What Happens to Jackets with Fused Construction When They Age

Glue + age = not good.

In Choosing a Suit Jacket Pt. 2, I mentioned how jackets can be fused or canvassed. When talking about fused construction I briefly mentioned how in this method the inner and the outer are simply fused together using glue, and how the glue fails with age to create an unappealing bubbling effect. Today I will show what that looks like.

When Glue Gives Up The Ghost

While browsing a thrift store today, I noticed a jacket showing the symptoms of the bubble effect:

Note: the weird discolouration is from the lighting in the store.

There is no preventing this.

Bubbling happens with age, and is accelerated with exposure to heat; this means a frequently dry cleaned fused jacket may possibly bubble within months. This is why I recommend you steer clear of fused jackets and go for something that is at least half-canvassed. The only exception is if you are getting the jacket at a bargain price and are not interested in longevity.

Otherwise, invest your money in a canvassed jacket; it will last. You will be having less of a negative impact on the environment too. If you are buying an off the rack designer suit, make sure to check the construction; sometimes they grossly overprice something that is cheaply made because of the label.

That’s all for today!

Until next time.