Bhambi’s Custom Tailors · New York City · Est. 1968
The Complete Guide to
Luxury Suit Fabrics
Over 300,000 cloths. The world’s finest mills. One atelier in Midtown Manhattan.
Fabric is the foundation of every great bespoke suit.
Before a single stitch is made, before measurements are taken, before pattern-making begins — the most important decision in bespoke tailoring is the cloth. The fabric determines how your suit drapes, how it wears, how it ages, how it breathes, and how it looks under light. It is the soul of the garment.
At Bhambi’s Custom Tailors, we have maintained one of the largest luxury fabric libraries in New York City since 1968. Our collection spans over 300,000 cloths sourced directly from the world’s most revered mills — from the looms of Biella and the mills of Yorkshire to the ateliers of Brussels and Paris. Every swatch tells a story of craftsmanship, heritage, and innovation.
This guide exists to educate and inspire. Whether you are commissioning your first bespoke suit or your fifteenth, understanding the fabrics available to you transforms the experience. Our master tailors are here to guide you through every choice — but this page will give you the language and knowledge to walk in prepared.
Sourced directly from the world’s finest mills — Loro Piana, Holland & Sherry, Scabal, Dormeuil, Zegna, Piacenza, Standeven, and more.
Every fabric personally curated and stocked at our Midtown Manhattan atelier. Feel them in person. No substitutes.
Book a Fabric ConsultationFabrics Carried at Bhambi’s
Every mill below is represented in our atelier. Our tailors have worked with these cloths for decades and can guide you through the nuances of each one.
Loro Piana is widely regarded as the single most prestigious name in luxury fabric. Founded in Valsesia, in the North of Italy, the house has built its reputation on a relentless pursuit of the world’s finest natural fibers — sourcing raw materials only from the highest quality breeeders.
Their collections span superfine merino wools, pure cashmere and silk blends. At Bhambi’s, Loro Piana remains one of the most requested cloths among our most discerning clients.
Notable Collections at Bhambi’s- Tasmanian® — Ultra-fine Super 170’s Merino, 15 microns. Supreme softness and fluid drape. The benchmark of Loro Piana excellence.
- Australis® — Super 150’s Merino from Australia. Featherlight, moisture-wicking, with natural stretch. Ideal for active professionals.
- Cashmere Wish® — Super 170’s Merino blended with the finest cashmere. Exceptional for four-season suits and cooler climates.
- Best for: Formal occasions, statement commissions, ultimate luxury, the discerning collector.
The oldest mill in our collection and one of the oldest in the world. Stephen George Holland and Frederick Sherry founded their wool merchant business in 1836, and the company quickly became the preferred supplier to London’s Savile Row. Nearly two centuries later, Holland & Sherry remains the gold standard of British suiting cloth.
At Bhambi’s, Holland & Sherry cloth has been a mainstay of our atelier since our founding. Their range spans everything from classic British worsteds and heavy tweeds to ultra-lightweight tropical suiting.
Scabal pioneered the “Super” number designation system that the entire textile industry now uses universally. Founded in Brussels in 1938, Scabal has spent nearly ninety years pushing the boundaries of what wool can do, producing over 5,000 distinct fabric options — including fabrics woven with diamond dust and pure gold thread.
For the client who wants cutting-edge fabric technology paired with uncompromising softness, Scabal at Bhambi’s offers an extraordinary range from entry-luxury to the stratospheric.
Dormeuil brings a distinctly French sensibility to the world of British and Italian-dominated suiting fabrics. Founded in Paris in 1842, they have spent over 180 years crafting cloths with a character unlike anything else — bold check patterns, rich textured flannels, striking mohair blends, and their iconic hydrophobic Rainwool fabric.
At Bhambi’s, Dormeuil fabrics attract clients who want a garment that makes a statement. Their Amadeus and Tonik collections are perennial favorites in our atelier.
Ermenegildo Zegna controls its entire supply chain — from sheep ranches and wool auctions to spinning, weaving, dyeing, and finishing — giving them an unmatched consistency and quality control. Founded in the Biella Alps in 1910, Zegna has become synonymous with the marriage of traditional Italian luxury and modern technical performance.
Zegna’s Traveller collection in particular is a staple at Bhambi’s — a wrinkle-resistant, packable luxury wool that combines the softness of the finest Italian cloth with the durability of a working wardrobe essential.
Piacenza is one of the oldest continuously operating textile mills in the world, tracing its origins to 1733 in Pollone, in the Italian Alps. Nearly three centuries of unbroken production have produced a mastery of cashmere and fine wool that very few mills in the world can match.
At Bhambi’s, Piacenza is the choice for clients commissioning overcoats, heavyweight suits for cold New York winters, and cashmere sport jackets of exceptional quality.
Standeven is one of England’s most respected worsted wool mills, producing cloths of exceptional durability and classic character from their Bradford facility since 1877. Their fabrics are a favorite among Savile Row tailors for their reliability, breadth of range, and honest British quality.
The Super Number Guide
The “Super” number on a wool fabric refers to the fineness of the individual fiber, measured in microns. The higher the number, the finer — and softer — the thread.
← Scroll to see full table →
| Super Rating | Micron Count | Character | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super 100’s | 18.5 µm | Robust, durable, classic. Holds its shape beautifully over years of wear. | Everyday business suits, high-wear garments, first bespoke suit |
| Super 110’s – 120’s | 17.5–18 µm | Refined balance of durability and softness. The workhorse of serious tailoring. | Three-season suits, daily professional wear, reliable wardrobers |
| Super 130’s – 140’s | 16.5–17 µm | Noticeably softer. Excellent drape. Still practical for regular use with care. | Business suits with elevated feel, semi-formal occasions |
| Super 150’s Most Popular | 15.5–16 µm | Where luxury begins in earnest. Featherlight, supremely soft, outstanding drape. | Special occasions, important meetings, wedding suits |
| Super 160’s – 170’s | 14.5–15.5 µm | Extraordinary softness. Reserved for clients who demand the finest. Handle with care. | Formal events, statement commissions, seasoned collectors |
| Super 180’s – 200’s | 13–14 µm | The pinnacle of wool technology. Gossamer-fine. Worn as an experience, not a uniform. | Ultimate luxury commissions, collectors, once-in-a-lifetime garments |
From Wool to Vicuña
The fiber a fabric is made from shapes its entire character — its warmth, weight, drape, breathability, and feel. At Bhambi’s, we work with all of the following.
The foundation of luxury suiting. Merino wool is naturally soft, breathable, moisture-wicking, and temperature-regulating. It performs year-round, resists wrinkles, and improves with age. The Super number tells you how fine the Merino is — from durable Super 100’s to gossamer Super 200’s.
Combed from the undercoat of Cashmere goats in the highlands of Central Asia, cashmere is extraordinarily soft, lightweight, and warm — warmer than wool at a fraction of the weight. At Bhambi’s, pure cashmere and cashmere-wool blends are most popular for sport jackets, overcoats, and winter suiting.
Woven into suiting fabrics as a blend, silk adds luminosity, drape, and an incomparable handle. Wool-silk blends are particularly prized for evening wear and formal suits — the silk gives the fabric a subtle sheen and a fluidity that pure wool cannot match.
The warmest-weather suiting fabric. Linen is highly breathable, naturally textured, and develops a beautiful patina with wear. Pure linen suits are a New York summer staple. Linen-wool blends offer the breathability of linen with the structure of wool.
The most precious natural fiber in existence. Harvested from wild vicuñas in the high Andes under strict conservation regulations, vicuña fibers measure just 12–13 microns — finer even than the finest cashmere. A vicuña suit from Bhambi’s is among the rarest and most extraordinary garments a person can own.
Sourced from Angora goats, mohair has a distinctive natural sheen and a crisp, smooth surface that resists wrinkling remarkably well. Mohair blends from Holland & Sherry and Dormeuil are a perennial choice for summer suits and evening wear at Bhambi’s.
Fabric by Season
New York’s climate demands versatility. Our tailors guide every client through seasonal fabric selection — here is a starting framework.
- Flannel (12–14 oz) — warm, structured, classic
- Tweed — texture, character, durability
- Cashmere or Cashmere Blend — lightweight warmth
- Heavy Worsted Wool — timeless for New York winters
- Piacenza Cashmere Overcoating
- Mid-weight Worsted (8–10 oz) — versatile transition
- Wool-Linen Blends — breathable structure
- Loro Piana Australis® — lightweight Merino
- Holland & Sherry Cape Horn Lightweight
- Wool-Silk Blends — fluid and elegant
- Tropical Wool (6–7 oz) — the NYC summer staple
- Pure Linen — maximum breathability
- Mohair Blends — crisp, cool, wrinkle-resistant
- Zegna Cool Effect — technical summer performance
- Wool-Cotton — casual summer weight
- Herringbone (9–11 oz) — season-defining texture
- Light Flannel — early autumn warmth
- Prince of Wales Check — quintessential fall
- Dormeuil Amadeus — character for the season
- Wool-Silk (transitional weight) — elegant layering
What Our Tailors Know
Over 57 years and tens of thousands of garments, our master tailors have developed insights that no guide can fully replace.
No photograph, swatch card, or description captures the full character of a cloth. The way a fabric drapes off your hand, the warmth of its touch, and its weight against your skin tells you more in ten seconds than any guide can. This is why we invite every client to visit our atelier in person — or request a swatch mailer if you are abroad.
A Super 200’s fabric is extraordinarily fine — but it is also delicate and demands careful handling. For a suit worn frequently in a demanding work environment, a Super 120’s or 130’s will outperform and outlast it by years. The right fabric is the one matched to how you live, not the highest number on the shelf.
British cloths — Holland & Sherry, Standeven — offer structure, resilience, and classic form. Italian cloths — Zegna — prioritize softness, fluid drape, and lighter weights. Neither is superior. Both have their place. A New York businessman might want both: Italian for evening, British for daily wear.
One of the hallmarks of true bespoke at Bhambi’s is our ability to match patterns — checks, stripes, herringbones — across lapels, pockets, and seams. This level of precision requires more fabric and more time. It is one of the details that separates a Bhambi’s suit from everything else in the room.
Even the finest wool can be damaged by over-cleaning. Our tailors recommend: steam and air between wears, spot-clean minor marks, dry-clean sparingly (no more than once or twice per season), and store on a quality wooden hanger to preserve the shoulder.
The lining of a bespoke suit is a canvas for personal expression. At Bhambi’s, we offer everything from classic silk linings in navy and cream to bold paisleys, custom monogram prints, and contrast colors that give you a private signature that only you know is there.
Experience Our Fabric Library
in Person
14 East 60th Street, Suite 610 · Midtown Manhattan · Mon–Fri 10am–6pm · Sat 10am–4pm