A sturdy, tightly woven twill with raised diagonal ribs on its face, made in wool, cotton or other fibres for suits, trousers and coats.
Gabardine is a tightly woven twill with closely set, raised diagonal ribs. Twill interlacing produces the diagonal line, while the fibre can vary. The Getty describes gabardine as usually made with fine worsted yarn, and the American Heritage Dictionary also records cotton and rayon versions. A specification therefore needs more than the fabric name to establish its composition. The Museum at FIT identifies gabardine as a staple of men’s suiting. Burberry also uses cotton gabardine for trench coats and describes a structured version made at its mill in Keighley, Yorkshire. The same fabric family can serve different garment categories.
In job listings
Gabardine comes up in tailoring, outerwear and fabric development. An advisor may use it to explain a coat or trousers, and a developer may discuss weight and weave with a mill, since it can be made in several fibres. Search local jobs for “textiles”.
