# Sharkskin suits.



## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

How do you feel about sharkskin suits?


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## Dhaller (Jan 20, 2008)

I guess I'd say that's retro enough to qualify more as "costuming" or "vintage" nowadays.

I can see a case for wearing one to some kind of themed party or the like, or if you're in a field where you can have a bit of sartorial fun (like design, the arts, entertainment and so forth, since any such suits you'd find would tend to be kind of "mod".)

D.


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## tinytim (Jun 13, 2008)

charlie500 said:


> How do you feel about sharkskin suits?


Love it. Reminds me of Sinatra.


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

Dhaller said:


> I guess I'd say that's retro enough to qualify more as "costuming" or "vintage" nowadays.
> 
> I can see a case for wearing one to some kind of themed party or the like, or if you're in a field where you can have a bit of sartorial fun (like design, the arts, entertainment and so forth, since any such suits you'd find would tend to be kind of "mod".)
> 
> D.


You don't see much sharkskin these days but with ties and lapels getting skinnier like they were in the early sixties, I wonder if the sharkskin suit might be due for a comeback as well.


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## Mannix (Nov 24, 2008)

charlie500 said:


> You don't see much sharkskin these days but with ties and lapels getting skinnier like they were in the early sixties, I wonder if the sharkskin suit might be due for a comeback as well.


I wouldn't doubt it.


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## ToryBoy (Oct 13, 2008)

charlie500 said:


> You don't see much sharkskin these days but with ties and lapels getting skinnier like they were in the early sixties, I wonder if the sharkskin suit might be due for a comeback as well.


they will make a comeback along with these shoes -

then again, maybe not :icon_smile_wink:


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

shark skin is great. it wears well, keeps its press. 

just make sure the teeth are removed, they bite hard.


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## Brooksfan (Jan 25, 2005)

Sharkskin can be made up to look like a gangster suit, or a Beatles suit or a pure Ivy League suit. It depends on the cut and how much iridescense is in the fabric.


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

Brooksfan said:


> Sharkskin can be made up to look like a gangster suit, or a Beatles suit or a pure Ivy League suit. It depends on the cut and how much iridescense is in the fabric.


Yep. I noticed Brooks Brothers has a couple:

https://search.brooksbrothers.com/?items=0&regF=0&q=sharkskin&Search.x=0&Search.y=0


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## Blueboy1938 (Aug 17, 2008)

*Abraded!*

Oh, you meant the material, not actual shark's skin:icon_smile_big:


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

I've never really cared for them.

Cruiser


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## Lowndes (Feb 25, 2008)

Why do they call it a sharkskin suit if it is still made out of wool?


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## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

a tailor said:


> shark skin is great. it wears well, keeps its press.
> 
> just make sure the teeth are removed, they bite hard.


I doubt that most of the posters here would recognise a pick-and-pick weave if it bit them.

It is just a two tone four harness weave. If the yarns are black and white it has a beautiful, and very subtle salt and pepper appearance. Because it is a type of twill it has crispness such that it tailors well and keeps its shape. Many quality books of worsted include pick-and-pick weaves in them. The Harrison's books all have them, as do the Lesser and Minnis books. Generally, they are not marked in books as a being pick-and-pick weave. Unless you know a bit about textiles most people wouldn't even recognise them as such.


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

Blueboy1938 said:


> Oh, you meant the material, not actual shark's skin:icon_smile_big:


I think that would be dangerous. Sharks' skin is so rough they make cheese graters out of them.

https://www.kikuichi.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=59

Funny when they go to Australia in the surf film "Emdless Summer" they call sharks 'the man in the grey suit'.


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## Mannix (Nov 24, 2008)

charlie500 said:


> I think that would be dangerous. Sharks' skin is so rough they make cheese graters out of them.
> 
> https://www.kikuichi.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=59
> 
> Funny when they go to Australia in the surf film "Emdless Summer" they call sharks 'the man in the grey suit'.


This is so random...I love it.


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## Felix Krull (Dec 20, 2008)

Modern sharkskin fabrics are quite nice and not as audacious as their forebearers from a generation ago. One of my favorite suits is a steel blue sharkskin that I bought five years ago. Like its namesake, sharkskin is very resilient. My suit looks brand new and I've worn it well over 100 times. The trousers in particular have worn far better than other pairs of worsteds I have owned for similar lengths of time. 

You can't go wrong with sharkskin, period. It's tough enough for travel but urbane enough for the boardroom.


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## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

charlie500 said:


> Funny when they go to Australia in the surf film "Emdless Summer" they call sharks 'the man in the grey suit'.


hmmm....I have yet to see Greg Norman wear grey however.....


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Sator said:


> I doubt that most of the poster here would recognise a pick-and-pick weave if it bit them.
> 
> It is just a two tone four harness weave. If the yarns are black and white it has a beautiful, and very subtle salt and pepper appearance. Because it is a type of twill it has crispness such that it tailors well and keeps its shape. Many quality books of worsted include pick-and-pick weaves in them. The Harrison's books all have them, as do the Lesser and Minnis books. Generally, they are not marked in books as a being pick-and-pick weave. Unless you know a bit about textiles most people wouldn't even recognise them as such.


Beautiful. I would love a suit in that fabric. I think I will call it pick and pick from now on. It sounds more distinguished.


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## David Reeves (Dec 19, 2008)

I think people on this thread are cofusing Shark skin with Mohair.

Both are great. And yes either can look totally classic if executed as such.


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## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

David Reeves said:


> I think people on this thread are cofusing Shark skin with Mohair.


I think it might be an American thing. I came across something in a text from the ?1970s or so about some source of cheap and nasty polyester blend stuff that was being marketed as "sharkskin" in the US. That may be the source of the expression "the sharkskin rat pack" there. I am not sure if it was even woven like the genuine pick-and-pick weaves found in high-end cloth books. It may have been a name given to a gaudy design that looked like a shark's skin with a cheap shine to the texture. I have never seen a quality pick-and-pick that was shiny. In fact, plain twills and serges have more sheen to them.


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## Akula (Jan 17, 2009)

I've just had gray suit made from pick and pick fabric. Now I'm sure you've already seen these but the potential of sharkskin is on display in these pictures of Cary Grant in North by North West.

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=74039


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## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

While pick-and-pick is a two tone weave, not all two tone weaves are pick-and-picks. The cloth used for Grant's lounge suit is arguably too obviously two toned, suggesting it may be some other type of weave. You can usually only see the two thread colours from up close.


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

I own one in a black and white sharkskin, labeled Tommy Hilfiger, made in USA (not sure by whom--HS & M, maybe?). 2btn, dbl rvrs plt trousers.

Mostly it's a spring and summer suit for me. Looks well with pale blue poplin or end-on-end shirts and navy ties, esp this one from Brooks in a pink bar stripe on navy:
https://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCa...71779&Parent_Id=210&default_color=Black-white


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## whistle_blower71 (May 26, 2006)

I am a fan of sharkskin. It is my cloth of choice for three piece morning suits.

*W_B*


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

PJC in NoVa said:


> I own one in a black and white sharkskin, labeled Tommy Hilfiger, made in USA (not sure by whom--HS & M, maybe?). 2btn, dbl rvrs plt trousers.
> 
> Mostly it's a spring and summer suit for me. Looks well with pale blue poplin or end-on-end shirts and navy ties, esp this one from Brooks in a pink bar stripe on navy:
> https://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCa...71779&Parent_Id=210&default_color=Black-white


I believe HSM makes Tommy suits.


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## The Louche (Jan 30, 2008)

a tailor said:


> shark skin is great. it wears well, keeps its press.
> 
> just make sure the teeth are removed, they bite hard.





Felix Krull said:


> Modern sharkskin fabrics are quite nice and not as audacious as their forebearers from a generation ago. One of my favorite suits is a steel blue sharkskin that I bought five years ago. Like its namesake, sharkskin is very resilient. My suit looks brand new and I've worn it well over 100 times. The trousers in particular have worn far better than other pairs of worsteds I have owned for similar lengths of time.
> 
> You can't go wrong with sharkskin, period. It's tough enough for travel but urbane enough for the boardroom.





Sator said:


> It may have been a name given to a gaudy design that looked like a shark's skin with a cheap shine to the texture. I have never seen a quality pick-and-pick that was shiny. In fact, plain twills and serges have more sheen to them.


I was always under the impression that shark skin DID indeed have a bit of a sheen. Is that the case? If so, would it be a good choice for guys that tend to shine up their trouser seats and elbows since it is durable and its inherent sheen would camouflage the sheen brought on by wear?


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## Pipps (Dec 20, 2005)

Here I am, in a grey pick-and-pick from the Holland & Sherry Target collection:


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## Blueboy1938 (Aug 17, 2008)

brokencycle said:


> Beautiful. I would love a suit in that fabric. I think I will call it pick and pick from now on. It sounds more distinguished.


That's exactly why I won't call it "pick and pick."


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Blueboy1938 said:


> That's exactly why I won't call it "pick and pick."


So you don't like sounding distinguished?


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## The Louche (Jan 30, 2008)

The Louche said:


> I was always under the impression that shark skin DID indeed have a bit of a sheen. Is that the case? If so, would it be a good choice for guys that tend to shine up their trouser seats and elbows since it is durable and its inherent sheen would camouflage the sheen brought on by wear?


Bump. I love to talk about shine. I've never worn suiting out, only shined-it to hell; if I can learn about suiting that don't shine I'm doing myself more service than learning about heavy weight suitings...


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## Pipps (Dec 20, 2005)

Although do bear in mind that there are two different types of shine that are popular with the modern suit.

It is indeed unfortunate that many a fashion orientated retailer has begun selling what would be an attempt to imitate a sharkskin suit, but in a fabric which exhibits a strong metallic shine, which seems to my eye to be quite tasteless.

Shiny wool of that description does not look good in my opinion.


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## bbcrock (Feb 13, 2009)

Because I have an affection for west-coast clothing design, I definitely bought a modern sharkskin suit.

I happen to have a bright green 1960s sharkskin suit which is the nicest pure vintage suit that I own and that I ever bought. That bright green suit with a white shirt, black tie and sunglasses is truly unbelievable. It is extremely west coast and irridescent, but much too classic to look like a pimp suit.

The modern suit I bought last week is olive and not very shiny. While I'm still trying out shirt and tie combinations, it looks very impressive, but not British at all- very western.


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## Sator (Jan 13, 2006)

The Louche said:


> I was always under the impression that shark skin DID indeed have a bit of a sheen. Is that the case? If so, would it be a good choice for guys that tend to shine up their trouser seats and elbows since it is durable and its inherent sheen would camouflage the sheen brought on by wear?


I wish I could give you a clear answer to this problem. Pick-and-pick is a twill, and all twills can become a bit shiny with wear. Whether this weave is significantly more resistant than a serge or a plain twill design, I cannot say for sure. I can only hope that Alex ('a tailor') will share his many decades of experience with us.


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## The Louche (Jan 30, 2008)

Sator said:


> I wish I could give you a clear answer to this problem. Pick-and-pick is a twill, and all twills can become a bit shiny with wear. Whether this weave is significantly more resistant than a serge or a plain twill design, I cannot say for sure. I can only hope that Alex ('a tailor') will share his many decades of experience with us.


Yes - I would indeed be interested to hear Alex's thoughts. Also, while we're at it could someone please define "serge" for me. I'm a bit embarassed not to know at this point b/c I understand that it is a commonly used blazering; how would it be different from gabardine, which is also a very common twill worsted.


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## mt_spiffy (Apr 12, 2008)

Found one at a thrift store a few weeks ago:


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

Nice. I found a nice blue Hickey Freeman one myself. It's kind of what prompted this thread. I'll have to get some pictures up.


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## dfloyd (May 7, 2006)

*I had a sharkskin suit in late 50s ....*

It was really shiny and I didn't wear it much. About a year or so ago, I bought a JAB Joseph sharkskin which changed my mind about this material. It is a light-weight, 3-season, steel blue sharkskin with a pale burgandy window pane. The sharkskin made today is not your father's fabric. With side vents and a trim fit, it is a very modern suit.


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

all hard finished finished woolens will shine. there is gabardine, sharkskin, serge, etc. actually all wools shine to some degree. its that the smooth and hard ones that do it most. they do hold a sharp crease and coat shape better than most. 
when it comes down to it the cloths quality it what counts. 

AND THEY WEAR FOR EVER AND EVER.


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## mt_spiffy (Apr 12, 2008)

Mine is pretty retro, I havent yet figured out when to wear it, or for that matter if I'm keeping it.


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## stcolumba (Oct 10, 2006)

Mr. Pipps said:


> Here I am, in a grey pick-and-pick from the Holland & Sherry Target collection:


I know that you have posted this picture previously, but this time, I noticed the fine work and cut on the lapels. Outstanding!


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## Preu Pummel (Feb 5, 2008)

I purchased a light gray sharkskin suit just last week. It's out right now getting edited.

Sharkskin isn't something that jumps out at most people as severely retro, but if the suit cut is retro it conjures up the 60's. A few years ago they were offering a lot of interesting sharkskins at big stores. They seem to have vanished recently.


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## Jaxson613 (Oct 17, 2008)

My Dad took me suit shopping with him in 1965, and bought me a grey sharkskin, 2 button, no cuffs. I was 12 years old and thought I was all that, plus a bag of chips! (actually, I thought I was Napoleon Solo).
I've been looking for another ever since.


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## GreenPlastic (Jan 27, 2009)

Preu Pummel said:


> I purchased a light gray sharkskin suit just last week. It's out right now getting edited.
> 
> Sharkskin isn't something that jumps out at most people as severely retro, but if the suit cut is retro it conjures up the 60's. A few years ago they were offering a lot of interesting sharkskins at big stores. They seem to have vanished recently.


Sharkskin was very fashionable circa 2007 and 2008. It'll be interesting to see if designers keep using it in 2009. Personally speaking, I enjoy the look of modern sharkskin suits. So long as they're not _too_ shiny, I think they look cool and sophisticated. They certainly attract attention, but not in a garish or show-offy sort of way.


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## bbcrock (Feb 13, 2009)

I get lots of compliments on my super cheap $99 JAB sharkskin suit. Lots of compliments- Way more than I should.


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## J.Marko (Apr 14, 2009)

stcolumba said:


> I know that you have posted this picture previously, but this time, I noticed the fine work and cut on the lapels. Outstanding!


I skimmed the text and thought he said he bought it at Target, and I thought - heck, I am driving over there right now! Nice suit.


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## mt_spiffy (Apr 12, 2008)

I ended up selling my vintage one, but they are DEFINITELY making a comeback, I'm seeing all sorts of sharkskin suits and jackets especially in fashion forward cuts. I might pick up a more current one.


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## Dashiell.Valentine (Dec 18, 2008)

*Is this sharkskin?*

Is this fabric considered sharkskin? It has a sort of salt and pepper quality to it, but I'm not sure if it's a true pick and pick.


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## joeyb1000 (Feb 24, 2010)

No, if it were sharkskin, you would see two different color threads (i.e. a gray sharkskin would have black and white threads). If anyone can tell me how to upload a picture from my PC, I'll post one.


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## Dashiell.Valentine (Dec 18, 2008)

Thanks for your response.

The way that I post photos is to first get it on the internet. I do that by posting it on a blog. Then, highlight the photo. (It doesn't work to just click on it and "control C," you actually have to drag the cursor over it and highlight it, and then "control C."

Then you can just "control V" and paste it right into your reply.

If that isn't too much trouble, I'd love to see a photo and sort this out. Thanks for the help.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

Dashiell.Valentine said:


> Is this fabric considered sharkskin? It has a sort of salt and pepper quality to it, but I'm not sure if it's a true pick and pick.


Sharkskin is made in a twill weave. What you have here is not.

This is sharkskin:










Notice the diagonal lines alternating in colour. This is the traditional black and white sharkskin.


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## joeyb1000 (Feb 24, 2010)

This has blue, black and white thread. The disadvantages of sharkskin (I've learned the hard way) is that any damage like moth holes, pulls, or tears from alterations are easy to see and impossible to fix.


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## Dashiell.Valentine (Dec 18, 2008)

Thank you both, for the great responses. That definitely helps clear things up.


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## a tailor (May 16, 2005)

among coat makers in a custom shop, sharkskin was one of the favorites. 
the cloth does just what you want it to do. and the jacket comes out "clean". 
when you are paid piece work thats how you make money. 
in the 50s that was $45 to $50 for making an entire coat.


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## windsor (Dec 12, 2006)

Is Birdseye a variation on pick and pic?


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