The Fabrics Knowledge Centre
OD's Designer Clothing · St Helens since 2015
The Fabrics Knowledge Centre
Eleven plain-English guides to the materials your clothes are made from -- cotton, wool, denim, linen, synthetics, weaves, finishes, quality and care. Written by people who sell and look after it, not copy-pasted spec sheets.
Whether you are weighing up Egyptian against Pima cotton, wondering what "selvedge", "GSM" or "Geelong wool" really means, or just want your clothes to last longer, start anywhere below. Every guide is grounded in the brands we actually stock -- Gran Sasso, Belstaff, BOSS, Jacob Cohen and more -- and links through to the relevant brand guides where a topic goes deeper.
Fabric Types
Cotton, wool, linen, denim and the synthetics -- a plain-English tour of every major fabric.
Cotton
From everyday cotton to Egyptian, Pima and waxed -- what makes one cotton better than another.
Wool
Merino, lambswool, Geelong and cashmere -- the warm, breathable fibres behind the best knitwear.
Denim
Selvedge, raw, Japanese and stretch -- how denim is woven, dyed and finished into great jeans.
Linen & Natural Fibres
Linen, hemp, Tencel and viscose -- the cool, breathable plant fibres and how to wear them.
Synthetics & Performance
Nylon, polyester, elastane and recycled fibres -- engineered cloth built for stretch and durability.
Weaves & Knits
Twill, poplin, jersey and ponte -- how the same fibre becomes very different cloth.
Finishes & Treatments
Water-repellency, waxing, sun protection and the certifications that prove a fabric is clean.
Fabric Quality
GSM, ply, staple and stitching -- the signals that separate cloth built to last from cheap.
Fabric Care
Reading care symbols, washing by fibre and storing clothes so they last for years.
Brand Fabrics
Gran Sasso knitwear, Jacob Cohen denim and Belstaff waxed cotton -- the cloth behind the labels.
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