Huddersfield Cloth

A
History
of
Cloth
t. 0044 (0) 845 6809 245 Collection
Toll Free 1 866 608 9854 (US Only)
Head Office: Storths Mill, 139A Wakefield Road,
Huddersfield, England HD5 9AN
www.huddersfieldcloth.com
Insta
Contents
1
The history of cloth in Huddersfield
2
A history of tailoring
3/6
Suiting cloths a literal understanding
7/9
Elements of the suit
10/11
The collection
12
What makes a man look great
13/14
The difference between woollen & worsted garments
15/17
A word on weaving and durability
18/20
Sheep breeds and their characteristics
21/22
Wools and speciality fibres
23
A-Z glossary of terms
24
Yards to metres conversion table
The history of cloth in Huddersfield
The West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield
is situated at the convergence of the rivers
Colne and Holme. Inhabitants of these river
valleys discovered that the water – which
flows from the Millstone Grit Pennine hills
– gave excellent results for the washing of
raw wool.
The cloth manufacturers are also responsible
for many of the names by which Englishmen
are known, for instance, Weaver, Walker,
Fuller and Dyer. An unmarried woman is still
known as a spinster.
The name ‘Made in Huddersfield, England’
became a highly revered global brand,
which appeared on the selvedges of many
fabrics worldwide. These high quality fabrics
were the choice of Kings and Princes alike.
Today – with all the results of technological achievement
throughout the world influencing our lives, woollen and worsted
cloth is still regarded as the ideal clothing by most people
living in moderate and cool countries. The British, made in
Huddersfield label is linked with the best in woollen and worsted
cloth, and carries a cachet which is indisputable.
And so the wool textile industry was born.
The industry was traditionally cottage
based, with spinning and weaving often
taking place in the same dwelling. Many of
the workers operated from smallholdings,
supplementing their income with the
manufacturing of wool textiles. The finished
cloth they produced was then sold through
merchants who regularly attended the
town’s Cloth Hall.
But then came the industrial revolution
of the 19th Century, bringing with it great
change and unrest to these valleys as the
wool textile industry became mill-based
and mechanised. This led to troubled times
as large-scale mill production took over
and, due to the scale of industrialisation,
virtually all the valleys’ inhabitants were left
with little option but to take their skills into
the mills. They undertook the processes
of scouring, carding, spinning, weaving,
dyeing and finishing as many of the mills
were totally vertical and carried out all
processes. Manufacture of these fine fabrics
demanded a high level of expertise and
Huddersfield quickly became synonymous
with fine woollen and later, fine worsted
cloth manufacture.
Although the methods of converting raw
wool into cloth have changed vastly over the
years, with the introduction of new forms of
power and new types of machinery, it still
remains an industry in which the individual
craftsman is of great importance. It is also
an industry mainly in the hands of long
established companies with years of
experience and tradition behind them. Fine
woollen and worsted manufacture became
a Huddersfield tradition, with skills and
expertise handed down from generationto-generation.
Often the same families were employed in
the same mills for three generations.
The boom period for textiles, in the late
19th and early 20th Century, made many
industrialists very wealthy, which can be
seen in some of the grand architecture of
both the town and its mills.
The provision of woollen coverings, firstly in
the form of raw wool and later in clothes,
has been a trade of great importance in
England for more than 600 years. Even
today the Lord Chancellor of England sits
in the House of Lords on a woolsack- a
reminder of the fact it was wool which first
bought prosperity to England in the Middle
Ages. Magnificent churches and gracious
houses can be seen in many parts of
England, even in quiet small villages, which
owe their existence to the wool and cloth
trade.
1
Unfortunately, with the decline of business
in the early-mid 20th Century, many of the
mills, which once clothed the world, now
stand silent or have lent themselves to new
uses. Those which remain are specialised
niche businesses, still continuing the
traditions of textile manufacture in a very
demanding marketplace. In fact many
people now want to know and understand
the early skills of woollen manufacture, and
how to work with and use wool.
As a company that is continuing that
tradition, and passing the knowledge from
generation to generation in our own family,
we are immensely proud of our textile
heritage and the legacy it left us. Whilst
our industry may have diminished, we
indisputably still to this day are unsurpassed
in the quality of cloths we make.
The History of Tailoring
The knowledge and art of tailoring, of
cutting and sewing cloth, actually creating
clothes from a bespoke pattern, developed
slowly and progressively in Europe between
the twelfth and fourteenth centuries AD.
The earliest Oxford English Dictionary’s
reference to the word “tailor” gives the
specific date as 1297; but it is widely
believed by that date tailoring guilds,
weavers guilds, and cloth merchants were
already significantly established in Europe.
Looking back to the Middle Ages, clothing
had one purpose “to concealing the body”.
However with coming of the Renaissance
period; regard for the human form became
prominent. This period lead to the birth of
tailoring and, in fact the very birth of fashion.
Today – with all the results of technological
achievement throughout the world
influencing our lives, woollen and worsted
cloth is still regarded as the ideal clothing
by most people living in moderate and cool
countries. The British, made in Huddersfield
label is linked with the best in woollen and
worsted cloth, and carries a cachet which is
indisputable.
Ultimately leading to skilled artisans,
talented cutters (the one who makes the
pattern) and master tailors (the one who
does the sewing) joining the leagues of
other significant craftsmen as important
members of society.
Master tailors in the growing towns
eventually became responsible for the
clothing needs of society, and the art
and science of tailoring became a highly
specialised,
complex,
and
jealously
guarded craft.
Villages became towns, towns became
cities and fashions, trends and styles
flowed as an unstoppable force through
these communities. Europe’s major
countries soon began to develop their own
identities, First Italy, then Spain, ultimately
glorious France; becoming the centre for
fashionable dress especially amongst the
powerful, the wealthy, and the influential.
Italy’s first fashion boom began during the
time of Michael Angelo, followed by Spain
during early part of the 17th century.
But France with its foppish young men
from all over Europe flocking to Paris for
their wardrobes, the time of the Musketeers
reached her own fashionable peak for
tailoring during the long reign of Louis XIV
(1643 - 1715).
2
Suiting cloths a literal understanding
A comprehensive understanding about
Suiting Fabrics and Cloths is vital to any
sales back story.
You need to be able to match colours to
people – helping them to create more
effective looks.
Suit fabric really does make the suit literally
and figuratively. Linen, polyester, wool,
cotton, tweed, herringbone, flannel, silk,
poplin, seersucker, and cashmere, are the
materials that usually make up a suit.
A man’s suit produced of polyester will feel
entirely different to the wearer to that made
of 100% Luxury made in Huddersfield
Super 120 Wool. Also note a suits price and
value will vary greatly depending on what
kind of material it is made up of.
Fabric Texture
Nature
Cashmere Extremelysoft,Luxurious,
comfortable to the skin.
Cotton Light, breathable, comfortable to the skin.
Flannel Heavy, Soft, and extremely durable.
Herringbone Luxurious, durable, and hard to wrinkle.
Linen Washable, light, Fashionable.
Poplin Lightweight, soft, and smooth.
Seersucker Soft and warm.
Silk Smooth, light, soft, shimmering appearance under light.
Tweed Heavy, durable, and hard to wrinkle.
Wool Durable, versatile, can be all of the above in various weights.
Cotton
The cotton suit isn’t the most popular
suit on the market, but cotton is the most
popular fabric for clothing. Cotton is a soft,
fluffy staple fibre that grows in a boll, or
protective capsule, around the seeds of
cotton plants of the genus Gossypium.
The fibre is almost pure cellulose. Under
natural conditions, the cotton bolls will tend
to increase the dispersion of the seeds.
Cotton comes in many grades hence it’s
most popular use in Shirt fabrics, however
in regards to suiting it wrinkles easy and is
not meant for all types of suits. As always
there are advantages and disadvantages to
wearing one.
This material is light and breathable a
perfect comfort choice. Also the material is
inexpensive and therefore these garments
are usually much less expensive than their
wool counterparts.
Different types of cotton fabric Diaper Cloth
is a twill, dobby or plain woven absorbent
cotton fabric.
Dimity is sheer, thin, white or printed fabric
with lengthwise cords, stripes or checks.
Drill is a strong twilled cotton fabric, used in
men’s and women’s slacks.
Duck is a heavy, durable tightly woven
fabric. Heavy weight drill is used in awnings,
tents, etc. Lighter duck is used in summer
clothing.
Flannel cotton is plain or twill weave with a
slight nap on one or both sides.
Flannelette is a soft cotton fabric with a nap
on one side.
Gauze is a sheer, lightly woven fabric similar
to cheesecloth. Is also made in silk.
Gingham is a lightweight, washable, stout
fabric that is woven in checks, plaids or
stripes.
Cashmere
Cashmere suits are highly coveted for their
soft feel and quality of fibres. Cashmere
wool, known simply as cashmere, is a fibre
obtained primarily from Cashmere goats.
The word cashmere derives from an old
spelling of Kashmir.
The quality of this material is well known
and coveted among consumers. Cashmere
is great to have close to the skin when you
live in an area with rapid climate changes.
This is because it tends to insulate you
depending on the moisture levels of the air.
Another great benefit is that it is softer than
even linen or cotton.
Lawn is a plain weave, soft, very light,
combed cotton fabric with a crisp finish.
Muslin is a sheer to coarse plain woven
cotton fabric. Muslin comes in “natural”
colour or is dyed.
Organdy is a very thin, transparent cotton
with a crisp finish.
Outing flannel is a soft, twill or plain weave
fabric napped on both sides. Used
3
Suiting cloths a literal understanding
Oxford is shirting fabric with a lustrous, soft
finish. It is characterized with narrow stripes
and can be woven in plain or basket weave.
Also a term used for wool fabric that has
black and white fibres.
Percale is a light weight, closely woven,
sturdy fabric that can be found printed or in
dark or light colours.
Pima Cotton from Egyptian cotton, is an
excellent quality cotton fabric.
Polished Cotton is either a satin weave
cotton or a plain weave cotton that is
finished chemically to appear shiny.
Poplin is a plain weave fabric with a crosswise rib.
Sailcloth is a very strong, heavy canvas or
duck made in plain weave.
Herringbone
Poplin
The herringbone suit is much like the tweed
suit in weight and feel. Its zig-zag pattern is
the defining feature - you will find this type of
suit in vintage 1940’s models but are unlikely
to find one new.
The poplin suit is made of a combination of
lightweight fabrics which often include: silk,
cotton, worsted wool and even polyester.
This silky smooth material is highly sort
after. Poplin is lightweight and makes a
great summer suit. Also the silky smooth
feel to the fabric makes it a great luxury suit,
ideal for those luxury summer events.
Today, modern cloths take inspiration from
the pattern, and thus can be often found at
any weight in many varied colours.
Seersucker
Linen
A linen suit is ideal for warmer climates and
summer months.
Linen is one of the oldest materials in the
world and has many advantages.
This material is light, resistant to moisture
and available in many bright and pastel
colours, thus a great summer choice.
Sateen is a satin weave cotton fabric.
Seersucker is a lightweight cotton fabric
crinkled into lengthwise stripes.
Swiss is a sheer, very fine cotton that can
be plain or decorated with dots or other
designs.
Terry Cloth is a looped pile fabric that is
either woven or knitted. Very absorbent and
used for towels, etc. French terry cloth is
looped on one side and sheared pile on the
other.
Velveteen is an all cotton pile fabric with
short pile resembling velvet.
Whipcord Cotton Fabric It is a strong
cotton fabric with diagonal round cords that
can also be produced in wool.
Flannel
The flannel suit is made from thick worsted
wool or a wool/cotton mix. It is similar to
tweed suiting in this regard but much softer
to the feel. Flannel is heavy enough to make
a great early winter suit but not quite heavy
enough for the coldest of days. It can also
to be useful in spring and fall temperatures.
The versatility of this fabric gives it the ability
to provide both plain and textured patterns;
its soft gentle feel makes it more luxurious
than more traditional winter cloths. Suits
made from Flannel are most rare; normally
its used for more casual sports jackets.
Although this suit will be lighter than most
winter suits, it is still a cooler weather suit
and can be uncomfortable to wear in the
hot summer months.
4
Seersucker suits are a type of cotton suit
specifically made for warm weather. These
garments are great for keeping cool in late
spring through summer.
Materials are woven differently from the
traditional cotton clothing. Strands of fabric
are bunched together in some areas of the
design to help keep the jackets and pants
away from your skin.
Colours are traditionally white with blue
stripes, but as you can imagine is
Suiting cloths a literal understanding
Silk
Very Rare, silk is often used to blend with
a luxury wool for stability as Silk suits wear
very quickly (Ironically Silk originates from
the same insects that ruin suits...moths.) A
Suit made of pure silk is considered to be
the most comfortable suit of all. Extremely
smooth and cool to the touch, its a
shimmering material.
Donegal was originally a thick and warm
homespun or tweed woven by Irish peasants
in Donegal, Ireland. Donegal now describes
the wool tweed that has colourful thick slubs
woven into the fabric.
Felt fabric is a compact sheet of entangled,
not woven wool or fur fibres. The felt is
produced by processing a mat of fibres with
moisture, heat, and pressure.
Flannel wool is a soft, lightweight fabric
with a nap on one or both sides.
Gabardine is a tightly woven wool twill with
a high sheen. This fabric is excellent for
tailoring and wears well.
Glen checks are usually seen in menswear
and originated in Scotland. It is characterized
by a variety of small, even check designs.
Harris tweed is a hand woven fabric from
Scotland with a soft feel.
Tweed
Heather Mixture describes tweeds and
homespun’s that have colours of heather and
sand of the Scottish heather fields.
Tweed suits are a heavy form of wool suit.
Traditionally from Scotland (Harris Tweed)
They are made from a coarse woollen
yarn and have a traditional pattern created
by combining three different colour yarns
strings. The yarns are twilled, leaving a
distinctive pattern not found on other types
of suits. More often than not only used for
sports jacketing, and country wear. Ladies
love Tweed suits.
Herringbone wool is woven in a twill that
is reversed at regular spacing, creating a
sawtooth line.
Glossary of Wool Fabric and Weaves
Wool Fabric types
Jersey is a knit fabric that is usually knit in fine
wool but can also be found in silk, and manmade fibres.
Beaver cloth is a heavy woollen
overcoating, napped and pressed down to
resemble beaver fur.
Laine is French for “wool”.
Botany/Merino wool is a fine wool fabric
made from worsted wool yarn.
resembling cashmere. This term is also
used to describe the finest wools.
Oatmeal Cloth is a durable, soft wool with
a pebbled face Panama Cloth a plain woven
worsted wool, sometimes resembling the
texture of Panama hat.
Petersham a very thick, waterproof woollen
coating, usually dark blue, is used for men’s
trousers or heavy coats.
Pilot Cloth is a coarse, heavy, stout twilled
woollen that is heavily napped and navy
blue. Used by seamen.
Poodle Cloth is made with a boucle yarn
and resembles the Poodle dog.
Rabbit Hair is used in woven wool’s as a
substitute for vicuna to give a soft effect in
the fabric.
Sharkskin is woven with warp and filling
yarns of alternating white with black, brown
or blue.
Tartan is a twilled plaid design, originally
Scottish.
Homespun is a loose, strong, durable
woollen woven either by hand or machine
with a coarse feel.
Houndstooth check has a four pointed
star check in a broken twill weave.
Lambsdown is a heavy knit fabric that has
a spongyfleeced nap on one side.
Broadcloth is an all woollen or worsted fabric
with a velvety feel.
Linsey-woolsey is a coarse fabric
first made in Lindsey, England, of wool
combined with flax or cotton.
Challis a light weight soft wool fabric in
plain weave, has a printed or woven design
or flowers.
Loden fabric is a thick, soft, waterproof,
windproof, wool used in outerwear that has
a characteristic green colour.
Cheviot usually Scotch wool is a soft, fine
wool that is heavier than serge.
Mackinaw fabric is a heavy double fabric in
striking coloured patterns.
Chinchilla cloth is a heavy, spongy woollen
overcoat fabric with a long nap that has been
rubbed into a curly, nubby finish.
Melton a heavy, thick, short napped woven
fabric that has been fulled.
Merino
wool
is
soft
5
and
luxurious,
Tweed is a rough textured wool, originally
homespun and slightly felted. This fabric is
sturdy with a mottled colour.
Virgin Wool Fabric It is wool that has never
been processed into wool fabric.
Wool
Wool suits are currently the most popular
suits on the market for obvious reasons.
There are many different types of wool suiting.
Wool can be made up from many differing
wool grades and is produced in many
different forms, e.g. worsted, milled, super
grades and more, it can even be spun at
different speeds to provide different comfort
levels, whilst being blended with other fibres
(cashmere, silk and more) This material can
be spun at super 90’s all the way up to
super 200’s. The higher the number the
higher the quality.
6
Elements of the suit
There are many possible variations in the
choice of the style, the garments and the
details of a suit.
Contents
(where they are not).
To strengthen the fastening, a functional
inner button, called the jigger, is usually
added to parallel fasten the over-lapped
layers together from the inside.
Fabric The Cut
JacketVents
Front Buttons
Waistcoats
`lapelsTrousers
PocketsBreeches
Sleeves
The original double-breasted jacket has six
buttons, with three to close. This originated
from the naval reefer jacket.
The four-button double-breasted jacket
that buttons at the lower button is often
called the “Kent”, after the man who made
it popular—the Duke of Kent.
The Cut
Single Breasted
The silhouette of a suit is its outline.
Tailored balance created from a canvas
fitting allows a balanced silhouette so a
jacket need not be buttoned and a garment
is not too tight or too loose.
The term single-breasted refers to a coat,
jacket or similar garment having one column
of buttons a narrow overlap of fabric. In
contrast, a double-breasted coat has a wider
overlap and two parallel rows of buttons.
Single-breasted suit jackets and blazers
typically have two or three buttons (jackets
with one or four buttons exist, but are not
common), and a notch lapel.
A proper garment is shaped from the neck
to the chest and shoulders to drape without
wrinkles from tension.
Shape is the essential part of tailoring that
often takes hand work from the start.
The two main cuts are:
However, from the 1930’s onwards, peaked
lapels, often on a single button jacket, have
been variably in fashion, and this is now a
classic.
1) double-breasted suits, a conservative
design with two vertical rows of buttons,
spanned by a large overlap of the left and
right sides.
The width of the lapels is one of the most
changeable aspects of this jacket, and narrow
peak lapels on single-breasted jackets has
became popular during the 2000’s.
2) single-breasted suits, in which the sides
just meet at the front down a single row of
buttons.
Good tailoring anywhere in the world is
characterised by strongly tapered sides and
minimal shoulder, whereas often rack suits
are padded to reduce labour. More casual
suits are characterized by less construction
and tailoring, much like the sack suit is a
loose American style.
Elements of the suit
Double Breasted
The term double-breasted refers to a coat or
jacket with wide, overlapping front flaps and
two parallel columns of buttons or snaps.
Modern double-breasted coats, one
column of buttons is decorative, while the
other functional.
There are 3 ways to make suits.
Ready made and altered “sizes” or pre-cut
shapes; a convenience that often is expressed
over time with wrinkles from poor shaping,
leading to distortion.
Made to measure that uses measurements,
not shaping, to achieve things like style,
lengths and horizontal measurements.
Custom, bespoke or tailoring-designed suit
that is cut from an actual personal pattern.
The Fabric
The other buttons, placed on the outside
edge of the coat breast, are either
decorative (non-functional) or functional,
allowing the overlap to fasten reversibly,
right lapel over left lapel.
Suits are made in a variety of fabrics most
commonly from wool. The two main yarns
produce worsteds (where the fibres are
combed before spinning) and woollens
7
These can be woven in a number of ways,
producing flannel, tweed, gabardine, and
fresco among others. These fabrics all have
different weights and feel,
Our fabrics have an S (or
Super S) number describing
the fineness of the fibres.
Although wool has traditionally
been associated with warm,
bulky clothing meant for
warding off cold weather,
advances in making finer and
finer fibre have made wool
suits acceptable for warmer
weather, as fabrics have
accordingly become lighter
and more supple.
Elements of the suit
For hot weather, linen is also
used, and in North America
cotton seersucker is worn.
Other materials are used
sometimes, such as cashmere.
Silk and silk blended with wool
are sometimes used. Synthetic
materials, while cheap, are very
rarely recommended by experts.
Worsteds
Worsted is a type of yarn, the cloth made
from this yarn, and a yarn weight category.
The name derives from Worstead, a village
in the English county of Norfolk.
The essential feature of worsted yarn is
straight, parallel fibres. Originally, long, fine
staple wool was spun to create worsted
yarn. Today, other long fibres are also used.
Worsted cloth is lightweight and has a
coarse texture. The weave is usually twill or
plain.
Twilled fabrics such as whipcord, gabardine
and serge are often made from worsted
yarn.
Worsted fabric made from wool has a
natural recovery, meaning that it is resilient
and quickly returns to its natural shape,
perfect for the best suits in the world.
Woollens
Woollen is a type of yarn made from carded
wool.
Woollen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and
full of air. It is thus a good insulator. With
Woollen yarn the fibres are combed to lie
parallel rather than carded, producing a
hard, strong yarn.
A woven woollen fabric is one which is
subjected to fabric finishing techniques
designed to add a directional pile - in that
the end consumer can ‘stroke’ the garment
in a single direction (shoulder to cuff etc.),
such as a casual jacket. This feels like the
fibres are directionally arranged.
The worsted processing route is more
complex and requires the removal of
short fibres and the use of a focused
mechanical process to make the individual
fibres parallel to each other; thus the yarn
formation process is significantly more
comprehensive and results in a very sleek
yarn which will offer a clean looking woven
fabric, such as for suitings.
The worsted process is significantly more
expensive.
Flannels
Typically used in sports jacketing, Flannel is
a soft woven fabric, of various fineness.
Flannel may be brushed to create extra
softness or remain unbrushed. The brushing
process is a mechanical process where a
fine metal brush rubs the fabric to create
fine fibres from the loosely spun yarns.
Flannel can be woven in either a twill weave
or plain weave. The weave is often hidden
by napping on one or both sides.
After weaving, it is napped once (the surface
of the cloth is raised to give a fussy feel to
it). then its bleached, dyed, or otherwise
treated, and then napped a second time.
Tweeds
Typically used in sports jacketing, Tweed is
a rough, unfinished woollen fabric, of a soft,
open, flexible texture.
Made in either plain or twill weave and
may have a check or herringbone pattern.
Subdued, interesting colour effects (heather
mixtures) are obtained by twisting together
differently coloured woollen strands into a
two or three ply yarn.
8
Harris Tweed is the best know of all Tweeds:
A cloth hand-woven by the islanders on the
Isles of Harris, Lewis, Uist and Barra in the
Outer Hebrides of Scotland, using local
wool.
Gabardine
Gabardine is a tough, tightly woven fabric
used to make suits, overcoats, trousers,
uniforms,
windbreakers
and
other
garments.
The fibre used to make the fabric is
traditionally worsted wool, but may also be
cotton, texturised polyester or a blend.
Gabardine is woven as a warp-faced steep
or regular twill, with a prominent diagonal
rib on the face and a smooth surface on the
back. It always has many more warp than
weft yarns.
A suit made in Gabardine will typically be
very warm as the yarns are so tightly woven
together.
Super Grades
An S number on the label of a wool suit,
or other tailored wool apparel, indicates
the fineness of the wool fibre, but more
commonly the cloth reference. A cloth
with a super number is considered more
often than not the best cloths. Hence our
prominent ranges.
Now used Super means pure new wool
and can also be used for fabrics made
from wool blended with rare fibre (such as
mohair, cashmere wool and alpaca), and
also with silk.
Elements of the suit
Super Grades (cont.)
The S numbers for fine cloth state, with
precision,the fineness of the wool fibre used
in the cloth, as measured in micrometres.
Fibre fineness is one of the factors
determining the quality and performance of
the cloth.
You will see ranges of S100, S110,
S120, S120 & Cashmere, S130, S130 &
Cashmere, S150 & Cashmere, S160 &
Cashmere. With each increase in numerical
number, the weight per metre typically
lightens.
The Jacket
Jacket Buttons
Most single-breasted suits have two or
three buttons, and one or four buttons are
unusual.
Placement and style of buttons are critical
to the overall impression of height conveyed
by the jacket.
The centre or top button will typically line
up quite closely with the natural waistline.
Double-breasted jackets have only half their
outer buttons functional.
The second row is for display only, forcing
them to come in pairs. Rare jackets can
have as few as two buttons, six buttons
are typical, with two to button; the last pair
floats above the overlap.
The three buttons down each side may in
this case be in a straight line (the ‘keystone’
layout) or more commonly, the top pair is
half as far apart again as each pair in the
bottom square.
A four-button double-breasted
usually buttons in a square.
9
jacket
The layout of the buttons and the shape of
the lapel are co-ordinated in order to direct
the eyes of an observer. For example, if the
buttons are too low, or the lapel roll too
pronounced, the eyes are drawn down from
the face, and the waist appears larger.
Jacket Lapels
Jacket lapels are the folded flaps of cloth
on the front of a jacket or coat, and are
most commonly found on formal clothing
and suit jackets. Usually they are formed by
folding over the front edges of the jacket or
coat and sewing them to the collar, an extra
piece of fabric around the back of the neck,
as shown in the image.
There are three basic forms of lapels:
notched, peaked and shawl. Notched
lapels, the most common, are usually seen
on business suits. Peaked lapels are more
formal, and nearly always used on double
breasted jackets or coats. Shawl
The Collection
Aimbry
For over a thousand years, the hills around
Huddersfield have been the home to cottage
spinners and weavers. The oldest known
settlement in Huddersfield was in Almondbury,
one of our larger villages some 2 miles from the
modern main town, (Originally however it was
known by its pagan name of Aimbry).
The original settlers in Aimbry can be traced
back to AD75 with the Romans. The most
probable reason being the Roman troops were
slowly making their way through the country
solidifying their new Imperial rule.
Throughout all ages, clothing and textiles have
been pivotally important in evolutionary history
of Huddersfield and is directly reflected by the
local materials available i.e. Wool & Natural Soft
Water.
Ancient craftsmen settled here as Huddersfield
has a natural union of landscape, geology and
climate that is totally unique worldwide. These
distinctive conditions create an ideal micro
climate that is vital in creation of luxury cloth.
Our waters are created high up in the Pennine
hills, where prevailing southwest winds off the
Atlantic carry moisture-laden clouds onto the
our hillsides.
The resulting 50-plus inches of annual
rainfall saturates the surrounding landscape,
permeating
through
the
geological
fundamentals of local gritstone and shale.
By the time our water reaches the valley floor
it has been filtered and softened through layer
upon layer of stone, creating pure, clean,
consistent, soft water. In juxtaposition our
valley’s combination of cool climate and high
relative humidity, is a fabric finisher’s dream.
Textiles, defined as felt or spun fibres made into
yarn and subsequently netted, looped, knit or
woven to make fabrics, appeared as a main
source of trade in Huddersfield in the Middle
ages. From ancient times to the present day,
methods of textile production have continually
evolved, and today we still hold the enviable title
of the world best suiting cloth.
New Mill
One of Huddersfield’s most beautiful villages
– Rural, green and home of one of the world’s
most famous mills. An apt name for this
exclusive collection of suitings.
Huddersfield’s reputation and prosperity was
built around the textile industry and its fine
woollen worsteds are still sent to customers all
over the world. The boom created by the textile
industry provided a rich legacy of fine Victorian
buildings such as the railway station and its
town Hall.
Generations of experience and skills combined
with our knowledge of technology and fabric
give us the ability to develop exquisite cloths to
suit our client’s individual tastes. Only the very
best wools are good enough to carry our name.
Constant improvement through research
and design is another Huddersfield Cloth™
strength. This involves sourcing only the very
best to maintain our exclusivity, quality and
presence.
Magdale
The most beautiful of back water villages
you could ever imagine and home to one
of Huddersfield’s many natural spring water
systems.
Marsden
Truly the epicentre of original mills in
Huddersfield, this unique village was home to no
less than 5 mills in its hay-day. But what is more it
was also the passageway to the North.
The Standedge Tunnel, this most inspiring
feature of Victorian architecture is the longest,
deepest and highest canal tunnel in Britain. It is
5,500 yards (5029m) long and 638 feet (194m)
underground at the deepest point under the
south Pennines. The Tunnel was predominantly
built to services the textile trade in this village
by giving access to the rest of the countries
waterway systems.
By the beginning of the 19th Century Marsden
was entering into a period of prosperity not
seen before or since. Textile Mills sprang up all
around the village and the demand for labour
was so great that folks were brought up from
London to work for 13 hours a day at the
machinery. Eventually the many smaller mills
10
were superseded by five major enterprises.
Enoch Taylor and his brother James set up an
iron works in the village which was to produce
the machinery that sparked the Luddite revolt in
West Yorkshire and led to the murder of a local
mill owner in 1812. Enoch Taylor’s grave can still
be seen in the old churchyard.
So if you’ve ever been called a Luddite – you
now know where the name comes from…
The Collection
Dalton
Beautiful Dalton is one of the more intrinsic
parts of Huddersfield, this village was home
to a large proportion of the original mill
workers.
Without these skilled artisans the seven
mills in its vicinity would not have acclaimed
their greatness.
The workers of this village created the
spirit and heritage of centuries of weaving
in Huddersfield and throughout the ages
created the elegant cloths worn by true
gentleman the world over.
This collection of wonderful cloths is a
tribute to them and their contributions to
our modern world.
There are a number of reasons why the
woollen industry became established in
this area, most notably the herbage was
only suitable for the grazing of sheep and
appeared to give the fleece a finer, silkier
texture.
There was an abundant supply of water.
This was used for driving the early
machines used in the production of cloth
and also provided for the fulling and dyeing
processes.
this reservoir water was distributed for domestic and trade purposes.
These waterworks not only supplied the needs of the day, but contributed further to the
fast and dominating development of the local textile industry. There was an increase in the
number of mills along the river banks, making use of the water-power and at the same time
a tendency of the people to move to the lower parts of the valley to be nearer their work.
The abundant supply of water, coupled with the rich adjacent coal provisions provided
ample resources for use in driving the early machines used in the production of cloth and
also provided for the fulling and dyeing processes.
Huddersfield is unique
in its topography, her
cool climate, humid
conditions and abundant
natural resources all
added to the ancestral
equation that made
todays modern cloth
industry possible.
The water was soft, i.e. it percolated
through the peaty moorland which instilled
a subtle acid in it.
This acid was used as a solvent in the
washing and dyeing processes.
After the introduction of steam power the
area was ideally situated adjacent to rich
coal seams.
The Folly Hall Collection
Today’s Modern cloth companies would
probably not have come to pass if it were not
for this little known area of Huddersfield. As
the cloth industry and town itself developed
it became necessary to provide a more
adequate water supply and in 1743, it was
decreed that the first waterworks for the
town should be developed and a suitable
location should be sort.
The River Colne offered an accessible and
copious supply and on the left bank of the
river at Folly Hall a pumping engine, worked
by a waterwheel, was installed, hence the
name of Engine Bridge.
From here the water was conveyed in
wooden pipes to a storage reservoir. From
11
What makes a man look great
The next generation of cloth merchants
What truly makes a man look great? His
hair cut, the shine of his shoes, or the cut
of his suit?
It’s a question as old as time itself, but one
thing is for sure – the cloth maketh the suit.
Just ask any Savile Row Tailor.
For 100’s of years, Huddersfield in sleepy West
Yorkshire has held the pinnacle position for
producing the very best suiting cloth in the
world, its reputation and centuries old brand
has clothed the most prominent of figures,
from Prime Ministers to Presidents, but none
are so famous as it’s most celebrated client,
the fictional figure come spy Character –
James Bond.
But like every other seasoned industry in the
UK, time has taken its toll, and over the past
20 years with the advent of Global trading
and foreign competition, the vibrant towns
industry began to close their doors, getting
snapped up by property developers and
turned into trendy apartments, or student
accommodation for the ever-growing
University population.
But all is not lost; one company is helping to
fight back and shouting to the world we’re
still the best.
Huddersfield Cloth Ltd
Huddersfield cloth Ltd is the first company
of its kind, offering an online cloth merchants
service, supplying fabrics to tailors, men’s
speciality stores, custom clothiers, fabrics
shops and individuals of quintessential taste
from all around the world. All of whom access
a purchasing portal available 24 hours a day,
7 days a week.
“It’s Vital we get the next phase right” says
Global Sales Director Gavin Courtnell “we
continue to expand our full suite of Trade
services whilst keeping the online store live
for those innovative clients that know what
looks good, and want a bargain at the same
time”.
It seems the company philosophy for driving
this exclusive brand forward is two-fold,
firstly they attract global sales by having
a 24 hour trade portal open for tailors all
across the world, and secondly they have
the online shop, www.huddersfieldcloth.
com for the individual who wants to buy
their own cloth, and take it to their tailors.
“We don’t see why a cloth
merchant should only have to
serve trade” Says Managing
Director, Rian Taylor. “as bespoke
clothing is making a significant
comeback, it can’t remain
exclusive to the trade. An intelligent
consumer knows what they want,
they are web-educated and
online shopping in this manner is
happening all the time - opening
our doors to the public is just
common sense, and ultimately will
only serve to drive the Huddersfield
Worsted brand and tailoring in
general forward.”
He continues; “The main consequence
being we will make all the mills more
proactive to change and seasonal tastes,
and keep the towns 300 year industry fluid.”
Bespoking the image of traditional tailoring
and offering products that a mass market
can engage with is the way will absolutely
move the cloth industry forward, open the
doors to more of a consumer base, can
only serving the towns productivity levels.
But this is not the limit to Huddersfield
Cloth’s imagination – they have also tapped
into the sports club market by offering a
design service.
Sports clubs are now able to source the
colours they want on their club blazers and
order the cloth direct from Huddersfield
cloth on the shopping portal – the system
allows the customer to design any style
they like – so long as the are within the Pan
colour range.
As the company goes from strength to
strength, it seems that the next generation
of this Huddersfield brand will boldly go
where no cloth merchants have gone
before – who knows what will happen over
the next few
As the company goes from
strength to strength, it seems
that the next generation of
this Huddersfield brand will
boldly go where no cloth
merchants have gone before
– who knows what will
happen over the next few
12
The difference between woollen & worsted garments
Every Tailor is interested in the quality of
the fabric they sell. The quality of the raw
material partly determines both the type
of the fabric and the quality of the finished
cloth.
wools such as Lincoln and Leicester are
spun for lustres, whereas botany/merino is
spun into yarns for soft goods.
In cheviots a very soft twist is employed, so
that the finished cloth has a full, soft handle,
and a rough surface.
2. Method of spinning
4. Fold of yarns
The cloth is made by interlacing yarns
in a definite order, and it is, therefore, the
type and quality of the yarns which are of
importance in considering the value of the
cloth from the standpoint of its future use.
To put the matter in a simple form: a woven
fabric is a structure of interlaced yarns, and
yarns are composed of fibres.
Very different results may be obtained from
the same raw material according to the way
the yarn is prepared and spun. For example,
merino wool may be spun into a woollen or
a worsted yarn, and the two yarns are quite
different in appearance, handling and other
properties. The worsted yarn will be smooth
and compact, whereas the woollen yarn,
although made of the same raw material,
will be soft full and somewhat irregular.
Yarns may be single, two fold, three fold
or for special purposes many fold. Folded
yarns are used instead of single yarns
for many reasons; (a) add strength; (b)
add weight; (c) give a special handle or
appearance; and (d) produce fancy effects.
The quality of the yarn is, therefore, our next
consideration.
For convenience, the factors which modify
the quality of yarns may be classified as
follows;
1.
The nature and type of raw material
2. The method of spinning the raw material.
5. Special treatments applied to the yarns.
Let us consider the above points in more
detail.
1. Type of raw material
In practice the nature of the raw material
determines not only the method of
preparation and spinning of the yarn, but
also the future use of the yarn. Thus long
Yarns are sometimes subjected to special
treatments in order to produce novelty
effects, or to obtain a particular result. For
instance, certain classes of worsted yarns
are genapped, that is, they are made clean
and smooth by being passed through a
gas flame. Sometimes a surface heated
to a white heat is used for removing the
projecting fibre ends from the yarn. This is
also known as singeing or gassing.
Woollen and worsted
It is common knowledge that wool is spun
into two distinct types of yarns, worsted
and woollen.
The difference in these two yarns are mainly
due to two factors; (1) the nature or class of
wool used; and (2) the method of preparing.
3. The numbers of turns per
inch, or twist put into the yarn.
4.
The folding or ply of the yarns.
5. Special treatments
3. The Twist
By varying the twist, or turns per inch of
the yarn, the handle of the cloth may be
changes. In any case the yarn must be given
sufficient twist to hold the fibres together
firmly. Warp yarns are given more twist than
weft yarns to enable them to withstand the
strain during the weaving process.
Weft yarns require very little twist because
there is very little tension on them during
weaving.
Yarns which have been given an undue
amount of twist are liable to give the cloth a
harsh handle.
13
The difference between woollen & worsted garments
The worsted yarn spinner uses wool
fibres which have been combed and are
of a certain length, that is, about 2 inches
or more. Any wool which possesses the
requisite length and strength is used by the
spinner of worsted yarn.
That is, the fibres are thoroughly separated
from each other, and then they are mixed
freely so that they cross and recross each
other in all directions. Thus, in the woollen
yarn there is an entangled arrangement of
fibres.
The woollen yarn spinner can use wool
fibres which are quite short, this is, less than
2 inches, as well as longer fibres. In making
tweeds or homespuns, the woollen yarn
spinner uses longer wools.
They are not combed straight as in worsted
spinning. The woollen yarn possesses more
loose fibre than the worsted, is rougher
in appearance, and on its surface has
numerous projecting fibre ends.
Another point to note is that the woollen
yarn is not twisted so tightly as a worsted
yarn.
The loose structure of the woollen yarn
assists the shrinkage and felting of the fabric,
as the fibres which compose the woollen
yarn are enabled to become entangled with
each other. In the case of smooth worsted
yarns there are few loose fibre ends, and
in consequence there is little opportunity to
mat or felt. The amount of twist or turns per
inch put into a yarn has also its influence on
the contracting properties of the cloth into
which it is made.
On the other hand, yarns composed of
comparatively short fibres, from 2-4 inches,
are used in the manufacture of fine botany
(merino) worsteds. The length of fibre used
is thus not the chief difference between the
worsted and woollen yarn.
A close made from loosely spun yarns
will contract more in the milling and dying
The main difference between the two yarns
is in the arrangement of the fibres in the
yarn. It would be well for the reader to bear
this last point in mind. It is this difference in
the way the fibres are arrange in the yarn
that makes all the difference.
How does this difference arise?
Difference in preparation
In the first place a woollen yarn is prepared
differently from a worsted yarn. Wool fibres
which are require for worsted are first
carded and then combed and re-combed
until they lay parallel; also the short,
unsound and broken fibres are removed
by the combing machine. After repeated
combings the rope of fibres (known as a
sliver) is gradually drawn thinner until it is
of the required diameter; it is then tightly
twisted, thus producing a smooth, regular
and more or less lustrous yarn, the degree
of lustre depending upon the type of wool
used.
On the other hand the fibres that become
woollen yarns are not combed but carded.
14
operations than a cloth constructed of
tightly twisted yarns.
There is also a difference in the shrinking
properties of yarns according as to whether
they are dyed or undyed, although spun
from the same raw material.
A coloured yarn has already shrunk in the
dying process, and allowance must be
made when weaving the cloth so that the
correct finished width may be obtained.
How yarn structure affects finish
Let us consider another instance. Two
cloths, one woollen and one worsted may
be made from the same class of wool, and
both may be identical in structure and put
through the same finishing operations, yet
in the finished state the two cloths will be
quite distinct in appearance and handle.
This difference is entirely due to the
structure of the yarns used. Because
woollen and worsted yarns are dissimilar in
structure it is thus possible to produce wool
fabrics strikingly different in appearance
and handle.
A word on weaving and durability
To the uninitiated it should be explained
that there are numerous types of looms
for weaving every variety of cloth structure.
Broadly speaking, these looms may be
divided into three catagories.
(1) The Tappet, commonly known as the
plain loom, produces fabrics of simple
structure – plains, twills and satins either selfcoloured or striped in the warp, and requires
on one shuttle.
(2) The Dobby loom – weaves a larger design
than the Tappet and its sometimes used
for fancy striping effects in fancy worsted,
shirtings, etc.
(3) The Jacquard loom – produces designs
of a complicated nature beyond the scope
of the others.
In the weaving of any fabric by the interlacing
of threads, a loom of some kind is necessary,
and two sets of threads are required, one
the warp and the other the weft. The warp
usually comes from a heighted position
situated at the back of the loom, having first
been treated in the preparation department
in a manner suitable for the demands to be
made upon it when being interlaced with the
weft threads.
The weft threads are spun in the form
of cops, placed in a shuttle and thrown
between a top and bottom line of the warp
made by the shedding motion of the loom.
The fundamental principle of weaving is that
of dividing the warp threads into two lines,
the upper line containing all those which
require being above the weft thread and the
lower line those which require being beneath
it. The threads are lifted by the healds which
consist of a number of vertical cords or wires,
each having a loop or eye in the middle.
The Shedding Operation
(Explained in simple terms)
A thread passes through each eye, and in
the weaving operation the healds are lifted in
rotation according to the pattern required. In
this operation, which is known as shedding,
tappets are used for working the healds. The
shedding is effected to allow for the passage
of the shuttle (Or modern jet apparatus).
Another essential movement in the weaving
of a cloth is that of picking. In this movement
the shuttle carrying the weft is driven across
the loom through the shed formed by the
separation of the warp threads.
A third essential movement is that of beatingup. In this operation each weft thread, or
pick, placed in the shed by the shuttle is
forced into position, that is, it is placed in
line with the preceding pick, by means of
the sley and the reed. The reed advances
towards and recedes from the cloth after
each passage of the shuttle.
Secondary Motions
There are other or secondary motions all
of which are necessary for the successful
working of the loom, but the three movements
described above namely shedding picking
and beating-up are essential in the weaving
of a piece of cloth.
Factors affecting durability
The quality of many wool cloths depends
mainly on weight and the type of yarns used
in their manufacture. Therefore, in order to
judge quality with some degree of accuracy
it is necessary to understand the factors
which influence weight.
Weight controlling factor
In the production of all classes of woollen,
15
worsted or union fabrics, weight per yard
is a controlling factor. Now the weight per
yard is fixed by the thickness of the yarns
and their number in a given area of the cloth.
In other words, fabrics vary in weight with
the counts of yarns and settings applied in
their construction. It should be explained
that the term “Setting” refers to the number
of threads of which the cloth is composed
within a given width.
Thin or thick cloth
Instead of mentioning the weight of a cloth,
the thinness or thickness is sometimes
stated. In this connection, 4 oz. may be
taken to represent a very thin cloth, and 8
oz. a thin cloth for ladies wear.
For men’s wear, 9-12 oz. is a thin cloth
often classed as “Tropical” 12-14 oz. a
medium cloth 16-40 oz. a thick cloth. All the
intermediate weights are made, but there are
few cloths that are less than 4 oz. or more
than 40 oz. From a standpoint of weight,
worsteds may be thus classified:
• Light Fabrics up to 9 oz.
for 59 in. / 1.5 m. wide
• Medium Fabrics 9 oz. to 18 oz.
for 59 in. / 1.5 m. wide
• Heavy Fabrics above 18 oz.
for 59 in. / 1.5 m. wide.
Although weight may be an indication of
quality in a fabric, it should be remembered
that weight is not the only consideration
which determines the suitability of a given
cloth for a given purpose. A loosely built cloth
though consisting if thick yarns denoting
weight or substance may be inferior in wear
to a thinner
A word on weaving and durability
A compact cloth, that is, one in which the
warp and weft yarns are closely woven,
will be more durable than a heavier cloth of
loose construction.
The usual widths
From 60-70 in. is the usual width of cloths,
but they are milled and shrunk down to no
less than 60 in.
/ 1.5m which is the usual width for good
English makes. Many good cloths for
men’s wear, however do not exceed 56
in. and woollens for women’s wear are still
narrower.
Cheap cloths are often still narrower, and
the cheapest being narrower still (False
economy). For example, a botany worsted
suiting will be set 68 in. In the loom and
finished 56 in. On the other hand a Melton
84in. in the loom will have a finished width
of 56in. The contraction in woollen cloths is
a controlling factor in obtaining the required
weight per yard. In the milling operation the
warp and weft threads are compressed into a
reduced fabric area.
Strength of materials
The majority of woollen and worsted fabrics,
more especially those for men’s wear have
to be firm in construction, so as to give the
maximum amount of wear. Let us consider,
therefore, the factors which make for
strength in woven fabrics. It is well known in
the tailoring trade that worsted fabrics have
a higher breaking strain than woollen fabrics
made of the same counts and qualities of
yarn and identical in width and weave.
It has already been explain that woollen
yarn is irregular in diameter and the fibres
not very compactly twisted, whereas the
worsted yarn is regular and compact, even
when spun from the same class of wool as
a woollen yarn.
Regularity of yarn
The method of spinning a worsted yarn
produces a regular thread with a wellbalanced structure; a woollen yarn has not
the same regularity as a yarn spun on the
worsted principle. It is this regularity that
renders worsted superior to woollen yarn for
producing cloths of good tensile strength.
In brief, tensile strength in a woven fabric
is derived from evenness of yarn structure.
Tensile strength
It is possible, however to push the matter
still further back. Fabric quality depends on
yarn quality, and this in turn depends on the
quality of the raw material. Tensile strength
in the fabric has its source in the soundness
of the raw material.
Good yarns are made from sound fibres
and cannot be produced from unsound
16
raw material. If yarns vary in compactness
and consistency, the resultant texture will
be unsound.
Degree of twine
The degree of twine in the yarn, that is the
number of turns per inch, is another factor
which modifies the elasticity and wearing
characteristics of the fabric. The amount of
the twine in the yarn will change the firmness
and clearness of the cloth. A medium-spun
yarn has normally a higher breaking strain
that a soft-spun yarn and a more uniform
breaking strain than a hard-spun yarn.
By hard-spun is meant a yarn which has
been given an excessive number of turns per
inch. Soft-spun yarns give the cloth a degree
of suppleness but not tenacity of texture,
Medium-spun yarns i.e. those which are
neither under-twisted or over-twisted, are
the most reliable for producing cloths of the
greatest uniformity of quality. Loose or softspun yarns have low strength and are only
suitable for weft, and are specifically adapted
for cloths which require heavy milling and
a raised finish. Firm hard threads are chiefly
employed in the manufacturing of cord, rep,
gauze, leno fabrics and certain hard spun,
hard wearing tweed cloths, and are suitable
for some varieties of knitted goods. Mediumspun yarns are used in the weaving of
ordinary woollen and worsteds for everyday
wear.
A word on weaving and durability
Folded yarns
Effect of weave structure
Folded yarns have distinctive properties. A
yarn of two or more fold is stronger than
a single yarn of the same diameter, and a
folded yarn is therefore employed for giving
strength to a fabric rather than flexibility. In
the second place, folded yarns are superior
to single yarns in producing a clear, well
defined pattern. Thus a worsted fabric
woven from two-fold yarns will be stronger
but less supple than a fabric made from
single yarns of corresponding diameter.
Also, the single-yarn texture will be lacking
in clearness and precision as compared
with a texture woven from folded yarns. In
a cloth of whipcord pattern, for example,
the folded-warp yarn gives a clearly defined
twill effect. While the soft-spun weft will help
in giving a fabric a degree of suppleness.
The structure of a cloth is very important
from many points of view. The tailor, as a rule,
is not particularly interested in the weave
of the cloth he shows the customer, and
yet it is the weave structure which modifies
the tensile strength of the fabric, softness
of texture, and wearing efficiency. Without
going into technical details, it may be said
that the more frequently warp and weft are
interlaced the greater the tensile strength of
the fabric.
Influence of weave
Again, the type of weave may influence
the hardness, roughness, softness and
firmness of the cloth. Ordinary twills and
mats, for instance, produce fabrics of a
17
level surface; sateen-woven cloths have a
smooth, soft texture and the in fabrics of
mixed weaves the surface is rough but the
texture flexible.
Leaving out of consideration the nature
of the raw material, it may be stated as a
general principle that degrees of hardness,
smoothness and durability of texture are
frequently by weave formation.
Process of milling
The milling process both produces and
increases wearing quality in a woven fabric.
After the shrinkage, due to milling, the cloth
is firm and compact. The cloth usually
deteriorates in softness and elasticity,
but increases in firmness, strength and
durability.
Sheep breeds and their characteristics
Merino
Shetland
Blue-Faced Leicester
The Merino originated in Spain and is the
basis of southern hemisphere fine wool
production.
The Shetland is the smallest of the British
breeds found mainly on the Shetland
Islands. Believed to be of Scandinavian
origin, the breed produces wool in several
shades, including white, brown (moorit),
grey and black. The wool is fine, soft and
silky to the touch with a good, bulky down
characteristic. Production is fairly small
and much of the clip is consumed by the
islanders themselves. The wool varies in
quality from approximately
28-33microns and fibre length from 50120mm.
Blue-faced Leicester wool is classed as
long-wool with lustre. The breed evolved
during the 19th Century and originally came
from the Tyne and Wear valleys, and hills of
east Cumbria. It was sometimes referred to
as ‘Hexham Leicester’.
The breed grows well in arid conditions as
found in Australia, South Africa and parts
of New Zealand. The Merino of Australia is
the backbone of the largest wool producing
country in the world and this breed is the
only one grown purely for its wool.
The Merino ranges in micron from superfine,
12-13 microns to coarse, 25-26 microns, the
finest grown in Australia. The bulk of Merino
wool production is 20-23 microns. Staple
length varies from 30 90mm.
The name ‘Shetland’ has become generic,
but much of the knitwear available today
is not Shetland wool at all, but from wools
with a similar quality and appearance.
The wool is fine and dense with a good
lustre and is long. Therefore, it is well
suited to combing. The sheep produces
a fairly small weight of fleece for its size
and the fleece has been highly prized in
recent years for its likeness to mohair, for
production of attractive lustrous yarns with
good resilience.
The fleece is available in white and natural
brown hue.
Norwegian
Jacob
Masham
There is more than one breed of sheep in
Norway. The main breed in Norway is now
a crossbred sheep, produced by crossing
the Cheviot, which was imported from the
UK in the 1800’s, and the Dala and Steigar
breeds, native to Norway.
The origin of the Jacob or Spanish sheep is
not known with any certainty. The first flocks
in the UK were based on stock imported
from the former Cape Colony, having been
established there by settlers from Spain &
Portugal.
The wool produced from the first clip is shorn
in summer. It is approx. 29-36microns and
80-120mm long, which makes it suitable
for combing.
The fleece is mottled/patchy in appearance
with the dark patches becoming lighter
as the sheep matures. This breed is in
demand for handmade textiles as the range
of colours produced are more varied than
other breeds. The quality of the fibre ranges
from approx. 32 40microns and length, 80150mm.
The Masham, pronounced massam, is a
cross of Teeswater or Wensleydale ram with
Dalesbred or Swaledale ewes. The fleece
is very long and lustrous and the breed is
found mainly in the north of England.
The fleece is suited to combing due to its
length and is used in speciality products
due to its limited availability.
The fineness varies from approx. 3844microns and length approx. 150-380mm
This wool is suitable for felting, hand knitting
yarns and woven garments, where good
resilience is required.
18
Sheep breeds and their characteristics
Suffolk
Black Welsh
Gotland
This UK breed is classified as short-wool
and down. It is the most widely distributed
breed of all the British breeds. Its dense
fleece is suited to knitwear and any other
application where a good bulk is required.
This is the only purely black breed of sheep
to be found in the UK. Its fleece is fine
enough to be used in speciality products
and is long enough to be combed.
The Gotland is one of the oldest breeds,
predominantly grey and native to Sweden.
It is a cross-breed of Norfolk and Southdown
and has become a breed in its own right.
The wool of the Norfolk was used in the
original East Anglian cloths, which were
made in the medieval times, which is where
many of the cloths were produced at that
time.
The breed is classified as mountain and hill
and is found throughout the whole of the
UK but originated in the Welsh mountains
and uplands.
The fibre fineness is approx. 30-40microns
and the length, 80-100mm. It is quite bulky
but carries more dead hairs (kemps) than
other breeds. There is sufficient quantity of
this wool to be used commercially.
The breed has been exported in small flocks
to Norway, Denmark, the UK and USA. It is
native to the province of Gotland and is a
sheep from open pasture. It is commonly
known as the Swedish Pelt Sheep.
Lambs-wool of this breed is in demand for
its softness and lustre, being long enough to
be combed. The older sheep-wool is a little
too coarse. The fleece is also quite curly
and similar in some ways to mohair. The
fibre fineness ranges from 30- 44microns
with the lambs-wool at the finer end.
The length is approx. 80 150mm.
Wensleydale
Teeswater
Corriedale
This UK breed is classified as a longwool
and lustre.
This UK breed is classified as longwool and
lustre and is found in Northern England.
Found mainly in the north of England. It is a
hornless sheep with a blue face.
When crossed with other hill breeds, such
as the Swaledale, it produces a halfbred
sheep called Teeswater halfbred, more
commonly known as the Masham.
This is a New Zealand sheep breed,
produced by crossing merino sheep
with Lincoln and Leicester to produce
a sheep with sound, long staple in the
crossbreed range. The breed is now farmed
internationally, including Australia and the
USA.
It has a fairly curly and very long fleece.
It is often used for blending with finer but
shorter stapled wools, where a strong yarn
is required.
The wool is approx. 40-50microns and
200- 300mm long.
The sheep produces a long curly and
lustrous fleece, a characteristic which is
passed onto the Masham. The wool is
approx. 40-60microns with a staple length
approx. 150 300mm.
19
The fleece is a bright white with good crimp
and soft handle and is very even. The wool
produced is approx. 25-30microns and
staple length, 80-120mm.
Sheep breeds and their characteristics
Cheviot
Falkland
Swaledale
This UK breed is classified as mountain and
hill. It is found in the uplands of the Scottish
borders, Northumberland, South Wales,
Canada, Scandinavia, USA, South Africa
and New Zealand.
The term, Falkland wool, refers to wool
grown only on the Falkland Islands. The
wool clip from these islands is a very
good white and is grown from Merino and
Polwarth breeds. The majority of the wool
produced emanates from the Polwarth. The
clip is relatively small compared to other
world clips and was, until recently sold
predominantly through the UK.
This UK breed is classified as mountain
and hill and is found predominantly in
the northern counties of England and the
Pennine hills. The fleece varies in colour
from white to grey, being a similar breed in
appearance to the Blackface sheep. So,
the overall appearance is light grey.
The fleece varies in quality from fine to
coarse, making this wool very versatile. It
is of a good, white colour overall making it
suitable for filling purposes where a good
white background is required. The wool
found its popularity in the Cheviot suitings/
fabrics, typical of Scottish border town
production and is found in blankets, rugs
and hosiery articles. The fineness is approx.
30-40microns and length, 80-100mm.
Fineness ranges from 18/19microns to
32/33microns with the bulk of the wool
being in the 27- 30microns category.
The length is 80- 100mm with the fleece
showing good bulkiness and soft handle.
It can be considered better than Australian
grown wool, especially for knitting yarn,
where good bulk is required.
The wool is predominantly used in carpet
yarns and rug yarns due to its excellent
resilience and hard wearing properties.
Some wool finds its use in hand-knitting
yarns. The fineness is approx. 40 60microns
and length, 100-200mm.
Wensleydale
Teeswater
The Huddersfield Touch
This UK breed is classified as a longwool
and lustre.
This UK breed is classified as longwool and
lustre and is found in Northern England.
Whatever the source, one thing is clear British manufacturing leads the world in
quality.
Found mainly in the north of England. It is a
hornless sheep with a blue face.
When crossed with other hill breeds, such
as the Swaledale, it produces a halfbred
sheep called Teeswater halfbred, more
commonly known as the Masham.
It has a fairly curly and very long fleece.
It is often used for blending with finer but
shorter stapled wools, where a strong yarn
is required.
The wool is approx. 40-50microns and
200- 300mm long.
The sheep produces a long curly and
lustrous fleece, a characteristic which is
passed onto the Masham. The wool is
approx. 40-60microns with a staple length
approx. 150 300mm.
20
Huddersfield’s rich history, vast experience
and enduring international legacy make it
the home of suiting cloth, and a product
that any gentleman, whatver his position,
will find satisfying.
However, all would be for nought were it
not for the dedication of sheep farmers the
world over.
Wools and speciality fibres
Varieties of wool
Crossbred
In the manufacture of woollen and worsted
fabrics a wide range of wools is used as well
as other textile materials such as Cotton,
Rayon and Silk. In the worsted industry
short wools such as merino, medium wools
like the crossbred types, and long wools as
exemplified by Lincoln wool, mohair and
alpaca, are employed.
Crossbred wools are obtained from cross
breeds of sheep, and the length of fibres
varies from 6 to 10 inches.
In the woollen trade shorter wools are
used, usually those wool fibres which are
too short for spinning into worsted yarns.
In addition the spinner of woollen yarns use
noils, shoddy, mungo, flocks, extract and
certain non-wool fibres.
and wool from the Blackfaced sheep of
the Scottish Highlands is much used in
producing Homespuns.
Mungo
They are slightly lustrous, less wavy that
the merino wools, and their felting power
is not very good. Crossbred wool comes
from New Zealand, Australia and South
America, and is used in the production of
medium serges, gabardines, whipcords,
cheap suitings, medium quality coatings,
etc. Like merino, crossbred wool is divided
into three classes, namely, fine, medium
and coarse, so that the above mentioned
cloths are manufactured in different qualities
according to the grade of wool used.
Mungo is usually a shorter and finer fibre
than shoddy, as it is obtained from felted
materials, whereas shoddy is got from
unfelted goods. In tearing up felted fabrics
like Naps and Meltons the fibres are broken
in the process and therefor short.
The long wools, like those obtained from
the Lincoln or Leicester breeds, certain types
of crossbred, mohair and alpaca, are very
lustrous, straight, and lack felting property.
The Lincoln and Leicester wools are used for
bright serges, dress goods and a wide variety
of coarse fabrics. The long bright crossbred
wools are employed for cheap serges,
lastings, linings, Sicilians, and yarns for braids
and backings.
Cashmere
It is frequently used as blending material
with new wool or with cotton and spun
into coarse yarns suitable for weft in
cheap blazer cloths, homespuns, nap
overcoatings and pilot cloths.
Merino wool
Merino is the finest of all wools; it is a soft,
crimpy fibre, and possesses good felting
power.
Merino wool fibre varies in length from 2 to
5 inches and is used for both woollens and
worsteds in the manufacture of the finest
cloths. The term botany is applied to all
classes of merino or fine wools. Originally
“Botany” meant merino wool grown near
Botany Bay, Australia. Merino wool is used
in fine quality worsted suitings, broadcloth,
flannel, cashmere, soft serges, and dress
goods generally.
English Down wool, with an average length
of 4 inches is used in the production of
tweed cloths of an open crisp handle.
Cheviot wool from the south of Scotland
is employed in making Cheviot Tweeds,
21
Cashmere is a fine, soft, silky hair obtained
from a goat of Tibet. There is an all-wool
cashmere made from worsted yarns.
Coburgs,
Henriettas,
Jockey
Cloths,
Paramattas, are all cashmeres.
Vicuna
Vicuna and Llama wools are very fine and
soft and therefore are in demand for highquality woollen and worsted goods. The
soft fibres are very suitable for producing a
napped surface.
Wools and speciality fibres
Extract
Extract is the name given to various kinds of
wool obtained from wool and cotton fabrics
from which the cotton has been extracted
by chemical treatment. The process of
destroying the cotton is called “Carbonising.”
Extract is put to the same uses as mungo.
Skin wools
Skin wools are obtained from the skins of
sheep slaughtered for mutton purposes.
They are used as blending material for fleece
wool, chiefly of colonial growth, for mediumclass worsteds and woollens, both plain and
fancy.
The skin wools supply bulk, while the
better-class fleece wool give the distinctive
characteristics.
Good skin wool is used for serges, and low
qualities are employed in the production of
cheap woollen suitings and flannels.
In addition to the above-mentioned wools
used by the spinner there are other animal
fibres, described sometimes as commercial
hairs, frequently employed in the clothing
trades. The most important of these hairs
are mohair, alpaca, camel’s hair, cashmere
vicuna and Ilama.
Mohair
Mohair is the product of the Angora goat.
The hair is from 4-10 inches long, straight,
fine and smooth. It has an almost unbroken
surface and is the most lustrous of the wool
or hair class of fibres. It is widely employed
in the making of lustrous dress fabrics and
plushes.
Alpaca
Alpaca is a fine, soft, silky hair obtained from
the alpaca goat. It has similar properties to
mohair but is inferior to it as a textile. Most
so-called alpaca fabrics used for jackets,
overalls, linings etc., are woven from cotton
yarns in the warp and from alpaca, mohair
or ordinary lustre worsted yarns in the weft.
Camel hair
Camel hair is the soft downy hair from the
haunches and underpart of the camel. The
fibre varies in length from 4-10 inches. It is
soft and strong and yellow-brown in colour,
and its principal uses in the tailoring trade
is for overcoatings, worsteds and dressing
gowns. Wool is often dyed to imitate camel
hair.
22
A - Z glossary of terms
Angelina:
Trade name for man-made plastic fibre of
flat film nature which has a luminescent
appearance.
Broken tops:
Relatively short tops, combed first as
a continuous sliver and then machine
broken into pieces for use in woollen
manufacture where a very clean fibre,
free from vegetable matter, is required.
Particularly useful when dyeing a
medium-dark clear solid colour.
Burrs:
By-product of wool combing wholly
containing
the
vegetable
burrs
accumulated on the sheep’s fleeces.
Carbonising:
Acid treatment of wool in a process
similar to scouring which destroys
vegetable content, reducing it to a
carbon deposit, which is then crushed
between rollers leaving the fibre free
from vegetable content.
Crossbred:
Generic term used to describe wool with
fineness below 33microns.
De-hairing:
A very fine carding process which
removes coarse hair and detritus from
animal fibre resulting in the finest fibres
remaining.
Down:
Short fine body fibre found in many
animal species. Separated from the
coarse protective outer hair by dehairing
processes.
Fleecewool:
Generic term for wool from adult sheep/
animals. Usually denotes wool long
enough (full fleeces) to comb for worsted
yarn manufacture.
Halfbred:
Generic term used to describe wool with
fineness approximately 27-30microns.
Humbug:
Natural colours blended together to
have the striped appearance of humbug
sweets.
Ingeo:
Trade name for fibre made from pulped
corn plants.
Lambswool:
Wool from sheep/animals during their
first year of growth.
Merino:
Generic term used to describe wool
of fineness similar or like the breed of
merino sheep.
Generally now considered to be wool
finer than 24microns in thickness.
Micron:
1000th of 1 millimetre. Measurement of
fibre thickness.
Mulberry silk:
Silk grown
cultivated.
from
worms
artificially
Nepps:
Fibres machine rolled into small balls for
use as an effect in woollen yarn.
Noil:
By-product of combing. The short fibres
removed from combing a top or sliver.
Quarterbred:
Generic term used to describe wool with
fineness approximately 24-27microns in
thickness.
Rainbow tops:
Multiple dyed colours blended together
to form the appearance/effect of a
rainbow.
Roving:
The result of reducing tops to a thickness
suitable for spinning. Intermediate stage
between tops and yarn. Twist is also
added to the roving at this stage to aid
spinning.
Scouring:
Washing treatment of raw/greasy animal
fibres using alkali detergent followed by
rinsing and drying. A bleach may also be
added toward the end of the process to
enhance whiteness.
Staple fibre:
Generic term for fibre cut to specific
lengths for either combing or carding.
Usually used in reference to man-made
fibres.
Superwash:
Shrink resist treatment for wool and animal
fibres consisting of chlorination & synthetic
resin.
The fibres are first chlorinated to destroy
the natural scales of the fibre and may
or may not be resin treated to fill any
imperfections on the fibre Surface:
This treatment is designed to inhibit
23
the natural felting properties of animal
fibres, thus leading to easier care of
garments.
Tencel: Trade name for viscose fibre.
Threequarterbred:
Generic term used to describe wool with
fineness approximately 30-33microns.
Tops:
Continuous sliver of combed fibres
prepared by combing the fibres after
carding.
Trilobal:
Three lobed fibre structure which allows
light to be reflected from the fibre in
more than one direction causing the
fibre to appear very bright or sparkly.
Tussah silk:
Silk grown from worms naturally (wild)
cultivated.
Yards to metres conversion table
(Yards are round to the nearest
5cm Equivalent)
Yards Metres
1 Yards 0.95 Metres
1.25 Yards 1.2 Metres
1.5 Yards 1.45 Metres
1.75 Yards 1.7 Metres
2 Yards 1.9 Metres
2.25 Yards 2.15 Metres
2.5 Yards 2.4 Metres
2.75 Yards 2.65 Metres
3 Yards 2.85 Metres
3.25 Yards 3.1 Metres
3.5 Yards 3.35 Metres
3.75 Yards 3.6 Metres
4 Yards 3.8 Metres
4.25 Yards 4.05 Metres
4.5 Yards 4.3 Metres
4.75 Yards 4.55 Metres
5 Yards 4.75 Metres
5.25 Yards 5 Metres
5.5 Yards 5.25 Metres
5.75 Yards 5.5 Metres
6 Yards 5.7 Metres
6.25 Yards 5.95 Metres
6.5 Yards 6.2 Metres
6.75 Yards 6.45 Metres
7 Yards 6.65 Metres
7.25 Yards 6.9 Metres
7.5 Yards 7.15 Metres
7.75 Yards 7.4 Metres
8 Yards 7.6 Metres
8.25 Yards 7.9 Metres
8.5 Yards 8.1 Metres
8.75 Yards 8.35 Metres
9 Yards 8.55 Metres
9.25 Yards 8.8 Metres
9.5 Yards 9.05 Metres
9.75 Yards 9.3 Metres
10 Yards 9.5 Metres
10.25 Yards 9.8 Metres
10.5 Yards 10 Metres
10.75 Yards 10.25 Metres
11 Yards 10.45 Metres
11.25 Yards 10.7 Metres
11.5 Yards 10.95 Metres
24