Kingston Suits
What do our labels mean?
RWS Certified
AWEX ID – 1pp Rated
Product Details
Materials
Single-source Kingston superfine Merino wool
RWS certified and traceable.
Bemberg cupro twill lining
Country of Origin
Designed in Australia
100% Australian Wool
Woven in Italy by Vitale Barberis Canonico
Care
Dry clean sparingly
Journey
Superfine Merino Wool
Kingston farm is a carbon positive superfine Merino wool growing farm located in the northern Midlands of Tasmania. Kingston is arguably Australia’s most awarded wool farm, having won the prestigious Ermenegildo Zegna Superfine Wool Trophy for two out of the past three years. Its wool is regularly rated 1PP by the Australian Wool Exchange, a designation issued to “a select group of superfine wools annually that exhibit superlative quality, style and soundness.” The farm is predominantly a conservationist enterprise, considered by the Tasmanian government to be ‘a place of national significance.’ Kingston contains about 8% of all remaining indigenous grasslands in Tasmania, as well as 12 threatened flora and fauna. Kingston farmer, Simon Cameron, manages his flock of Merino sheep in harmony with the land. M.J. Bale’s single-source Kingston Merino wool is woven into Super 120s and Super 150s worsted suiting fabric by the centuries-old Italian weaver, Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC). Owned and operated by the 15th-generation of the same family, VBC is situated in Biella, within the Italian Alps, and maintains strict adherence to eco-friendly policies – in particular, water use and the revitalisation of the natural environment.
Fabric Maker
Founded in 1663, Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC) is Italy's oldest wool mill. They lead the world in sustainable luxury fabric production through renewable energy use, stringent water recycling systems, and chemical-free processing. For the M.J. Bale Mantova jacket, VBC created a luxurious Super 150s cloth in a birdseye weave from Kingston methane-reduced wool.
Garment Maker
Lubiam 1911 is a 114-year-old tailoring workshop in Mantova, Italy. The humanist-inspired company was founded in 1911 by Luigi Bianchi and is today run by the fourth generation of the Bianchi family. The limited edition M.J. Bale ‘Mantova’ jacket involves over 200 individual stages of construction, created with a combination of hand sewing (shoulders, arm holes and cuffs) and sewing machine.
Asparagopsis Seaweed
Asparagopsis taxiformis, a red seaweed native to Australian coastal waters, is cultivated in Tasmania by Sea Forest. The company’s SeaFeed™, proven by Australia’s national science agency the CSIRO to reduce methane emissions in ruminant livestock (e.g. sheep, cattle) to undetectable levels, is fed daily to superfine merino sheep at Kingston farm in Tasmania as 0.2% of their diet. The wool produced from Kingston sheep fed asparagopsis is considered the world’s first ‘methane-reduced wool’ and is the fibre solely present in M.J. Bale’s ‘Mantova’ jacket.
Performance
Half-Canvas, Fully Lined , Soft Shoulders
This jacket is created with a half-canvas, which is a 'floating’ layer of natural fibres stitched together between the inner and outer fabric of the jacket body. The half-canvas provides shape and structure, maintaining the jacket’s form through decades, when cared for properly. This jacket is fully lined, meaning it has a protective layer of fabric running from the top to bottom of the garment. The lining covers the jacket’s interior stitching, while adding structure to the suit. Much like traditional Neapolitan tailoring, which strips out much of the suit jacket’s heavy shoulder padding, this jacket features 'soft shoulders'. This benefits men with more athletic shoulders and those in warmer climates (i.e. Australia), making the jacket lighter and a more sympathetic wear in hot/humid conditions.
Recycling & Disposal
Advanced Product Disposal
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Return to Collection PointWhen your MJ Bale garments reach the end of their life, ensure to bring them to your nearest store for end-of-life processing through our ReBale Program. In return, you will receive 20 Bale Bucks as a thank you for supporting us in tailoring a better future.
Return to MJ Bale
Sustainability
M.J. Bale Sustainability Actions
Dedicated To Natural Fibres
MJ Bale is committed to more sustainable fashion production, with over 95% of their products made from sustainably-grown, biodegradable natural fibres. They work closely with conservationist farms and ethical producers for responsible material sourci... Read more.ng.
Powered by Renewable Energy
MJ Bale measures Scope 1 - 3 emissions and works with all partners throughout the value chain to reduce emissions at the source. Their entire store network and head office is powered with renewable energy.
Biodiversity Preservation & Land Regeneration
Home to 8% of all Tasmanian Indigenous grasslands and countless threatened flora & fauna, MJ Bale's single-source Merino wool partner, Kingston farm, is considered by the government to be "of national significance." MJ Bale returns a percentage from ... Read more.every Kingston garment sale to Kingston farm, where it is reinvested into biodiversity preservation and land regeneration projects.
