Thomas Mason Shirt Fabrics for Exceptional Bespoke Shirts

In the world of fine shirting, few names carry the same quiet prestige as Thomas Mason. Founded in 1796 in Lancashire, England, the mill supplied London's West End tailors and the British aristocracy for more than two centuries. Since 1992 it has been part of the Albini Group in Italy, combining English heritage with the finest Extra-Long-Staple Egyptian cottons and modern technical finishing.

At ENDEL Tailor we work with the large Thomas Mason capsule folder. This single, carefully curated book contains a wide range of classic and contemporary shirting fabrics: from the original Silver constructions to high-count Buckingham and Hampton qualities, the performance Journey and Zero24 cloths, linens, and the ultra-fine David and John Anderson range. Below is a guide to the main collections you will find inside the capsule, with the mill's own composition and weight figures for each. If you are weighing it against our other house shirting, the Zegna Panoramica collection is the natural comparison.

Built on Extra-Long-Staple Egyptian Cotton

Most qualities in the capsule are woven from Extra-Long-Staple Egyptian cotton and spun into two-fold (2-ply) yarns. The longer the staple, the fewer fibre ends break the surface, which is why these cloths feel smooth rather than dry and why they improve with washing instead of pilling.

The number you see on every page is the yarn count, and the 2 after it means two-fold: two fine yarns twisted together before weaving. A higher count is a finer yarn, so 140/2 is lighter and smoother than 100/2, and 200/2 finer again. Two-fold construction delivers excellent colour depth and lustre, superior strength, and the breathability that matters in Bangkok's climate.

The capsule open on the white page: Piquet 100/2 beside two Saqqara 100/2 poplins, with Buckingham 140/2, Clarence and Chambray on the facing labels.

Visit our Bangkok atelier to handle these Thomas Mason shirtings in person through our bespoke shirt-making service.

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Inside the Thomas Mason Capsule Collection

The capsule runs roughly from the everyday to the rarest. Here is what each family does, and when we reach for it. The weights below are the mill's own figures, quoted as a range because the same cloth finishes slightly differently across colours.

Silver 100/2

Silver is the foundational colour-woven poplin of the Thomas Mason range and the starting point of the brand's modern story. It carries the classic British character that made the mill famous: clean solids, refined stripes and checks with a balanced, versatile hand.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Yarn: 100/2 x 100/2
• Weight: 108 to 115 g/m²
• Smooth yet substantial surface with excellent colour depth
• Ideal for everyday formal and business shirts

Silver 100/2 on cards C201 and C202: the solids, stripes and checks of the two-fold poplin we cut most often.

Royal Oxford 100/2

Royal Oxford is one of Thomas Mason's most recognisable and useful constructions. The distinctive textured weave gives the cloth more visual interest than a plain poplin while remaining entirely appropriate under a suit or with more relaxed trousers. It is a genuinely substantial cloth, noticeably heavier than Silver.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Yarn: 100/2 x 100/2
• Weight: 123 to 133 g/m²
• Textured surface with good body and recovery
• Highly versatile for both formal and business-casual wear

Royal Oxford 100/2 in blue and pink, close enough to read the fine basketweave relief that gives the cloth its quiet sheen.

Royal Twill 100/2

Royal Twill offers a softer drape and slightly better natural wrinkle resistance than many poplins. The diagonal and herringbone structures give the fabric a refined surface that moves comfortably throughout a long day. It is the heaviest of the three 100/2 staples, which is exactly where its drape comes from.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Yarn: 100/2 x 100/2
• Weight: 127 to 140 g/m²
• Soft handle with good recovery
• Excellent choice for clients who spend long hours between air-conditioning and outdoor heat

Royal Twill 100/2 on card C303 beside the gingham page, where the twill's drape shows in how the pattern sits.

Royal Twill 100/2 on cards C305 and C306: glen checks, houndstooth and ginghams carried on a soft diagonal weave.

Buckingham 140/2

Buckingham is a finer, higher-count poplin that feels lighter and more elegant on the skin. At 90 to 100 g/m² it is one of the lightest cottons in the book, which is precisely why it works so well here. It is particularly well suited to clean solids and refined stripes when a more delicate hand is preferred.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Yarn: 140/2 x 140/2
• Weight: 90 to 100 g/m²
• Clean, refined surface with excellent drape
• Ideal for lighter formal shirts and warmer months

Buckingham 140/2 on cards C204 and C205: finer, lighter and smoother than Silver, with noticeably more lustre.

Hampton and Super Hampton 140/2

These high-count qualities deliver structure and a crisp surface while remaining comfortable. They are especially strong in white and light colours where clarity and a clean finish are important. Hampton is the lighter of the pair; Super Hampton carries noticeably more body. The same pages also hold Gold Oxford 140/2 and the three-fold Karnak 120/3, the heaviest white in the folder, for anyone who wants real substance behind the collar.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Yarn: 140/2 x 140/2
• Weight: Hampton 104 to 108 g/m², Super Hampton 124 to 132 g/m²
• Also on these pages: Gold Oxford 140/2 at 128 to 133 g/m², Karnak 120/3 at 152 to 158 g/m²
• Excellent for white and pale-coloured dress shirts

Hampton 140/2 whites, with Super Hampton 140/2, Gold Oxford 140/2 and the three-fold Karnak 120/3 alongside.

Hampton 140/2 stripes up close: the archive patterns Thomas Mason is known for, woven at a 140/2 count.

Journey series

The Journey qualities are engineered for better performance in real-world conditions. They stay 100% cotton while offering improved wrinkle resistance and shape retention, which is particularly useful for travel and for Bangkok's humidity. You will spot them by the small suitcase icon printed on the card.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Yarn: 100/2 to 140/2 depending on the quality
• Weight: Journey 120/2 at 108 to 119 g/m², Journey Twill 140 at 104 to 110 g/m², Journey Oxford 100/2 at 128 to 136 g/m², Journey Twill 100/2 at 130 to 138 g/m²
• Practical choice for clients who move between temperature-controlled and outdoor environments

Journey Oxford 100/2, marked with the suitcase icon: cloth built to come out of a case and go straight into a meeting.

Comfort Relax and Natural Comfort

Sitting alongside Journey is a smaller group of comfort qualities, and it is worth knowing the difference between them. Comfort Relax adds a small percentage of elastane for genuine stretch. Natural Comfort Twill and Natural Comfort Oxford reach the same easy-wearing feel through weave and finishing alone, and stay pure cotton.

• Comfort Relax: 97% cotton, 3% elastane, 93 to 99 g/m². Light, with real give
• Natural Comfort Oxford: 100% cotton, 116 to 122 g/m²
• Natural Comfort Twill: 100% cotton, 117 to 123 g/m²
• Good for long working days and for clients who dislike a stiff collar

Comfort Relax, Natural Comfort Twill and Natural Comfort Oxford, the softer and easier-wearing end of the range.

Zero24 series

Zero24 constructions carry easy-iron and eco-friendly finishing, and stay 100% cotton throughout. They are marked in the book for their practical advantages while still delivering the quality expected from Thomas Mason.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Weight: Oxford 107 to 112 g/m², Piquet 110 to 130 g/m², Dobby 114 to 127 g/m², Twill 107 to 139 g/m²
• Easy-iron performance with a natural cotton feel
• Ideal for low-maintenance daily wear

Zero24 on cards 42 and 43 in twill, piquet, dobby and oxford, badged Always Perfect, Easy Iron and Eco Friendly Finishing.

Zephir 100/2, 1818 and 4489

Zephir qualities are lighter and more open in structure, and as a group they are the lightest cottons in the folder after Buckingham and the David and John Anderson poplin. They are frequently used for bold checks and colourful archive-inspired patterns that bring strong British character to the wardrobe, and the open weave is the single best answer to Bangkok's heat.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Weight: Zephir 100/2 at 97 to 101 g/m², Zephir 1818 at 98 to 107 g/m², Zephir 4489 at 101 to 107 g/m²
• Excellent for expressive checks and patterns
• Strong visual identity while remaining wearable

Zephir 4489 checks: the open, airy weave that makes the most sense in Bangkok's heat.

Twill 1818 and Tribeca 80/2

On the facing pages you will find Twill 1818 and Tribeca 80/2. Twill 1818 is where the tartans and bold plaid checks live, and despite its decisive appearance it is a light cloth. Tribeca 80/2 is the opposite: solid grounds in stone, olive and navy at 157 to 165 g/m², one of the heaviest cottons in the book and the natural choice for an overshirt.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Weight: Twill 1818 at 95 to 103 g/m², Tribeca 80/2 at 157 to 165 g/m²
• Tartans, plaids and strong colour blocking
• Cut for weekends, travel and overshirt-weight shirts

Tribeca 80/2 and Twill 1818 tartan checks, cut for weekends rather than boardrooms.

Sahara, Yoga Sahara, Amber and Gold Linen

These are the linen qualities, and they provide natural texture and excellent breathability for warmer months. Sahara and Gold Linen are pure linen. Yoga Sahara 2 is pure linen too but considerably heavier, with more body for a relaxed overshirt. Amber sits on the neighbouring card as a linen-cotton blend, which softens the hand and takes some of the crease out.

• Sahara: 100% linen, 110 to 118 g/m²
• Yoga Sahara 2: 100% linen, 141 to 147 g/m²
• Gold Linen: 100% linen, 110 to 125 g/m²
• Amber: 52% linen, 48% cotton, 102 to 109 g/m²
• Best suited to informal and warm-weather shirts

Sahara and Yoga Sahara on card 40 and card C506: a dry hand, a matte surface and a relaxed body.

Amber and Gold Linen on card C505 beside Sahara on C506, the warm-weather corner of the collection.

David and John Anderson (DJA) 200/2

The DJA range represents the highest yarn counts in the capsule. These ultra-fine 200/2 poplins, oxfords and twills deliver maximum refinement and a particularly smooth, luxurious hand. The numbers make the point better than adjectives: Poplin DJA 200/2 weighs 78 to 84 g/m², the lightest cloth in the entire folder, and the oxford and twill are barely heavier. That is a full-coverage shirting at roughly two thirds the weight of Silver.

• Composition: 100% cotton
• Yarn: 200/2 (190/2 in the oxford)
• Weight: Poplin 78 to 84 g/m², Oxford 87 to 93 g/m², Twill 87 to 95 g/m²
• Reserved for clients seeking the highest level of refinement

David and John Anderson 200/2 in poplin, oxford and twill, the finest two-fold cotton in the Thomas Mason house.

DJA Poplin 200/2 beside the David and John Anderson mark: a silk-like hand you can see before you touch it.

DJA Oxford 200/2: oxford texture rendered at a fineness ordinary oxford never reaches.

DJA Twill 200/2, where the diagonal is almost too fine to read at arm's length.

Balmoral

Balmoral is the one cloth in the folder blended with a noble fibre: 85% cotton and 15% cashmere. The cashmere adds a soft, slightly warmer handle without much weight, so it stays a shirting rather than becoming a jacket cloth. It is useful for cooler air-conditioned environments or evening wear where extra comfort is desired.

• Composition: 85% cotton, 15% cashmere
• Weight: 98 to 112 g/m²
• Soft handle with added warmth
• Good for transitional and evening shirts

Balmoral: cotton and cashmere twill, brushed soft for cooler evenings and overshirt weight.

Performance Advantages for Bangkok

The combination of Extra-Long-Staple cotton, two-fold yarns and, in selected ranges, modern easy-iron finishing means these shirts recover well after a full day, stay presentable in humidity, and improve with washing rather than deteriorating.

A practical note that the weights make obvious: a fine 140/2 poplin such as Buckingham at 90 to 100 g/m² wears markedly cooler than Royal Oxford at 123 to 133, because the finer yarn produces a lighter cloth at the same coverage. If you want the lightest possible shirt, David and John Anderson poplin at 78 to 84 g/m² is the answer, with Buckingham and the Zephir range close behind. For long-haul travel and back-to-back meetings, Journey and Zero24 do the practical work. You can see the full range on our shirts page, and the Zegna Panoramica guide covers how the other house shirting approaches the same problem.

How to Read a Thomas Mason Label

Every quality in the book is listed on a technical page, and it is worth knowing what the columns mean. Composition tells you the fibre, and it is where you spot the exceptions: most of the folder is 100% cotton, but Balmoral carries cashmere, Comfort Relax carries elastane, and Sahara, Gold Linen and Amber are linen or linen blends. Warp and weft yarn counts tell you how fine the cloth is in each direction. Ends and picks per centimetre tell you how densely it is woven, which predicts opacity and body. Gross width matters for pattern matching on larger checks.

Weight in grams per square metre is the number to watch in this climate. Across this folder, under 100 is genuinely light (DJA poplin, Buckingham, Comfort Relax, the Zephirs), 100 to 125 is the everyday middle where most business shirtings sit, and above 130 you are into cloth with real presence: Royal Twill, Karnak, Tribeca and the heavy oxfords.

The technical page: quality, composition, warp and weft yarn count, ends and picks, gross width, and weight in grams per square metre.

Selecting Your Perfect Fabric

If you want the short version, this is how the capsule breaks down. All figures are the mill's own.

Having a Thomas Mason Shirt Tailored at Endel

The process is the same as our other premium shirtings. We open the large capsule folder together, discuss how you wear shirts, and select the cloth. Full measurements are taken and the first shirt is cut in-house to your unique pattern. After one fitting the pattern is locked, so future reorders require no further fittings.

Construction includes single-needle stitching, split yoke, carefully set collar points and mother-of-pearl buttons. Pattern matching is observed across the placket, pocket and yoke where applicable. See our pricing for current shirt prices, or contact us to book a consultation.