If there’s a hallmark of being a full-blown menswear enthusiast, a linen suit just might be it.

The suit on its own? Dead (as we’ve read ad nauseum for 50 years).

But made from linen—a fabric that flows like a curtain in front of an open window and has a reputation for wrinkling like you’ve been in a bathtub for an hour—takes it even deeper. Into … sheol, I guess?

Or maybe making a suit out of linen redeems whatever square connotations still stick to it. A linen suit takes this symbol that mid-century hippies derided for its pencil-pusher associations and makes it out of a fabric that evokes beachside villas.

Either way, I think if you love how tailoring looks and makes you feel, then you should try at least one linen suit out.

And if you do, strongly consider doing it in tobacco linen—or as it’s also sometimes called, cigar linen.

Cigar/tobacco linen came onto my radar around 10 years ago. Derek Guy who writes Die, Workwear! published a short post saying that he was having a cigar linen suit made on the advice of a friend way back in 2013. Though the post has since been taken down, the images he posted in that article have stuck in my brain (this dude’s Pinterest board has many of them) ever since. In fact, this photo here, which Derek published on his post, might be my all-time favorite menswear photo, period.

Simon Crompton had bespoke tailor Dege & Skinner make a tobacco linen suit for him in 2014, based on inspiration from someone else (could it have been Derek?), and mentioned he felt it was a trend at that time. Yet it persists nearly a decade later.

This is something I’ve noticed; it seems to come and go in waves. This summer at Pitti 102, I felt that it was back in force after an absence of some time in the online menswear scene. I mentioned on my Six Insights From Pitti 102 post a few of those there who were wearing it: Peter Zottolo had a suit made from it that he had the jacket for while there; Max Papier was wearing an Armoury Model 1 suit in it; Torsten Grunwald who writes Sartorial Notes had a workshirt made from it; and Milad Abedi wore one made by The Anthology (see photo above).

So let’s talk the name—cigar vs tobacco linen. Let’s talk fabric mills that make something you could call tobacco linen. And let’s talk recommendations for where to buy tobacco linen.

Cigar Linen or Tobacco Linen?

There is no universally accepted naming convention for cigar vs tobacco linen. Derek Guy originally only referenced “cigar linen” in his 2013 post about it, and the images he shared ranged from lighter, orange-y fabrics to softer, more yellow ones. But I’ve seen darker fabrics called tobacco linen as well as more red tones, too. What’s the right name and what’s the right color shade?

Let’s just briefly remind ourselves what we’re referencing: cigars. Specifically, the tobacco leaves that make up a cigar—not only the filler, but the wrapper used on the outside as well. Here’s a product shot of a cigar sampler with a half dozen different-colored cigar wrappers. Notice how some have more red undertones (far left), while others are a little more orange (fourth from left); meanwhile the far right is darker and has a little more of a subtle blue with less yellow. If you had a linen fabric in any of these colors, you could easily call it cigar linen. Now look at the color of these Cuban cigars—a yellow-y, orange-y, medium brown. This might be the de facto color many people have in mind when they think “cigar linen.” And yet, cigar enthusiast Terry Pomerantz has a post on his site with the names of cigar wrappers, explaining that there are 65 different color shades used by Cuban cigar producers alone.

So at the highest-level, cigar linen or tobacco linen are interchangeable names for the same broad category: any linen in a medium-to-dark shade of brown that has a fairly saturated color reminiscent of a cigar. It might have reddish undertones, it may lean more yellow, gold, or more orange, or might be a little darker with the yellows balanced out with a bit more blue. If it reminds you of a cigar, you’re set.

What mills make tobacco linen?

W.Bill. Swatch codes WB61322, WB61323, WB60259, WB60260.

W.Bill is probably the most prevalent, go-to maker of tobacco linen.

The swatch/fabric code most widely used is WB61322. It has the characteristic medium-dark shade of brown with an orange undertone that’s nicely balanced with just enough blue.

Peter Zottolo (@urbancomposition) told me he chose the next cloth—WB61323—instead, because it’s just a little less yellow/orange, with the blue asserting itself ever so slightly more. Torsten Grunwald’s workshirt from Pitti is the same cloth as Peter’s suit.

W.Bill has two other swatches in the tobacco linen vein that I’ve seen referenced online, though they do not have swatches scanned on their website for them. I don’t know if they’re discontinued, sold out temporarily, or just not online, but they are WB60259 and WB60260.

Max Papier’s Armoury Model 1 Ring Jacket suit is WB60259. The next fabric, WB60260, is close as well (Hong Kong MTO/MTM company The Gaudery showcases a suit made from WB60260).

Dugdale. Swatch code 7511 of bunch 159.

No Man Walks Alone made a suit in this fabric a couple years ago with Sartoria Carrara, which is sold out but you can still see their product shots. Of course, you can easily contact the No Man Walks Alone team and set up either in-person MTM if you’re in NYC, or simply a one-off made-to-order suit made in this fabric if you like the fit of their stock size that can be shipped to you.

Caccioppoli 1920. Swatch codes 320373, 320218, 31230

 

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On Instagram, Caccioppoli reposted an image of a tobacco linen suit in what I’m guessing is swatch 320373. They posted one of 320218 in June.

Hardy Minnis. Swatch code 782005.

Minnis is one of mills under the Huddersfields Fine Worsted umbrella, and they make it a pain to navigate their fabric swatches and figure out what is what. Spier & Mackay offered a Minnis tobacco linen suit a year or two ago in a custom color exclusive to them (CEO Rikky Khanna tells me it’ll be available for MTO orders online again in time for spring 2023).

Spence Bryson. Swatch codes 6130 “Tropical Earth” , 8091 “Tropical Earth” and 8102 “Tropical Coffee”

Spence Bryson’s tobacco linens definitely lean more red. Ring Jacket made a suit in tobacco linen from Spence Bryson a couple years ago and it definitely leaned more red in person as well. Which of those two swatches it was, I’m not sure, but both would fall into the cigar/tobacco linen range. See Milad Abedi’s suit at the top.

Draper’s. Swatch code 25033.

This one leans more red than orange.

Years ago No Man Walks Alone carried a line of off-the-rack suits made by Italian bespoke maker Sartoria Formosa, and in that collection they carried a suit made from Draper’s tobacco linen.

Harrison’s of Edinburgh Mersolair. Swatch code 28313, 28315 or 28314

Spring of 2021, Peter posted pics of a couple swatches he was considering for his tobacco suit on Styleforum, one of which was a Mersolair, swatch 28197. Now discontinued, the equivalent they provide is 28313.

Baird McNutt. Swatch “Glenariff Dark Tan”

This slightly darker shade here is great, and much less common than the mid-range colors. Though, in person, the color reads a little lighter. On Amidé on the right in the photo above, his belted safari jacket is made from Baird McNutt’s “dark tan” linen. Robin’s jacket, on the left, is Dugdale’s tobacco linen.

Maison Hellard. Swatch code 1136.

This is a French fabric mill that I’d not heard of until Derek referred to it in a text conversation I had with him. They helpfully call this fabric cigare—no mistaking that!

Libeco. No info but here’s their contact info.

In 2023, I worked with Atelier Munro on a marketing campaign, and chose a tobacco linen from Belgian mill Libeco to be made into a suit. I don’t know anything about the swatch (I will link to it when I can at AM), but it seems like a good medium-weight linen—not heavy like the Irish linens, nor too light like Italian. Atelier Munro is calling the color “cognac,” FYI.

Other Mills

Other mills I’ve seen referenced but haven’t been able to pin down specific swatches are Holland & Sherry and London Lounge Cloth Club (which does limited runs of special order fabrics for group members who pay for it specifically). Check out Simon Crompton’s guide to linen bunches from 2018 here for other mills you might run across.

Which Is Better: Irish Linen or Italian Linen?

Guys who have custom clothes made tend know their cloths, and have their preferences. I asked Derek for his input on this post, and he told me this: “My personal opinion: W.Bill is the best, Dugdale is a close second. I personally don’t like the softness of Italian linen. If someone is getting this as a sport coat, they can use either. If someone is getting this as a suit, I would stick to the heavier, stiffer British linens. Italian, and even the new French Maison Hellard, might be too soft for pants. If people are using this for custom clothes, consider how the fabric ages as pants vs jackets. Pant fabrics should be stiffer to hold shape, especially if the person is wearing slim pants.”

There’s also the weight to consider. It might make sense to get a lighter weight—250-300gsm or so (8-9 oz. per square yard)—since one appeal of linen is how cool it wears. But lighter weight linens crease more and don’t drape as well. Heavier linens, more like 375gsm or 11-12 oz per square yard, will, in Derek’s words, “rumple more than wrinkle.” Of course, heavier linen won’t wear as cool. But then again, a suit is going to have a layer or two of chest canvas and lining anyhow.

Off-the-Rack or Made-to-Order Tobacco Linen Options

I love the idea of ordering a length of cloth to have my personal tailor make me a suit. Only problem is I don’t have a tailor I like well enough to do that, let alone one I could afford. The closest I’ve come was considering having The Armoury make a Model 3 or Model 6 (or possibly the new Model 15) suit in a cloth I specify in a stock size (i.e. made-to-order, vs made-to-measure where you get measured in person). I haven’t done that yet, but I do appreciate that their Ring Jacket models are so well designed, consistently made, and are in a price range I would consider.

But there are great online made-to-order and quasi-made-to-measure companies that have tobacco linen options, and you’ll find ready-to-wear tobacco linen from time to time as well (like those No Man Walks Alone suits from years past, or from Spier & Mackay).

Here are a handful of current ready to wear and online made to order tobacco linen suits, jackets and more (updated Spring 2024)

Cavour S/S 2024 tobacco linen suit

Spier & Mackay DB tobacco linen suit S/S 2024

Drake’s tailored tobacco linen suit (pants linked here)

Proper Cloth [use this link for 10% off your first order]

Natalino S/S 2024

Drake’s Games Blazer

Articles of Style

Besnard S/S 2024 tobacco linen trousers (they’re almost certainly from Baird McNutt “dark tan”)

Previous makers who are out of stock in 2024

SuitSupply Roma suit

Spier & Mackay tobacco linen jacket

De Petrillo at Mr Porter

Gotrich & Co

J. Mueser

Uncommon Man (only one size left but I like this darker fabric)

The Gaudery

Spier & Mackay has Minnis run a custom color for them, which they made a Neapolitan-cut suit off-the-rack in last summer, and which will be available MTO for spring 2023.

I foresee a tobacco linen suit in my future. What about you? Is it on your list, or do you remain unconvinced? Let me know in the comments below!

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