Duck canvas, denim and drill: the workwear fabrics
Most workwear is made from duck canvas, denim or cotton twill. How each cloth ages, what fails first, which wear is normal and which is a fault, and how to care for each one.
In this guide
Most workwear is made from one of three cloths: duck canvas, denim or cotton twill. The cloth shows how a jacket or a pair of trousers will age, which part tends to fail first and whether a mark of wear is normal or a fault.
Duck canvas
Duck canvas is a heavy, tightly woven cotton in a plain weave, and it is the cloth most associated with Carhartt jackets, chore coats and bib overalls.
New duck canvas is stiff. With wear it softens, and that softening is permanent. A jacket that has been worn for years drapes closer to the body without measuring smaller, which is why two jackets with identical measurements can feel a size apart.
Duck canvas thins slowly, and its colour fades unevenly, most of all at the elbows, the cuffs and the front edges where the jacket folds. To check it, hold the cloth up to the light at the elbows and the seat. Even thinning is normal wear, and light coming through the cloth is a fault. The seams come next, because the stitching usually fails before the canvas does.
Denim
Denim is a cotton twill, usually woven with an indigo warp and a white weft. The indigo sits on the surface of the yarn, so it wears away where the cloth creases and rubs, and the white core shows through.
That is why the creases at the hips, the knees and the hem lighten first. This fading is how the material behaves, not damage. Denim ages slowly and predictably as long as it is not washed hot. Older denim has usually shrunk already, although a pair that has hardly been worn can still shrink on its first hot wash.
The crotch and the inner thigh are the first places to check, because friction concentrates there and repairs are common. The back pockets and the hem come next. A repair is acceptable on workwear when it is stated in the description of the item.
Cotton twill and drill
Cotton twill and drill are the cloths of work trousers. Both are woven with a diagonal rib, and both are lighter than duck canvas and smoother than denim. Dickies work trousers such as the 874 are made from this kind of twill.
Twill holds its shape and its colour better than the other two cloths. Where duck canvas softens and denim fades, twill changes less. It does crease, and creases can set. Black twill can turn slightly warm in tone with age and sunlight, so a pair that looks brown-black in daylight has usually had a lot of both.
Check the knees and the seat for thinning, and compare the colour of the two legs. Twill can also take on a permanent shine at points of heavy friction.
Duck canvas, denim and twill compared
| Cloth | Weave | How it ages | Found in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck canvas | Plain weave, heavy and tight | Softens, fades unevenly, thins slowly | Work jackets, chore coats, bib overalls |
| Denim | Twill, indigo warp and white weft | Fades at creases and friction points | Jeans, denim jackets |
| Cotton twill and drill | Twill with a diagonal rib | Keeps shape and colour, creases can set | Work trousers, work shirts |
Other workwear cloths
Corduroy appears on collars and on trousers. Its weak point is the pile, which flattens permanently at the seat and the inner thigh, and running a hand against the nap shows it. Leather is found mostly in heavy outerwear, where the lining and the stitching tend to fail before the hide. Flannel and heavy cotton shirting wear at the collar and the cuffs first, just as a dress shirt does.
Normal wear and faults by cloth
| Cloth | Normal wear | Fault |
|---|---|---|
| Duck canvas | Fading, softening, even thinning | Light through the cloth, split seams |
| Denim | Fading at the creases, whiskering, stated repairs | A torn crotch, thin inner thighs |
| Cotton twill | Set creases, a light sheen | Thin knees, different colours on the two legs |
| Corduroy | A slightly softened nap | Flattened pile at the seat or the thigh |
| Leather | Patina, creasing | A cracked finish, a failed lining or failed stitching |
Caring for each cloth
The care label inside the item has the final say. In general, duck canvas and twill are washed cool, air dried and washed less often rather than more. Denim is washed rarely, cold and inside out. Corduroy is washed inside out to protect the pile. Leather is not washed, but cleaned and conditioned. The method for each material is set out in the guide to washing and caring for clothing.
Each item is inspected, authenticated, cleaned and measured before it is added to the store. Each step is described in How leverene works.
Where to go next
The category as a whole is explained in the complete guide to workwear, and the brands in the Carhartt guide and the Dickies guide. The duck canvas of a Carhartt Detroit is covered in the Carhartt Detroit jacket guide.
The range is collected under workwear, with Carhartt jackets in duck canvas and Dickies work trousers in twill.
Frequently asked questions
What is duck canvas?
Duck canvas is a heavy, tightly woven cotton in a plain weave. It is stiff when new and softens with wear, which makes it the standard cloth for work jackets and overalls.
What is the difference between canvas and denim?
Duck canvas is a plain weave and is usually dyed one colour. Denim is a twill with an indigo warp and a white weft, so it fades in lines where it creases.
Does duck canvas shrink?
Duck canvas is cotton, and cotton can shrink in a hot wash or a tumble dryer. Washing cool and drying on the line keeps it close to its measurements.
What is drill fabric?
Drill is a strong cotton twill with a diagonal rib, used for work trousers and work shirts. It is lighter and smoother than duck canvas.
