Fibre Source, Weaving

Scattered around the towns of Uralla, Guyra, Walcha, Glen Innes and Armidale in New England, New South Wales, are some of Australia's most premium woolgrowers. M.J. Bale's Italian partner weavers, such as Vitale Barberis Canonico and REDA, work with a handful of growers here to produce superfine wool cloth exclusively for us. The growers are all RWS-certified (Responsible Wool Standard), ensuring the strictest standards of animal and environmental welfare are maintained. New England wool is soft, lustrous, elastic and strong, perfect for superior quality worsted woollen cloth that will last decades if cared for properly.

This cloth is woven by 158-year-old Italian weaver, Reda. Owned and operated by multiple generations of the Botto Poala family, Reda is located amongst the Alps in Valle Mosso, Piedmont, within the historic Biella province. In 2020 it was the first textile company in Italy to receive B Corp status and then in 2022 became a Benefit company. Reda operates its business according to the highest ethical standards with regards to the environment, community and people. The company limits its ecological impact, especially in terms of toxic chemical usage. Reda has also joined ZQRX (ZQ Regenerative Index), a platform dedicated to people, companies and organisations who wish to collaborate and measure their sustainability performance to best identify their strengths and the areas they need to improve.

Half-Canvas, Fully Lined , Soft Shoulders

This jacket is created with a half-canvas, which is a flat ‘skeleton-style’ layer of natural fibres woven together that lies between the inner and outer fabric of the body of the jacket. The half-canvas provides shape and structure, maintaining the jacket’s form through decades, if cared for properly.

This jacket is fully lined with Cupro Bemberg twill lining, meaning it has a protective layer of fabric running from the top to bottom of the garment. The lining covers the jacket’s interior stitching, while adding structure to the suit.

Much like traditional Neapolitan tailoring, in which excess shoulder padding is stripped out, this jacket features a 'soft shoulder' construction. This benefits men with more athletic shoulders and those in warmer climates (i.e., Australia), making the jacket lighter and a more sympathetic wear in hot/humid conditions.