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NY Fashion Centre Fabrics - Fabrics terms Category: Agriculture and Industry > Fabric and Textiles Date & country: 28/08/2013, USA Words: 156

Pile
From the Latin word for hair, pile is the extra yarn that protrudes from the surface of a fabric. Pile can be shaved and shaped, as with velvet and corduroy, or can be left uncut as with terry cloth.

Pima Cotton
Named after the Pima Indians who cultivated this plant in the Southwestern United States, Pima cotton is similar to Egyptian cotton, as it has exceptionally strong, long, combed fibers, dyes well and has a silky soft hand.

Piqu
A medium-weight, tightly woven cotton or cotton blend fabric generally recognizable by its waffle weave texture.

Plaid
Also referred to as tartan cloth, plaid originated in the Scottish Highlands as a way to differentiate the different clans. Once denoting the garment itself, plaid is now used to refer to the specific crisscross designs and can be applied to a wide array of fabrics and uses.

Pliss
A plain weave cotton fabric with permanent creases and wrinkles that have been produced through the application of a caustic solution in order to shrink specific areas. Similar in appearance to seersucker, plisse fabric is often used for bedspreads and dresses.

Plush
Velvet with a deep, soft pile, plush is easily found in childrens' stuffed animals. From the French word peluche meaning hairy, plush fabric can also be knitted for a bit of stretch.

Ply
When two or more threads are twisted together before weaving, increasing yarn density and weight.

Polyester
Condensation polymers combine to develop synthetic fibers that make this strong, quick-drying textile that does not wrinkle and holds its shape well.

Polyvinyl Chloride
(PVC) A waterproof, rubbery textured man-made fabric often found in outdoor upholstery, costumes and specialty apparel.

Poplin
Also called tabinet, this plain-woven fabric has a corded surface that runs selvage to selvage. Usually made from a silk warp with a weft of worsted yarn, but can also be made with wool, cotton, rayon, or any mixture.

Quilting Fabric
Generally made from 100% cotton and featuring novelty designs or specific images, used for making quilts.

Raschel Knit
A warp-knitted fabric that resembles handmade lace, crochet or nettings. A connecting yarn is interwoven among the vertical knit of the fabric.

Rayon
Made from the cellulose fiber viscose, it usually has good drape, soft hand and is highly absorbent.

Re-Embroidered
Embellished with beads, tiny pearls, ribbon, etc. sewn on, usually by hand: said as of lace for bridal gowns.

Ribbon
From the French word riban, a narrow fabric used for bows and wrapping.

Rip-Stop Nylon
A lightweight, wind and water resistant textile. Double yarns create a box pattern to provide extra strength and resistance to tearing. Commonly used in outdoor clothing and equipment as well as outdoor flags because of its extreme durability.

Sailcloth
An extremely heavyweight canvas fabric, resistant to the elements, that is used for ship's sails.

Sanforize
A patented process to pre-shrink fabric, developed by Sanford Pruett in the 1930s. Fabrics treated with this process should never shrink more than 1%.

Sateen
A silky, lustrous satin weave fabric predominantly made from cotton. Sateen often has an increased thread count for extra softness and durability.

Satin
A smooth lustrous, shiny fabric with a dull back that has a superb drape and sheen. It is characterized by a weaving technique that forms a minimum number of interlacings in a fabric. Satin differs from sateen in that it is woven using filament fibers such as silk or nylon whereas sateens are woven using short-staple fibers like cotton.

Seersucker
A fabric distinguishable by its crepe-like, crinkled stripes, which are made by weaving some of the warp threads slack and others tight. This fabric is traditionally cotton, but can be made from nylon, silk and other yarns, and is typically worn in the summer.

Sequins
Small metal or plastic discs that are sewn or otherwise affixed to a fabric to add depth, texture or decoration.

Shantung
This medium-weight, refined, plain-weave fabric is characterized by a slubbed effect, similar to Dupioni silk, but with a more sophisticated and polished appearance.

Sharkskin
A smooth, crisp, non-pattern fabric where the yarns in both the warp and filling are alternately light and colored creating a subtle two-tone appearance.

Sheer Fabric
A semi-transparent fabric that can be treated to have varying levels of crispness or body. Sheer fabrics are often used as volumizers underneath other fabrics, as draperies, or as sleeves for evening wear.

Silk
The fabric is woven using the natural filament fiber produced by the silkworm in the construction of its cocoon. Silk is a naturally strong, lustrous, and fine fiber that produces long-lasting, versatile, and high-quality multi-purpose fabrics.

Smocking
A form of embroidery in which fabric is gathered and folded to provide increased stretch and comfort. Developed in the Middle Ages, smocking requires soft, lightweight, durable fabric, often batiste, voile or lawn, and is typically used for collars, cuffs and bodices. Smocking often reduces the fabric's original width by up to two thirds.

Spandex
Made with elastic fibers that can be stretched up to five times its original length without damage. When blended with natural fibers, it creates a lightweight and flexible fabric with great shape retention.

Suede
Leather that has been given a velvety nap.

Synthetic
A fiber which has been man-made through the use of chemical combinations. Synthetic fibers often have increased durability, strength and resistance to the elements.

Taffeta
With a smooth feel, and a crisp hand, taffeta can be made from a variety of fibers including silk and rayon. It has a subtle horizontal ribbing effect and provides lots of body and an ultimate rustle.

Tapestry
A heavy, often ornately designed textile typically used for wall-hangings and large draperies. From the French tapis meaning carpet.

Tencel
A fabric made from the cellulose of wood pulp, then processed into a silk-like fabric that is very soft with great drape. It's usually a medium weight fabric that can be easily dyed and cared for.

Terry Cloth
Usually made from cotton, but sometimes made from linen, this fabric has a moisture-absorbing loop pile that covers surface on one or both sides.

Tie-Dye
A process of resist dyeing, where parts of a cloth are tied, knotted or folded as to avoid penetration of a particular dye.

Tulle
This lightweight, extremely fine, machine-made hexagonal shape netting, is usually made from nylon, silk, or rayon.

Tweed
A medium to heavy weight, roughly textured wool fabric, often featuring a twill weave, houndstooth or herringbone design. A classically English look accompanies this durable fabric, which is popular in sport coats, jackets and hats.

Twill
An incredibly versatile fabric distinguishable by diagonal ribs on its face, and a soft, smooth finish. Gabardine, serge, and denim are all examples of till fabrics.

Ultrasuede
A synthetic fabric similar to suede, with a micro-fiber structure, that is stain resistant and durable.

Upholstery
The practice of covering furniture with fabric. Upholstery fabric need to be durable and resistant to stains and wear, and are often made from heavy cotton, leather or synthetic fabrics.

Velour
Typically produced with a knitted back, velour resembles velvet, but has some stretch and an uneven pile giving it a slightly rougher look. Velour is French for velvet, and it is made from fibers such as cotton, wool, or spun rayon.

Velvet
Velvet is one of the most luxurious fabrics because of its evenly cut, thick, soft pile. Traditionally made from silk, velvet comes in a variety of blends like rayon/silk, cotton, or nylon, and some velvets, such as stretch velvet, has some lycra blended in as well.

Velveteen
A lightweight fabric made from cotton with a very short, dense pile. Developed in Manchester, England in the 18th century, velveteen lacks the sheen and drape of velvet, is woven with an extra filling yarn, and can have a plain or a twill back.

Vinyl
A synthetic fabric made from PVC which resembles leather.

Viscose
A man made synthetic fiber, typically referred to as rayon. Viscose has a silken, smooth feel and a terrific drape, and is often used for linings and bridal garments.

Voile
Usually made with cylindrical combed yarns, this plain, loosely woven fabric has an extremely clear surface because the excess fuzzy yarns are singed away. It is thin, semi-transparent, and very lightweight, resembling an organdy or organza in appearance.

Warp
The vertical threads in a particular fabric or on a loom.

Weave
The manner in which a fabric is produced, utilizing methods of combining the warp and weft threads. The type of weave affects the strength, stretch, sheen and weight of a fabric. The basic types of weaves are plain, twill and satin.

Weft
The horizontal threads in a particular fabric or on a loom.

Whipcord
A heavier twill fabric, similar to gabardine or elastique, but more rugged and with a steeper ribbing.

Wool
This textile is made using the fibers from the hair of animals, such as goats, sheep, camels, or llamas, and it comes in several different forms from crepe, to gabardine, to worsted. Wool is moisture absorbing and known for its warmth, and is also naturally stain and wrinkle resistant.

Wool-Double Crepe
A finely woven wool crepe with two layers bonded together to generate lighter-weight wool fabric.

Wool-Merino
A high quality, fine wool yarn produced from the short, strong, and durable fleece of the Merino sheep. It is extremely soft and versatile.

Worsted
A wool fabric woven from firmly twisted yarns, which are spun from combed long-staple wool, creating a solid smooth surface with no nap.

Yarn
Also referred to as thread, yarn is the basic component of all fabrics. Yarn can be composed of twisted natural or synthetic fibers, or a longer single fiber.

Zibeline
Named after the zibeline animal of Siberia, this textile is a satin weave faric made from the wool of cross-bred worsted yarns. Zibeline is napped, then steamed and pressed. It has a long, one-directional nape and is very sleek and shiny. Also known as zibaline.