Kersey is a sturdy woolen cloth woven in a twill, then fulled (milled) to a dense, smooth face that hides the weave. Traditionally used for uniforms, coats, and workwear, it is valued for warmth, durability, and weather resistance - a true workhorse woolen.
What Makes Kersey
Kersey starts as a woolen twill - usually a 2/2 or similar construction - and gets its character from fulling: the woven cloth is shrunk, felted, and finished until the surface is compact and the twill line is softened but still visible. The result sits between a crisp worsted suiting and a heavy melton overcoating: smoother than a tweed, less board-like than melton, with a one-way nap that must be cut like velvet.
Kersey Through History
Kersey was one of medieval England's great export cloths - so important that the word appears in trade records from the 1200s. It dressed soldiers, sailors, and working people for centuries: the classic peacoat and military greatcoat are kersey's descendants. Its combination of warmth, wind resistance, and hard wear made it the default choice wherever clothing had to survive weather and work.
Kersey Today
Modern kersey appears in military-style coats, peacoats, and heritage workwear, and in uniform cloth where tradition matters. It is distinct from jersey knit - despite the similar name, kersey is a woven woolen. When buying vintage or reproduction outerwear, "kersey" on the label promises a dense, honest woolen that only gets better with wear.
FAQs
- Is kersey the same as jersey?
- No - despite the similar names. Kersey is a woven woolen twill cloth; jersey is a knit fabric. They share nothing but a few letters.
- What is kersey used for?
- Traditionally uniforms, coats, and workwear - anywhere a dense, warm, weather-resistant woolen is needed.
- What does fulled mean?
- Fulling (milling) shrinks and felts woven wool cloth with moisture, heat, and friction, creating a denser, smoother face.
- How is kersey different from melton?
- Both are fulled woolens, but melton is fulled harder to a completely smooth, almost felt-like face, while kersey keeps a visible twill character.
Glossary: see the full fashion glossary for more apparel industry terms.