Worsted wools lightweight but durable characteristics make it an ideal bric for tailored clothing.

Worsted yards are spun and twisted more tightly than other woolens, the resulting bric firmer and stronger. Regular woolens are weaker and bulkier, but often softer. When viewed under a microscope, worsted wool yarn looks like smooth strands of rope, whereas regular wool yarns appear fluffy with many loose ends, according to the University of Houston Engines of Our Ingenuity website.

Worsting--the process of combing wool fibers in one direction--removes irregularities and ensures that the fibers all lie in the same directiWhat Is Worsted Wool Fabric? woolen and worsted parallel what cotton process?on in straight, parallel lines. The process softens the original wool and when woven creates an easily draped lightweight bric, according to the New York Fashion Center website. Fabrics with twilled patterns in the weave such as gabardine and serge usually are made from worsted yarn.

Traditional worsted wool brics are made from the fibers of long-haired English sheep.

Worsted wool fibers and brics, and the items made from them, should be dry-cleaned or hand-washed to avoid damaging the delicate fibers or shrinking the finished product by machine washing, according to the New York Fashion Center website.

Worsted wools, unlike regular woolens, go through a process known as combing that pulls the fibers parallel to each other, straightens them and removes short fibers, according to the Woolcrafting website. Worsted wool fibers are four inches or longer, whereas woolen yarns can have fibers as short as one inch.

Regular wool easily felts. When washed in hot water, regular wools short irregular fibers bunch up onto each other, shrinking and softening to form fluffy felted bric. Worsted wool will not felt.

The differences in the yarns create different brics. Worsted wool brics are more closely woven with a distinct pattern, according to the Woolcrafting website. Worsted wool brics have a hard finish, giving them a flatter and smoother look than woolens. Worsted wool brics hold creases and shape better than regular woolens, wrinkle less and last longer, them ideal for tailored clothing.

Fabrics known as tropical worsteds use a loose weave to allow air to flow through the tightly spun worsted yarn.

About Wool Suit FabricWool suit bric is popular for men and women, thanks to its breathability, durability and ease of wear. Wool quality is judged...

Straight, parallel combed wool fibers create the lightweight bric known as worsted wool that for centuries has been used for durable but comfortable suits, coats and other clothing. The term worsted refers to both the yarn and resulting woven bric.

The worsting process comes from the English village of Worstead, located in Norfolk County, according to the New York Fashion Center website. The area became a center of yarn and cloth manucturing in the 1100s.

The additional processing needed to create worsted wool brics makes them more expensive than regular woolens. Worsted wool suit and shion brics in 2010 can cost more than $20 per yard while regular wool suit bric and blends often are half that price at bric and sewing shops.