Canvas, half canvas, fused: what's inside a jacket

Between the outer cloth and the lining of a suit jacket sits an inner layer that gives the chest and lapels their shape. You never see it. It is the main reason two jackets in the same cloth can feel completely different.

Fused

A layer of interfacing is glued to the back of the cloth with heat. It is quick and cheap, and modern fusing is much better than its reputation — a well-fused jacket looks crisp for years.

Its weakness is the glue. Heat, steam and repeated dry cleaning eventually break the bond, and when that happens the chest and lapels bubble. That cannot be repaired.

Full canvas

A layer of horsehair and wool canvas is stitched, not glued, between the cloth and the lining, running the whole length of the front. Nothing can come unstuck. The canvas is springy, so the chest holds a gentle shape rather than lying flat, and over time it moulds to the way you actually stand.

It costs more because it takes far longer to make. It is the construction on suits that get handed down.

Half canvas

Canvas through the chest and lapels, where the shape matters and where you can see it, with fusing lower down where the jacket hangs straight anyway. You get the roll in the lapel, the moulded chest and the longevity where it counts, at much less than the cost of full.

Half canvas is the sensible default. Full canvas is the upgrade worth making if you will wear the suit often and for years.

How to spot it

Pinch the cloth at the bottom of the jacket front, between the buttonholes and the edge, and roll it gently between finger and thumb. If you can feel a third, distinct layer floating between the outer cloth and the lining, there is canvas there. If the two layers feel welded into one, it is fused.

Every suit we make is half canvas as standard, and you can choose full canvas for fifty dollars.