DRESS SHIRT FABRICS

Twill

Definitely one of our favorites, twill could be the perfect dress shirt fabric. Twill is easily recognizable because it will show diagonal lines or texture. It is generally slighlty shiny. Twill is an extremely tight weave, that can come in extremely high thread counts, some of which might be mistaken for silk. Because of the diagonal texture twill is a bit softer than broadcloth and will drape more easily. Twill won't give you the same "crisp" look that freshly pressed broadcloth can, but it's easy to iron and resistant to wrinkles.

Brushed Twill

Brushed Twill is a variation of twill that is usually less shiny but softer than standard twill. It almost has a fuzzy feel to it and is super comfortable. Particularly great for cold weather.

Broadcloth

Broadcloth (which is essentially the same as Poplin) is a tightly woven fabric with a very simple over-under weave and slight sheen, which makes it very dressy. Broadcloths are generally a thinner, lighter fabric. Particularly white broadcloth fabrics can be slightly transparent.

Pinpoint Oxford

Pinpoint (also referred to as pinpoint oxford) has the same weave as oxford cloth, although it uses a finer yarn and tighter weave. It is more formal than oxford cloth, but less formal than broadcloth. Pinpoint fabrics are generally not transparent and are slightly heavier and thicker than broadcloths. Because of their heavier construction, pinpoints are fairly durable fabrics.

Oxford Cloth

Oxford Cloth is very similar to pinpoint oxford, except it uses a slightly heavier thread. It has a slightly rougher texture but is more durable than most fabrics. A symmetrical basket weave where one yarn may cross two yarns. The origin is from sports, so it’s the least dressy, and (in some circles) not considered appropriate for wear after 6pm. Oxford cloth has recently become quite popular used in casual button down shirts. It can be worn slightly wrinkled straight from the dryer.

Royal Oxford

Royal Oxford is what we call a "pretty fabric". Although the name is similar, it is not at all similar to pinpoint oxford or oxford cloth. It is a dressy fabric with a distinctive shine and texture.

Dobby

Dobby (which is very similar to Jacquard, although technically different) is quite similar to broadcloth in terms of thickness and weight. Many dobby fabrics have stripes woven into them, although some are solid colors. The solid colors tend to have a faint white pattern of stripes or dots in the color.

Batiste

Batiste is a particularly delicate, light weight, particularly sheer fabric. We've recently featured some reversible fabrics like the one shown here that are essentially two batiste fabrics with different patterns woven together.

Gingham

Gingham is not a fabric weave but a popular and distinctive pattern. You can find ginghams in broadcloth and twill, although the true classic gingham is made from broadcloth. Shown is a black mini gingham and a purple classic gingham.

Herringbone

Herringbone is also not a weave, it is a texture or pattern that you may see on a shirt. Most herringbone patterns are twill fabrics, woven such that the direction of the diagonal texture or pattern reverses every so often. Herringbone patterns can come in a variety of sizes and subtleties. Some are hardly noticeable, while others create a dizzying effect.

Pima, Sea Island, Egyptian Cotton

When you hear about Egyptian cotton you should know that this is not referring to the type of weave, but to the type of cotton used to make the weave. For practical purposes, Pima cotton, Sea Island and Egyptian cotton all refer to the same cotton plant: Gossypium Barbadense. This is a more desirable cotton for its “longer staples” which allow it to be threaded into finer, stronger threads. Making matters a bit more confusing, there are trademarks filed around the names "Sea Island" and "Supima", so you can keep an eye out for "certified sea island cotton" vs. "sea island quality". In our experience, sea island cottons are usually higher thread counts 120s+ and Egyptian and Pima cottons can be found in more rugged 80s and 100s. Shown here is a lavender 80s thread count pinpoint Egyptian cotton, and a light blue 120s thread count broadcloth sea-island cotton.

Fabric Thread Count, Ply & Construction

THREAD COUNT If everything else is the same (weave, ply, mill, and type of cotton), higher thread count means a smoother, silkier, more expensive fabric.

Thread count is often referred to with a number like 50s, 80s, 100s, 120s, 140s 160s, etc up to 200s. You would be excused for thinking that 80s = 80 threads per inch, but that's incorrect (and a common misconception in the industry). Rather, these numbers refer to the yarn size. 140s means there are 140 hanks (1 hank = 840 yards) of yarn in one pound.

Regardless, 140s fabric has a higher thread count than 120s and 160s fabric has a higher thread count than 140s and so on. If you ask us what the threadcount of a fabric is, we will probably tell you something like "140s" because that number is easy to understand even if it's not a literal measure of threadcount.

PLY Ply is how many yarns are twisted together to make a single thread. Fabrics can either be two-ply or single ply. Two-ply means that two yarns are twisted together to make a single thread that is then woven into the fabric. (Note that this is not at all like two-ply toilet paper!). Two-ply fabrics are generally superior to single-ply fabrics.

WARP & WEFT Warp threads run vertically. Weft yarns run horizontal. A fabric will often use different types of threads in the warp vs. weft directions.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER You might see a fabric's construction described as something like "100/2x100/2". The way to read this is that it has 100s two-ply threads running in both the warp and weft directions.

A more complex fabric might have a construction described as "140/2+70/1x70/1+140/2" This fabric is a 140s two-ply fabric that has 70s single ply threads interwoven to create a texture or pattern.

WHAT DO I REALLY NEED TO KNOW? Dress shirts with high thread count are more expensive to produce and more desirable if you like your shirts silky, soft and thin. Just remember that threadcount is not everything. The weave of the fabric, the ply and the mill that it was produced in are also important factors to consider.

FINAL CAVEAT We hate to come across snobby about threadcount. There's nothing "wrong" with lower thread count fabrics. They can be more affordable and are always great for casual shirts. I have some 80s two-ply pinpoints that I wear frequently. I love that they have a more rugged look and feel to them. Consider them accordingly.