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The Weave of the Gods: Reimagining Wool in Your Bespoke Wardrobe

Vanetten Duster Coat

If you close your eyes and think of wool, what comes to mind? For many, it evokes memories of stiff, scratchy sweaters or heavy winter coats that smell faintly of mothballs—garments purely for function, not joy.

At Ivey Abitz, we invite you to open your eyes to a different reality. Here, wool is not just a seasonal necessity––it is a canvas for artistry. It is the weave of the gods—a fabric of unparalleled versatility, sustainability, and surprisingly delicate beauty.

If you are considering your first bespoke garment, here is why an Ivey Abitz wool garment is unlike anything you have ever worn.

1. Breaking the “Scratchy” Myth

The most common hesitation prospective clients have is the fear of the itch. The Ivey Abitz solution is a rigorous devotion to texture.

We don’t just choose wool––we curate experiences. We use washed wools that have been treated to relax the fibers before they are even cut. By the time a duster made in Joyful Green Washed Wool reaches you, it doesn’t feel like armor, it feels like a familiar embrace. We also specialize in wispy wool voiles—fabrics so fine and lightweight they are semi-sheer, draping with the fluidity of silk but retaining the earthy resilience of wool.

Traipse Trousers
Roycroft Coat in Joyful Green Washed Wool; Limbert Duster Coat in Joyful Green Oak Petite Check; Lounging Shirt in Joyful Green Soft and Stretch Knit; Reversible Traipse Trousers; Nouvelle Necklace.

2. Wool for All Seasons

In the world of fast fashion, wool is for January. In the world of Ivey Abitz, wool is for life.

Our creative use of different weights allows us to craft wool garments that breathe. A frock made in Midnight Train Checked Wool, for example, is opaque but lightweight, offering a three-season versatility that cotton simply cannot match. We design bespoke shirts and layering tunics out of these airy wools, allowing you to regulate your body temperature naturally whether you are strolling through an autumn mist or sitting in a cool spring breeze.

Vanetten Duster Coat
Vanetten Duster Coat in Rail Midnight Train Soft Checked Wool; Vanetten Frock in Midnight Train Pebbled Cotton Linen; Cilla Slip Frock in Rail Melange Knit.

3. Antique Aesthetics, Modern Engineering

There is a profound nostalgia woven into our designs. We look to history—to the durable, hand-made integrity of the past—but we design for your modern reality.

A heavy, boiled wool might be used for a Solomon Bag or a Porte Cochere Sash to add rugged architectural structure to an outfit, while a Cashmere Wool coat may be lined with a silky herringbone weave to ensure it glides over your clothing without friction. This juxtaposition—rugged exteriors with luxurious, skin-friendly interiors—is a hallmark of our design.

4. The Sustainability of “Heirloom”

We believe clothing should not be disposable. Wool is one of the hardest-wearing weaves on the planet. It resists wrinkles, repels odors naturally, and, with proper care, lasts beyond a lifetime.

When you commission a bespoke wool piece from us, you are investing in an heirloom. And perhaps the most creative feature of our wool garments? They are washable. We reject the “Dry Clean Only” culture. We encourage you to hand wash or machine wash on delicate cycles using plant-based detergents and our artisan wool dryer balls. This maintains the relaxed, lived-in aesthetic that makes an Ivey Abitz garment look effortlessly put together.

5. Your Sartorial Sanctuary

Our long-time clients often describe their Ivey Abitz wardrobes as their Sartorial Sanctuary. There is a protective, grounding quality to wearing natural wool fibers that synthetics cannot replicate.

Imagine a coat that was made only for you. Not pulled from a stack of thousands, but cut to your size, in a rare wool weave you selected, sewn in New York with an eye for unmatched detail. It changes the way you walk into a room.

Ready to feel the difference?

Browse our current bespoke fabric palette and our Treasure Trove Collection for wools that will inspire your next Ivey Abitz garment.

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Cyber Monday Free Frock

Your Free Frock

with qualifying purchase

Ends on Cyber Monday

Purchase $500 or more from any collection on iveyabitz.com and receive a complimentary Cottage Frock from the Ridge Road Collection. A value of $558. 

  • So everyone can take part in this very special offer, limit one frock per client, please.
  • In-stock Cottage Frocks will be shipped with your bespoke order when it’s finished.
  • If the Cottage Frocks are no longer in stock, they will be placed on backorder and made for you within 3-4 weeks.
  • This offer is only available from Sunday, December 1, 2024 through Monday, December 2, 2024. Not applicable to orders outside these dates. Not combinable with other offers.

Your free frock options will appear magically in your shopping cart once your subtotal reaches $500.

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Black Friday Free Cardigan

Choose Your Free Cardigan

with qualifying purchase

Ends on Black Friday

Purchase $500 or more from any collection on iveyabitz.com and receive a complimentary cardigan from the Ridge Road Collection. A value of $558. 

  • So everyone can take part in this very special offer, limit one cardigan per client, please.
  • In-stock cardigans will be shipped with your bespoke order when it’s finished.
  • If the cardigans are no longer in stock, they will be placed on backorder and made for you within 3-4 weeks.
  • This offer is only available from Tues, November 26, 2024 through Friday, November 29, 2024. Not applicable to orders outside these dates.

Your cardigan options will appear magically in your shopping cart once your subtotal reaches $500.

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Fall Looks from Collection 76

These looks will have you ready for Autumn. Change your look with Mother Nature as fall approaches. The human spirit thrives on Earth cycles! All garments made just for you when you order.

Ivey Abitz Bespoke Clothing.

Shop All 76 Looks

Ivey Abitz clothing is ethically made in New York when you order. Shipped to your door wherever you are.

Buy ensembles as shown or choose different fabric options.

Find your favourites and we’ll make them just for you.

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Fall Transition 2018

Up to 40% off now through 9/16/18. Prices as marked on design pages.

Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Look 36
Transition to Fall with Midsummer looks. This is Midsummer Look 36. – Ivey Abitz

Midsummer 2018 may have debuted in summer, but the designs and weaves are relevant and perfect for fall. Many combinations are relevant for all seasons, especially for those of you who live in warm climes year round.

We still have some of your favourite weaves remaining. 

We even have your favourites on special.

Read on for some tips on the Ivey Abitz transition to fall…

Transition to Fall with Midsummer Look 8

Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Look 8
Grasmere Duster Coat in Black and White Wispy Striped Linen with Wire in the Collar; Nook Frock in Black and White Floral Voile; Thatched Frock in Signature Black Gauzy Linen. – Ivey Abitz

Here’s how to use Look 8 in your transition to fall.

Transition to Fall with Midsummer Look 1

Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Look 1
Canterbury Cardigan in Rising Sun Ethereal Knit; Canterbury Frock in Rising Sun Embroidered Washed Silk, High Water Length; Blanchefleur Sash in Rising Sun Embroidered Washed Silk. – Ivey Abitz

Here’s how to use Look 1 in your transition to fall.

Transition to Fall from Midsummer Look 3

Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Look 3
Morningside Duster Coat in Beach Grass Plaid Linen; Tilbrook Frock in Beach Grass Wispy Washed Linen; Cilla Slip Frock in Devon Cream Ethereal Knit. – Ivey Abitz

How to use Look 3 to transition to fall.

Transition to Fall from Midsummer Look 7

Midsummer 2018 Ivey Abitz Look 7
Highlands Shirt in Sun and Sky Cotton Voile; Cilla Slip Frock in Devon Cream Ethereal Knit; Highlands Skirt in Onward Blue Cottage Plaid, Elliot Jacket in Onward Blue Puckered Knit. – Ivey Abitz

How to use the elements of Look 7 in your fall transition

Discover more transition to fall favourites with the inspiring Look Book.

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Fabric Status Page Tracks Sold Out and Nearly Sold Out Weaves

Original Plaster Embroidered Washed Silk - Description: The Spring 2018 piece de resistance, alongside the Lawn Washed Pintuck Silk. A mix of refreshing and calming hues, all in one weave. The variegated striped silk background makes an incredibly unique background for the intricately embroidered floral and vine motif. The vine design cascades across the body, creating a flattering detail within your flattering IA frock.

Introducing the new Fabric Status page at IveyAbitz.com.

We receive many inquiries asking about which fabrics are nearly sold out in the current bespoke collection. Now you can save time and get the answers directly from the Fabric Status page.

Sold Out fabrics are listed at the top, and Nearly Sold Out fabrics are listed next. Keep in mind that sometimes fabrics will sell out before we have a chance to add them to this list. The moral of that story is to order early for best fabric selection.

We will be updating the fabric status page manually as we monitor our fabric stock, so use it as a guide but not a guarantee of availability.

Sometimes we are able to get more of a particular fabric after it is sold out, but this is a rare occasion. It may involve a wait while the fabric is made at the mill, which can take weeks or even months. In this case, we suggest discovering a new fabric to obsess over. Remember, the next collection is always around the corner. And one thing you can depend on is the continuation of the Ivey Abitz aesthetic from season to season.

As always, contact us if you have questions about fabrics. Even with website technology at our disposal, there is no substitute for personal interaction.

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Why Ivey Abitz Matters to the Earth

Earth Day in Ivey Abitz
Earth Day in Ivey Abitz

Ivey Abitz Garments – Good for the Earth

In celebration of Earth Day, we’d like to give you a few Earth-friendly reasons to wear Ivey Abitz.

Good Design Lasts Longer

Most of the world wears fast fashion. These are garments meant to be worn for part of a season based on the latest trend. They are then tossed into the landfill and replaced with the next trend.

Ivey Abitz outlasts fashion trends because good design simply does not expire. With proper care, Ivey Abitz garments can be heirlooms that are passed on to the next generation.

Quality Construction Lasts Longer

Fine stitching and bias bound seams give Ivey Abitz garments longevity and comfort. Most mass-produced garments use serged internal seams. This is unsightly, scratchy, and often leads to unravelling during the first wear or washing.

Natural Fibers are Better

Ivey Abitz uses the highest quality natural fibers like linen, wool, cotton, and silk. Synthetic fabrics have dangerous environmental drawbacks because they are a type of plastic made from petroleum. They will take hundreds, if not thousands, of years to biodegrade. Often synthetic fibers irritate the skin and don’t allow it to breathe naturally. Not only are they environmentally hazardous, they are uncomfortable.

Shocking Statistics

– According to the EPA, 84% of unwanted clothing in the United States in 2012 went into either a landfill or an incinerator.

– In fewer than 20 years, the volume of clothing Americans toss each year has doubled from 7 million to 14 million tons, or an astounding 80 pounds per person.

– The EPA estimates that diverting all of those often toxic trashed textiles into a recycling program would be the environmental equivalent of taking 7.3 million cars and the carbon dioxide emissions off the road.

– Trashing clothes is a huge waste of money. It costs New York City $20.6 million annually to ship textiles to landfills and incinerators.*

Uplifting Solutions

Ivey Abitz garments are, in part, a reaction to the fast fashion environmental crisis in the world. We want to put long-lasting beauty onto the Earth and not clog it up with trends that end up in the landfill.

Thoughtfully designed and well-made clothing becomes an invaluable part of our everyday ritual of life. It is as important as the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the roofs over our heads. The clothing, or second skin, then becomes a profound reflection of what is underneath, and what it is comforting and protecting.

When you invest in thoughtfully designed garments that last, you are simultaneously loving and saving the Earth.

Happy Earth Day!

 

* There are informative articles about fast fashion documentaries and journalism. Here we referenced Alden Wicker’s article, “Fast Fashion is Creating an Environmental Crisis,” Newsweek, September 1, 2016.

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Add the Grasmere Designs to Your Ivey Abitz Wardrobe

meet the grasmere designs by ivey abitz

 

How to Incorporate the Grasmere Designs into Your Ivey Abitz Wardrobe

Grasmere Frock drawing by Ivey Abitz

The Grasmere Concept

The Grasmere design family consists of the Grasmere Frock and Grasmere Trousers.

 

The lines normally found in a landscape oil painting are translated here to flatter the body with comfort and ease for years to come.

The undulating texture and rhythm along the entire bottom hem is like beckoning hills on the horizon.

 

Grasmere Designs in a Spring look by Ivey Abitz

Grasmere Features

The Grasmere designs make a subtle expression of beauty using intricate details and lines.

The appliqué detail gives visual depth, especially when you choose a striped fabric or a plaid weave.

Pockets at the side seams make everyday life convenient with elegant ease.

Grasmere VersatilityGrasmere designs by Ivey Abitz

The Grasmere designs mix and match with ease into an existing Ivey Abitz wardrobe.

If you are just beginning your Ivey Abitz collection, consider the Grasmere Designs as a solid base to build on.

The Grasmere pairs well with:

 

Grasmere TrousersGrasmere Trousers by Ivey Abitz

The flowing legs in the Grasmere Trousers give you the ease of pants and the flattering comfort of a skirt.

Our favourite way to pair them is with an everyday treasure, the Arthur Hill Shirt. The graceful curved lines in the Arthur Hill echo the appliqué “hill” details along the bottom hem of the Grasmere Trousers.

 

 

Suggested Fabrics for the Grasmere Frock

Choose one of our sturdy striped cottons, vine weaves, or our staple plaids for everyday wear.

Choose our silks for a special occasion, and the Grasmere Frock suddenly changes from an everyday essential to an heirloom piece that is perfect for weddings, anniversaries, and parties.

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Understanding the Three Spring Fabric Palettes

ivey abitz spring fabric palette

Fabric swatches for Ivey Abitz 2017 Spring

 

The 54 fabrics in the Spring collection are divided into three color palettes. With so many fabrics, how does one choose?

Here are some ideas, directly from the artist…

 

Palette 1: Sparrow Grey, Blackbird, and Moonlit Meadow

This portion of Spring 2017 includes rich blacks and various hues of neutral greys with a hint of deep green. This palette is at the heart of many Ivey Abitz wardrobes. With all season weaves, you can wear garments from this portion of the collection from season to season for years to come.

- Elliot Jacket in Blackbird Bouclé Knit - Blanchefleur Frock in Blackbird Plaid Challis, High Water Length - Cilla Slip Frock in Dove Striped Voile, Flood Length
Elliot Jacket in Blackbird Bouclé Knit
Blanchefleur Frock in Blackbird Plaid Challis, High Water Length
Cilla Slip Frock in Dove Striped Voile, Flood Length

 

Weaves like the Blackbird Plaid Challis and Moonlit Meadow Vine Weave are so versatile that they can be worn for everyday or special occasions.

- Wilhemena Duster Coat in Moonlit Meadow Vine Weave - Windrush Frock in Moonlit Meadow Houndstooth, High Water Length
Wilhemena Duster Coat in Moonlit Meadow Vine Weave
Windrush Frock in Moonlit Meadow Houndstooth, High Water Length


Palette 2: Blushed, Meadow, Peony, and Flaxseed

This pièce de résistance palette is at the center of the collection and ties all three collections together as a cohesive grouping. “Bridge fabrics,” as I call them, are ideal choices for mixing and matching all three collections together within a wardrobe.

Ivey Abitz Spring Look No. 17
Chittister Shirt Jacket in Blushed Double Layered Voile
Montmorency Frock in Blushed Meadow Floral Voile, High Water Length
Montmorency Frock in Blushed Double Layered Voile, Low Water Length

A Fairholme Jacket in Meadow/Blackbird Knit effortlessly connects Palette One to Palette Two. The Canterbury Cardigan in Blushed Cashmere Knit along with dusters and frocks in Blushed Double Layered Voile connect this core palette to the other two palettes.

Ivey Abitz Spring Look NO. 13
Fairholme Jacket in Morning Meadow/Blackbird Softest Knit
Fairholme Sash in Peony Meadow Cotton Voile
Tilbrook Frock in Peony Washed Plaid Silk, High Water Length

Ivey Abitz Spring Look No. 50
Canterbury Cardigan in Blushed Cashmere Knit
Tollie Frock in Sparrow Grey Softest Cotton Twill, High Water Length
Tollie Frock in Sparrow Grey Wispy Silk Voile, Low Water Length

Ivey Abitz Spring Look No. 30
Highbridge Duster Coat in Sparrow Grey Open Weave Knit
Blanchefleur Sash in Flock and Moon Cotton Voile
Montmorency Frock in Blushed Double Layered Voile, Low Water Length

 


Palette 3: Hummingbird, Plumseed, and Feather Brown

Varying hue levels of plum and lavender blend in with the feather brown hues, creating a cohesive collection all on its own. Adding a garment in Blushed and/or Meadow from Palette Two expands your ensemble options exponentially.

Ivey Abitz Spring Look No 2
Inglenook Shirt Jacket in Plumseed Crinkled Cotton Gauze
Inglenook Vest in Hummingbird Double Layered Linen Scrim
Canterbury Frock Hummingbird Washed Linen, High Water Length

Ivey Abitz 2017 Spring Look 1
The Arthur Hill Frock in Feather Vine Weave and the Inglenook Frock in Flock and Moon Cotton Voile are excellent garments for mixing and matching within the palette.

 

Ivey Abitz Spring Look No. 20
Inglenook Shirt Jacket in Plumseed Crinkled Cotton Gauze
Inglenook Vest in Hummingbird Double Layered Linen Scrim
Inglenook Frock in Flock and Moon Cotton Voile, Low Water Length

I hope this helps organize your thoughts as you discover your favourite fabrics from this Spring Collection.