What Is Gabardine: Uses, Tips And Care Guide

Gabardine fabric is a type of textile with a twill weave and is used heavily in tailoring. It can be woven with natural fibres such as cotton and wool, or as a blend. It is viewed as a durable fabric.

Historically, gabardine has been used as a fabric for garments since the 15th century. With lanolin applied to make it waterproof, it was a great fabric for those clothing types where protection from the elements was needed.

It was only when Burberry’s founder Thomas Burberry revived it – and patented it! – as a fabric in 1888, that using gabardine as a clothing fabric became more widespread.

In fact, while Ernest Shackleton wore gabardine from Burberry during his successful expedition crossing Antarctica in 1914 and survived to tell the tale, poor George Mallory was not quite as lucky when he wore the same fabric type as a jacket on his trek up Mount Everest ten years later in 1924.

What Is Cotton Gabardine

Cotton gabardine is a twill weave fabric made from cotton. It is used more prolifically than wool gabardine with many designers using it to make skirts, dresses, pants, jackets, uniforms and more.

It is lighter in weight than it’s wool cousin, but durable and somewhat soft to touch.

My favourite trench coat – a vintage men’s Burberry trench – is made from cotton gabardine, and it is comfortable to wear and breathable.

What Is Wool Gabardine

Wool gabardine is a wool fabric using a worsted weight yarn which is well twisted to create a tightly woven fabric. This worsted wool fabric is used in suits – trousers, skirts and jackets – because it is very durable and will wear well.

Wool gabardine must always be pre-shrunk before cutting and sewing, and it is also prone to fraying badly. And if the fabric is a less tightly woven one, it will fall apart as you cut into it. Always finish the raw edges of your fabric as soon as possible after cutting.

One other feature of wool gabardine is that when pressed, it can become quite shiny. To prevent this from happening, try to use a damp pressing cloth and if in doubt, a clapper is always a handy tool to help press seam flat!

Garments Commonly Made Using Gabardine

We’ve looked at the two common gabardine fabrics – cotton and wool – but what garment types is it really used for?

Casual Wear

Gabardine has also been used in the design of casual separates such as pants, skirts and dresses. With it being both crease resistant and durable, it’s a great fabric choice for casual garments.

Outerwear

The trench coat is the first outerwear garment that springs to mind, but other outerwear garment types include anoraks and windbreakers.

Tailoring

An overcoat is a great example of a tailored garment type using gabardine fabric. Suits and jackets regularly use either cotton or wool gabardine.

Finally, let’s look at some frequntly asked questions about gabardine fabric!

Is Gabardine Good For Summer?

Wearing gabardine in the summer months really depends on which fibre it has been woven with, and how tightly it is woven.

Wool will be better for those colder winter months, though if it is lightly woven, then it can also work for summer.

Cotton gabardine is going to be better for the summer weather, more so if lightly woven, but can also work well for winter when layered up.

Is Gabardine Natural Or Synthetic?

Whether gabardine is natural or synthetic depends on which fibre was used to manufacture it. Both cotton and wool are natural fibres, and this would make gabardine made from them a fabric made from natural fibres.

If the main fibre were blended with polyester or rayon, then the overall fabric would no longer be considered as natural due to the addition of a non-natural fibre.

Learn more about fibre types with my article natural vs man made fibre types.

Does Gabardine Have Nap?

While gabardine does have a somewhat visible textured surface this is down to the twill weave used and so is not conisdered to have a nap.

What Is The Difference Between Twill And Gabardine?

Twill is a type of weave structure while gabardine is a type of fabric created using the twill weave structure.

See my article on what is twill for more information.

Does Cotton Gabardine Shrink?

Yes, the cotton variety of gabardine will shrink, just like wool gabardine. For this reason it is always recommended to dry clean any garments made with gabardine fabric.

Final Thoughts On Gabardine Fabric

As you have learnt, gabardine is a great fabric choice for many clothing types and what you choose to make will depend largely on the fibre content of your fabric.

Wool gabardine is a great option for the winter months and cotton for the summer, but depending on how tightly or loosely they’re woven, either can work for the opposite season too.

If you enjoyed learning about gabardine fabric, I have other guides on the many different fabric types, including types of sheer fabric, different lace types and different cotton fabrics too.

Finally, do let me know in the comments below how you feel about sewing with gabardine fabric. Did you enjoy it? Have struggles? Perhaps some tips for others?

Share it out to others!