Along with satin and plain weave, twill is one China Twill Fabric of the three original types of weaves used for textiles. Rather than denoting a certain type of fabric fiber, "twill" refers to a specific type of weaving that results in a diagonal pattern. For contrast, both satin and plain weave have straight patterns.Fabrics have been woven in twill patterns for thousands of years, which makes it hard to determine where exactly this type of fabric originated. However, the word "twill" is a modern variant of the Old English word "twili," which is a half adoption of the Latin word "bilix."
Therefore, twill is commonly associated with British culture even though this type of fabric has been woven in other cultures for much longer.There are quite a few different ways to weave twill fabric that are all still considered to be twill. Essentially, as long as diagonal lines can be seen in the final fabric, that fabric is considered to be twill even though it may be structurally dissimilar from other types of fabrics that go by the same name.One of the most iconic contexts in which twill fabric is used is in the manufacture of denim jeans. These types of pants have clearly visible diagonal lines, and these lines are a result of this unique weaving pattern. However, this weaving pattern is also used in a variety of other types of apparel and home textiles.
Twill garments and home textiles were originally made from cotton, but it's now also common to see this type of fabric made with synthetic substances like polyester. While cotton twill looks highly similar to cotton duck at first glance, the latter fabric has a plain weave pattern that does not result in a diagonal appearance. Twill fabric can be made in many different colors, thread counts, and styles, and this fabric is renowned for its excellent draping ability, which is derived from its unique weaving pattern.While the characteristic diamond pattern of twill is the same no matter which type of fiber is made to use this fabric, different production processes are used to make the various fabrics that are woven to make this textile.
Cotton, for instance, is a natural fiber, and it is derived from the fluffy fibers that surround the seed of the cotton plant when it is mature.Once these fibers are harvested, they are packed into bales and sent to cotton yarn production plants. These bales are unpacked, their contents are mixed, and then the fibers are carded into long, thin strands. After these strands are combed and washed, they are spun into yarn. This cotton yarn may be dyed at this point, or it may simply be loaded onto large reels and sent to a textile factory to be made into a finished product.