# Camel Hair



## Zot! (Feb 18, 2008)

I've been thinking of adding a camel hair sport coat to my wardrobe, because like the overall look (especially the color), and I think it's a good dress up/dress down option. But I don't have any experience with this fabric. I want something that looks nice, but is practical. How durable is it? How versatile (it does seem pretty seasonal)? For instance, would a nice tan corduroy sport coat be a little more practical? I also notice that there are a lot of cashmere blazers that are dyed camel. Any opinions on one vs. the other?


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## JDC (Dec 2, 2006)

Cashmere is usually (but not always) finer and has a softer hand, while camel hair is a bit more durable. Both fibers wear quickly compared to wool and especially corduroy, but when new they look very classy. In fact, at least in my experience it's difficult to dress them down very much. But it depends on your definition of "down". Camel hair and cashmere coats often look great over turtlenecks and long-sleeve sport shirts, but if you want something to wear over t-shirts and polos stick with corduroy and wool coats IMO.

If you get one, be sure to get one brand new or in new condition.


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## paul winston (Jun 3, 2006)

Cashmere, Camel Hair, and Doeskin Flannel are all significantly dressier than corduroy. Corduroy is more durable and significantly less costly than the others. Cashmere, Camel, and Doeskin are more durable than most people realize. Given normal wear and no size change by the wearer, they will be wearable for a number of years. You allude to the color; all three are available in a broad range of colors- natural, navy, black, vicuna, gray.
Paul Winston
Winston Tailors
www.chipp2.com
www.chipp2.com/blog/


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## stfu (Apr 30, 2008)

I have two camelhair, and they are each vastly different 'beasts', so it is hard to generalize. I wore one yesterday, and I am wearing the second today.

Yeterday's was the typical camel colored coat with leather wrapped buttons. Today is a brown windowpane patterned Brooks Brothers camelhair.

For whatever reason, the tan jacket is relatively thick and stiff - typical of what I think of when I think 'camelhair'. It is also about 20 years old - I picked it up at thrift for one dollar. Despite the age, it is in perfect condition.

The BB jacket is one of the softest fabrics I have ever felt, far less durable than my tan jacket, but incredibly comfortable. I love this jacket. I'll try to post it in WAYWT later.

Edit: To add my personal opinion, I would get a tan camelhair jacket before a corderoy jacket. A tan camelhair jacket can easily go from Jeans to grey wool slacks.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

Yes, the camel hair can be dressed down more easily than the cord can be dressed up. 

The camel is quite warm, however.


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## Pr B (Jan 8, 2009)

*Nice*

I had two camel hair sport coats. Very soft. Surprisingly easy to clean up (e.g., wine spills).

However, the camel hair on the inside of the front of the jacket is itchy. That's probably just me. I have eczema and can be sensitive to fibers.


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## Bird's One View (Dec 31, 2007)

Camel hair is also more insulating than corduroy.


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

How about this rather good looking sack from Brooks this year:



My problem has always been what trousers to wear with camel hair (in its natural color, as above). I don't mind the medium gray flannels this chap has on.

JB


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## CMDC (Jan 31, 2009)

^I've had the same issues. I wore mine with charcoal the other day and like that look but for some reason any other color trousers I try just don't look right. Pretty much every jacket I wear is darker than the pants. When you invert the color scheme something seems to go amiss, at least to my eye. Nonetheless I do like camel hair. I've seen the above Brooks one in the store and it is very nice.


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

CMDC said:


> ^I've had the same issues. I wore mine with charcoal the other day and like that look but for some reason any other color trousers I try just don't look right. Pretty much every jacket I wear is darker than the pants. When you invert the color scheme something seems to go amiss, at least to my eye. Nonetheless I do like camel hair. I've seen the above Brooks one in the store and it is very nice.


Here, too, on all points, CM. I was thinking perhaps a pair of dark green cords I have?

JB


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## pt10023 (Jan 14, 2008)

CMDC said:


> ^I've had the same issues. I wore mine with charcoal the other day and like that look but for some reason any other color trousers I try just don't look right. Pretty much every jacket I wear is darker than the pants. When you invert the color scheme something seems to go amiss, at least to my eye. Nonetheless I do like camel hair. I've seen the above Brooks one in the store and it is very nice.


I've worn mine with navy trousers in addition to charcoal and medium grey, and thought it worked. Haven't really tried any other colors, though.


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## sowilson (Jul 27, 2009)

CMDC said:


> ^I've had the same issues. I wore mine with charcoal the other day and like that look but for some reason any other color trousers I try just don't look right. Pretty much every jacket I wear is darker than the pants. When you invert the color scheme something seems to go amiss, at least to my eye. Nonetheless I do like camel hair. I've seen the above Brooks one in the store and it is very nice.


Charcoal, grey, light grey, grey windowpane, grey plaid, navy, navy plaid, olive, olive windowpane, olive plaid, brown, brown plaid, brown cords, navy cords will all look great with that jacket.


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## JDC (Dec 2, 2006)

Joe Tradly said:


> How about this rather good looking sack from Brooks this year:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This combo is pretty awful IMO.

Also sorry to see BB is still resorting to this "imported" nonsense, even with Loro Piana. Just astonishing. Imported from where? Italy? China?


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## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

Joe Tradly said:


> My problem has always been what trousers to wear with camel hair (in its natural color, as above). I don't mind the medium gray flannels this chap has on.
> 
> JB


I wear mine w/ dark olive or forest green pants, I'll post a pics in the WAYW thread.

Brian


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

FrankDC said:


> in my experience it's difficult to dress them down very much.


I haven't had a camel hair jacket in over 20 years now, but when I did I wore it casually more often than I did with dress pants and tie. I usually wore it with jeans, but even when I wore wool pants I seldom wore a tie with it. This has to be from late 1987 because my wife was pregnant at the time with my daughter who is now 21 years old.










I'm not sure if this is camel hair that Hugh Laurie is wearing, but even if it isn't the look would be the same if it was camel hair or cashmere.










Cruiser


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## JDC (Dec 2, 2006)

Cruiser said:


> I haven't had a camel hair jacket in over 20 years now, but when I did I wore it casually more often than I did with dress pants and tie. I usually wore it with jeans, but even when I wore wool pants I seldom wore a tie with it. This has to be from late 1987 because my wife was pregnant at the time with my daughter who is now 21 years old.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not IMO. I can tell from Laurie's photo his coat is wool, and has the requisite thinness/drape to work with a t-shirt. You can go thicker with a coat (e.g. corduroy), but when it's cashmere or camel hair it looks like an unfinished attempt at dressing, at least IMO. That's what prompted me to say it's hard to dress them down very much.

Here in Calif. I see a lot of the cashmere coat + t-shirt combo, and it looks terribly mismatched in almost all cases.


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## joenobody0 (Jun 30, 2009)

FrankDC said:


> This combo is pretty awful IMO.
> 
> Also sorry to see BB is still resorting to this "imported" nonsense, even with Loro Piana. Just astonishing. Imported from where? Italy? China?


China.


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