Wool or wool-like

A knit fabric with vertical ridges on both faces made by alternating two wales drawn to the face and two wales drawn to the back of the knit, a process further described under rib knits.

See also
Rib Knits

A knit fabric with vertical ridges (ribs) alternating on the face and reverse. 1 × 1 alternating with 2 × 2 is known as accordion rib, further described under rib knits.

See also
Rib knits

Lustrous and relatively crisp fabric of 35% silk and 65% wool, with the silk in the warp and the wool in the weft. The name Alaskine was trademarked in 1960, although used commercially starting in 1956. The trademark was cancelled in 2001. The elegant fabric was especially popular in the 1960s.

Uses: Suits, formal wear, dresses

Astrakhan fabric is made to look like karakul (astrakhan, Persian) lamb fleece—with heavy, curly pile. The pile may be looped or cut. Any fiber may be used; lustrous wool is common.

Uses: Coats, hats

See also: Lamb-Sheep in the VFG Fur Resource

A soft worsted suit fabric with a twill weave, barathea features a basket weave element: Two weft yarns cross each warp yarn. It can be called a basket twill or a hopsack twill. It is usually dyed black or deep blue.

Note that silk barathea is unrelated.

Uses: Coats, suits

Characterized by loops on one or both sides, bouclé comes from the French word for “buckled,” “ringed” or “curled.” Some versions of the fabric combine looped sections with plain; others are looped all over. Most commonly wool—with mohair a fine choice for this treatment—bouclé may also be acrylic or other fibers. It may be woven or knitted.

Uses: Coats, suits, sweaters

See also:
Bouclette
Poodle cloth
Ratiné
Terry cloth

Bouclette is the diminutive of bouclé (French for “buckled,” “ringed,” or “curled”) and features very small loops over the surface of the fabric. As with bouclé, it is usually made of wool, and its uses are similar.

See also:
Bouclé

Wool broadcloth is a fine twill weave woolen fabric (sometimes a wool blend) with a lustrous, velvety nap. Note that wool broadcloth is unrelated to cotton broadcloth.

Uses: Suits, coats, uniforms

See also:
Fleece

Buffalo check is a large-scale check, most characteristically in black and red. Originally this check was woven of heavy wool in a right-hand twill and napped. The original use of the fabric was for blankets, then heavy lumberman jackets. Now the term buffalo check is used for any fabric with this outsized check pattern.

See also:
Mackinaw

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

The name challis comes from the Anglo-Indian word “shalee,” meaning soft. Challis is indeed a very soft fabric, particularly fine in wool. It may be made of wool, rayon, cotton or manufactured fiber blends, and was originally made (1832) in Norwich, England, of silk and worsted. Characteristically in a light and open plain weave, although twill challis may be found. Challis is one of the few printed wools with the most common prints being floral or paisley on a dark ground. Also spelled challi, challie, challys, shallie.

Uses: Dresses, skirts, robes, pajamas, scarves and shawls

See also:
Étamine

Originally made from the coarse, thick wool of cheviot sheep (named for the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish-English border), cheviot can now be made of other wool, wool blends, and manufactured fibers. The fabric is heavy, fulled and rough, with a hairy nap. It can be made in various weaves including twill and herringbone.

Uses: Coats, jackets, suits

See also:
Donegal tweed
Harris tweed
Tweed

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 group of distinctly patterned fabrics of Scottish origin, originally designed for the livery of large estates in the second half of the 19th century. The patterns are of small checks and groups of checks, woven in a right-hand twill weave and mostly of one color with an undyed light color. Some have up to three dyed colors. Historically made of wool, now the patterns can be found in any fiber.

See also:
Glen plaid
Gun club check
Houndstooth check
Prince of Wales
Shepherd’s check
Tartan

Doeskin is a medium-weight wool fabric with a short, soft nap and a tightly woven structure. It is similar to duvetyn, but lighter; usually softer and less densely napped than melton; softer and with a shorter nap than fleece. Despite doeskin’s softness it is hardwearing due to its compact weave.

Rayon doeskin is a twilled fabric with one side napped, and there is also a heavy twilled cotton doeskin with one napped side. All three of these fabrics have in common their soft hand, reminiscent of deer skin.

Uses: Coats, riding habits and trousers for the wool; sportswear and suits for the rayon; sport coats and backing on faux leather fabrics for the cotton

See also:
Duvetyn, blanket cloth
Melton
Fleece

A coarse wool fabric traditionally handwoven in Donegal County, Ireland, the name Donegal tweed is now applied to any fabric that has the same look. Usually in a plain weave, but sometimes a twill, the most common colors are black and white woven to make a heathered earth tone, flecked with colorful slubs.

Uses: Irish walking hats, driving caps, golf knickers, slacks, jackets and skirts, heavier weights for coats

See also:
Cheviot
Harris tweed
Tweed

A group of weft knits made with two sets of needles and two sets of yarns, creating two fabrics that are knit together into a single fabric. Double knits may be of various weights, textures and styles, although they are all more stable than single knits. They may be made of any yarn.

Uses: Suits, slacks, skirts, sportswear

See also:
Interlock
Jacquard knit

The name duvetyn comes from the French word duvet, meaning down. Wool or wool-blend commonly, the finish is napped, sheared and fulled. This creates a downy nap which covers its weave which is usually right-hand twill. It is softer and more lustrous, though its nap isn’t quite as long as that of fleece.

Cotton duvetyn is usually called suede cloth.

Uses: Coats, uniforms, suits; the heavier blanket cloth for blankets and Hudson’s Bay “point” blanket coats

See also:
Doeskin
Fleece

Nonwoven felt is a fabric made in a process that involves fibers of wool or fur being subjected to moisture, heat, friction and pressure. The minute natural scales on the fibers cause them to tangle and mat while the heat and moisture shrink and thicken the fibers to form a dense fabric. Felting is the name of this process. Wool felt is probably the oldest fabric known to man, referenced in ancient writings and found in Bronze Age tombs.

Fine felts may use rabbit fur fibers, while the finest use beaver fur fibers. These fine felts are known for their use in hat making.

The fabric called felt which is currently widely available for crafting is actually an imitation; usually made of acrylic fibers and adhesives, no natural fibers are present. Other felts available are made of part wool. Half of the fibers must be natural for the fabric to felt.

Uses: Hats, bags, slippers, padding, crafts, and a wide range of household and industrial applications

A warm fabric with a soft, close nap, flannel may be in a plain or twill weave. It is brushed to create the nap, and this may be on one or both sides. If woolen, it can be in a plain or twill weave, while worsted flannels are right-hand twills, finer and appreciably more substantial.

Flannel was originally always wool (the name is derived from the Welsh word for flannel, gwlânen, which is derived from gwlân, “wool”). It is now found in wool blends, often with cotton.

Uses: Jackets, suits (men’s particularly of worsted flannel), dresses, shirts, skirts

See also:
Flannel, cotton