Shirt Fabric Guide

SHIRT FABRIC GUIDE Broadcloth very similar to poplin-is a tightly woven fabric with a very simple over-under weave and slight sheen, which makes it very dressy. Broadcloths are great for guys looking for as little texture as possible in their fabrics. They are generally a thinner, lighter fabric. Particularly, white broadcloth fabrics can be slightly transparent. Broadcloth Chambray Chambray is a plain weave fabric. That means it has a similar con- struction to broadcloth, though it is generally made with heavier yarns for a rugged, blue-collar workwear appeal. Generally there will be white threads running in the weft/width direction such that the fabric has an inconsistent color to it. This could be compared to an end-on-end, though cham- bray is generally much heavier and more appropriate for casual wear than dress. Chambray Dobby Dobby (which is very similar to Jacquard, although technically different) can vary widely. Some versions are quite similar to broadcloth in terms of thickness and weight, while others can be thicker or woven to almost look like twill. Many dobby fabrics have stripes woven into them, although some are solid colors. The solid colors tend to have a faint stripe or dotted patterns woven in the same color as the base cloth. Dobby Denim We all know denim as the fabric of our jeans. But construction wise, denim is a twill fabric. A sturdy, possibly coarser twill. For the most part though, when it comes to denim shirting, you're mostly going to find much softer, lighter versions of the fabric then what your jeans are made of. Denim shirting can come in many forms but generally will be a bit shiny and be a dramatically different color on the inside than the Denim outside. 5 End-on-end End-on-end broadcloths are a very popular type of dress shirt fabric with a distinct contrast coloring. Woven with colored thread in the warp and white thread in the weft, it looks like a true solid from a distance, but has more texture when seen from up close. Typically a lighter weight fabric, it's a great choice for those living in warmer cli- End-on-End mates. Flannel A fall/winter favorite. Flannels are warm, fuzzy fabrics that are most often brushed twill or brushed melange fabrics. While they're most regularly 100% cotton, they Flannel sometimes can come in cotton/wool blends for added warmth. Usually made in thicker weaves, these are decidedly casual fabrics that are great for cold weather. Melange Melange fabrics are generally very thin and very smooth luxurious fabrics with a particular soft finish. They are a special type of construction in which each yarn is a combina- tion of fibers that are dyed and not-dyed. These different col- ored cotton fibers are woven together for a feathered, intentionally inconsistent, somewhat organic look. Melange Oxford Oxford Cloth is very similar to pinpoint oxford, except it uses a slightly heavier thread and looser weave. It has a slightly rougher Oxford Cloth texture but is more durable than most fabrics. A symmetrical basket weave where one yarn may cross two yarns. Originally devel- oped for sports, so it's the least dressy, and (in some circles) not considered appropriate for office or formal wear. Pinpoint Pinpoint Oxford Pinpoint (also referred to as pinpoint oxford) has the same weave as oxford cloth, although it uses a finer yarn and tighter weave. It is more formal than oxford cloth, but less formal than broadcloth. Pinpoint fab- rics are generally not transpar- ent and are slightly heavier and thicker than broadcloths. Be- cause of their heavier construc- tion, pinpoints are fairly durable fabrics. A great choice for busi- ness shirts. 10 Egyptian Cotton When you hear about Egyptian cotton you should know that this is not referring to the type of weave, but to the type of cotton used to make the weave. For prac- tical purposes, Pima cotton, Sea Island and Egyptian cotton all refer to the same cotton plant: Gossypium Barbadense. This is a more desirable cotton for its "longer staples" which allow it to be threaded into finer, stronger threads. Egyptian Cotton 11 Poplin Poplin is so similar to Broadcloth that we decided not to distinguish between the two in our fabric de- scriptions. For all practical pur- poses you can equate the two. They are both a plain weave fabric that is going to be quite thin, smooth and flat. The amount of shine on a poplin can vary from fabric to fabric. That said, techni- cally Poplin is different than Broadcloth in that Poplins can have different weight yarns in the warp and weft while broadcloths will have a a symmetrical con- struction. Poplin 12 Royal Oxford Royal Oxford is what we call a "pretty fabric". Although the name is similar, it is not at all similar to pinpoint oxford or oxford cloth. İt is a dressy fabric with a distinctive shine and tex- ture. With a more prominent weave than broadcloth or pin- point, it's ideal for those inter- ested in a dress or formal shirt with visible texture. Royal Oxford 13 Poplin Poplin is so similar to Broadcloth that we decided not to distinguish between the two in our fabric de- scriptions. For all practical pur- poses you can equate the two. They are both a plain weave fabric that is going to be quite thin, smooth and flat. The amount of shine on a poplin can vary from fabric to fabric. That said, techni- cally Poplin is different than Broadcloth in that Poplins can have different weight yarns in the warp and weft while broadcloths will have a a symmetrical con- struction. Twill THREAD COUNT If everything else is the same (weave, ply, mill, and type of cotton), higher thread count means a smoother, silkier, more expensive fabric. 50s 80s 100s 120s 140s 160s 180s 200s Created by PS www.lifestylebyps.com Source propercloth.com