Drill (fabric)

Drill is stout, durable cotton fabric with a strong bias (diagonal) in the weave.

[1][2] The heavier weights were often used in corsets,[3] and are commonly used in work clothing and uniforms.

Initially, improvised dyes produced clothing that ranged in shade from lavender grey to earth brown, although all were referred to as "khaki".

In the mid-1880s, standardised cotton drill uniforms were produced using a colourfast mineral dye of the shade now recognised universally as khaki.

The fabric soon became a popular material for military uniforms, and in the United States following World War II, as veterans returned to college campuses, it became popular in casual dress as well .