Fabric Guide - Fall / Winter 21

While most denim you find is a twill weave or a diagonal pattern all pointing in same direction, we've tasked ourselves to put our own touch on the traditional design to up the quality and stand out from the pack. The result is our Herringbone Pleated Jeans, using 100% Cotton Herringbone Denim material, made up of rows of parallel lines which in any two adjacent rows slope in opposite directions, a welcomed update on our Pleaded Jean silhouette.

Shetland sheep are fierce survivors, known to be easy to breed since they don’t ask for much. It makes sense when you consider their native habitat--the frigid, windswept Shetland Isles, an archipelago due west of Norway which is the northernmost part of Scotland. Shetland wool, which Scottish fishermen have relied on for centuries, has a similar character to the animals it comes from. Lightweight and warm, it doesn’t ask much of whoever wears it, but keeps him or her insulated from the cold with stoic composure. Visually, however, it’s far from sedate--heathered yarns imbue Shetland’s gauzy surface with vivid, multi-dimensional color that gets more complex the closer you look.

We've used Shetland wool before, but this season we decided to brush the shetland wool twice to not only provide a fuzzy, shaggy appearance but produce an all-around softer sweater.

We wanted to reintroduce solid construction, luxurious texture and satisfying color to the simple cotton sweater, since commercial versions have mostly left these ideals behind. High-quality, compact yarns, a fully-fashioned knit, and a range of beautifully yarn-dyed, seasonal colors made it possible.

The whole point of piqué is its breathable structure, achieved via special dobby looms that allow the warp threads to be raised and lowered to create minute geometric patterns in the fabric. But most piqué available today is too thin and cheaply made to showcase this. This substantial version from Portugal is a different story. It’s got real weight, and the subtly raised, honeycomb threads give it the unique tactility missing from your everyday polo shirt. It remains highly breathable, and the ultradry hand makes it a versatile piece in between seasons.

Thermal fabric isn't typically associated with quality, as it is typically a layer, worn under other garments to keep the wearer warm in inclement conditions. Noah’s Heavyweight Thermal elevate this fabric to a premium level. Instead of a simple basket pattern, its two layers are knit separately, then braided into a network of elongated hexagons. This creates both sizeable air pockets to trap body heat, and a structure that allows the two sides to gently pull in opposite directions, meaning the fabric reliably returns to its original shape after being stretched. This makes it perfect for maintaining warmth during chilly winter runs.

You can't fake quality, especially in outerwear. The quality of the yarn, the weight of the cloth, and the fit of the silhouette all need to work in concert to create an outerwear piece that looks and feels good while protecting its wearer from the elements. Case in point, our Tiger Varsity Jacket, a quilted-lined wool jacket, in which the wool body is "double-faced" through two fabrics being fused together. This style is accented by a bold tiger stripe pattern, which may appear to be printed, but is actually woven into the fabric on a jacquard loom. The result is a comfy, sporty varsity jacket, that feels like a roadie or Roxy Music band member would have worn while on tour in the 70's.

We like to work with traditional fabrics that incorporate modern features, like this Italian twill that's backed by a technical membrane. It makes for a versatile jacket material with the wind-and-water resistance of outdoor shells, but the structure and breathability of high-quality twill.

Flannel’s softness and comfort works in warmer weather as long as the fabric isn't too heavy. This Portuguese version is a highly brushed twill that's lightweight and extremely soft. While flannels can often serve as an overshirt or outwear piece, our Plaid Lightweight Flannel fit more like a regular shirt. We see it as a super-comfortable light layer for transitional spring weather, or cool evenings at the beach.

Descended from Navy-issue CPO shirt-jackets, heavyweight flannels used to be easier to find, with vibrant plaid versions popular in the ‘60s and ‘70s. This double-sided, brushed twill is one of the best heavy flannels we’ve come across, because it offers the density of wool in an extremely soft cotton.

Rather than being woven, this innovative outerwear wool is rendered in a unique jersey knit, giving it four-way stretch. It's got the heft and brushed exterior of fine overcoat wool, but transcends the boundaries of wool's traditional benefits as it is far more structurally fluid and easy to move around in.

Tweed’s stuffy reputation got turned on its head during Studio 54’s heyday. When 70’s artists and musicians dressed up to go out, a tweed jacket could anchor their outfit, but it was always contrasted with stripes, big collars, or other touches that put it squarely in a downtown context. Irish Donegal is a perfect tweed for this purpose. It’s bright flecks of multi-colored yarns offer subtle tribute to our fondness for bold colors, while its muted tweed weave makes it a perfect canvas for youthful reinterpretation. While it’s available from producers all over the world, we sought out the original fabric, which is still made in Donegal, Ireland, as it has been for over a century and a half. It’s hand-woven, sturdy, low-key, and classic.

Corduroy combines luxury and durability like no other material. Its modern form was developed as a more affordable alternative to velvet--a plain-weave fabric with dense rows of tufted loops that are sheared to create the same lustrous, soft pile. Its ribbed construction, however, made corduroy especially strong. This ruggedness, combined with its warmth and quick-drying properties, helped make it an outerwear staple in 19th century England, where the world’s best corduroy is still made. Variously associated with workwear, military uniforms, and luxury fashion since, it remains a hardy, versatile, and elegant fabric.

Originally marketed as formal wear in the 1800's, Oxfords were eventually adopted by Polo players, lending them an athletic pedigree that led to their popularity on college campuses. The fabric's versatility endures, and stripes give a slightly new direction to this well-structured, classic version.

High-quality recycled materials are hard to come by, but we found a painstakingly repurposed cashmere that meets our standards. It's made from old cashmere garments and trimmings that are separated by color, washed, and shredded into fibers. This raw material is then blended with merino wool and dyed. The results are a quality fabric that takes advantage of cashmere's luxury and functionality while actually doing something about the waste inherent in humanity's appetite for new clothes.

Our cotton work twill is the perfect marriage of form and function. The fabric is extremely durable and wrinkle proof allowing it to withstand both everyday and work-related activities, making it both versatile and resilient.