A Note From Our Founder:
Ever since I started researching fabrics, Wool Gabardine has been one of my favorites. Durable, weather proof, with a beautiful drape - who could ask for more?
TL:DR
Wool gabardine is a tightly woven twill fabric made from wool yarns. Unlike many wool fabrics, gabardine is woven with a high yarn density, creating a smooth surface that naturally resists wind, light rain, wrinkles, and abrasion.
Its combination of durability, structure, and elegant drape has made it a favorite for luxury coats, tailored trousers, uniforms, and suiting for generations.
Although people often think "gabardine" refers to a type of wool, it actually describes the way the fabric is woven, not the fiber itself.
Gabardine can be made from wool, cotton, polyester, or blends, but wool gabardine is especially prized for combining the natural performance of wool with the strength of a tightly woven twill.
Why Should You Care?
Not all wool fabrics perform the same way.
A soft flannel coat feels very different from a wool gabardine trench. One emphasizes warmth and softness. The other prioritizes structure, durability, and weather resistance.
Understanding wool gabardine helps answer questions every shopper should ask:
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Why do some wool coats hold their shape better than others?
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Why does one fabric drape beautifully while another feels bulky?
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Why are some wool coats naturally more resistant to wind and light rain?
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Why has gabardine remained a favorite for tailoring for more than a century?
Once you understand how gabardine is woven, you'll begin to recognize why it's trusted in everything from military uniforms to luxury outerwear.
What Is Gabardine?
Despite its reputation, gabardine is not a fiber.
It's a weave.
Specifically, gabardine is a high-density twill weave where the warp yarns are packed tightly together, creating a fabric with a smooth face, subtle diagonal ribs, and exceptional durability.
Those tightly packed yarns are what give gabardine its distinctive performance.
Compared to many other woven fabrics, gabardine is:
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More resistant to abrasion
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Better at blocking wind
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Naturally sheds light moisture more effectively
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Less prone to wrinkling
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Exceptionally durable
The result is a fabric that looks refined while standing up to years of regular wear.
Why Is Wool Gabardine Different?
When gabardine is woven from high-quality wool, it combines the strengths of both the fiber and the weave.
The wool contributes:
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Natural breathability
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Temperature regulation
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Moisture management
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Wrinkle recovery
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Odor resistance
The gabardine weave contributes:
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Structure
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Durability
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Crisp drape
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Wind resistance
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Improved weather performance
Together, they create a fabric that's equally at home in the city, at the office, or on a cool autumn walk.
Marketing Myth
Myth: Gabardine is a type of wool.
Reality: Gabardine describes a weave, not a fiber. It can be made from wool, cotton, polyester, or blends. Wool gabardine simply refers to gabardine woven from wool yarns
Who Invented Gabardine?
Today, gabardine is used by fashion houses, military organizations, and outdoor brands around the world. But its origins can be traced back to one English clothier with a simple goal: create a fabric that could withstand the weather without sacrificing comfort.
In 1879, Thomas Burberry (ring a bell?) patented gabardine after years of experimenting with wool fabrics and weaving techniques.
At the time, many rain-resistant garments relied on heavy rubberized coatings. While they helped keep water out, they also trapped heat and moisture, making them uncomfortable to wear for long periods.
Burberry believed there had to be a better solution.
Rather than coating the outside of a fabric, he focused on improving the fabric itself.
By weaving fine worsted wool yarns into an exceptionally dense twill, he created a material that naturally shed light rain and blocked wind while remaining breathable. It was a significant innovation for the late nineteenth century and quickly gained a reputation for combining practicality with elegance.
The fabric became known as gabardine, and it helped establish Burberry as one of the world's most respected outerwear brands.
Why Is Gabardine so Popular?
Gabardine solved real problems for a large group of people. Prior to the invention of Gabardine, wool had to be waxed or coated to be waterproof, which made it stiff and uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.
Rubberized coatings on natural fibers reduced the fibers natural ability to regulate temperature and airflow.
The cherry on top was it held up beautifully even with rough wear.
These qualities made gabardine particularly attractive for people who spent long periods outdoors.
By the early twentieth century, explorers, military officers, aviators, and travelers had embraced gabardine garments because they offered protection from the elements without the weight or stiffness of earlier waterproof clothing.
The fabric's clean appearance also made it an excellent choice for tailoring and is probably part of the reason why the military aesthetic is so popular today.
Unlike heavily textured wool fabrics, gabardine's smooth surface gave suits, trousers, and coats a crisp, refined look that is as beautiful today as it was more than a century ago.
Why should you care?
Fashion trends come and go, but fabrics that genuinely solve problems tend to endure.
Gabardine is still widely used today because its combination of durability, structure, and weather resistance continues to meet the needs of modern clothing just as effectively as it did more than 140 years ago.
What Makes Wool Gabardine Different from Other Wool Fabrics?
Not all wool fabrics are designed to do the same job.
Some prioritize warmth. Others emphasize softness. Some are woven for structure and durability, while others are brushed to create a cozy, insulating surface.
Wool gabardine was developed with a different goal: to create a fabric that could withstand everyday wear while maintaining a clean, tailored appearance.
Its tightly woven twill construction gives it characteristics that set it apart from many other wool fabrics.
Wool Gabardine vs. Wool Flannel
Although both are made from wool, they feel very different.
Wool flannel is brushed after weaving, creating a soft, fuzzy surface that traps warm air and gives the fabric a cozy feel. This makes flannel an excellent choice for cooler weather, relaxed tailoring, and garments where softness is the priority.
Gabardine, by contrast, has a smooth, tightly woven surface. It feels crisper, wrinkles less, and resists abrasion better than flannel.
Choose wool flannel if you want softness and warmth.
Choose wool gabardine if you want durability, structure, and a polished appearance.
Wool Gabardine vs. Tweed
Tweed is known for its rugged texture and heavier weight.
Originally developed for outdoor wear in the British Isles, tweed is woven to provide warmth and durability in cold climates. Its textured surface gives it a distinctly casual, heritage-inspired appearance.
Gabardine offers many of the same durability benefits but with a much smoother finish.
Where tweed feels rustic, gabardine feels refined.
Choose tweed if you love texture and traditional country style.
Choose gabardine if you prefer clean lines and timeless tailoring.
Wool Gabardine vs. Melton Wool
Melton wool is one of the warmest wool fabrics used in outerwear.
After weaving, the fabric is heavily fulled and brushed until the fibers lock together, creating a dense fabric with a smooth, almost felt-like surface.
This construction makes Melton exceptionally warm and naturally wind resistant.
Gabardine is generally lighter, drapes more fluidly, and performs better in transitional weather.
Choose Melton for maximum warmth in cold winter climates, but make sure it is made from a high percentage of wool. Many Melton's today are blends, which make them less expensive but also less sustainable.
Choose gabardine for versatile coats that can be worn across multiple seasons.
Wool Gabardine vs. Worsted Wool
This comparison often causes confusion because the two terms describe different things.
Worsted wool refers to the way the yarn is prepared before weaving.
Gabardine refers to the weave itself.
In fact, many premium gabardine fabrics are woven from worsted wool yarns.
The smooth surface and crisp appearance that gabardine is known for are often enhanced by the use of worsted yarns.
The two terms aren't competitors. They frequently work together.
For MARTINDALE's Lou and Maggie trench coats, we use worsted wool. The Lou is a worsted wool in a gabardine weave, and the Maggie is a worsted wool in a twill weave with a plaid pattern.
Why should you care?
Understanding these differences helps you choose the right fabric instead of assuming that every wool garment will perform the same way.
If you're buying a winter peacoat, Melton wool might be the best option.
If you're shopping for a soft winter suit, flannel could be the perfect choice.
If you want a coat that drapes beautifully, resists wrinkles, and handles everyday wear with ease, wool gabardine is difficult to beat.
We enjoy helping you choose the right fabric for your specific need, which is why we created the Martindale Textile Library.
Marketing Myth
Myth: One type of wool is better than all the others.
Reality: Every wool fabric has strengths. The best choice depends on how you plan to wear the garment. A fabric that excels in a winter overcoat may not be the best choice for a lightweight trench or tailored suit.
Final Note from Our Founder:
Choosing a fabric is my favorite part of the design process. A pattern can go from mediocre to marvelous with the right fabric.
Gabardine was an easy choice for me when I started out because for my first design, I wanted to create a timeless trench coat that was sew in America.
Even though I know a lot more about design and fabrics today, I am still happy with the choice I made all those years ago to invest in a beautiful wool gabardine for my trench coat design.
Until next time,
Elise
