Dress Shirt Fabric Types: A Comprehensive Guide
When it comes to fabrics, there are literally hundreds if not thousands of terms.
However the list of core dress shirt fabrics are a handful - cotton, linen, silk, polyester, lycra etc.
The vast variation in terminology comes from
- how the individual strands of the fabric are woven together (a.k.a. the weave e.g. poplin, twill etc. ) and
- from combining these core fabrics to create blended fabrics that combine attributes of each individual fabric. E.g. 60% cotton, 40% linen to create a cotton-linen blend etc.
Core Dress Shirt Fabrics
Cotton:
Cotton fibers are harvested from the Cotton plant. It is the most popular fabric for dress shirts due to its breathability, comfort, and versatility. It can be woven in various ways, such as pinpoint, oxford, and twill, each offering a different texture and formality level.
Linen:
Linen fibers are harvested from the Flax plant. is a lightweight and breathable fabric that is ideal for hot weather. It has a natural, slightly textured appearance, giving it a relaxed and casual look. However, it wrinkles easily, which can be both a characteristic and a drawback.
Silk:
Silk is a natural protein fiber, produced by certain insect larvae like silk worms to form cocoons. Silk is considered to be luxurious fabric known for its smooth, soft texture and natural luster. It is often used for high-end, formal dress shirts or for special occasions. While silk is elegant and comfortable, it requires delicate hand.
Fabric Weaves
Many commonly used dress shirt fabric terms are not different fabrics, but different weaves (how the fabric strands are woven together).
Cotton can be woven using a plain weave, a poplin weave, a twill weave and so on.
Similarly, linen can also be woven using a plain weave (more common) or a twill weave.
The weave of the fabric (along with the number of strands etc.) affects the feel of the fabric.
Here’s a summary of some of the most common weaves. We’ve categorized them into broad buckets of how they feel - smooth vs. having a perceptible texture.
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Smooth Fabrics These fabrics have a very smooth feel, with no visible texture. They are popular for formal as well as office wear, but can also be found in casual shirts. |
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Poplin |
Feel: Thin, smooth, silky, soft, cool Texture: None, smooth Weight: Lightweight Shine: Minimal Events: Office/Everyday business wear and casual events in summer Pros: Wonderfully comfortable for summer Cons: Can wrinkle and be slightly transparent in bright light |
Poplin is an excellent option for breathable, cool dress shirts. It has a soft, smooth, and crisp feel to it that makes it ideal for office shirts. |
Broadcloth |
Feel: Robust, smooth, comfortable Texture: None, smooth Weight: Medium. Heavier than Poplin Shine: Minimal Events: Weddings, Formal Office wear, Business meetings, Interviews Pros: Slightly warmer and heavier than Poplin Cons: Can wrinkle and be slightly transparent in bright light |
Broadcloth uses the same weave as Poplin but is made with a slightly thicker yarn. Historically, broadcloth was made from wool. Cotton Broadcloth, like Poplin, is a lightweight, smooth fabric with no discernable texture but slightly softer, thicker, and heavier than Poplin. It is a very popular formal dress shirt fabric, especially for formal office wear. |
End on End |
Feel: Smooth to touch, cool to wear Texture: Looks textured up close and solid from a distance. Feels smooth. Weight: Lightweight Shine: Minimal Events: Casual, semi-formal Pros: More interesting look than Poplin with all the same advantages Cons: Can wrinkle and be slightly transparent in bright light |
End-on-end uses the same weave as Poplin, except that it’s woven with one colored thread and one white. This gives it a distinct color contrast that looks solid from a distance but more textured up close even though it feels smooth and lightweight like Poplin. |
Pinpoint Oxford |
Feel: Dressy with shine and texture Texture: Slightly more grainy look than Poplin and Broadcloth Weight: Slightly heavier than Poplin Shine: Minimal Events: Every-day business, Dinner date Pros: Opaque, less transparent than Poplin and Broadcloth Cons: Considered less formal than Poplin |
A cross between Poplin and Oxford that uses the same weave as Oxford, but a thinner yarn. It is heavier, thicker, and less formal than Poplin and more formal than Oxford. |
Satin |
Feel: Thin, smooth, silky Texture: None, smooth Weight: Lightweight Shine: Slightly more than Poplin Events: Every-day business, Dinner date Pros: Lightweight, smooth, comfy Cons: Considered less formal than Poplin |
Satin weave cotton uses a weave that results in a silky and soft finish. It is slightly lustrous and drapes more smoothly and softly compared to Poplin making it a light, smooth, comfy, and polished fabric that is popular for dinner dates and casual evenings. |
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Textured fabrics These fabrics have a texture that is visible and can be felt. They are popular for formal as well as office wear, but can also be found in casual shirts. |
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Twill |
Feel: Soft and comfortable Texture: Noticeable diagonal Weight: Slightly heavier than Poplin Shine: Slight Events: Office/Everyday business wear, Business travel, Casual events Pros: Crease-resistant, versatile for all occasions Cons: Heavier than most other fabrics |
Easily recognizable because of its distinctive diagonal weave or texture, Twill is heavier, warmer, and softer than Poplin. It is not as crisp as Poplin, but more resistant to wrinkles and a fantastic option for office wear when the weather is cooler. |
Herringbone |
Feel: Smooth feel and slight texture Texture: Noticeable chevron ‘v’ Weight: Like Twill, slightly heavier than Poplin Shine: Slight Events: Business, Casual Pros: Crease-resistant, versatile for all occasions Cons: Heavier than most other fabrics |
A variation of Twill that is woven to create a distinctive ‘v’ look. This fabric has texture and is popular for both dress shirts as well as casual wear. |
Dobby |
Feel: Dressy with shine and texture Texture: Noticeable raised texture Weight: Medium to Heavy Shine: Lustrous Events: Formal, Business Used in: Business shirts, Tuxedo shirts Pros: Subtle interesting patterns Cons: Considered stylish, less conservative |
The defining characteristic of a Dobby is a pattern that is woven into the fabric. The woven patterns are usually striped, dotted or geometric patterns that feel raised and luxurious. |
Jacquard |
Feel: Dressy with shine and texture Texture: Noticeable raised texture Weight: Medium to Heavy Shine: Lustrous Events: Formal, Business Pair with: Trousers Used in: Business shirts, Tuxedo shirts Pros: Complex, intricate patterns that add style to your shirt Cons: None. Considered stylish, less conservative |
Like Dobby, Jacquard fabrics have intricate intricate designs woven into the fabric giving them a discernible texture. The embroidered designs on Jacquard are much more intricate and complex than those on Dobby fabrics. |
Royal Oxford |
Feel: Dressy or sporty with shine and texture Events: Business casual Texture: Visible, elaborate texture Weight: Medium to Heavy, heavier than Twill Shine: Lustrous Events: Formal Pros: Dressy with significant texture and shine Cons: None. Considered stylish, less conservative |
A more dressy fabric than Oxfords because of the visible shine and elaborate texture/weave. It is also considered to be more casual and less polished than Pinpoint Oxfords or Poplin shirts. |
Cotton itself comes in a variety of flavors. Here's a brief breakdown of the various terms used to refer to cotton.
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Cotton Fiber Types The cotton fiber used to make the cotton yarn plays a huge role in the quality of the final fabric. This section demystifies premium cotton fibers. |
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Upland Cotton |
This is short-fiber cotton that comprises 90% of all worldwide cotton cultivation. Most shirts are made from this cotton. |
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Extra-long staple (ELS) cotton |
The fibers in Extra long-staple cotton (ELS) are 50% longer than short-fiber cotton making stronger, softer, and smoother fabrics. Less than 3% of cotton production is ELS. |
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Pima Cotton |
This is an extra long fiber cotton (ELS) that is grown in the Americas, Peru and Australia. |
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Supima Cotton |
This is a type of Pima cotton that meets the requirements of an American registered brand/trademark of “Supima”. The “Supima” brand guarantees quality and criteria such as Supima cotton is only grown in the United States. |
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Egyptian Cotton |
Egyptian cotton is simply cotton grown in Egypt. True Egyptian cotton that people think of as highly prized is Extra long staple (ELS) Egyptian cotton. Unfortunately, there is no governing quality standard for Egyptian cotton. So, products are often labeled as Egyptian cotton by suppliers who blend in or substitute less expensive cotton as. All Egyptian cotton is not necessarily premium Extra long-staple Egyptian cotton. Giza cotton is one type of Extra long staple Egyptian cotton that is grown in the Giza Nile delta geographic location. |
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Sea Island Cotton |
Another extra long fiber cotton (ELS) that is extremely rare because it is difficult to cultivate, delivers a low yield and must be hand-picked for best results. Today, it is mostly grown in the Carribbean e.g. Barbados. |
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Blended fibers e.g. Linen/Cotton, Polyester/Cotton etc. |
Cotton yarn can be combined with many other fiber yarns (linen, polyester, silk etc.) to create infinite blends. The benefit of a blended fabric is that it can sometimes balance out the negatives of one fabric with the benefits of the other. For example, a 55% linen-45% cotton blend fabric can result in a breathable fabric that keeps you warmer than 100% linen. |
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