Fabric Definitions — definitions of fabrics, cloths, laces and textile materials from Apparel Search
Serge is a type of twill fabric that has diagonal lines or ridges on both sides, made with a two-up, two-down weave. The worsted variety is used in making military uniforms, suits, great and trench coats; its counterpart, silk serge, is used for linings, and French serge is a softer, finer variety. The word is also used for a high quality woolen woven fabric.
Denim is a cotton fabric with a similar weave; its name is believed to be derived from "serge de Nimes" after Nimes in France.
From early Saxon times, most English wool ("staples") was exported. In the early sixteenth century it went mainly to a Royal monopoly at Calais (then an English possession) and was woven into cloth in France or the Low Countries. However, with the capture of Calais by the French on 7 January 1558, England began expanding own weaving industry. This was greatly enhanced by the European Wars of Religion (Eighty Years' War, French Wars of Religion); in 1567 Calvinist refugees from the Low Countries included many skilled serge weavers, while Huguenot refugees in the early eighteenth century included many silk and linen weavers.
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Serge's etymology traces a migration of materials. The name comes from French serge, from Latin serica, from the Greek serikos, meaning 'silken' — and the early association was literal: a piece of silk serge dyed with Byzantine motifs was found in Charlemagne's tomb, evidently a gift of the Byzantine Imperial Court in the 8th or 9th century AD. Yet the serge that filled European markets became a wool cloth. From early Saxon times most English wool was exported, and in the early sixteenth century it went mainly to the Royal monopoly at Calais, to be woven in France or the Low Countries; when France captured Calais on 7 January 1558, England began expanding its own weaving industry. Refugee skills built it: in 1567 Calvinist refugees from the Low Countries included many skilled serge weavers, and Huguenot refugees in the early eighteenth century added silk and linen weavers. The cloth kept a silk word for a name while becoming the standard hard-wearing twill of the wool trade — and kept a silk branch too, in the silk serge still used for linings.
The two-up, two-down twill gives serge a rare combination: a visible diagonal on both faces, a smooth worsted surface that sheds lint and presses sharply, and a dense, even structure that wears for years without bagging. Those are uniform specifications. Military dress uniforms, police and ceremonial suiting, blazers and trench coats are cut from worsted serge because the cloth holds creases, resists shine longer than softer twills, and presents the same disciplined surface inside and out. The same construction in cheaper fibers fills the school-uniform and work-suit market. Serge also marks quality in reverse: the phrase 'a high quality woolen woven' attaches to the word itself, so cloth sold simply as serge carries an expectation of a proper balanced twill in good yarn. Set beside its relatives, serge is the even-handed member of the twill family — gabardine hides its weft for a steeper, one-sided rib; denim colors one yarn set and calls the result by serge's own city; serge shows both diagonals equally and lets the cloth speak as suiting.
Serge is a balanced twill woven two-up, two-down: each weft passes over two warp threads and under two, stepping one thread each row. Because the pattern is even, the diagonal lines or ridges show on both sides of the cloth — the feature that distinguishes serge from warp-faced twills such as gabardine, whose diagonal is prominent on one face only.
The worsted variety is the classic cloth of military uniforms, suits, and great and trench coats — smooth, hard-wearing and able to hold a press. Silk serge serves as a lining fabric, and French serge is a softer, finer variety used where a more delicate hand is wanted.
Denim is a cotton fabric with a similar weave, and its name is believed to be derived from 'serge de Nimes' — the serge of Nimes in France. The twill family resemblance is real: both are diagonal-ribbed fabrics, with denim taking the structure into indigo-dyed cotton workwear.