SILK CAPTIVES PRODUCE TOP LUXURY

Mulberry silk is a key ingredient in Holland & Sherry’s latest luxury cloth, Cashique, blended with cashmere and super fine wool. And mulberry silk is a very special silk indeed, created by silkworms that only eat mulberry leaves.

Raised in captivity, according to the Silk website, albeit in pampered conditions, with an unlimited supply of mulberry leaves and no loud noises or nasty odours from fish or human allowed, the tiny worm builds up strength over a month of gorging to spin its cocoon of silk. Over three to eight days, it will spin a silk filament that can be up to 1,600 yards long. And that’s it  – kaput for the silk worm, as it isn’t allowed to hatch into a moth, as that would damage the cocoon’s silk filament.

One can’t help wondering if any try to escape their captivity or whether there may be a case for a mulberry silkworm protection society.

But there is no doubt that silk from this worm turns to gold once applied to good use in the textile field.

Holland & Sherry’s Cashique shows just how special is its contribution, with a range of jacketing and suiting cloths that have a luxurious handle and fluid drape. Mulberry silk is rounder, finer and smoother than other silks and combined with quality cashmere and super fine wool, the end result is cloth that has a lustrous appearance and good insulation properties, making it suitable for all climates.

Mohair has been gaining in popularity over a number of seasons, and this is another feature of the Holland & Sherry selection for spring/summer. Their cloths use a summer kid mohair, which represents the first clip from a mohair goat, making it the softest, finest quality. Blended with a merino wool, it gives cloth that is lustrous and durable as well as being crease and soil resistant, and suitable for hot and cold climates.

Other inclusions in the latest Holland & Sherry collection include some Super 150s lightweight worsted wool cavalry twills and some Super 130s luxury worsted jacketings, in the Crystal Springs range.  See at your tailor’s.

GANGSTER STYLE THIS SUMMER

Summer has a grey tinge in the Scabal cloth collection but it is a nice light grey in combination with white, light blue and beige, and maybe offset by a sunny yellow. With an extra lift to these lightweight cloths by use of iridescent yarns, in discreet patterns, they provide a crisp, cool look for what is to be hoped will be a warm English summer.

Their own collection of suits and jackets shows them off in styling that brings a touch of old style glamour to bear on contemporary casual.

Forties films stars such as George Raft and James Cagney wore such suits as this one in the gangster roles that were their forté. Gangsters then knew the benefit of presenting a well tailored and respectable image to the world.

And it revives the chalk stripe formality of the 1940s demob suit,but with a more relaxed shoulderline and gentle waist suppression. Hats and two-tone shoes would be period accessories.

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