Woven fabric

Poplin

A closely woven plain-weave fabric offers a smooth shirting surface, sometimes with a fine crosswise rib.

Also searched as: Popeline, Broadcloth shirting

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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

Single warp and weft yarns alternate in a plain weave. Relative yarn size and spacing can create a subtle rib across the cloth.

How to recognize it

Look for a fine even surface without twill diagonals or grouped basket crossings.

Common uses

  • Dress shirts
  • Blouses
  • Shirtdresses

What to distinguish

Broadcloth can mean poplin-like cotton shirting in some markets, but the term also has other textile meanings.

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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