The herringbone dress shirt’s name comes from the herringbone like pattern on the fabric. The herringbone is not a weave, but a pattern type. The herringbone pattern fall under the same family as the twill. However, the herringbone boast a very distinct v-shaped pattern on the fabric – very much like a the herring fish bone skeleton. The herringbone pattern is created by alternating the direction of the twill weave. If you look carefully, you will notice that the traditional twill weave are not parallel, with all the striations heading toward a single direction. A careful inspection of the traditional twill weave will reveal that the diagonals are not only parallel but their striations are all going in one direction.
The herringbone pattern is often favored for suits fabrics. When it comes to dress shirts, the herringbone is particularly spectacular when applied on solid colored dress shirts.
On closer inspection, the herringbone is noticeably different from the traditional oxford shirt. The herringbone pattern gives the impression of finer and perfect construction. The herringbone fabric appears thicker when compared to the oxford fabric dress shirt. The herringbone will feel much smoother and more dressy than the oxford shirt. These detailed features of a dress shirt show your taste for fine detail and give you a more stylish appearance.