Nearly 2 months into lockdown… you have listened to every Spotify playlist, binged every Netflix and Canal+ film and series combined, read all the great classics of French, English and American literature twice…
What if you became an expert in shirt fabrics? Martina, our stylist, explains the particularities of each weave and offers a few tips on how to choose them.
Poplin
Poplin is the emblematic fabric of the dress shirt. Originating in the papal city of Avignon, this fabric was known as Papeline and was used to make the popes’ garments. Its tight, fine and lightweight weave makes it a very pleasant shirt to wear every day. The cotton yarns (two-ply at Hast) benefit from a dense, smooth weave: the warp and weft yarns pass alternately and regularly over and under one another, without creating any particular pattern.
While poplin is mainly found in formal shirts, it can also be used for more casual styles, with a slightly thicker yarn that gives a more pronounced casual look.
What should you wear it with? With almost anything, as it is a weave with the advantage of being understated. It all depends on your choice (plain or patterned?). You can opt for the combination of a white poplin shirt + jeans, or a blue striped shirt + camel chinos. And naturally, poplin is recommended for wearing with a suit!
When should you wear it? All year round.
End-on-end
Very close to poplin, end-on-end nevertheless has a rather different appearance, thanks to a coloured warp yarn and an always-white weft yarn. These become more visible, creating a very subtle textural effect.
End-on-end is widely used in formal collections, less so for casual styles. But there is a well-known variation of end-on-end: chambray (which I will tell you a little more about later).
What should you wear it with? End-on-end remains fairly understated: its pattern only reveals itself when you get close to the fabric. You can therefore wear it like poplin, with all types of materials: linen, denim, lightweight wool in summer; flannel and heavier wool in winter.
When should you wear it? All year round.
Oxford
Oxford is a slightly thicker fabric, with a more textured appearance, and is also easier to care for than poplin. This fabric is said to have been named after the famous English city, where it was supposedly created by a Flemish weaver in the 17th century. The basket weave, made up of warp and weft yarns (usually in different colours and both two-ply), gives the fabric a certain density and accentuates the woven effect, forming a tiny check.
The fineness of the yarns used will determine how this fabric is worn, making it suitable for both formal and casual wear. It is no surprise that the Oxford of a dress shirt looks very different from that of a casual shirt. In my view, it is one of the best choices for a first shirt.
What should you wear it with? Whether for a formal or casual style, Oxford is truly one of the most versatile weaves you can have in your wardrobe (along with pinpoint, which I will come to). You can opt for very smooth textures, such as lightweight wool cloth, or conversely for textures with more character, such as flannel or a denim effect. You see, it is not very difficult so far; it is mainly a matter of taste! ;)
When should you wear it? All year round.
Pinpoint
In a plain weave, pinpoint is the perfect compromise between Oxford and poplin (simply put, in terms of appearance, it sits somewhere between the two: for those who did not want to choose!). Strong and lightly textured, lightweight yet durable…
At Hast, for now you will only find pinpoint in our premium easy-care range. We chose this weave from Albini because it creases less and saves you a great deal of time when ironing.
What should you wear it with? Once again, you have the choice: it is a weave quite close to poplin and Oxford. It is perfectly suited to a formal outfit, with a jacket and wool trousers, for example.
When should you wear it? All year round.
Twill
Thanks to its twill weave (the same as denim), twill is a fabric that is very easy to iron (a significant advantage). It can be recognised by its diagonal stripes: the result of a technique that gradually offsets the weft and warp yarns.
Its distinctive pattern and silky finish make it better suited to formal wear, as does herringbone (although, once again, this depends on the yarn used). We usually use a fine two-ply cotton yarn for our formal shirts, but you can also find a more robust twill weave in our flannel shirts, for example.
What should you wear it with? Twill, as we imagine it, is often used for formal shirts. It has a more sophisticated finish than Oxford or pinpoint, so elegant outfits are preferable, such as a three-piece suit and a tie. But it can also be made more casual with a jacket with Neapolitan shoulders and chinos.
When should you wear it? Twill has a slightly brushed feel, so it is best suited to mid-season and winter.
Herringbone
With the same weave as twill and denim, herringbone is one of the easiest weaves to recognise thanks to its zigzag pattern (at least one you can remember easily). It is generally relatively “thick” and used for formal shirts. Interestingly, herringbone is called "herringbone" in English, in reference to its resemblance to herring bones.
You rarely see casual herringbone shirts, more often blazers or even jackets. Restoring herringbone to its place in the casual menswear wardrobe, on shirts, is one of my wishes for winter, so a little more patience ;)
What should you wear it with? The same advice as for twill, except that herringbone has an even more pronounced pattern, so favour neutral pieces if you have not yet mastered your style! With a wool cloth suit, it is perfect.
When should you wear it? In mid-season and winter.
Dobby
Dobby is one of those fabrics we often recognise without necessarily knowing its name. In a plain weave, it has a distinctive look and feel, with a raised pattern often called "honeycomb". This weave has a natural elasticity that makes it very comfortable.
For our part, we currently offer only a classic dobby version, in white two-ply cotton. Formal, naturally. Dobby has that “connoisseur” quality, while being very easy to wear for those just starting out. In my view, it is an Oxford with more character.
What should you wear it with? You can play with its texture in two ways: by contrast, with smoother materials, or by reinforcing it with equally textured fabrics such as a raw denim jacket or a work jacket in twill.
When should you wear it? All year round.
Denim
Originally used to make jeans, denim has diversified considerably over the years to create fine shirts with a workwear spirit. Initially dyed with indigo (the famous blue jeans), this fabric is built on a twill weave and offers real durability, as well as fading unique to each wearer.
At Hast, denim fabrics come exclusively from Italy (Albiate) or Japan (Maruwa or Kuwamura). They are particularly suited to a comfortable, casual outfit.
What should you wear it with? Do we really need to answer that question? Denim goes with EVERYTHING (except perhaps denim itself; it all depends on the choice…).
When should you wear it? Denim is quite a thick fabric, so it is best for mid-season and winter. Or as an overshirt in summer.
Chambray
Simply put, chambray is the casual, plain-weave variation of end-on-end. There is, however, one important difference: with its "square" construction, the fabric has the same number of warp and weft yarns. You will also notice that the weft yarn is always ecru, while the warp yarn is often dyed indigo. Chambray is instantly recognisable by its distinctive, subtly mottled and very lightweight texture, and by its characteristic colour, reminiscent of faded denim.
It is worth noting that there are coloured variations on classic blue chambray, such as our summery Japanese shirts in rust and green.
What should you wear it with? Chambray has a very casual spirit, so favour pieces from the same family to avoid taking risks: denim, chinos, work jacket… You can also take inspiration from Italian style, which perfectly combines chambray with a more sophisticated, sartorial look!
When should you wear it? The lightness of chambray is particularly appreciated in spring and summer.
Seersucker
If there were only one fabric to remember as the embodiment of warm weather, it would be seersucker. Its name comes from the Persian term “shir-o-shakar”, meaning “milk and sugar”, echoing seersucker’s dual texture, created by its stripes: one part soft and smooth like milk, the other slightly crumpled and “crackled”, recalling sugar.
The stripes of this fabric (in a plain weave) and its distinctive puckered appearance serve a far more essential purpose than pure aesthetics. By playing with the relief in this way, with one stripe forward and another back, the fabric becomes very airy and stays away from the skin, greatly facilitating air circulation and therefore heat dissipation.
What should you wear it with? Seersucker is necessarily striped and at least textured (if the stripes are tone on tone). It is a statement piece that stands on its own. So keep the rest understated and opt for denim or chinos and a plain jacket.
When should you wear it? In spring, summer and Indian summer. Especially when it contains linen, like our model from Emanuel Lang.
Selvedge
Selvedge is not a fabric as such, since it can be denim (the much-coveted "denim selvedge") or another fabric, as is the case with our chambray model. Selvedge is in fact a weaving technique that ensures a certain quality of cloth, as it uses an old-fashioned loom (and therefore a slower one), which preserves all the qualities of the fibre. The word is a contraction of the English “Self Edge”, short for "Self-finished edge", or "finished edge" in French. It is a uniform finish at the edge of a fabric, designed to prevent fraying; it is therefore reinforced and often forms a coloured selvedge.
How do you recognise selvedge? By its coloured edge, usually red and white or blue and white (though it can also be multicoloured!).
What should you wear it with? It depends on the fabric, really. In the case of our Japanese selvedge chambray, wear it like… chambray.
When should you wear it? It depends on the fabric (chambray, denim…)
Flannel
Originally made from carded wool and reserved for suits, flannel has adapted well to shirtmaking, replacing wool with combed cotton. Flannel has a soft, brushed feel and is generally quite thick. From the beginning of the 20th century, it was used for clothes worn in summer, by the sea or for sports... relaxation!
With a flannel shirt, you are fully in casual territory, more or less smart. Depending on the weight of the fabric, it can be worn as a shirt or an overshirt, with a t-shirt.
What should you wear it with? Flannel is a fabric with a distinctive texture, thanks to its wonderfully soft feel. I therefore recommend wearing it with raw materials such as denim, or smooth ones such as cotton twill. Avoid trousers in the same fabric, which tend to weigh down the outfit.
When should you wear it? The microfibres of a flannel shirt retain body heat, so… Only when you need to warm up! A delight.
Corduroy
With its brushed appearance and the way it is made, corduroy is a fabric in its own right, often loved or, conversely, overlooked. An emblematic fabric of nobility and royalty from the Renaissance onwards, popularised during the Industrial Revolution and particularly appreciated by gentleman farmers, corduroy is both vintage and timeless. In terms of construction, the weave can vary according to the type of corduroy. For our shirts, however, we work mainly with plain-weave corduroy.
Like flannel, corduroy is a truly casual fabric, which we would not recommend for wearing with a suit (although we encourage experimentation!).
What should you wear it with? As corduroy is already a fabric with plenty of character, we would readily turn to neutral materials such as denim, cotton jersey or wool. With its textured, matte appearance, corduroy pairs beautifully with smoother materials, by contrast.
When should you wear it? In winter, and whenever you need a little comfort.
You now know our fabrics. But do you know your size? If you have never taken the time to measure yourself properly, now is the time. Do not put it off until tomorrow: make the most of this particular moment to take action and finally discover which size suits you best with our complete size guide.
And if you need any further information, write to us at contact@hast.fr!
