Custom Suit Fabrics in Chicago

Custom Suit Fabrics — Start With The Cloth

Every custom suit starts as a piece of cloth. The fabric decides how the suit drapes, how it breathes, and how it photographs.

This page is your plain-language guide — then come feel the real thing. Fabric is a touch decision.

How To Choose A Suit Fabric

• Weight: Heavier cloth drapes smoother and wears warmer. Lighter cloth breathes — the summer and travel choice.
• Weave: The weave sets the texture. A smooth weave reads formal; a textured weave adds character and resists wrinkles better.
• Drape: Drape is how the cloth hangs on your body. Good drape falls clean from the shoulder — you judge it in your hand and on your frame, not on a screen.
• Season: Match the cloth to when you will wear it — breathable weights for Chicago summers, heartier cloth for winter.
• The Hand Test: Hold it, wrinkle it, let it fall. Our stylists walk you through all of it at your free consultation.

The Fabric Families

• Polyester Rayon: The low-upkeep everyday cloth — smooth, light, and easy to wear.
  • What It Is: A man-made blend: polyester for strength, rayon for a smooth, silk-like feel.
  • Hand & Drape: Smooth and lightweight, with an easy, fluid drape.
  • Weight & Season: Light to mid weight — comfortable most of the year.
  • Breathability: Moderate — the rayon helps it wear cooler than pure polyester.
  • Durability & Wrinkles: A daily-wear workhorse; holds its shape and resists wrinkles.
  • Care: Low maintenance — the easiest cloth here to look after; follow the care label.
  • Best For: Work, travel, weddings, and everyday events.
  • Who Picks It: The man who wants a sharp suit with the least upkeep.
• TR Stretch: Suiting with stretch built in — it moves when you move.
  • What It Is: A polyester-rayon weave with stretch fiber worked through it.
  • Hand & Drape: Smooth with a slight give; drapes clean and springs back to shape.
  • Weight & Season: Light to mid weight — a year-round cloth.
  • Breathability: Moderate; the stretch keeps it comfortable in motion.
  • Durability & Wrinkles: Very wrinkle-resistant; recovers after hours of sitting.
  • Care: Easy care and low maintenance.
  • Best For: Weddings, prom, and long event days with dancing.
  • Who Picks It: The man who sits, stands, and moves all day in his suit.
• Super 120's: Fine wool — the year-round standard of the custom books.
  • What It Is: Wool woven from fine yarns; the Super number grades how fine the fiber is.
  • Hand & Drape: A smooth hand with a clean, balanced drape.
  • Weight & Season: Mid weight — sharp in every season.
  • Breathability: Natural wool breathes and regulates temperature on its own.
  • Durability & Wrinkles: Solid everyday durability; light wrinkles hang out overnight.
  • Care: Dry clean sparingly; brush, steam, and rest it between wears.
  • Best For: The boardroom, weddings, and everyday custom wear.
  • Who Picks It: The man buying one great suit for everything.
• Super 150's: Finer, lighter wool — the step up in luxury.
  • What It Is: Wool woven from finer fibers than Super 120's, for a softer, lighter cloth.
  • Hand & Drape: A softer hand and a more fluid drape.
  • Weight & Season: Light to mid weight — spring through fall, and warm rooms year-round.
  • Breathability: Breathes well and wears light on the body.
  • Durability & Wrinkles: More delicate than Super 120's — rotate it, don't daily-drive it; creases release with hanging and steam.
  • Care: Gentle dry cleaning; rest it a full day or two between wears.
  • Best For: Weddings, galas, and the suit you want to feel special.
  • Who Picks It: The man who can feel the difference — and wants it.
• Super 200's: The finest wool in the books — silk-soft and feather-light.
  • What It Is: Wool at the top of the Super scale — exceptionally fine fibers.
  • Hand & Drape: Silk-soft to the touch; the drape falls like water.
  • Weight & Season: Very light — a special-occasion weight.
  • Breathability: Excellent for its weight; wears cool against the skin.
  • Durability & Wrinkles: The most delicate cloth here — an occasion suit, not a workhorse; creases ease out with steam.
  • Care: Specialist dry cleaning only; long rests between wears.
  • Best For: Black-tie nights and once-in-a-lifetime weddings.
  • Who Picks It: The man who wants the finest cloth on the table.
• Wool: The classic — natural, dependable, right in every season.
  • What It Is: Natural sheep's-wool suiting, woven in weights from light to heavy.
  • Hand & Drape: A full, clean drape with a natural matte finish.
  • Weight & Season: Every weight exists — light cloth for summer, hearty cloth for winter.
  • Breathability: The benchmark: breathes, insulates, and manages moisture.
  • Durability & Wrinkles: Naturally springy fibers resist wrinkles and wear for years.
  • Care: Dry clean; brush, steam, and rest between wears.
  • Best For: Work, weddings, and everyday — the foundation cloth.
  • Who Picks It: The man who wants the classic that never dates.
• Linen: The summer cloth — light, open, and cool.
  • What It Is: Natural flax fiber in a light, open weave.
  • Hand & Drape: Crisp at first and softer with wear; a relaxed drape.
  • Weight & Season: Lightweight — high summer and hot days.
  • Breathability: The coolest cloth here; air moves straight through it.
  • Durability & Wrinkles: A strong fiber that creases — the relaxed wrinkle is part of its character.
  • Care: Steam it, don't fight the crease; clean per the care label.
  • Best For: Summer weddings, outdoor events, and warm-weather looks.
  • Who Picks It: The man who runs hot and still wants to look sharp.
• Velvet: Plush pile and deep color — made for the spotlight.
  • What It Is: A pile fabric — dense, short fibers standing on the surface.
  • Hand & Drape: Soft and plush, with color that shifts in the light; a structured drape.
  • Weight & Season: Mid to heavier weight — fall, winter, and the holiday season.
  • Breathability: Low — velvet wears warm.
  • Durability & Wrinkles: The pile can crush if folded; hang it, and steam the pile — never press it.
  • Care: Dry clean; store hanging, never folded.
  • Best For: Galas, black-tie nights, holiday parties, and statement prom looks.
  • Who Picks It: The man who wants the room to notice.
• Suede: A brushed, matte finish with a modern edge.
  • What It Is: A soft fabric with a brushed, napped surface and a matte look.
  • Hand & Drape: Velvety to the touch; a relaxed, modern drape.
  • Weight & Season: Mid weight — evenings, fall through spring.
  • Breathability: Moderate; comfortable for indoor events.
  • Durability & Wrinkles: Doesn't crease like a woven cloth; keep it dry and brush the nap back.
  • Care: Keep it away from rain; gentle brushing, specialist cleaning.
  • Best For: Statement jackets and accent pieces — evenings, photos, nights out.
  • Who Picks It: The man who wants texture nobody else in the room has.

Fabric By Occasion

• Wedding: Smooth wool or a wool blend that photographs clean all day — start with our wedding suits in Chicago.
• Prom: Velvet, color, and pattern live here — see prom suits in Chicago.
• Work: Mid-weight wool with a wrinkle-friendly weave wears hard and still looks sharp at 5 PM.
• Gala & Black-Tie: Velvet and deep solids — evening cloth with presence.
• Going Custom For A Wedding? Our custom wedding suits in Chicago page shows how the right cloth becomes the groom’s suit.
• Building A Prom Look? See custom prom suits in Chicago — statement fabrics, made one of one.
• Custom Shirts, Too: The same books cloth our custom shirts — measured, sketched, and built with your suit, in the fabric you pick.

New Arrivals — Fresh Fabric Books In The Shop

The newest fabric books are in the shop now — fresh cloth across every family, ready to feel at your free consultation.

• In The Books Now: Polyester Rayon · TR Stretch · Super 120's · Super 150's · Super 200's · Wool · Linen · Velvet · Suede.
• See Them First: The newest cloth is on the table at your consultation — ask what just landed.
• Feel Them In Person: Color and texture read different in your hand than on any screen.

Feel Them In Person

• Free Consultation: Bring a photo, a color, or just an idea — we will pull the fabrics that match it.
• Step One Of The Process: Picking your fabric is step one of a custom, made-to-measure, or bespoke suit — one and the same service here. From there we design it with you, sketch it for your approval, make your changes, and build it to your measurements.
• Fittings Are Free: Your fabric choice is part of a suit measured and fitted by our own tailors.

Book A Free Consultation

Questions? See our Custom Suits FAQs →