getting gab, 'cause I read SOMEWHERE that it was good... and I got it way on sale. But they will need an upgrade.

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what kind of wool is period? My guys are getting gab, 'cause I read SOMEWHERE that it was good... and I got it way on sale. But they will need an upgrade.

Tabby weave (also sometimes called basket weave) is always safe for just about any and every time period. Most commercial fabrics sold as "wool flannel" are a tabby weave (although a slightly fulled/felted/fuzzed tabby weave). Wool twills are good as well. According to Wikipedia Gabardine is a weave that was invented in the late 19th century, and really didn't become prominent until the 20th century. Although I think my Red Coat is made of a Gabardine (it was on sale).

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I am not finding gabardine as we know it prior to late 19th century... it does not come up Montgomery under that name...


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I tell you, I like silk. Love it. I don't know a whole lot about it aside from the fact that it is a dream to work with. But from what little I have read....silk brocade is pretty popular (Silk jaquard is apparently the poor mans version of brocade, and later period....easier to produce, from what I understand)....I have read that changeable silk was also used. I used changeable silk for my red stays. That is about the extent of it from me....but if I run across anything else, I would be more than happy to share.

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