A sturdy, resilient fabric named for its use in making riding pants for cavalry uniforms. Cavalry twill can be recognized by its pronounced double twill line. It is woven in a steep right hand twill. The best is made of wool or worsted, but cavalry twill can be made of blends including cotton, rayon and manufactured fibers.
Uses: Riding and ski pants, uniforms, sportswear, slacks, coats, suits
See also:
Whipcord
Most commonly khaki tan mercerized cotton, chino is always twilled on its face (either left or right-hand twill) with a plain back. It is a durable, rugged fabric, known for being used by the U.S. and British armies for summer weight uniforms.
The fabric originally came from China, later was exported to China from England, and was purchased by the U.S. Army stationed in the Philippines prior to WWI. The name chino apparently comes from the fabric’s Chinese connection.
In the U.S., chinos are a name for pants made from chino. The fabric may be dyed in colors other than tan, and it may be made in a blend, typically cotton/polyester.
Uses: Uniforms, sportswear (especially pants), work clothes
See also:
Drill
From the French couvrir (to cover), also from the hunting term covert (a thicket that is a cover for game), covert cloth is true to its name—rugged and protective. It is woven in a twill weave and is usually of two colors for a marled effect. Originally always wool, worsted, or a wool/silk blend, covert can be made from manufactured fiber alone or in a blend with wool, sometimes also cotton.
Uses: Coats, suits, riding clothes
See also:
Gabardine
A rugged cotton or cotton blend fabric in a right- or left-hand twill weave. It was traditionally made with warp yarn dyed indigo blue with the weft left undyed. Indigo dye faded badly, which became one of denims charms. Available in many colors now, but indigo blue (usually synthetic dye at present) is far and away the most popular. Another beloved trait of denim is its softening over time. Many techniques have been employed to hasten softening, fading and signs of wear, including stone washing. Denim gets its name from a twilled fabric made in the French town Nimes, serge de nîmes.
Brushed denim is made by teasing out and brushing fiber ends with fine wires to form a soft nap.
Uses: Traditionally used for work clothes, denim’s popularity (particularly since the 1970s) has meant its use for everything from jeans to eveningwear, work wear to high fashion.
See also:
Drill
Sturdy, medium to heavy cotton fabric with a tightly woven twill weave. Drill is often a 3/1 left-hand twill and it can also can be 2/1, or right-hand twill. It may be found in a herringbone pattern of alternating twill directions. The fabric can be unbleached, bleached, dyed or printed (such as in ticking stripes). The name comes from the Latin trilex, meaning three threads.
Uses: Work wear, uniforms, sportswear, pocket and shoe linings
Gabardine is characterized by either steep or sometimes regular twill, tightly woven, with fine, distinct diagonal ribs on the surface and a smooth back. Wools are right-hand twill, cotton may be left-hand. The warp generally has twice as many threads per inch as the weft. Made of worsted, cotton, manufactured fibers, blends, and (rarely) silk.
Because gabardine is tightly woven (particularly in a steep twill weave) the fabric is hard-wearing and rain resistant. Its name derives from the Medieval Spanish word gabardina which means protection from the elements. The name was originally used for a cloak worn in the Middle Ages.
Uses: Suits, coats, rainwear, slacks, skirts, uniforms, dresses, sportswear, shirts, hats
See also:
Covert cloth
Serge most often refers to worsted suiting fabric usually dyed navy blue. It can also be made of wool blends, including cotton, rayon, silk or manufactured fibers in various weights. It is a 2/2 right-hand twill, and the back shows the same twill line only in reverse.
The name is derived from the Latin serica, meaning silk, and later from the Italian sergea, a wool with silk blend.
Uses: suits, coats, dresses
Viyella was the first branded fabric, woven in England in 1893, and trademarked by William Hollins & Co. in 1894. The trademark was registered in the U.S. in 1907. The name comes from Via Gellia, a road linking Cromford and Bonsall in Derbyshire, England, where Hollins had a mill that first produced the fabric.
Viyella is 55% wool and 45% cotton, with the fibers blended before spinning. It is usually in a 2/2 twill weave. The fabric is lightweight, with the appearance of a fine woolen flannel. Besides solid colors, it may be found in woven or printed patterns.
Viyella as a trademark soon covered not just the fabric, but also clothes made from the fabric. Since the 21st century, Viyella fabric is no longer made, but the trade name is still used for a fashion and home furnishing brand.
Uses: Shirts, underwear, nightwear, dresses
See also:
Clydella
Flannel, wool
Recognizable by its steep (63º) and clear right-hand twill line, whipcord is like a heavier version of gabardine. Originally wool or worsted, it can be made of cotton, manufactured fibers or blends. The back is sometimes slightly napped if wool. It is a sturdy (particularly if wool) medium to heavy weight fabric.
Uses: Coats, suits, riding habits, uniforms, sportswear
See also:
Cavalry twill
Gabardine
