How do I tell herringbone from chevron at a glance?

Follow one zigzag line to its peak. In chevron the two diagonals meet in a sharp, unbroken point. In herringbone they are offset at the turn, like bricks stepping past each other.

Is herringbone a twill?

Yes. Herringbone is a broken twill weave: a 2/2 twill whose diagonal reverses direction at regular intervals across the cloth. The break at each reversal is what distinguishes it from a pointed, continuous chevron weave.

Side by side

Herringbone vs Chevron

Herringbone and chevron are both zigzag patterns, and the difference is in the join. Chevron is a continuous zigzag: the stripes meet point to point in clean, unbroken Vs. Herringbone is a broken twill: the diagonal reverses with a deliberate offset at each band, so the Vs are staggered like the bones of a fish, which is exactly what the name records.

Herringbone

No. 014

2/2 broken twill · first documented Antiquity

Chevron

No. 015

zigzag stripe · first documented c. 1800s

The differences

Aspect	Herringbone	Chevron
The join	Broken: each band of diagonal is offset where it meets the next.	Continuous: stripes meet exactly at the point, forming seamless Vs.
Construction	A woven structure, a 2/2 twill whose direction reverses across the warp.	Usually a printed, knitted, or pieced stripe; in flooring, planks cut at an angle and butted.
Texture	Woven texture you can feel; the pattern is the weave itself.	Flat and graphic; the pattern sits on the surface.
Typical use	Suiting, coats, tweed jackets, flooring laid in offset blocks.	Knitwear, rugs, decor, flooring with mitred joints.

Which to choose

Look at the point of the V. If the lines meet cleanly, it is chevron. If they step past each other where they meet, it is herringbone. In tailoring, herringbone is the quieter and more traditional of the two because the pattern is woven structure rather than surface graphic.

Common questions

How do I tell herringbone from chevron at a glance?: Follow one zigzag line to its peak. In chevron the two diagonals meet in a sharp, unbroken point. In herringbone they are offset at the turn, like bricks stepping past each other.
Is herringbone a twill?: Yes. Herringbone is a broken twill weave: a 2/2 twill whose diagonal reverses direction at regular intervals across the cloth. The break at each reversal is what distinguishes it from a pointed, continuous chevron weave.

Full entry: Herringbone Full entry: Chevron

Sources & References

1.Herringbone (cloth), Wikipedia
2.herringbone, Online Etymology Dictionary
3.Chevron (insignia), Wikipedia
4.chevron, Online Etymology Dictionary