Wool - Worsted Mens Suits

We would like to clarify the difference various qualities of worsted cloths, as there appears to be some confusion about the relative merits of one cloth compared to another, and why cloths are classed as Super 100's Super 120's or even Super 150's.

The following table applies to ONLY THOSE CLOTHS WHICH ARE MANUFACTURED IN GREAT BRITAIN AND CANNOT BE APPLIED TO ANY CLOTH MANUFACTURED IN ANOTHER COUNTRY.

The table has been extracted from the National Wool Textile Export Corporation of Great Britain’s document entitled “A commitment to excellence from Britains Weavers.” This code of practice came into effect On 1st March 1993.

The micron count refers to the actual diameter of the wool fiber’s themselves (not to be confused with the yarn). One micron is equal to one thousandth of a millimeter.



CLOTH QUALITY................................FIBER DIAMETER

Super 150's.........................................15.5 Microns
Super 140's.........................................16.0 Microns
Super 130's.........................................16.5 Microns
Super 120's.........................................17.5 Microns
Super 110's.........................................18.0 Microns
Super 100's.........................................18.5 Microns
Super 90's...........................................19.0 Microns
Super 80's...........................................19.5 Microns



It’s fair to say that the finer the wool fibers i.e. the smaller the micron count, the rarer the wool and therefore the more expensive the cloth.

Finer wools are relatively new phenomenon because it has been through advances in the technology of wool growing, sorting and combing that these Super fine wool fiber’s have been able to be extracted in commercial qualities of wool, but for the meantime however Super 150's is as fine as it comes.

Please remember the measurement is of the actual quality of the wool fibers themselves. Which means of course that virtually any type of cloth can be woven from the wool once it has been spun into yarn. So, you have a 7 oz (Summer weight) or an 11 oz (Winter weight) cloth produced from the same wool quality.

Textile manufactures are now able to produce cloth quality at Super 220's