How Understanding Fabric Will Transform Your Style

For a lot of guys that are newly invested in their personal style, shopping by “look” is common practice. They’ll see a fabric that catches their eye, buy it, and then wear it with other clothing accumulated the same way.

But there’s so much more to consider when buying new pieces. 

What kind of “vibe” does the fabric give off? How does it feel when you wear it? Does it hinder the passing of air, or allow it through? 

It’ll be hard to do more than scratch the surface here. But I aim to offer you a solid foundation and hope you come away with useful insights that can help you transform your personal style. 

Let’s delve into the deep and diverse world of cloth.

History

I think it goes without saying that cloth has been around for thousands and thousands of years. 

The flax plant is used to make linen fabric and its cultivation in ancient Egypt for textile is documented as far back as 6,000 BC.

Cotton and silk are similar, appearing in India, China, and Egypt around 5,000 BC.

Of course, humans have been around much longer than that. Dating back to the Stone Age, we can find evidence of textiles being used in place of raw materials (such as furs and skins). 

With thousands of years of evolution, it’s no wonder that so many textiles and fabrics are available today. And in so many various weaves.

Common Materials and Their Source

I’ve compiled a short list of materials that are commonly used in clothing and have listed them below. All the materials listed are obtained from natural sources. 

Though synthetic materials such as polyester are extremely common as well, it is my belief that one who is interested in taking their style seriously should begin to focus on collecting only quality pieces made from natural materials moving forward. 

A small collection of high-quality pieces will always be better than a large collection of inferior ones.

Cotton 

Cotton is a natural material derived from the plant of the same name. 

It’s the most commonly used natural fiber in the world for clothing today.

I love cotton. It’s durable, breathable, and can be woven in a multitude of different ways to produce various textiles with a wide range of characteristics.

Denim is made from cotton So often are corduroy, velvet, and seersucker. Each one of those textiles carries unique properties to the others.

As a staple, I have quite a few items made from cotton in my wardrobe. Corduroy pants, t-shirts, denim jackets, jeans, and even semi-formal dress trousers can all be found in my collection.

Wear cotton in the spring, summer, and fall as main pieces in your outfit (t-shirts, button-downs, light jackets, pants, denim), and in the winter as supporting pieces (undershirt, light sweater, jacket, etc.).

Linen

Linen is made from the flax plant’s fibers. Its strength, breathability, and quick-drying properties make it a great choice for many different garments. It’s also extremely absorbent yet dries quicker than cotton. This is part of what makes it a popular choice for summer and warmer parts of spring and fall.

It’s a very lightweight material with a soft drape that only gets softer over time. Washing linen causes the fibers to strengthen, while also allowing them to soften. Although I wouldn’t refer to linen as stiff when first acquired, there will be a noticeably softer touch after just a couple of washes. 

Note: Avoid washing tailored jackets made from linen as the washing can still damage the canvassing and felt used between the layers of cloth for structure. Stick to dry-cleaning or high-heat steaming for those items.

Linen can be found in my wardrobe on a variety of items, such as t-shirts, button-downs, trousers, and even full suits (I really love linen suiting).

Linen has a tendency to wrinkle, but I love it. The many small wrinkles it quickly acquires contribute (in my opinion) to the patina—or natural wear—of the cloth. Not unlike how leather and denim just get better with age.

Wear linen in the summer and any other time that it’s warm. With it being such a lightweight and breathable material, it’s simply not well-suited for many cool-weather outfits. 

Wool

Wool, as we know, comes from various types of sheep. As their wool grows, it is shorn to then be spun into woolen yarn. 

Shearing is actually good for sheep and causes no harm, making wool one of the most sustainable and ethically produced materials today.

Although not the first material listed in this article, it is probably my favorite. It’s rather hard to beat the versatility and wearability of wool.

Wool is a great insulator and regulates body temperature well. This means that it can be woven to provide perfectly functional garments for any time of year. In the image below, I’ve chosen a wool hopsack for this warm-weather blazer (see more about the hopsack weave in the following section).

Merino wool specifically does a great job at this and can be found from t-shirts for summer to heavy overcoats for winter. What a range!

Wool is also very durable, self-cleaning, and holds up against wrinkles really well. Not to mention it’s naturally fire-resistant (hopefully you’ll never actually need to take advantage of that particular characteristic)!

If you love wearing suits, you’ll know that wool is the most commonly used material for traditional suiting. I wear a suit nearly every day for my main job. I have around 20 suits, 15 or 16 of which are made of wool.

From casual to formal wear, wool always has you covered.

Wear wool any time of year with any outfit. Just mind the weave, type of wool, and its weight to ensure the proper application for each season.

If I had to choose one material to wear for the rest of my life, it would be wool.

Silk

At the pinnacle of luxury lies the silk yarn. Known for its sheen, strength, and softness, fabric made from silk is highly sought after for high-end garments.

The process of harvesting and spinning silk is fascinating and could be a whole article on its own. But for all intents and purposes, all you must know for now is that silk is a natural protein fiber that comes from insect larvae. 

The Mulberry Silkworm in particular produces the best-known and most sought-after silk today.

While clothing made entirely from silk can be found, you’ll often find it blended with wool or other natural materials.

Silk/wool blended fabric is rather common for high-end suiting. Linen is also commonly added to this combination to lighten up the cloth, making it a great choice for summer.

Silk is cooler to the touch than most other common fabrics. This makes it a great choice on its own for summer shirts or pants. I have a great pair of silk pants that I picked up thrifting, and they are perfect for summer.

You’ll likely know that the best ties are made from silk. Silk bandanas and scarves can also easily be found. Consider accessorizing with silk if you don’t have any silk clothing.

Wear silk any time of year. On its own, I’d suggest it’s more suitable for warmer climates and seasons. But wearing it as an accessory or as a layer piece in an outfit can work well in cooler weather. 

Common Weaves

Any type of yarn can be woven in a number of different ways to create a particular textile as the end result. 

Different weaves have different looks, as is obvious. But each weave also imparts various characteristics to the cloth, such as strength, softness, sheen, or drape.

Below are a few common weaves used in clothing today. Pay more attention to weaving as you start buying higher-quality garments. Even just as an aesthetic choice, the weave can have a powerful effect on an outfit.

Be sure to try combining various weaves in your outfits—in addition to different materials—to bring the level of sartoria and sophistication up a notch. 

Plain

The first of the three fundamental weaves, plain is just what it sounds like. It’s weaving in its most basic form.

Basic doesn’t mean inferior, however. The plain weave is the first of the three fundamental weaves for a reason. It’s the foundation, if you will, for other types of weaves that we will be addressing further on.

It is created by passing one warp thread over one weft thread, then under one weft thread, and then over one weft thread again. The pattern continues row by row.

*The warp is the thread that runs vertically in the cloth. While the weft is the thread that runs horizontally. The warp thread is held in place by a loom while the weft is pulled and woven through the warp threads to create the intended textile.

The plain weave is effective and very strong. Because of its simplicity, it can be woven very tightly or very loosely depending on the desired outcome.

The simplicity of the weave also minimizes surface texture, making it smooth to the touch.

Twill

The second of the three fundamental weaves, twill is created by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads, then under one or more warp threads.

The idea is that there is an offset between the over and under passes, row-by-row, which results in a step-like, diagonal pattern. Once you notice it, you’ll always be able to spot it.

Twill is soft and drapes very well due to the fewer amount of interlaced threads. It’s great at hiding dirt and stains and is very durable. It also holds up very well against wrinkles. 

These characteristics make it a common choice for workwear and upholstery. For example, denim uses a twill weave.

It’s also commonly used in suiting fabrics. Especially in heavy, soft tweeds. Using heavier yarns makes the diagonal lines of the twill all the more pronounced. I love the way twill looks and feels.

Satin

Satin is a weave that has a glossy finish and leaves a very smooth surface. It is the third of the three fundamental weaves.

In a satin weave, typically the warp yarn passes over multiple weft yarns before passing under one. The long sections of warp yarn are twisted tightly and reflect a lot of light since there aren’t a lot of weft yarns to scatter it. This gives satin its glossy appearance.

Satin is unfortunately not a very durable weave. It is prone to snagging due to the long sections of unwoven warp yarn.

In menswear, it is commonly used for some shirts, ties, and boxer shorts. You will also see it used on tuxedo lapels and bow ties.

I mostly mention satin in this article just because it’s one of the three fundamental weaves. But look around, and you may just find some ways to incorporate it into your outfits other than black tie.

Pile

In a pile weave, the “pile” is a raised section of the textile that is created by loops or tufts. The pile can be created using the warp or the weft threads. Subsequently, the weave would be deemed a warp pile weave, or a weft pile weave, respectively.

Pile weaves include corduroy and velvet, which are both very common in modern garments. 

I love corduroy and enjoy picking up new corduroy pieces whenever I can. It’s durable, hides dirt well, and has a very cool textured appearance. It’s also soft to the touch, similar to velvet (due to the pile weave that both share).

Velvet is often used in formal garments. Historically, it was made from silk and was associated with royalty.

Velvet today can be made with just about any type of material. Cotton, linen, wool, and silk are all common.

Herringbone

Herringbone is a broken twill weave, meaning that the diagonal line associated with twill is broken every few warp threads and reversed, leaving a sort of zig-zag pattern in the cloth.

It resembles chevron but is different as the lines “break” at each reversal. The name “herringbone” is given due to its resemblance to the bones of a herring fish.

Herringbone has a unique and exciting appearance and is one of my favorites. It can be woven using just about any type of material, but is common especially in heavier tweed and cotton fabrics.

Because herringbone is a type of twill weave, it shares the same great draping qualities and soft, yet durable surface.

It’s commonplace in workwear is followed closely by its common use in men’s suiting as well. Whether worsted, flannel, or tweed, the herringbone weave can be used to great effect.

Hopsack

I work mainly in the menswear world as a custom clothier, specializing in suiting. The weaves I’ve mentioned today are used in all types of clothing but are very common in suiting as well.

Hopsack is the last weave I’ll mention today as it’s popular for suiting, especially during these hot summer months.

Hopsack is created in a very similar manner to that of the plain weave. In the case of hopsack, two weft threads are passed over two warp threads, then under two, and so on. It is typically woven rather loosely to increase airflow and lightness.

Highly sought after for summer garments, especially in tailoring, the hopsack weave is a great choice and receives high regard from me. If you wear suits or sport coats, I recommend picking up one or the other in a hopsack fabric—or both!

Putting it All Together

So, we’ve attempted to cover some important details of a very in-depth subject. We’ve mentioned a few fabrics as well as some common weaves.

But why is it important?

As with any other subject, knowledge is power. Knowing the characteristics of the fabrics in your clothing and how they’re woven can help you determine what to wear when as well as how to wear various items together.

Certain weaves, such as twill, are tighter and would insulate better against colder weather. Other weaves, like hopsack, are looser and are well-suited for warmer weather.

But then you’ll consider the fabric as well. For example, if you love a herringbone (remember, a type of twill) weave, but want to wear it in the summer, find a lightweight cotton shirt or pair of shorts that was made with its implementation.

Contrast is an important aspect of dressing well, also. We are naturally drawn to contrast. In art or photography, for example, light and dark or complementary colors are attractive to us. In food, we are drawn to sweet and savory. In music, loud and soft.

In dressing, it’s the same. By contrasting not only colors, but also textures and fabrics, we will exemplify what it means to be a sartorial man. 

Imagine a monochromatic outfit consisting of simple pants and a t-shirt. Let’s say black. You put on a simple cotton pant in a plain or tight twill weave, followed by a t-shirt with a similarly low visual texture.

There’s nothing wrong with either of these pieces. But say you swapped out the black t-shirt for a knitted black t-shirt instead. Suddenly, you’ve created textural contrast between the shirt and pants which will be instantly noticed by others, even if just subconsciously (we are naturally drawn to contrast, remember).

Now, imagine you keep the knitted t-shirt, then swap out the pants for a pair of black corduroy trousers. The level of contrast and visual interest has been stepped up yet again. And this time with a slightly dressier pant as well.

So not only are you creating contrast in texture, but also in the marriage of a causal and semi-formal piece. Weight, weave, drape, color, texture…it’s all important in creating outfits that stand out from the rest. 

I’d dare say it’s nearly impossible to create too much contrast in your day-to-day outfits. So remember, CONTRAST, and be sure to implement it into your personal style.

Conclusion

As I said in the beginning, we were barely able to scratch the surface in this article. But it’s a good jumping-off point. At the very least, I hope it’s given you some things to think about.

Consider the way the fabric looks and feels as you collect more pieces. Consider how the weave affects the cloth’s wearability for certain situations. And consider the characteristics of the material in each of your garments, such as drape, softness, and breathability.

It will not only make a difference in how you appear to others but can also greatly improve your comfort level in various seasons or particular settings.

Have fun with it and don’t allow yourself to worry too much. The more knowledge you have regarding the fabrics you’re looking at, the more your subconscious will be able to help you quickly select and put together increasingly interesting outfits.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

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