Fused vs. Canvassed suits

by Rob Oldroyd February 18, 2021

Fused vs. Canvassed suits

A question we are starting to hear more often at Mullen & Mullen is how our suits are constructed? Suit construction is the most common way of understanding the cost differences of ready to wear, made to measure and bespoke suits. They all have positives and negatives; in this blog I will explain what these are and why understanding them will be a massive help when choosing your next suit.

Before the advent of mass produced, ready to wear clothing, having a tailor was a common practice with 100s of tailors making suits in towns across the country. A full canvas suit was the norm at this time. Canvassing is generally horsehair, though some vegan options are now appearing in these more conscious times, and is woven in between the cloth and lining.

It has the job of making the cloth three dimensional, so it will drape correctly over the body and not hang flat. It also allows the cloth to breath, letting out heat and moisture from the body. Making a full canvas suit is time consuming so when ready to wear clothing started becoming more popular a new system was created called fusing. A fused jacket has the lining glued to the cloth, this is much quicker and also more cost effective. It also gives a very sharp look but certainly has its drawbacks. Longevity will be the biggest issue, the jacket will not hold its shape as long as a canvassed jacket and will usually end up bubbling, where the cloth comes unstuck from the lining, this is more likely every time a fused jacket is dry cleaned.

There is now a middle ground, something we use as a standard in our Mullen & Mullen suits, which is a half canvassed jacket. This means there is canvassing where it is most needed, around the chest and lapels but the fused on the lower half of the jacket where the benefits are not as great. Below are some points about the pros and cons.

Fused

Pros

Initial clean finish.

The initial look of a fused jacket is sharp and clean but this is something which just doesn’t hold after extended use.

Cost. This is really the only factor in choosing a fused jacket, they are well priced. I would say though this could be more expensive in the long run as spending more on something that lasts longer is actually better value, remember value and cheap are not the same.

Cons

Fit over time.

The more you wear a fused jacket the more likely it will lose its shape, especially if there is a need to dry clean, bubbling can occur very easily.

Less breathable.

The glue causes the jacket to be much less breathable keeping moisture in the jacket. This again lessen the life span of the suit.

Half Canvas

Pros

The middle ground.

Gives the drape and fit over time of a fully canvassed suit, as it has the canvas in the area its needed most, the chest and lapels.

Life span. It will last longer so generally work out a better value purchase than a fused suit.

Cons

Cost. Will be more expensive, though in a lot of cases it really isn’t a giant leap from a fused jacket

Full Canvas

Pros

The best jacket construction available. It will only get better with wear and will hold up much better to dry cleaning if needed, though this should really be avoided if possible.

Breathable.

Fit. Some people have likened a full canvassed jacket to a duvet or a cuddle, they really are more pleasant to wear being much softer and comfortable to wear especially for extended periods.

Cons

Cost. There is no getting away from it, a full canvassed jacket will cost you more, but again I will stress that you will get better VALUE. There is a reason that quite a few of our customers bring in their grandparents tailored suits which have been handed down as they really do last. With growing concerns about fast fashion and the world's climate, it is worth understanding the idea of buying better to buy less.