Plain weave
The simplest weave structure — each weft yarn passes over and under alternating warp yarns. Used for poplin, broadcloth, canvas, and many shirting fabrics.
Plain weave (sometimes "tabby" weave) is the foundational textile structure: weft over one, under one, alternating across the row. It produces a balanced, flat surface with no diagonal pattern.
Most shirting fabrics are plain weave variants. Poplin is a fine, smooth plain weave often used for dress shirts. Broadcloth is similar but slightly heavier. Canvas is a coarser, heavier plain weave used for tote bags, deck chairs, and chore coats. Voile is a very light plain weave used in summer shirting.
Versus twill: plain weave is flatter, more breathable, more transparent at light weights. Twill is denser, more drapey, more durable at the same weight. Both have a place in menswear; the choice depends on what the garment needs to do.
Chambray
A plain-weave cotton fabric with a colored warp + white weft, producing a denim-adjacent appearance. Lighter, softer, and much less durable than denim.
Oxford cloth
A basket-weave cotton fabric — two yarns woven together as one — producing a soft, slightly textured surface common in casual button-downs.
Twill weave
A weave structure that creates diagonal lines across the fabric. Used for denim, chinos, gabardine, and most workwear pants.