Reda fabric: what it is and what you pay for

If you have seen the name Reda on a cloth book or a selvedge, here is what it means in a few paragraphs: who makes the cloth, what you pay for and which one to choose for a made-to-measure suit in Lisbon.

What is Reda?

Reda is an Italian wool mill founded in 1865 by Carlo Reda in Valle Mosso, in the Biella area of Piedmont. Today it is owned and run by the Botto Poala family. Reda works with merino wool and follows it from the start: it owns three sheep farms in New Zealand, Otamatapaio, Rugged Ridges and Glenrock, with around 30,000 sheep. In 2020 Reda became a certified B Corporation, one of the first textile companies in the world to do so.

What you pay for in Reda fabric

You pay for fine merino wool that the mill follows from the sheep to the finished cloth. The result is a light, smooth worsted that breathes well, keeps its shape and recovers after a day of wear. Reda cloth is soft enough for a first-class suit and sturdy enough for a suit you wear several times a week, which is why it is a good place to start.

Which cloth to choose

For Lisbon, a light or medium year-round Reda worsted in navy or mid grey covers most of the year. For summer, choose the lighter weights. If you want a darker, more formal suit for evenings, a deep navy or charcoal in the same cloth works well without feeling heavy.

A made-to-measure suit in Reda cloth

Our most requested year-round suit is cut in Reda cloth. At the atelier we keep the current Reda books. You choose the cloth by hand, we take your measurements, and the suit is cut and sewn in our own workshop in Portugal with a full canvas. It takes four to six weeks with one fitting, and we deliver anywhere in the world free of charge. The price is given at the first meeting. Read more about our made-to-measure suits in Lisbon.

Before you order