Sentence:  Skiwear has moved swiftly away from wool — and cotton — into a brave new world of chemistry. ... Wool pants or knickers, usually of <WSD>melton</WSD> — a thick, tightly woven, smooth fabric — were good for shedding snow. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A tough, short-napped material used for making overcoats.