Weave structure

Herringbone

Alternating bands of opposing twill direction create a broken zigzag.

Also searched as: Herringbone twill

Open the interactive guide ↗
Illustrative face of a repeating weave. Warp runs vertically; weft runs horizontally. Colors, yarn thickness and spacing are examples, not a production specification.

How it is made

A group of right-slanting twills is followed by a group that slants left. This teaching repeat reverses a 2/2 twill with an offset at the meeting line rather than a continuous point.

How to recognize it

Look for narrow columns of slanting ribs that reverse direction with a visible break.

Common uses

  • Coats
  • Tailored jackets
  • Shirts

What to distinguish

Herringbone describes this twill arrangement; houndstooth is a tooth-shaped color-and-weave pattern. A printed zigzag can imitate the look without this structure.

Sources & further reading

Research checked 2026-09-27. Descriptions are original summaries; references support terminology and construction, not every product sold under a name.

Compare related terms