Your Suit Jacket — Canvassed Construction Versus Fused

There is quite some debate online about canvassed versus fused construction of suit jackets, while many other consumers have no clue what those two terms actually say about a suit jacket. So let’s define the differences between fusing the materials and canvassing in regards to construction of suit jackets.

What is canvassing?

Canvas, as referred to in relation to suits, is a blend of wool, cotton and animal hair. Typically it is horse or camel hair that is used in a jacket canvas. The important reason to use animal hair is because of its ability to conform to a shape using humidity, heat, and pressure making the fibers of the hair retain their shape. Another advantage to animal hair; it’s very light-weight and can be from soft to stiff and coarse depending on where the hair on the horse or camel it is taken from for the canvas. The hair is then woven with wool and/or cotton to create different thicknesses of canvas.

What is a fused suit?

Fused jackets are synonymous with inexpensive suits, since it is typically used in mass production to keep production costs low. Canvassing is done by hand, which makes it time and labor intensive, hence more expensive. Fused jackets are made by gluing an interlining to the wool shell of the jacket. The common complaint about fused jackets is they create an unnatural stiffness in the breast part making it look lifeless. Also there is the risk of bubbling; the interlining starts to (partly) separate from the outer fabric leaving a ‘bubbly’ surface. This often occurs when the jacket is exposed to high temperatures, for example when it’s steamed or dry cleaned. There is no way to reverse this process once this issue occurs. Needless to say that this has serious consequences for the lifespan of your jacket.

How to tell if your jacket is canvassed or fused?

There are two easy ways to determine if a jacket is fused or canvassed other than asking the salesman or tailor who made it. This applies mainly for made to measure and ready to wear jackets. If you have your jacket made by a bespoke tailor it will definitely have a canvassed construction.

The pinch test: You pinch the fabric on the sleeve of the jacket. On this part there is no canvassing so you will get a feel of actual the thickness of the cloth. Then pinch the fabric just below the last button hole and slowly pull them apart. If you feel a third layer between the inside the lining and outside fabric, it is fully canvassed. If it feels like there is the lining and only a thick one-piece for the outside, it is most likely fused.

The lapel test: This is the other way to tell if a jacket is fused or canvassed. Look behind the lapels for tiny stitching, which is used to hold the layers of fabric together. A fused jacket will have no stitching behind the lapels since it’s glued. Depending on the type of fabric it can be difficult to see the fine stitching and you may have to feel and look carefully with this method.

What makes a canvassed jacket so great to wear?

The most important reasons to purchase a canvassed suit instead of a fused jacket are that 1: the canvassed jacket drapes better; The lay of the cloth over your chest and the roll of the lapels will over time conform to your body shape, while many claim that fused jackets have a stiffer structured look to them. And 2: A canvassed suit is supposed to last longer (no bubbling), is easier to repair and — again — wears better over time than a fused suit. In our honest opinion, when investing in a suit it is better to spend the extra bit and get yourself a canvassed suit, especially if you plan on wearing is frequently. In regards to dry cleaning; keep it to a minimum because eventually it will damage any suit when done to often.