Lightweight covert wool from Vitale Barberis Canonico
A couple summers back I sent a newsletter on what I considered the perfect warm-weather pants. The key elements were a good weight with nice drape, sufficient texture to be wearable with a variety of other clothes, and an open weave for breathability. We've made a host of pants from this fabric over the last two years, and I'm frequently asked if there is a cooler-weather cousin – something similarly versatile but suitable for temps in the 40s to 60s range.
Enter my favorite mid-grey, three-season (early Fall through late Spring) pant fabric – a 10.5oz covert wool woven by Vitale Barberis Canonico in Biella. Covert cloth is a twill weave, rather tightly woven and quite dense, with a pronounced twill ribbing and light marbled effect in the yarns. This noticeable texture makes it more suitable than the average grey worsted for wearing casually, so it's just as lovely with a sweater and tweed coat as it is in a classic business casual outfit pairing. Considering the tight and sturdy weave, it’s among the more hard-wearing and durable fabrics available.
Traditionally you'd find covert wools in much heavier weights of 15oz and up, and we'll still make Chesterfield topcoats and sturdy winter trousers out of those classic heavier weights. Over the last few years however, the comparatively lightweight 10.5oz variety has become my go-to, as it offers the similar richly textured look of classic covert in a weight that is more palatable to the climate-controlled areas in which I spend most of my time.
I've included a few images below of how I like to wear mine, as well as the rest of the colors in the collection.
