Wool or wool-like

A fine suit fabric made of light and dark (often white and black) yarns in close alternation, sharkskin may be plain weave or twilled. It has a smooth hand and a salt and pepper look. Most often worsted, sharkskin may be woolen or from blends. How it relates to the look of genuine sharkskin is somewhat debatable. Some sources claim it’s because of its smoothness (sharks do not have scales); others its subtle iridescence; and still others its fine mottling.

An unrelated fabric of filament yarns is also called sharkskin (see Sharkskin, filament type).

Uses: Suits

Tartan is traditional Scottish right-hand twill weave wool in distinct criss-cross patterns. The pattern is called a sett. Each tartan is tied to a clan, regiment or district of Scotland, and there have gradually been added further officially-recognized tartans, such as those of Canadian provinces and U.S. states. All tartans are registered in Edinburgh, by the Scottish Register of Tartans, maintained by the National Records of Scotland. All tartans are plaids, but no plaids without official recognition should use the name tartan.

For each clan there may be a number of official tartans, such as dress, hunting and ancient (which use more muted colors—from the days of natural dyes). Originally worn as the belted plaid (long straight shawl belted at the waist), then the pleated, wrapped kilt, tartan has also historically been worn in the form of trousers, or truis.

The best known tartans are generally thought to be Royal Stewart and Black Watch.

Now tartans may be made of any fibers, but still are most characteristically wool.

The origin of the word tartan is thought to come from a combination of the French tiretain (probably derived from tirer, “to pull,” referring to a woven cloth) and the Gaelic breacan, “many colors.”

An even check or plaid with fine lines in two, sometimes three colors, tattersall is now mainly seen in shirt weight fabrics of cotton in a plain weave.

Originally the pattern was woven of wool in a twill weave, and named for a renowned horse auction house in London where horse blankets featured this check.

Uses: Wool used for coats, jackets and suits; cotton for shirts

See also:
Check
Windowpane check

Tropical cloths can be made of many different fibers and combinations of fibers, but tropical worsted is made of wool, often in a blend. Tropical worsted, like all fabrics designed to be worn in hot climates, are light, smooth, breathable, and if at all possible, easy to maintain. The (usually) plain weave is not too close, allowing circulation.

Uses: Suits, slacks, skirts

With origins along the Tweed River bordering England and Scotland, the name tweed now is associated with a long list of fabrics, characteristically woolens, but also wool/manufactured fiber blends. The original tweeds were hairy and rough, now they are usually shaved, flattened and fulled in the finishing process. Still characteristic is the fairly coarse wool from which it is made.

Tweeds are usually in twill or plain weave, also seen is herringbone and basket weave. Their colors may be plain, heathered, marled, checked or plaid. Slubs are characteristic of some tweeds.

The name tweed is said to have originated in about 1840, when a London cloth merchant erroneously noted a consignment of “tweel” (Scottish name for twill) as tweed. Since the fabric was (and still is) made along the River Tweed, the name fits well.

Uses: Coats, slacks, skirts, suits

See also:
Cheviot
Donegal tweed
Harris tweed
Homespun

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