Tracing a UW garment back to its beginnings would likely lead you to a fabric swatch or two. For us, everything starts with the fabric, and we take immense pride in this part of the process. Each season, we carefully source the very best fabrics from around the world for our collections. While a lookbook image can only do so much to convey the true essence of a cloth, we understand that not everyone has the opportunity to visit one of our stockists or a UW store to experience it firsthand.
That is why we have created our Autumn-Winter '24 Fabric Guide, featuring close-up imagery, detailed descriptions, and key details for a selection of our seasonal fabrics. This guide is designed to help you make well-informed decisions about your purchases. So far, it includes eight entries, with more on the way. Enjoy discovering what makes these fabrics stand out.
ALBUQUERQUE CHECK.
What we love about this eye-catching midweight wool blend is its intriguing texture, and subtle blend of earthy colours creating the graph paper-like check pattern. The weave creates a seersucker effect which brings the fabric and pattern to life, giving it both a distinctive appearance and a tactile quality. It looks like a check, and it feels like a check!
Fabric Composition: 54% Wool, 23% Polyester, 23% Cotton.
WOOL FLEECE.
A long-standing favourite at Universal Works, Wool Fleece has been a staple in a great many winter collections. Traditionally used as a sportswear fabric, we have fully adopted this knitted blend of Wool and Recycled Polyester into our styles such as Waistcoats, Cardigans, and Zip Jackets, providing practical yet smart options. Ideal for layering, this practical, tightly knitted fabric offers style, comfort and unparalleled warmth-to-lightness ratio.
Fabric Composition: 65% Wool, 35% Recycled Polyester.
CORDUROY.
Corduroy is an incredibly versatile fabric, and this season we have it in three different versions both weight and appearance: 8-Wale, 12-Wale, and 16-Wale. For those unfamiliar with the term, 'wales' refer to the ridges in the fabric—the higher the number, the finer the ridges. Our Corduroy is overdyed in seasonal colours, and the fabric absorbs dye exceptionally well, resulting in deep, rich tones.
Fabric Composition: 100% Cotton.
CORDUROY.
This one is our regular Autumn/Winter collection corduroy available in trousers and jackets. It is an 8-Wale, mid-weight cord, the lower the number of wales the more pronounced the cord effect, and is available in two colours black and fawn.
Fabric Composition: 100% Cotton.
FINE CORD.
Let us try to undo any confusion as this season we have two fabrics called Fine Cord however they are not the same. One is a 16-wale cord and has made its appearance in many Autumn/Winter collections. It is the lightest weight of all our cords but still feels like a ‘winter weight’, the appearance of the wales is subtle and it makes the perfect overshirt fabric. This is available in three colours; olive, bark, and navy and two styles, Bakers Overshirt & Kyoto Work Jacket.
Fabric Composition: 100% Cotton.
FINE CORD 2.
Our other similarly named Fine Cord has 12-Wales, so they are slightly more visible, and this one has more weight and structure. It is available in two colours; brown and navy and two styles Field Shirt and Uniform Jacket.
Fabric Composition: 100% Cotton.
PRINTED FLANNEL.
This wool blend, mid-weight fabric showcases a unique broken floral pattern, rotary-printed on a grey mélange Flannel. It adds a distinctive touch to your Autumn-Winter wardrobe.
Fabric Composition: 65% Wool, 31% Polyester, 4% Other Fibres.
ITALIAN PINSTRIPE.
Returning for another Winter season, this two-tone brown Pinstripe is a mid-weight fabric made from 70% Cotton. With a lightly brushed surface, it feels soft against the skin while maintaining durability for everyday wear. The high cotton content provides structure, making it an ideal choice for contemporary suiting.
Fabric Content: 70% Cotton, 26% Acrylic, 4% Other Fibres.
JACQUARD FLEECE.
Although at first glance it initially appears to be a woven heavy Tweed, it is actually knitted. A wool blend fabric with a loop surface texture, brushed which softens and blends the colours of the check. A loose-ish knit structure but creating a chunky thickness
Fabric Content: 67% Wool, 33% Recycled Polyester.
RECYCLED DENIM.
This fabric’s manufacturing process embraces a more circular approach. The uniform indigo-like colour resembles denim but is woven using the same yarn in the warp and weft which on closer inspection reveals subtle slubs and flecks, a characteristic of its 100% recycled Cotton fibres. The result is a structured fabric that works equally well in both relaxed tailoring, like our double-breasted Manor Jacket, and casual styles, such as the Trucker Jacket. Pair these jackets with our Military Chino or opt for the looser silhouette of the Duke Pant.
Fabric Content: 100% Recycled Cotton.
UPCYCLED ITALIAN TWEED.
One of our lighter winter-weight fabrics, the Upcycled Italian Tweed, is made in a region in Italy known for incorporating recycled materials. This blend of Cotton and Upcycled Wool yarns is used specifically for our suiting. We appreciate how the Wool breathes, offering a looser structure, excellent recovery, and crease resistance. The subtle herringbone weave is more pronounced in the olive colourway, while it appears more understated in navy.
Fabric Content: 41% Cotton, 25% Polyester, 20% Recycled Wool.
DAM MARL.
Knitted in Italy, this is a tightly knitted sportswear-style fabric with a heavily brushed but smooth pile surface. A blended yarn with a subtle mix of tonal-coloured strands, giving it a variegated look—hence the 'marl' reference in the name. Previously seen before but this season, we have selected it for our open-neck Workshirt, providing a warm and comfortable winter overshirt. It comes in bark, forest, and navy, each with its unique marl effect.
Fabric Content: 60% Acrylic, 20% Wool, 20% Polyester.