The fabric guide

Essential component of a shirt, the fabric is a reliable index of its overall quality.

It represents the major cost of its manufacture.

But not all fabrics are alike!

The history of fabrics

In the course of historical evolutions, the spinning mills have developed a multitude of fabrics, with varied properties and appearances.

It is therefore important to know the main families to choose them according to your use. We will analyze the fabrics according to their weaving technique: the armor.

'Canvas' armor

The armor "canvas", are distinguished by chain son (vertical) lifted alternately to let the weft son (horizontal). The main fabrics resulting from this process are poplin, wire-to-thread, oxford, chambray, linen, dobby and seersucker.

Diagram of a Canvas armor

The warp thread (black) passes over one weft thread (blue), then below the next, and so on.

'Twill' armor

The so-called "twill" armor is characterized by a weft thread that passes under one or more warp threads. For the chain the process is shifted at each frame pass.

The pattern is angled and can identify all the fabrics of this family such as twill, chevron or denim.

Diagram of a twill armor

The warp thread (black) passes under a weft thread (blue), then over the next two or three warp threads, and so on.

The last type of existing armor is satin.

A weft yarn passes over a warp yarn and then below the next three or four warp yarns.

This technique creates a particularly brilliant appearance but the satin fabrics are fragile: the floating threads can be hung.

Satin is only used very little in men's shirts, we will not address it.

'Satin' armor