Snaza
The Snaza Journal

Fabrics and patterns

Cashmere, merino, linen, modal, tweed, houndstooth and herringbone. What each fabric and pattern is, how to judge it and how to care for it.

24 guides

Five folded swatches of herringbone, houndstooth, chambray, cream knit, and striped seersucker rest on linen.

Fabric decides how a garment feels, drapes, wrinkles, pills and ages. Knowing the difference between cashmere and merino, modal and viscose, twill and oxford cloth helps you buy better, wear things in the right season and care for them properly.

These guides explain what each fabric and pattern is, how it is made, how to judge quality, where it works best and how to wash or store it.

Guides

  1. A light chambray shirt and dark denim shirt lie side by side on off white cotton

    Fabrics

    Chambray: what it is and how it differs from denim

    Chambray explained: how this light plain weave differs from denim, what the chambray color is, how to wear a chambray shirt or dress, and how to care for it.

  2. Tobacco brown olive and navy corduroy trousers form a neat stack with varied wale widths

    Fabrics

    Corduroy: wales, care and how to wear it

    What corduroy is, how wale counts change the look, how to wear corduroy pants and jackets without looking dated, and how to wash it without flattening the pile.

  3. Folded navy gingham and green navy rust plaid shirts sit side by side on textured off white linen

    Fabrics

    Gingham vs plaid: how to tell checks apart

    Gingham vs plaid explained: how to tell the two checks apart in seconds, where tartan and flannel fit in, and how to wear gingham and plaid, even together.

  4. A folded charcoal herringbone jacket rests on pale linen with its textured weave and lapels clearly visible.

    Fabrics

    Herringbone pattern: what it is and how to wear it

    What the herringbone pattern is, how the broken twill weave makes it, how it differs from chevron and houndstooth, and how to wear herringbone jackets and coats.

  5. Folded black and white wool houndstooth cloth reveals its striped reverse on a pale oak table

    Fabrics

    Houndstooth pattern: what it is and how to wear it

    What the houndstooth pattern is, how it is woven, where the name comes from, how it differs from herringbone and glen plaid, and how to wear and care for it.

  6. A faded multicolor madras shirt lies on a weathered wooden deck with one cuff turned back.

    Fabrics

    Madras fabric: history, care and how to wear it

    What madras fabric is, where it comes from, why bleeding madras runs in the wash, how it differs from other plaids, and how to wear and wash a madras shirt.

  7. Three folded merino sweaters in navy charcoal and oatmeal sit beside a tuft of raw white fleece

    Fabrics

    Merino wool: what it is and why it works

    What merino wool is, why it feels softer than ordinary wool, where it beats cotton and synthetics, its real drawbacks, and how to wear and wash merino clothing.

  8. A folded light blue oxford shirt with buttoned collar points sits in warm window light on off white linen.

    Fabrics

    Oxford cloth: why the oxford shirt works everywhere

    What an oxford cloth shirt is: the basketweave, oxford vs pinpoint and royal oxford, how it compares to a dress shirt, how to wear it and how to care for it.

  9. Folded green, navy and red wool tartan cloth rests on a pale stone surface in soft daylight.

    Fabrics

    Plaid vs tartan: what is the difference

    Plaid vs tartan explained: what each word means in Scotland and North America, how a real tartan is built, who may wear one, and how to wear plaid well.

  10. Folded cotton and polyester shirts show an absorbed wet patch and a single beaded water drop

    Fabrics

    Polyester vs cotton: which fabric to choose

    Polyester vs cotton compared honestly: comfort, heat, sweat, odor, durability, skin and the environment, plus how to tell them apart and when a blend is best.

  11. A neatly folded blue and white seersucker shirt rests on a weathered white wooden table with one cuff rolled.

    Fabrics

    Seersucker: the summer fabric explained

    What seersucker is, how its puckered stripes are woven, why it keeps you cool, where it came from, and how to wear a seersucker suit, shirt or dress in summer.

  12. A folded camel cashmere sweater rests on off white linen beside a small tuft of raw fiber

    Fabrics

    What is cashmere, and is it worth it

    What is cashmere: the goat undercoat it comes from, why it costs more than wool, how to judge a cashmere sweater in the store, and how to keep it soft for years.

  13. Dark raw denim jeans are folded on a pale table with a cuff revealing the white face and striped selvedge.

    Fabrics

    What is denim? Raw, selvedge and stretch explained

    What denim is made of, why it is blue, how it differs from jeans, and what raw, selvedge, sanforized and stretch denim mean when you shop for jeans or a jacket.

  14. Three folded flannel shirts in charcoal and muted checks show their soft brushed texture in morning light.

    Fabrics

    What is flannel fabric

    What flannel is and how brushing makes it soft and warm, flannel vs plaid, wool vs cotton flannel, how to wear flannel shirts and trousers, and how to wash it.

  15. A folded oatmeal linen shirt sits beside a tied bundle of dried golden flax on a rustic table

    Fabrics

    What is linen, and why does it wrinkle?

    What linen is made of, how flax becomes fabric, why linen wrinkles, how it compares with cotton, and how to wear and care for linen clothes and sheets.

  16. A hand lifts fluid black modal fabric beside a neatly folded white cotton shirt

    Fabrics

    What is modal fabric, and is it better than cotton?

    What modal fabric is made of, why it feels so soft, how it compares with cotton, whether it is plastic or toxic, and how to wash modal so it stays smooth.

  17. A crisp white poplin shirt is neatly folded on an off white linen surface in soft daylight.

    Fabrics

    What is poplin fabric?

    What poplin is, how the tight plain weave makes it smooth and crisp, how it compares with cotton, oxford and twill, and how to wash it so it does not shrink.

  18. Muted floral rayon fabric falls in fluid folds over the edge of a pale wooden table in soft window light.

    Fabrics

    What is rayon? The fabric made from wood

    What is rayon made of, is it natural or synthetic, and is it any good? How it is made, how it wears, how it compares with cotton and polyester, and how to wash it.

  19. Champagne satin drapes over a pale wood table with one fold revealing its matte reverse.

    Fabrics

    What is satin, and how is it different from silk

    What satin is (a weave, not a fiber), how satin differs from silk, how to tell good satin from cheap, where it works, and how to wash it without water spots.

  20. A woman smooths pale sage lyocell sateen sheets across a softly lit bed

    Fabrics

    What is Tencel? Lyocell fabric explained

    What Tencel is, how lyocell is made from wood, whether it is natural, how it compares with cotton and modal, why Tencel sheets feel cool, and how to wash it.

  21. A brown and green flecked tweed jacket hangs over a wooden chair beside a clothes brush

    Fabrics

    What is tweed? The fabric explained, and how to wear it

    What tweed fabric is, how it got its name, the main types from Harris to Donegal, whether it itches or sheds rain, and how to wear and care for it.

  22. Khaki cotton twill lies folded on an off white surface with diagonal texture and its pale reverse visible.

    Fabrics

    What is twill fabric, and what is it good for

    What is twill? The weave behind jeans, chinos and gabardine: how to spot the diagonal, what twill is made of, where it works, and how it compares to cotton.

  23. A bottle green velvet jacket hangs over a pale chair with raking light revealing the directional pile.

    Fabrics

    What is velvet, and how to care for it

    What velvet is and how its dense pile is woven, silk vs cotton vs polyester velvet, velvet vs velveteen and velour, how to wear it and how to care for it.

  24. A navy floral viscose midi dress hangs against a warm plaster wall with its fluid skirt lifted in a gentle swing

    Fabrics

    What is viscose fabric, and is it any good?

    What viscose is, why it is the same thing as rayon, how to judge good viscose, how it compares with cotton and polyester, and how to wash it without shrinking.