Which fabric is 100% wool, spun, even-sided twill weave, fiber dyed, and fulling?

Which fabric is 100% wool, spun, even-sided twill weave, fiber dyed, and fulling?

• A. Houndstooth Suiting
• B. Serge
• C. Herringbone
• D. Surah

Answer: (A)

This item is testing your ability to connect several fabric characteristics—fiber content, yarn preparation, weave structure, dye method, and finishing—into a single fabric type. A houndstooth suitings fabric is classically a 100% wool material woven from spun wool yarns. The weave is a balanced twill, which gives a diagonal structure that appears on both sides, producing an even-sided twill feel and crisp pattern. The iconic two-tone houndstooth effect comes from using yarns that are dyed in the fiber before weaving, so the color is integrated into the yarns rather than just applied to the surface. Finally, fulling is a finishing step often used on wool suiting to compact and smooth the fabric, giving it a tighter hand and more durable face. The other fabrics don’t meet all these criteria as a single package: serge is a type of twill but not typically the even-sided, two-tone check of houndstooth; herringbone uses a different twill pattern (a broken zigzag) rather than the two-tone tessellations of houndstooth; surah is usually a lighter plain-weave fabric and not the dense, fiber-dyed wool twill suited for fulling typical of houndstooth suiting.

This item is testing your ability to connect several fabric characteristics—fiber content, yarn preparation, weave structure, dye method, and finishing—into a single fabric type. A houndstooth suitings fabric is classically a 100% wool material woven from spun wool yarns. The weave is a balanced twill, which gives a diagonal structure that appears on both sides, producing an even-sided twill feel and crisp pattern. The iconic two-tone houndstooth effect comes from using yarns that are dyed in the fiber before weaving, so the color is integrated into the yarns rather than just applied to the surface. Finally, fulling is a finishing step often used on wool suiting to compact and smooth the fabric, giving it a tighter hand and more durable face.

The other fabrics don’t meet all these criteria as a single package: serge is a type of twill but not typically the even-sided, two-tone check of houndstooth; herringbone uses a different twill pattern (a broken zigzag) rather than the two-tone tessellations of houndstooth; surah is usually a lighter plain-weave fabric and not the dense, fiber-dyed wool twill suited for fulling typical of houndstooth suiting.