# oxford, poplin, twill, what?



## midatlantic (Feb 17, 2012)

So, for a plain white dress shirt, what is the difference between oxford, poplin, and twill?


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Oxford is coarser more open, basket weave, poplin is flat (as in boring imo) plain weave and twill is soft. I think (?)

Twill includes houndstooth and herringbone. 

I like twill best. It feels better and looks better IMO than Oxford, which in turn looks a lot better than poplin.


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## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

Bjorn said:


> Oxford is coarser more open, basket weave, poplin is flat (as in boring imo) plain weave and twill is soft. I think (?)
> 
> Twill includes houndstooth and herringbone.
> 
> I like twill best. It feels better and looks better IMO than Oxford, which in turn looks a lot better than poplin.


That's basically it, though I've never seen a houndstooth weave shirt. I'll also agree that for a white dress shirt, twill is very nice. In my experience, it's fairly easy to iron, and if you want non-iron shirts, twill is the best weave to look for. I wouldn't get a twill shirt with a buttondown collar, though.

I like oxford shirts more than Bjorn, but they have a bit of a rumple to them, and a softness (visually speaking only, as they don't feel too different to twill) that may not work well with dressy shirts and ties. I wouldn't wear an oxford shirt with a satin tie and a worsted suit. If your heart is set on a buttondown collar, oxford is the best option, but non-iron oxford is sort of pointless.

Poplin is okay, too, though I find it hardest to iron, and it does look a bit boring. It can also look a bit "shiny" in non-iron. A poplin button-down is okay.

If you'd like to get familiar with different fabric weaves, do a search for each fabric in the men's shirt section of the Brooks Bros. website. You should be able to zoom in enough to see the texture of the cloth.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

Read the Whole Thing.


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## Youthful Repp-robate (Sep 26, 2011)

Alexander Kabbaz said:


> Read the Whole Thing.


Yeah, on second thought, just read that. That's better. Also, now I know what "dobby" is.


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## midatlantic (Feb 17, 2012)

How do I tell what textile my shirts in the closet are made of? I have a great gingham from Charles Tyrrwhitt that says "non iron" on the tag in the collar and "100% cotton" on the tag on the shirt tail. I could look it up on the website, but I'm wondering what I can tell from sight or touch? The cloth feels very "thin." I assume a gingham is the print name, not the textile or do all gingham shirts come from a certain textile traditionally?


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

midatlantic said:


> How do I tell what textile my shirts in the closet are made of? I have a great gingham from Charles Tyrrwhitt that says "non iron" on the tag in the collar and "100% cotton" on the tag on the shirt tail. I could look it up on the website, but I'm wondering what I can tell from sight or touch? The cloth feels very "thin." I assume a gingham is the print name, not the textile or do all gingham shirts come from a certain textile traditionally?


Read the article. Compare your fabrics to the photos.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Is there any point to poplin, Alex? Are high count poplins good?


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

Bjorn said:


> Is there any point to poplin, Alex? Are high count poplins good?


Poplin is more formal and the standard shirt to wear with a suit. A high count poplin has a nice shine and is very smooth. It feels really good wearing it.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

I'll have to try a high count poplin sometime then. At lower prices I like twill, doesn't last as long but wears better.


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## Alexander Kabbaz (Jan 9, 2003)

Bjorn said:


> Is there any point to poplin, Alex? Are high count poplins good?


Read the Article.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Alexander Kabbaz said:


> Read the Article.


Have done. Did not really get the point of poplin, still, though.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

Bjorn said:


> Have done. Did not really get the point of poplin, still, though.


from the article:



> a smooth, strong cloth which is durable, shrinkage resistant, and quite dimensionally stable. In other words, it will last a long time and not tend to warp or bend as time passes


It's a stable fabric, and it's the dressiest. I wouldn't wear a pinpoint or oxford shirt with a suit. Also with stripes and checks you'll have more defined and more vivid patterns. That's a big advantage.


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