# Thoughts on 97% wool/ 3% Lycra blend?



## MTM_Master? (Jul 8, 2009)

Hello all,

I am in the market for a new suit and will going MTM this time around.

The store I trust with my clothing offers two MTM manufactures for suits; Samuelsohn and Hickey Freeman. I love HF; but they are more expensive by several hundred dollars and this time around I am working on a budget (in order to get approval from the Wife, that is)

Anyways, I was looking through the solid charcoal grays and the fabric I liked best and fit into the budget was a 130's (may have been 120's?) blend consisting of 97% wool and 3% Lycra, weighing in at around 10 oz I believe. I would love some feedback on how this blend will hold up over time in terms of wear-ability, durability, and appearance. I plan on keeping this suit in my lineup for at least 5 years so would like to know if I can reasonably expect that from this blend of if I should stick to the 100% wool fabrics.

As always, thanks!


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## stephenkarl (Dec 21, 2011)

My suggestion is it depends on the fit of the suit. Wool does have a degree of natural stretch, so the lycra will only assist by providing extra stretch. This should only be a factor if choosing a slimmer fitting suit. 

In terms of durability, I have lycra cycling shorts which are 8 years old and still more than wearable. (I wear them for spin classes.) Lycra does degrade over time, but I don't expect it will be a large factor at 3% composition and over the minimum timeframe you suggest.


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## johnpark11 (Oct 19, 2009)

I have 2 OTR Boss and I like them very much. They have worn fine... as good if not better than my 100% wool. I think they are both 3%.


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## alphadelta (Oct 2, 2007)

By US law, "100% wool" can have up to 3% of "other" material. Fabric labeled "100% wool" may or may not be. I would not worry about the other 3%.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

3% lycra can make a big difference, I've found. I have a few cloths with 2% lycra or elastane and it significantly adds a stretchiness that I don't like. But it's necessary with today's popular slim fits. Suits aren't meant to be so tight, so the stretchiness makes it so they won't tear at the seams to easily.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Don't get stretch wool. You're dressing to look smart, not for cycling.


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## Shiny (Jan 7, 2013)

I feel so out of it. I haven't gotten the urge to try on a tight fitting suit (that are in vogue) so I haven't seen that they have a 3% lycra content :icon_pale:


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Yes I see this stuff periodically and I always avoid it because I hadn't heard of it either.

So thanks for asking!

:thumbs-up:


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## dbhdbhdbh (Aug 10, 2012)

I have some Lycra wool blends. I think the idea is not to wear dress clothes fitting tightly enough that you need stretch. They are claimed to be more resistant to wrinkles, and to recover more quickly. I have not noticed a difference, in wear or wrinkling, vs all wool. In my very limited experience, it does not matter.


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## Checkerboard 13 (Oct 6, 2009)

The only real reason I know of, to put lycra in the fabric, is to allow it to stretch... to allow some movement in the terrible tighty-tight, too small, "fashion" clothing that will soon be out of vogue (as any "fashion" is bound to be!)

Avoid it. You're having a suit made to fit you. Select your fabric for its ability to drape well.


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## dbhdbhdbh (Aug 10, 2012)

Again, Stretch wool and wool/lycra blends were around long before this current tight clothing craze. The purported benefit is wrinkle resistance. The idea is that the stretching properties let the fabric return to its original shape, rather than holding folds when it is worn. It has been sold for for that reason for years, in styles that are by no means form fitting. Get it or not for whatever reason you like, but do not assume wool/lycra= tight fitting clothing.


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## zzdocxx (Sep 26, 2011)

Thanks for the explanations dbh.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

dbhdbhdbh said:


> Again, Stretch wool and wool/lycra blends were around long before this current tight clothing craze. The purported benefit is wrinkle resistance. The idea is that the stretching properties let the fabric return to its original shape, rather than holding folds when it is worn. It has been sold for for that reason for years, in styles that are by no means form fitting. Get it or not for whatever reason you like, but do not assume wool/lycra= tight fitting clothing.


You're right. I do have a pair of full-cut trousers that have a bit of lycra in them. They also aren't the nicest trousers either. I've never seen it on quality clothes. Good wool keeps its shape quite well.


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## johnpark11 (Oct 19, 2009)

Some people are so silly. It's 3%, not 50% I have 2 that are 3% and people always compliment them. People actually ask to touch it... Typically the ladies. Just saying. One has been in my rotation for 5 years and looks great still. 

So, you dudes don't like it, but I don't dress nice to catch your eye anyway.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Synthetics that are put into wool cloth to make it last are compensating for the poor quality wool and construction of the cloth.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

johnpark11 said:


> Some people are so silly. It's 3%, not 50% I have 2 that are 3% and people always compliment them. People actually ask to touch it... Typically the ladies. Just saying. One has been in my rotation for 5 years and looks great still.
> 
> So, you dudes don't like it, but I don't dress nice to catch your eye anyway.


Friendly suggestion... lose the attitude. If you're that confident wearing your clothes then you shouldn't feel the need to be this defensive!


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## Acme (Oct 5, 2011)

I don't think the inclusion of 3% lycra (elastane) is a sign of poor quality. I see this mix in Brooks Brothers and Armani fairly often. I think it's simply been added to make the garments more wrinkle resistant.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

Acme said:


> I don't think the inclusion of 3% lycra (elastane) is a sign of poor quality. I see this mix in Brooks Brothers and Armani fairly often. I think it's simply been added to make the garments more wrinkle resistant.


My one pair of trousers with elastane has 2% elastane and 98% wool, and they do indeed wrinkle less. But the 2% adds quite a stretchiness that I've come to really not like. There are a number of things about those trousers I've come to not like so much. I feel like they've stretched out since I got them a few years ago.


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## johnpark11 (Oct 19, 2009)

Jovan said:


> Friendly suggestion... lose the attitude. If you're that confident wearing your clothes then you shouldn't feel the need to be this defensive!


Im simply giving my advice on the topic... Kind of like you and the cycling comment that was totally constructive and in no way sarcastic. ???


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

It was meant as a little joke about spandex. I've tried on a suit with 97/3, supposedly exclusive Italian stuff or something. Didn't care for the way it felt. It felt unnatural to give the way it did. I gave my opinions, just as the OP asked.



johnpark11 said:


> Some people are so silly. It's 3%, not 50% I have 2 that are 3% and people always compliment them. People actually ask to touch it... Typically the ladies. Just saying. One has been in my rotation for 5 years and looks great still.
> 
> So, you dudes don't like it, but I don't dress nice to catch your eye anyway.


That was not "giving advice". That was being defensive, especially the last part.


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## ilikeyourstyle (Apr 24, 2007)

I've seen good and bad 97/3 (and other large/small proportion) fabric mixes. You really have to feel the fabric to get an idea of how nice it is. I would not exclude a suit just because it contains some other materials, as long as the thing still looked and felt like 100% wool.


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## Acme (Oct 5, 2011)

ilikeyourstyle said:


> I would not exclude a suit just because it contains some other materials, as long as the thing still looked and felt like 100% wool.


I second this.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

It isn't going to feel like 100% wool when you have it on though -- it will feel like wool with 3% lycra. :icon_smile_big:


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

Jovan said:


> It isn't going to feel like 100% wool when you have it on though -- it will feel like wool with 3% lycra. :icon_smile_big:


Yes. Even with 2% lyrca there's a tremendous difference. It still has a nice hand, but it feels a lot different when wearing it.


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## TheBarbaron (Oct 8, 2010)

alphadelta said:


> By US law, "100% wool" can have up to 3% of "other" material. Fabric labeled "100% wool" may or may not be. I would not worry about the other 3%.


Not so, actually. I had a coworker tell this to me as well, saying most suits could have up to 3/5/10% (the number varied based on who was asked) of other materials without labeling. According to the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939:
_Where the fabric or product to which the stamp, tag, label, or mark of identification applies is composed wholly of one kind of fiber, either the word "all" or the term "100%" may be used with the correct fiber name; as for example "100% Wool," "All Wool," "100% Recycled Wool," "All Recycled Wool." If any such product is composed wholly of one fiber with the exception of fiber ornamentation not exceeding 5%, such term "all" or "100%" as qualifying the name of the fiber may be used, provided it is immediately followed by the phrase "exclusive of ornamentation," or by a phrase of like meaning; such as, for example: _
_"All Wool -- Exclusive of Ornamentation" 
or 
"100% Wool -- Exclusive of Ornamentation". _​
So it can only be labeled 100% or all wool, if it's all of the above.
From my understanding of what I've read, there is a 5% margin of error in denoting the constitution by weight of a blended fabric. So, if a jacket is labeled 97% wool and 3% lycra, then individual examples could range from 92% wool/8% lycra to 99% wool/1% lycra to account for variations in weight and composition in the manufacturing process.


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## Jovan (Mar 7, 2006)

Interesting, though usually they make a point of saying there's lycra. People are attracted to this because they believe it will be comfortable.


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