Fabric & Colour - The Makings of a Modern Wardrobe

Every season, we go to great lengths trying to unearth interesting new fabrics with great textural qualities and the provenance to match. Silhouette and cut are really important of course, but a dull fabric makes a dull garment, no matter the skill of the cutter. That's why our creative process at Oliver Spencer always starts with fabric considerations. This season, we have incorporated some absolute textural gems into the collection, from some stunning Donegal-inspired knits, and super soft brushed cotton shirts, to tactile corduroy jackets and herringbone wool suits and outerwear. 

Textured Knits

Knitwear is of course one of the easiest ways to introduce texture to a look since wool has such a great tactile feel. This season, we've extensively used a Donegal-inspired wool which features flecks of colour throughout. This gives the wool so much more depth of tone and texture, even in muted tones such as grey. One of the key colours of the collection is a mustard yellow, and that features strongly in the knitwear assortment, allowing you to create a strong contrast against neutral tones such as greys and blacks.

Modern Corduroy

Corduroy is once again one of the central elements of the Fall collection, chosen for its tactile wales, rich warm feel, and it's ability to really elevate tailoring and outerwear. Corduroy emerged from its heyday in the 60s and 70s - when the likes of Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman were sporting knockout corduroy jackets and suits in films such as All The President's Men and The Graduate - only to enter the 80s as everyone's favourite fashion scapegoat (then again, the 80s can take a good long hard look at itself in the mirror if we're talking fashion faux pas).

Today, it's once again dining out at fashion's top table. It's thought that the origins of the fabric are French - the etymology of the word is believed to come from late 18th century France, from the term 'corde du roi' meaning 'cloth of the King'. It was woven then as it is now (only by less industrial means): it's most unique feature are the raised ribs that run parallel to the selvedge of the typically cotton cloth. The ribs are formed by cutting the threads in one direction, resulting in the rows or what is better known as 'wales' in the fabric. The higher the number of wales, the smoother or less textural the cloth will be. Fewer wales give a far more obvious striation in the cloth and generally makes it more lightweight. We've used quite large wales to ensure a very textural look for the Fall season in new silhouettes such as our Norton jacket, as well as tailoring and trousers.

Sartorial Wools

This season's suiting is one of the broadest collections we've ever created, with a large array of fabric diversification. Pure new wools and virgin wool, as well as soft wool flannel make up the vast majority of fabrics. One of the key fabrics is an environmental wool we've called 'Bilson'. It features a dog's tooth check pattern with subtle accents of green, and we've used it to create a version of our peak lapel Mansfield suit. Another key suiting fabric is Whittaker, a herringbone style cut from undyed wool which has been fashioned into our iconic Solms jacket as well as other outerwear pieces. We've also used a beautiful flannel suit fabric in our Mansfield and new Bradwell jacket styles, with an array of matching trousers styles. 

Versatile Jersey

This season's jersey is predominantly made from super soft organic cotton across a range of short- and long-sleeve tees. The long-sleeve styles have been crafted from a heavyweight cotton for a substantial feel and great drape, while many of the short-sleeve tees feature stripe details as a way to introduce pattern into your looks. A new addition is a range of reversible sweatshirts constructed from heavyweight organic cotton. 

Super Soft Shirts 

As ever, we've designed an eclectic collection of shirting for the Fall season, using a variety of different cotton fabrics. Foremost among them is a brushed cotton which features a beautiful soft nap that gives the cloth a warm and comfortable feel. It's a great choice worn with off-duty looks to bring in a subtle accent of texture, or to complement the nap of our grey and navy flannel tailoring.