Fabric 101: Oxford

Oxford cloth is a medium weight fabric that is known for its subtle texture. It is fairly stiff and structured, but still flexible enough to be comfortable to wear. Oxford fabric is one of the most well known types of shirting fabric, and is most often used for more casual button-up shirt styles. 

Fabric	Oxford
Texture?	Noticeable texture, but not too rough
Stretch?	It’s a non-stretch fabric, but it’s often made with a small percentage of spandex (elastane) fibers giving the material a small amount of stretch
Weight?	Medium weight
Stiff or flowy drape?	Somewhat stiff drape but still flexible
Typical fiber content?	Usually cotton or a cotton/polyester blend
Opaque or sheer?	Mostly opaque but lighter colors can be slightly see through
Shiny?	Matte fabric
Fraying?	Frays somewhat easily
Cool or warm weather?	Better for winter/autumn shirting
What to make?	Best for casual and some formal shirting
What needle to use?	A standard needle (universal size 80 or 90)

What kind of fabric is oxford?

You’ve likely encountered Oxford cloth in button-up shirts without realizing its specific name. This fabric is a versatile and popular material known for its distinctive basket-weave pattern that uses dyed yarns along the length of the fabric and white yarns across the width. This weaving technique gives oxford its characteristic checkerboard appearance (though, the fabric can be solid white as well). 

Oxford cloth is also thicker and more durable than many other shirt fabrics. This added heft makes it well-suited for cooler weather clothing, especially in autumn when the weather is beginning to turn.

Oxford fabric is also made using twisted yarns. This gives the fabric a texture that is slightly rough to the touch (but not itchy or uncomfortable), setting it apart from smoother shirting material.

The twisted yarns used in oxford fabric also contribute to its wrinkle resistance (relative to other plain weave shirting fabrics). However, it also means that there is a greater chance the fabric will shrink in the wash (so pre wash your fabric and wash your oxford garments in cold water).

What is oxford fabric used for?

Oxford fabric is primarily used for making shirts. You’ll find it most commonly in casual button-up shirts, giving them a distinctive texture and durability. For formal occasions, oxford fabric can also be used in dress shirts (though this will typically be a tighter weave and smoother version, such as Royal Oxford). 

While the most common use of Oxford material is in shirting, it is also used for other purposes occasionally. You might encounter oxford fabric in bedding. Sheets and pillowcases made from this material offer a crisp, cool feel and impressive longevity.

Decorative items like wall hangings sometimes feature oxford fabric because its textured appearance adds visual interest to home decor pieces.

Properties of oxford fabric

• Texture: It has a noticeable bumpy texture on the surface due to the twisted yarns used in the construction of the fabric. However, I would not consider it a rough or itchy material.
• Weight: Oxford is a medium weight material, typically on the heavier side of medium.
• Drape: Oxford has a fairly structured drape, but it’s still flexible enough to be good for more fitted garments (like button-up shirts)
• Fiber: Most oxford fabric is made from cotton or a cotton and polyester blend. However, it’s also possible to find it made from other types of fiber. Recently, it has become more common to see rayon used as a fiber for oxford cloth. Elastane is also often added to the fiber blend to give it a small amount of stretch.
• Sheen: Oxford is a completely matte material.
• Fraying: The basketweave of oxford cloth causes it to fray more easily than other types of shirting, but this is not the type of material that will fray so much that it disintegrates while you’re sewing it. 
• Wrinkling: Oxford fabric has some degree of wrinkle resistance, but it will still crease and wrinkle with time. Typically, the greater the percentage of cotton in the fiber content, the more easily the fabric will wrinkle.
• Breathable: 100% cotton oxford is fairly breathable, though I would still consider it to be too thick for comfortable summer clothing. The more polyester in the fiber blend, the less breathable the material will be.

What to know before you start sewing with oxford

Oxford fabric is generally an easy material to work with. Its structured nature provides stability without excessive thickness, making it ideal for beginner sewing projects. However, there are a couple things to keep in mind before sewing with the fabric.

For one, this is a material that it’s usually best to prewash. Oxford cloth has a tendency to shrink a bit, so if you don’t wash the fabric before sewing with it, you may find that your garment is too small after it’s been through a wash cycle.

The other thing to be aware of is Oxford fabric’s tendency to fray. While it’s far from the worst fabric I’ve worked with, you’ll still want to be careful to not over-handle the material and cause excessive unraveling. You also want to make sure you pick sturdier seam finishes. Felled seams are an excellent choice, but even overlock or zigzag seam finishes will do. However, only pinking the edges will probably not hold up through a wash cycle.