Color pattern

Houndstooth

A broken check whose pointed corners come from color order interacting with twill.

Also searched as: dogtooth, dogstooth, pied-de-poule, puppytooth

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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

Classic woven houndstooth combines a 2/2 twill with four light then four dark yarns in both warp and weft. Printed versions reproduce the outline without that interlacement.

How to recognize it

Look for interlocking jagged checks rather than continuous zigzag bands.

Common uses

  • Tailored jackets
  • Coats
  • Skirts

What to distinguish

Puppytooth is a small-scale version; herringbone describes a reversal of twill direction. A houndstooth image alone does not establish the fiber or construction.

Sources & further reading

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

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