The twill dress shirt has a wonderfully unique weave which is simply stunning. The twill weave consists of a pattern that creates a diagonal parallel rib on the fabric. This weave gives the twill dress shirt added texture and thickness, without adding too much weight to the overall fabric. Generally, the regular twill dress shirt will feel smooth when you touch it. It also feels slightly lighter than the broadcloth dress shirt and the oxford dress shirt.
A fascinating aspect with twill fabric is that there is a front side (also called the technical face) and back side, unlike the plain weave which have not front or back sides. When the twill fabric is sewn into a dress shirt, the front side of the fabric always faces out. The pattern of the twill fabric is more pronounced and vivid on the front side, so your twill dress shirt is always made with the front side facing outwards for the world to see.
The beautiful diagonal ribs on a twill fabric is generated by the passing of the weft. Compared to the oxford fabric where the weft and warp simply form intersecting weaves, in the twill weave – what happens is the weft or thread that goes over and under the warp is done in a distinct fashion. This particular method of construction helps the twill dress shirt to drape nicely over your body.
