How to Tell if Your Suit is Canvas Interlined or Fused: Feel for Quality and Put Your Suit to the Test
When choosing a suit, you look for a cool cut, a unique pattern, and maybe a defining detail, like a ticket pocket; but there’s one other factor to inspect: the suit’s composition. You would not, for example, invest money in a house with a flimsy foundation so why invest in a suit with a lousy structure? You should purchase a suit with a sturdy build. When venturing through the suit market, pay careful attention to your main options: canvas interlined and fused. Fused suits not only fail to mould to your body but also wear down quickly. Many high-end department stores sell suits that are fused together—don’t allow yourself or your friends and family to invest in something of such poor quality. Let us take you through how to feel for quality, and put your suit to the test.
Canvas interlined suits hug your shape perfectly since designers cut the canvas according to the jacket’s shape. Stitched together, the interlining sits between the exterior and interior fabrics. Your canvas-interlined suit will, therefore, breathe easier than a fused suit.
A fused suit, however, relies on glue not stitches to secure the interlining. Although less expensive, fused suits not only fail to mould to your body but also wear down quickly. In fact, you can usually differentiate a canvas interlined and fused suit simply by its appearance and fit.
Canvas interlined suits:
- Last for years
- Look natural and high-quality
- Compensate for weight fluctuations (let out or take in the suit with ease)
- Feel more comfortable
Fused suits:
- Appear stiff
- Don’t last long
- Start to bubble up
- Look cheap
When in doubt, verify your suit’s structure with a simple test:
Between your fingers, grasp the edge of the coat front. Move your fingers back and forth. If you can feel three separate pieces – the exterior fabric, the interior fabric and the canvas floating freely in-between – you have a canvas interlined suit. If you only feel two pieces, you have a fused suit.
When you slip into a suit jacket that sits just right, when you get a second look as you walk into the office, and when your suit lasts for years, you have a canvas interlined suit. For more expert advice, send us an email, tweet us your questions, or simply click here, to submit your fashion queries. Masciangelo has more than enough years of experience under its belt, and would be glad to share more expert advice with you.