Fabrics, Weaves & Finishes Guide
A fibre tells you what a material is made from. A fabric, weave or finish tells you how those fibres have been constructed or treated. Cotton can become denim, corduroy, moleskin or jersey; wool can become tweed, flannel or a fine worsted cloth.
Country and tailoring fabrics
- Tweed – textured wool cloth used for jackets, suits, caps and countrywear.
- Harris Tweed – a protected handwoven cloth from the Outer Hebrides.
- Flannel – softly finished wool or cotton cloth used for trousers, suits and shirts.
- Herringbone – a broken twill weave forming a distinctive V-shaped pattern.
- Cavalry twill – a firm, steep twill traditionally used for durable trousers.
Casual and practical fabrics
- Moleskin – densely woven cotton with a soft brushed face.
- Corduroy – ridged cotton cloth used for trousers, shirts and caps.
- Denim – strong cotton twill best known for jeans.
- Jersey – knitted fabric used for polo shirts, T-shirts and sweatshirts.
- Waxed cotton – woven cotton treated with wax for weather resistance.