Herringbone_(cloth)

Herringbone (cloth)

Herringbone (cloth)

Fabric woven in a herringbone twill weave


Herringbone, also called broken twill weave,[1] describes a distinctive V-shaped weaving pattern usually found in twill fabric. It is distinguished from a plain chevron by the break at reversal, which makes it resemble a broken zigzag. The pattern is called herringbone because it resembles the skeleton of a herring fish.[2] Herringbone-patterned fabric is usually wool, and is one of the most popular cloths used for suits and outerwear.[3] Tweed cloth is often woven with a herringbone pattern.

Donegal tweed (an example of herringbone)
Reversible camouflage HBTs

Fatigue uniforms made from cotton in this weave were used by several militaries during and after World War II; in US use, they were often called HBTs.[4][5]

History

Various herringbone weaves have been found in antiquity:

  • A pair of woolen leggings found in the permafrost of the Italian-Austrian Alps have a 2:2 herringbone weave, dating to 800 to 500 BC.[6]
  • A dark blue cloth with a 2:2 herringbone weave was found at Murabba'at Cave in Israel, from the Roman period.[6][7]
  • A textile with a 2:2 herringbone weave was found at Pompeii, from 79 AD.[6]
  • An illustration of a cloth having a herringbone weave from Antinoöpolis in Greece from 130 AD.[8]
  • The Falkirk Tartan, a wool 2:2 herringbone tartan found at Vindolanda in England from around 240 AD.[9][10]

See also


References

  1. Calasibetta, Charlotte Mankey (1988). Fairchild's dictionary of fashion. New York: Fairchild Publications. ISBN 0870056352. OCLC 17932099.
  2. "The RL Style Guide | Glossary | Herringbone". Ralph Lauren. Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  3. Fashion Institute of Technology (2006). ""The Tailor's Art," Menswear Fabrics - A Glossary". The Museum at FIT. Archived from the original on 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  4. Stanton, Shelby (1992). "Summer Work and Service Uniforms". U.S. Army Uniforms of the Korean War. Stackpole Books. pp. 86–98. ISBN 0811729524.
  5. Robinson, Aaron (2009-08-19). "Storming Normandy in a World War II Jeep". Car and Driver. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Retrieved 2019-04-29.
  6. Tyrer, John (December 1981). "Looking at the Turin Shroud as a Textile" (PDF). Textile Horizons. pp. 20–23.
  7. Bailey, Geoff P. (2019). "The Falkirk Tartan" (PDF). A History of Falkirk in 10 ½ Objects. Falkirk Local History Society.
  8. "Tartan Details - Falkirk". The Scottish Register of Tartans. Archived from the original on 2023-01-18. Retrieved 2023-02-01.



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