Chosen for
Weight and weave
Tropical range
220–250 g
Overcoat range
400–550 g
Ask for
Grams, not Super
Super 100s Wool Suit: super 100s describes wool yarn spun from fibres of roughly 18.5 microns in diameter. It is the practical baseline for good suiting: fine enough to look and feel refined, robust enough to survive weekly wear. Higher Super numbers are finer and softer, and they wear out faster.
Super 100s Wool Suit: what the number measures
The Super system measures one thing only: the diameter of the wool fibre.
Super 100s corresponds to fibre of roughly 18.5 microns. Super 110s is about 18.0, Super 120s about 17.5, and so on down the scale in half-micron steps. Lower micron means finer fibre.
That is the whole definition. It says nothing about how well the cloth was woven, how it was finished, how durable it is, or how good the resulting suit will be. It is a specification of raw material.
Why it is the sensible default
There is a persistent assumption that the Super scale is a quality ladder and that more is better. It is not, and Super 100s is where that becomes clear.
At 18.5 microns, the fibre is comfortably below the threshold at which wool feels prickly against skin, so a Super 100s suit feels smooth and refined. It drapes properly. It takes a press. It looks like a good suit because it is one.
What it also has is staple strength. Coarser fibre is stronger fibre, and a Super 100s cloth resists the abrasion of daily wear far better than a finer one. Wear on a suit appears first at the seat, the elbows and the cuff edges, as shine where the fibres have been flattened and broken. That happens sooner the finer the yarn.
For a suit going into weekly rotation, this is the correct trade to make.
Where it sits
Think of the scale in three bands.
Super 100s to 120s is the practical working range. Refined appearance, real durability. This is where a first and second business suit belongs.
Super 130s to 150s is the luxury range. Noticeably softer with more sheen, and it needs to be treated as an occasional garment rather than a workhorse.
Above Super 150s is specialist territory. Extremely fine, extremely delicate, and genuinely impractical for regular use.
The number is not the whole cloth
Two cloths at the same Super number can be very different.
The weight in grams determines how the cloth behaves in heat. The weave determines breathability and crease resistance. The finish determines the surface handle. The yarn ply determines durability. None of these appear in the Super number.
So if you take one question to a fabric wall, make it the weight rather than the Super number. See Super 120s for the next step up, and the fabric guide for the properties that matter more.
Next step
Walk in, or send your dates and we will tell you honestly what fits in the time you have.
Specification
Super 100s at a glance
Weight and construction decide whether you wear it. Everything else is refinement.
| What the number measures | Wool fibre diameter, and nothing else |
|---|---|
| Approximate fineness | 18.5 microns |
| Durability | Robust. The right choice for a suit worn several days a week |
| Warmth | Unrelated to the Super number. Warmth comes from weight and weave |
| Ask instead for | Weight in grams, the weave, the ply, and the jacket construction |
Explore
Related
Choosing cloth
How to choose suit fabric: fibre, weight in grams, weave and the Super numbers. Which cloths work in a hot climate and which do not.
Super 120s
Super 120s wool: the balance point between refinement and durability, and the most versatile choice for a suit worn regularly in a warm climate.
Super 130s
Super 130s wool: one step past the balance point, where you start paying for handle rather than durability. When that trade is worth making.
Common questions
What does Super 100s mean?
It is a measure of wool fibre fineness. Super 100s corresponds to fibres of about 18.5 microns in diameter. Each step up the scale, 110s, 120s and so on, means finer fibre. It describes the raw material, not the quality of the weaving or the finished suit.
Is Super 100s good quality?
Yes. It is a genuinely good suiting wool and for most people the most sensible choice for a suit in regular rotation. It is fine enough to drape well and look refined, and robust enough to take weekly wear without shining at the elbows and seat.
Is Super 150s better than Super 100s?
Finer, not better. Super 150s is softer with more sheen and it is measurably more fragile. For a suit worn once or twice a week, Super 100s or 110s will look better after two years than a Super 150s subjected to the same use.
Does the Super number affect how hot a suit is?
Not directly. Warmth is governed by cloth weight and weave openness, not fibre fineness. A heavy Super 150s is hotter than a lightweight Super 100s. Ask for the weight in grams if comfort in heat is the concern.
Next step
Book a fitting
Walk in, or tell us when you are in Chiang Mai and we will hold a slot. First fittings take about 45 minutes.