Few fabrics carry as much value and emotion as flannel, with its typically British softness. The French word “flanelle” is ancient, coming from the English flannel, borrowed from the Welsh “gwlanen”. Technically, it is a fabric whose plain weave is blurred by abrasion of its surface, revealing a light fluffy cover. In the 19th century, flannel was opposed to the much denser worsted twill and other gabardines. Therefore, flannel was considered lighter and more breathable, and therefore a summer fabric, which is something to smile about nowadays.
As one should never confuse the material and the way of weaving, let us specify that the flannel is a way of weaving. And which can be made of various materials, even if it is generally made of wool, or wool & cashmere. We can also find cotton flannel, in fact quite similar to moleskin.
Our elders generally hate flannel. They have the memory of a material that scratched their thighs terribly as little boys that their mothers wanted to see well wrapped up. The wool manufacturers have reacted vigorously to not let themselves be affected by artificial materials. No more scratchy wool, hello softness, and flexibility. The flannel pants obviously continue to be the alpha and omega of any self-respecting closet!

The weaver of this beautiful fabric is Schofield & Smith, Manufacturers of fine worsteds since 1904. Located in Huddersfield, in the heart of Yorkshire, the region of fine English wool, Schofield is best known to the tailors of Savile Row, whom it supplies with high-grade cloth for made-to-measure suits. At Scavini, we take great pleasure in delivering fabrics of this quality, which is uncommon for ready-to-wear. The resulting pants have the aesthetic of a tailor’s sewing.

A pair of trousers is not just fabric. It also includes a belt lining, pocket linings, and buttons. And they are all Italian!

The belt lining consists of three layered fabrics. The upper band is made of Oxford cotton, and the lower band is made of undyed ecru cotton, separated by an embroidered anti-slip piping by Scavini. The pocket linings are cut from the same undyed ecru cotton. The absence of dye is the best option from a hypoallergenic perspective. It also allows for a discreet appearance of the pocket linings behind the light-colored fabrics. The belt lining and pocket linings are pre-manufactured by the Italian company FVL, founded in 1990, ensuring ISO and GOTS-certified quality standards. FVL is particularly committed to sustainability and ethical and social protocols, with continuous control of production processes and a fast and efficient traceability system.

As for the buttons, we don’t go far either, still in the Veneto region. We chose to exclusively use corozo buttons, also known as vegetable ivory, which is natural and biodegradable. Corozo is the hard, white albumen found in the seed of a tropical American palm tree. Bottonificio Padano, established in 1982, aims for the elimination of chemical pollutants and the use of increasingly natural pigments. Since 1982, all water used in production, including dyeing and tumbling, is purified and reused in a “closed loop” system, without any discharge into the environment.

Our development is accompanied by a great awareness of quality, while favoring local production, we have directed our research in Italy during the year 2021. After many months, we found a small traditional workshop south of Naples that is a blessing.

Our genius craftsman created his workshop at the age of eighteen, in the year 2000. Before that, his parents had also had their own trouser workshop. His only limitations were the space and the recruitment of seamstresses. Apart from that, what finesse, everything is possible! With our new workshop, we develop our volumes and bring a great craft aesthetic. We can work in-depth on models and details, far from the large industrial platforms.

A close collaboration that allows us – it’s very nice – to go to Italy from time to time and come back with a head full of new ideas. The keywords of a Scavini pant are now refinement, craftsmanship & localism. A very luxurious pant, cut from Italian or English fabric. The equivalent of the models of great luxury brands.

Dry cleaning is highly recommended for wool product. However, it should not be done often: only once a year, or even less! A simple steam ironing at home or at the dry cleaner’s is enough in most cases to remove odours, bacteria and to make the trousers look good again.