Identify this fabric?

[TheBenny]

Hello gents (and ladies)!

Nice place you've got here! I've lurked here on and off and have been meaning to ask this question for a long time and it seems like this is possibly the best place on the net to ask.

Many years ago, I got this Hawaiian shirt as a gag gift. It sat in the back of my closet for about 10 years. Then one day, I had an occasion to wear it. I put it on and holy cow was it wonderful! When it comes to clothing, I admit, I gravitate strongly towards fabrics that have a unique tactile sensation. I started wearing it more often and found that in the cool evenings, the long sleeves kept me warm (and seemed to help avoid mosquito bites). In the hot summer days, it kept the sun off, keeping me cool. And after a swim in the heat and put on while wet, it wicked up the moisture and kept me cool in a breeze for a considerable length of time.

Needless to say, I want to pick up a couple more (with or without the Hawaiian print). Problem is, I don't know how to describe or search for the fabric in order to find what I'm looking for.

Here's what I know. It's 100% cotton, made in Mexico. The tag says "Duke Kahanamoku". It's about 20 years old. I would describe the fabric as being thick and light weight, almost "puffy" even. I think it's what the jeans experts would describe as being slubby, but that's as far as I can get with it. Any ideas on what the fabric would be called, or how to better describe it? Or better yet, got any hints on how or where to locate shirts like this?

 

[Master-Classter]

Looks to me like a relatively 'raw' and 'slubby' cotton, as in not overly processed so the yarns are thicker and are more loosely woven together. Look for some of those key words, or just go with linen. Hope that helps.

 

[Astaroth]

As above, its a slub cotton shirt. Google the term and you'll come up with a few options but the amount of variation in the yarn can vary significantly and so some may be more subtle than your former shirt.

For your desired result rather than what your shirt is I'd also suggest looking at linen or linen/cotton blends which will look different but perform in a similar way.

 

[TheBenny]

Thank you. I appreciate it!

I get the feeling this is going to be a looong slow search. But hopefully I'll be able to find something comparable.

I find that a lot of websites don't do a really good job of getting close-ups of the fabric. With a camera 10+ feet from the model/source, it's really tough to tell what you're getting from a potential online purchase like this. It's a shame.

 

[double00]

barkcloth! you're welcome!

I get the feeling this is going to be a looong slow search.

 

[TheBenny]

Thank you! I knew that there just HAD to be a single word that I needed to know to find what I was looking for!

And that appears to be it.

Now to find if anybody's been using this fabric to make shirts any time in the past 20 years or so...

 

[Simon Versus]

You could also look for Butcher Linen or Crash Linen. Both are thicker, slubby textured and lightweight. Good luck.