nappe de laine

[mint]

What kind of woollen material is this?

I know it's not boiled wool, because that's laine bouillie.

I know it's not felt because that's laine en feutre.

I know it's not tweed because that is tweed.

Is this that very smooth-textured, soft type of wool with a short, even nap?

What's prompted this question is that I have been wondering whether to invest in a new coat.  You think invest is a bit OTT?  I don't because a good quality coat is undoubtedly expensive and our winters here are relatively mild and I possess lots of warm under-garments.  My lifestyle is more rural dog walker than socialite so I am wondering whether it's worth buying a new coat at all.

I daresay a bit of vanity comes into it and I think that my present coats, having been bought years ago in the 80s, are looking a bit dated.  Not dated in a good way as in vintage (as the French might say) but think big padded shoulders and Dallas or Dynasty.

I think I'd like a thick coat in a sombre colour (pas flashy, as I have seen on an advert!) that would serve very well for funerals.  This is not meant as a joke, BTW, I live in a village with more than its fair share of octogenarians.

[woolybanana]

Try a decent puffa type jacket from Decathlon or get a Barbour copy of the net?

[Patf]

[quote user="mint"]

Is this that very smooth-textured, soft type of wool with a short, even nap?

[/quote]

That's what I would think too, or else just a length of wool. I think nappe also means tablecloth.

A couple of years ago I made a coat, I used Donegal tweed bought online from the UK. It took ages but looks ok.

A really warm woollen coat costs a fortune now, but you can get quite trendy ones in the supermarkets for less than 100€. With a nice scarf, you would be talk of the village [:D]

Also, have a look on ebay.fr, some real bargains there.

[vivienz]

Standard wool coating is often called melton.  It is like a thick wool flannel, with a bit of a pile so that you can't really see the weave of the threads, but not so much that it's full-on fluffy.  Melton can be 100% wool, but you often see it in a mix of fibres that can include polyester (this makes the fabric weigh less and is less prone to creasing) or, going up the scale, mixed with cashmere.  Cashmere makes it delectably soft but is less hard wearing than normal wool or other mixtures.

I recently made myself a knock-off of a bright red Burberry duffle coat that I took a bit of a shine too, but used a different lining (I know Burberry are very expensive, but I still associate their signature check pattern with a bit of a chavvy look!).  The fabric I used was a wool mix melton and it's perfect for the job.

[idun]

I suppose that I believe that the general meaning of 'nappe' is a layer, so a layer of wool?but that sounds odd to me and I cannot remember coming across this term before.

What sort of coat is it? A classic wool type coat? edit, yes you are after a classic coat, and yes, I think that it is OK to invest in one, and a decent quality one is usually expensive. Look at 3 suisses etc in the Blanche sales, you might get a good wool one with a good reduction on the price.

I must admit the best coat I have bought for mid winter in a few years is a Landsend down waterproof, breathable coat.......... absolutely amazing.

[vivienz]

It may be that 'nappe' is closer in meaning to the English word 'nap', as in the nap of the cloth. This applies to both fabrics that have an obvious pile, e.g. velvet, and ones such as some wool coatings that don't have a pile but do have enough surface fuzz to make the cloth one directional. If you hold two runs of the cloth in opposite directions to each other, one will be lighter/darker than the other - this is the nap.

Coats can be tricky things to get if you want a style that you're happy enough to knock around in (walking the dog) and also wear for smarter occasions as they do tend to be very different in their cut. A detachable fur collar can make a big difference to the look of wool coat.

[idun]

vivienz, sounds like you are describing a 'camel' coat.  I remember really wanting one and as my mother was a tailoress, she made me one of the very best cloth. Beautiful it was.

edit, I think it is called a manteau en poil de chameau.

edit² mint......http://www.3suisses.fr/femme/vetements-mode/impers-trench/redingote-femme-premium-R10014770?searchTerms=manteau%20redingote&nbProduitsTrouves=1&typObj=1&R=10014770002036000

In wool and cashmere and if you could get it on offer, not too expensive? In fact it may already have a discount.

[mint]

How I am enjoying your replies; merci les filles![:D]

Patf and Vivienz, I am almost convinced now that we are agreed on this one; a smooth short nap, not enough to look furry but long enough to be soft and luxurious to the feel.  All the coats I have seen on-line that say nappe de laine seem to imply that the wool is of a superior quality.

Vivienz, I am so glad you mentioned melton because that is a word I haven't heard in many a long year and I think that might just be the English equivalent of nappe de laine!  As for Burberry checks, YES, they no longer have the cachet that they used to have and are deffo "chavvy" just like you have described[6]

How lucky Vivienz and Patf are to be handy at sewing.  Alas, sewing on the odd button is punching above my weight.  I went to a convent school where the nuns used to be VERY keen on teaching us how to sew, starting with hemming handkerchiefs [+o(]  To this day, I can't and won't sew as I remember vividly being hit over the knuckles with the edge of a ruler just because my running stitches weren't exactly even and my blanket stitches weren't the required the distances apart............gggrhhh.

And Vivienz, you are right again about a fur collar.  I have a Boden jacket (bought years ago before Boden was the preferred choice of Surrey housewives) with a lovely fausse fur collar and a soft sumptuous lining but that is only what I would call "caban" length and now I am thinking of full-length, not down to mid-calf as it's not a good length for getting into cars, more sort of just knee-length.

I am thinking a darkish grey or a navy blue.

[Patf]

Hope you find what suits you, Mint. Yes, my coat is more of a long jacket, for the car.

I was searching for that word, melton,Vivien.

I enjoy sewing in the winter, I've got a project on at the moment, a grey zipped jacket, nearly finished. Again with wool cloth bought online, but I was a bit disappointed with the cloth, it's much lighterweight than I expected. I also thought it would be a deep bluey grey, not just grey. So it's more for spring. That's what comes from shopping online.