Pattern family
Twills
Twill-derived patterns are built from the diagonal. Because a twill weave steps its interlacings sideways each row, changing the color order of the threads or the direction of the diagonal produces houndstooth teeth, herringbone Vs, and pointed chevrons. These patterns are woven structure, not surface print, which is why they dominate suiting.
Houndstooth
No. 013pattern · twills
Herringbone
No. 014pattern · twills
Chevron
No. 015pattern · twills
Denim
No. 023fabric · twills
Tweed
No. 024fabric · twills
Flannel
No. 025fabric · twills
Gabardine
No. 032fabric · twills
Sharkskin
No. 042fabric · twills
Serge
No. 045fabric · twills
Chino
No. 050fabric · twills
Drill
No. 051fabric · twills
Harris Tweed
No. 063fabric · twills
Loden
No. 076fabric · twills
Worsted
No. 090fabric · twills
Barathea
No. 098fabric · twills
Whipcord
No. 099fabric · twills
Donegal Tweed
No. 103fabric · twills
Cashmere
No. 109fabric · twills
Mohair
No. 110fabric · twills
Merino
No. 112fabric · twills
Alpaca
No. 113fabric · twills
Camel Hair
No. 114fabric · twills
Vicuña
No. 116fabric · twills
Melton
No. 117fabric · twills
Duffel
No. 118fabric · twills
Kersey
No. 136fabric · twills
Frieze
No. 137fabric · twills
Coutil
No. 169fabric · twills
Camlet
No. 170fabric · twills
Settle the confusions
From the journal
Costume makers hunt cloths that no longer sell under their old names. Samite, coutil, fustian, melton: what each was, and what to use instead today.
Plain, Twill, Satin: The Three Weaves Everything Is Made From →Almost every woven cloth is one of three interlacings. The only difference is how often the warp and weft cross. Here is the whole grammar of weaving.
The Geography of Cloth Names →A surprising number of fabric names are just place names. Denim, jeans, calico, muslin, duffel: the catalogue of cloth is also a map of medieval trade.
Why Denim Fades (and Why We Pay Extra for It) →Denim's fade is engineering, not accident: ring-dyed yarn, exposed twill floats, and an indigo that never fully bonds. The flaws are the product.
How Houndstooth Is Actually Woven →Houndstooth is not a printed motif. The jagged tooth emerges from a 2/2 twill and a simple color order. Here is the construction, step by step.