Get on Board with the Slub Club

Like many good things throughout history, slub yarns were once seen as defects in apparel. These irregularities eventually turned into a desirable trait for fabrics- giving every garment they made a unique texture and character. 

Construction

In fabric preparation, yarns were carded and spun. A fuller section of the yarn developed every so often on a roll of yarn. This fuller section or slub, was always removed before the material was finished. Eventually, the industry began to recognize slub not as a flaw, but as a cool textural element in fabric, and began making slubbed fabric intentionally. 

Thus, a defect became a style. 

Slub yarns are either single or 2 ply staple fibers and are now intentionally created like so...

• Single ply yarns are twisted loosely to create more voluminous areas.
• 2 plied yarns are twisted as single ply yarns (as explained above), then twisted together, or only one of the two yarns is twisted loosely before they are joined

Uses and Aesthetic

Heathered fabric can sometimes be mistaken for slubs, yet they are not at all the same. Heathered fabric is made by pre-dying fibers, then spinning them together. This is why black and white fibers spun together yields the classic heather grey.  The major distinction lies in the texture and hand feel of the fabric, as slubs always have an uneven surface. 

Slubs often appear in these fabrics:

• Linen
• Shantung/ Dupioni
• Slubbed silk
• Butcher rayon
• Cotton

While it shouldn’t be considered for items that need to be particularly durable like upholstery, it is the perfect fabric for t shirts, sweatshirts, table cloths, or curtains. 

See what the buzz is about and join the slub club! Get started with slub with our Talanga Slub tee, made of 30 single ring-spun cotton and coming in a variety of hues.