SUPER 100'S SUITS

WHAT DOES A "SUPER 100's" MEN'S SUIT ACTUALLY MEAN?

WHAT IS A SUPER 100's WOOL SUIT

 

I'm going to clear up the often confusing subject of super 100's suits and what this actually means. After going through this information you will be better informed when sales assistants and online suit stores are selling you on the fact their suits are the finest 100's, 120's or 140's grades of wool.

SUIT FABRICS

 

The 3 most common types of suit fabrics you'll come across when suit shopping are:

1. Suits made from raw materials which is most commonly wool and less commonly cotton, silk and linen.

2. Suits made from blended fibres which combines a raw material such as cotton with a synthetic material like polyester.

3. Suits made from only man made synthetic materials such as polyester.

To put the quality of each into context:

1. Suits made from raw materials are like the Ferrari of suits.

2. Suits made from blended fibres are like the BMW of suits.

3. Suits made from only synthetics are like the Toyota of suits.

Whilst the best quality suits are manufactured in Italy and England, the wool used for these suits is actually sourced from Australia and New Zealand as these countries produce the highest quality wool on earth.

 

GRADES OF WOOL

When a sheep has it's wool shorn off, the wool is placed under a microscope to measure it's thickness. This wool is measured in microns and graded using a numbers system. This numbers system generally works as follows:

• 70's, 80's and 90's grade = A very thick, durable wool that creates a heavier, stiffer suit and will warmer for the wearer.

• 100's, 110's and 120's grade = Whilst still durable, these wool grades create a thinner, lighter suit that is more comfortable to wear but not as warm.

• 130's and 140's = These higher grades create suits that are very fine, soft wool that is light and comfortable to wear. However the suit is far less durable and not effective at insulating heat and warmth.

• 150's to 200's grade = Whilst rare, suits made from these high grades of wool will be incredibly fine and almost silk like in their texture and weight. Whilst nice to touch and wear, they are not at practical if the suit is intended to be worn regularly.

Suits with grades ranging from 120's to 200's wool are likely to be made with merino wool which is one of the best quality wool's available. Whilst the sales attendants may say that their suits are made with the finest Spanish merino wool, the wool is actually sourced from Australia and New Zealand.

The wool is technically Spanish though as a flock of sheep were sent from Spain to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand in the early 1900's as these countries had the best climates and conditions to produce the finest quality wool. Over the course of the last century, the Australian and New Zealanders  have relied on the breeding of these sheep and production of the worlds finest wool as one of their most sustainable and profitable commodities of trade.

WHAT DOES SUPER MEAN ANYWAYS???

When you hear the word super before the number such as super 120's wool. The word super is nothing more than a marketing tactic. It's not a technical or regulated term and should really be disregarded in today's day and age where fierce retail competition and a challenging economic climate can unfortunately result in unethical sales and marketing tactics.

When you are being sold on buying a suit because it is of the finest super 120's or 140's wool, you need to disregard this sales hype and instead consider the following advice I will give you.

When you are buying a new suit, instead of searching for the highest super numbers, you need to instead ask yourself the following 4 questions:

• How often will I be wearing this suit? (daily/bi-daily/weekly/monthly/only on special occasions)

• What type of climate will I be wearing the suit in? (warm/cold/in between)

• How long do I hope to own the suit for? (given my current financial position, when will I be able to afford to buy another suit?)

• How important is comfort to me?

 

Answering these 4 questions first is very important because as an example, let's say you:

• Live in a colder climate

• Want your suit to last a number of years

• You have a corporate job that requires you to wear a suit most days

In the case above, purchasing a suit with a wool grade higher than 120's will not be a good choice for you.  Just remember that the higher the wool grade number such as 130's, 140's and up to 200's is a suit that is:

• Very fine, soft fabric

• More prone to wrinkling, ripping or tearing if worn regularly

• More likely to be damaged when manual or dry cleaning is performed.

• Less effective at insulating heat and colder for the wearer.

So if you live in a cold climate, will wear the suit regularly and your financial situation won't allow you to buy new suits frequently, you would be far better to buy a suit made from lower grade wool such as 100's or 110's which is more durable, more effective at insulating heat and less prone to wear and tear.

I trust you are now getting a better idea of the whole topic of what is a super 100's wool and I will now go through each of the grades and offer you my advice as to what type of factors would require a man to choose one grade of wool suit over another.

SUITS MADE OF 70's, 80's AND 90's GRADED WOOL ARE BEST FOR MEN:

• Who live in very cold climates and require a suit that offers the highest amount of heat insulation possible.

• Who will be wearing their suit very often and want the suit to be as durable as possible so they get extended wear.

• Who have very skinny frames and want to wear thicker, more sturdy clothing materials that add bulk and structure to their frame.

• Who have a limited budget as these grades of suits will generally be more affordable.

 

SUITS MADE OF 100's, 110's AND 120's GRADED WOOL ARE BEST FOR MEN:

• Who require a good quality suit to wear often that is both durable and comfortable to wear.

• Who live in a climate that is not bitterly cold

• Who have a good build and want a suit with a finer fabric to highlight their body frame.

 

SUITS MADE OF 130's AND 140's  GRADED WOOL ARE BEST FOR MEN:

• Who will not be wearing their suit often.

• Who live in a climate that is warm all year round.

• Who want a lighter suit to be worn in the warmer summer months.

• Who wear suits often but place superior comfort above other factors like durability and warmth.

 

SUITS MADE OF 150's - 200's  GRADED WOOL ARE BEST FOR MEN:

• Who's only consideration when purchasing a suit is the level of comfort and the realisation they are wearing a rare, luxury item of clothing.

 

I sincerely hope that today's information has empowered you as a retail suit shopper and you will now have the relevant facts and advice to be able to make an informed decision which is void of any sales spin or marketing hype.

 

Just remember to start with the 4 questions that I set out for you above and then decide upon the grade of wool that will best suit your occupation, lifestyle and financial position.

 

Article from IMAGE DOCTOR