Textile Glossary

100% Wool Reenactment Collection

High quality 100% Wool, Medium to Heavy Weight piece dyed cloth suitable for re-enactors.

Aba

A loose cloak, possibly of arabian origin. Related to the jama in men's wear, and to the abbo (q.v.) in women's.

Abaca

Fibre obtained from the plant musa textiles, commonly known as manila.
 

Abho

A loose shirt-like garment, worn by women mostly in gujarat and rajasthan. The garment was generally worn with short, wide sleeves, open at the neck, loose-fitting on the upper part and really flared in its skirt. Often decorated with embroidery and mirror-glass work.

Abimelech Hainsworth

Founder of Hainsworth in 1783. Manufacturer of fine wool cloths for Military uniforms, cap and hat cloths, re-enactment garments and fashionwear.
 

Abstract

Refers to a design in the abstract style, i.e. One that represents a general form and not an accurate representation of a subject.

Academic Scarf

Wool Scarves worn by students, college scarves, university scarves,school scarves. Wool wraps.
 

Accessories

Additional ornamentation to accompany the garment in order to create a certain look/image. (shoes, jewelries etc.)

Accordion

1x1 rib knit alternating with a 2x2 rib.

Acetate (fibre) (generic name)

The term used to describe fibres of cellulose ethanoate (acetate) wherein between 74% and 92% of the hydroxyl groups of the original cellulose are ethanoylated (acetylated)

Achkan

A men's long-sleeved coat-like garment, worn close to the body, reaching down to the knees or even lower, and buttoned in front-middle.

Acid Dye

An anionic dye characterized by substantiality for protein and polyamide fibres and usually applied from an acidic or neutral dye bath.

Acrylic (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain at least 85% (by mass) of recurring cyanoethene (acrylonitrile) groups.

Acrylic coated

A fabric which has been coated, generally on the back, with acrylic resin to make it waterproof or dawnproof.

Affinity

The quantitative expression of substantiality. It is the difference between the chemical potential of the dye in its standard state in the fibre and the corresponding chemical potential in the dye bath.

Aguillettes

Metal-tagged laces that replaced the sewn ones, to attach the breeches to the doublet.

Air laying

A method of forming a web (or batt) of staple fibres in which the fibres are dispersed into an air stream and condensed from the air stream on to a permeable cage or conveyor.

Albatross

A lightweight, plain weave fabric traditionally of wool or wool blends with a napped, fleecy surface . So named because the texture resembles the breast of an albatross. Usually light in color- used in infant's wear, sleep wear.

Alkali-cellulose

The product of the interaction of strong sodium hydroxide with purified cellulose.note: in the manufacture of viscose fibres, the cellulose may be cotton linters or wood-pulp. After pressing, alkali-cellulose usually contains approximately 30% of cellulose and 15% of sodium hydroxide, the remainder being water. During the steeping of the cellulose in sodium hydroxide (18-20% w/w) to form the alkali-cellulose, soluble impurities, including soluble cellulose are removed.

Alpaca fibre (hair)

Fibre from the fleece of the alpaca (lama pacos) which inhabits the high mountain region of South America.

Amadis sleeve

Tight-fitting sleeve continuing on the back of the hand, invented in 1684 by mlle le rochois, an actress at the opera, who had unsightly arms.

Angora

The hair of the angora rabbit. The origin of the angora breed ins unclear. It is believed to come from france, developed from a mutation in a wild rabbit, in the 18th century. Note: the hair of the angora goat is referred to as mohair.

Anionic dye

A dye that dissociates in aqueous solution to give a negatively charged ion.

Anti bacterial

Finish that makes a fabric resistant to the growth of bacteria.

Anti pill

A finish applied to fleece which involves shearing the surface so that the fabric is less likely to pill.

Antique satin

A reversible fabric - one side looks like satin and the other side like shantung. It often has a dark warp which enhances the texture. Often used for draperies.

Apparel Fabrics

Cloth used for making Military uniforms, schoolwear, costumes, re-enactment Garments and medieval garments.

Apparent wall thickness

The apparent width of a fibre wall as seen under the microscope. In the maturity test for cotton, the apparent wall thickness is assessed visually at the widest part of the fibres as a fraction of the maximum ribbon width.

Aramid (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain recurring amide groups, at least 85% of which are joined directly by two aromatic rings and in which amide groups may be substituted for up to 50% of the amide groups.

Army no 2 Dress Khaki Barathea

The uniform worn for formal duties by units of the British Army.
 

Atlas (TITAN)

The Hainsworth brand given to the 270 gsm TITAN fabric.  Atlas is the greek god of …. CB

Atmosphere for testing

(a) standard temperate atmosphere : an atmosphere at the prevailing barometric pressure with a relative humidity of 65% and a temperature of 20˚c, (b) standard tropical atmosphere : an atmosphere at the prevailing barometric pressure with a relative humidity of 65% and a temperature of 27˚c

Authentic Costume Reproduction

Manufacturers of Re-enactment cloths, Militaria, German Re-enactment cloths, Russian Cloths, British Cloth, German Cloths, German Militaria, Army Re-enactment, British Re-enactment, British Militaria, War Re-enactment, Medieval Re-enactment, Italian Cloth, Tudor Cloth, Re-enactment costumes, Re-enactment Roman, Re-enactment Viking, Japaenese Cloth,  Celtic Cloth, Re-enactment Civil War, Costumes.

Awning stripe

1. A design of wide even stripes 2. A heavy canvas fabric with this design. May be yarn dyed or printed.

Baghal bandi

A kind of tunic or jacket, worn shorts and fastened under the armpits.

Baize

Woven woollen fabric napped to resemble felt.

Balabar

An outer garment, worn by men, related in shape to the coat-like ashcan.

Balagny cloak

First half of 17th century, cloak or cape with wide collar, in France named after a military hero.

Balanced stripes

A design of stripes that are even in width and spacing.

Bale breaker

A machine used for opening cotton direct from a bale. Layers of compressed cotton are taken from a bale and fed into a machine where the tearing action of two coarse spiked rollers moving in opposite directions, produces a more open mass of tufts.

Barathea

An indistinct twill or broken rib- usually a twilled hopsack weave- with a fine textured ,slightly pebbled surface . Often of silk or silk blended with wool, used for neckties, women's fine suits and coats men's and women's evening wear

Bark cloth

Originally referred to fabric made from the bark of trees originally worn as tribal costumes in East Africa.  The fabric would not be washed and the garment may be passed down through generations.

Basic dye

A cationic dye characterized by its substantivity for basic-dyeable acrylic and basic-dyeable polyester fibres, especially the former. The term was originally applied to tannin-mordant cotton dyes.

Basket weave/hopsack

A variation of plain weave in which 2 or more yarns in both the warp and weft are woven side by side to resemble a basket.

Basques

Mid-17th century. French word for short tabs at bodices and male doublets that extended below the waist. Those jackets with basques were worn in combination with skirts instead of gowns.

Batik

A traditional Indonesian dyeing process in which portions of fabric are coated with wax and therefore resist the dye. The process can be repeated to achieve multi-color designs. Fabric usually has a veined appearance where the dye has gone through the cracks in the wax.

Batiste

1. A sheer, fine, soft, light weight, plain weave fabric usually of combed cotton or polyester/cotton. It often has lengthwise streaks due to the use of 2 ply yarns. Used for shirts blouses dresses nightwear and lingerie. 2. A lightweight smooth all wool fabric. 3.a sheer silk fabric.

Beaver Pelts

Beaver skins that were traded for blankets in Canada in the 17,18 and 19th century.

Bedford cord

A woven fabric constructed to show pronounced rounded cords in the warp direction with sunken lines between them. Used in trousers, uniforms, hats, upholstery.

Bias

Any direction in the fabric which does not exactly flow in the direction of the weft yarn (vertical yarns) or warp yarns (horizontal yarns) of a fabric. A true bias makes an angle of 45 degree across the length and width of a fabric, fabric cut on a bias has maximum stretch.

Bin (Blend Bin)

A holding area where the fibre in blown into and mixed.  Vertical slices of the fibre are then taken a blown to the next bin to ensure good mixing.

Blanket plaid

A large vividly colored plaid design such as those often found on blankets.

Blaze

See cocoon strippings, also termed keba.

Blazer Fabric

Jacket plain or striped often in the colours of a school, club,association or company. Possibly originally jacket worn by crew of H.M.S Blazer.

Bleached

Chemical treatment to remove impurities and whiten the fabric. It can be done either in preparation for dyeing and finishing or to obtain clean whites in finished fabric.

Bleaching

The procedure for improving whiteness of a material by removing natural colour.  Hydrogen peroxide is often used as the oxidizing agent.

Blend / Blending

A process or processes concerned primarily with efficient mixing of various lots of fibres. Hainsworth blend different wools; to ensure consistency of raw material over time and; to obtain the benefits of the properties of different types of wool in the finished product.  Selecting the correct wools for a blend is the job of the wool buyer and take many years of knowledge to perfect.

Blind dyeing

The process of fabric through a dye cycle without any dyestuff.  For example Hainsworth may blind dye Nomex in order to crystallize the fibre.

Block printed

A hand printing method using wood, metal, or linoleum blocks. The design is carved on the blocks , one block for each color. The dye is applied to the block which is pressed or hammered against the fabric.

Boiled wool

A wool or wool blend fabric, woven or knitted which has been given a course, crepey texture by heavy felting or by putting it in a high temperature bath.

Boiling

Hainsworth boil face fabrics for 8 hrs in order to set the direction of the wool fibres in the cloth.

Boiling off

A process used to clean down dye vessels for light shades.

Bolt

A single roll or piece of cloth.

Breaking elongation; breaking extension

The elongation, or extension, of a substance at its breaking load.

Breaking strength load; breaking force

The load that develops the breaking tension. The recommended unit of measurement is the newton.

Breathable coated

Refers to a coating that repels water but allows water vapor (thus perspiration) to pass through, allowing garments to be comfortable and waterproof . Used in garments for active wear and winter sports.

Breton lace

Lace embroidered on an open net with heavy often brightly colored yarn. May be made by hand or machine. Said to have originated in the Breton region of France.

Bright

Descriptive of textile materials, particularly man-made fibres, the natural lustre of which has not been substantially reduced. Bright may denote the presence of a very small amount of delustrant, insufficient to reduce the lustre of the fibre significantly.

Broadcloth

A fine soft woven wool fabric, plain or twill weave, with a smooth napped face. 

Broken twill

A general term for twill weave fabrics in which the twill line changes direction.

Brushed/napped

A finishing process to raise a nap on surface of the fabric using wire brushes, teasels or other abrasive materials.

Buckram

A stiff , open weave, coarse fabric often used as an interlining to give a garment shape. Also used in hats, bookbinding.

Buffalo check

A bold check pattern with blocks of 2 or 3 contrasting colors.  The red and black is the common Buffalo Check which was made famous by Woolrich, Pennsylvania.

Bulked yarn

A yarn that has been treated mechanically, physically or chemically so as to have a noticeably greater voluminosity or bulk.

Bunting

A plain, drapey, loosely woven fabric most often used for flags and decoration. Also called banner cloth.

Burlap/hessian

A coarse open fabric made of jute used for upholstery lining and bagging . When dyed or printed it is used in drapery, wall coverings, upholstery.

Burling

A wool trade term to describe the removal of imperfections (burls) from a fabric.

Burn out

A fabric made of 2 fibers then printed with a chemical that dissolves one of the fibers thus creating a design .Often done on velvet.

Burry wool

Wool contaminated with vegetable impurities adhering to the fleece.

Cable stitch

A knit fabric stitch that produces a design that looks like a heavy cord- common in sweaters and hosiery.

Cabled yarn

Two or more folded yarns twisted together in one or more operations., note 1: combinations of folded yarn(s) and single yarn(s) may be described as cabled yarns, e.g., a single yarn twisted together with two folded yarns to give softness to the resulting yarn., note 2: in the tyre-yarn and tyre-cord sections of the industry, cabled yarns are termed cabled cords or cords

Cake

The package, roughly cylindrical in shape, of continuous-filament yarn produced in the viscose spinning industry by means of a topham box.

Calendered

A flat, smooth, glossy finish applied to the fabric by passing it through heavy rollers under pressure and usually heat. Cire, chintz, moire, & glazing are examples of calendered finishes.

Calendering

The process of passing fabric through a calendar in which a highly polished, usually heated, steel bowl rotates at a higher surface speed than the softer (for example, cotton- or paper-filled) bowl against which it works, thus producing a glaze on the face of the fabric that is in contact with the steel bowl. The friction ratio is the ratio of the peripheral speed of the faster steel bowl to that of the slower bowl and is normally in the range 1.5 to 3.0.

Calico

A light weight, plain weave fabric usually cotton or cotton blend typically printed with small, all over, brightly colored designs. Used frequently in aprons, quilts & curtains.

Cambric

A plain weave, traditionally light weight cotton fabric with a luster on the surface .used for handkerchiefs underwear, shirts, aprons , tablecloths.

Camel hair

The hair of the camel ( camelus bactrianus ) or dromedary. It comprises the strong, coarse, outer hair and the undercoat.

Canton flannel

A heavy, warm, strong cotton or cotton blend fabric with a twill face and a brushed back . Used for nightwear, underwear, gloves, linings. Originally produced in Canton China.

Canvas /duck

A strong, firm, tightly woven, durable fabric usually of cotton but sometimes of linen, hemp or other fibers. It is usually plain weave but sometimes with a crosswise rib. It is produced in a variety of weights & used in a variety of products such as tents, awnings, sails, upholstery, footwear, jackets, trousers.

Carbon (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres containing at least 98% of carbon obtained by controlled pyrolosis of appropriate fibres.

Carbonizing

A chemical process for eliminating cellulosic matter from admixture with animal fibres by degrading the cellulosic material to an easily friable condition. The process involves treatment with an acid, as by the use of hydrochloric acid gas (dry process) or sulphuric acid solution (wet process), followed by heating.

Carded

A yarn in which the fibers have been partially straightened and cleaned prior to spinning. The yarn is generally coarser and more uneven than a combed yarn.

Cardigan -full

A variation of a 1x1 rib stitch with 2 sets of needles there is alternate knitting and tucking on one course then tucking and knitting on the next course. The fabric has the same look on both sides as every wale on both sides has both a held loop and a tuck loop. Also called polka rib

Cardigan- half

A variation of a 1x1 rib stitch with knitting & tucking in alternate courses on one set of needles. The construction on the back is the reverse of the face . Also called royal rib.

Carrier (coloration)

A type of accelerant, particularly used in the dyeing and printing of hydrophobic fibres with disperse dyes.

Carrier (fibre)

A fibre that is blended with the main constituent fibre to improve processing behaviour.

Carrotting

The modification of the tips of fur fibre (rabbit fur) by chemical treatment to improve their felting capacity. Reagents generally used are mercury in nitric acid and mixtures of oxidizing and hydrolysing agents.

Casein

The principal protein in milk. It serves as the raw material for some regenerated protein fibres.

Cashmere

Originally hair from the downy undercoat of the asiatic goat (capra hircus laniger). Currently similar hair from animals bred selectively from the feral goat population of Australia, New Zealand and Scotland, is also being regarded as cashmere provided the fibre diameter is similar.

Cassock, also casaque

Three-quarter length coat cut with wide, full sleeves and wide throughout the body, ending at thigh-height or below. An unbelted overcoat, open-sided and almost always covered with braid and woven ornament. It was worn from the middle of the 16th century, mainly for hunting and riding.

Cationic

A type of dye used on acrylic or on modified polyester or modified nylon yarn . Often used to achieve cross dyed effects cationic dyeable yarn is woven in a pattern with regular yarn in the same fabric. The pattern becomes visible by dyeing the fabric in 2 baths, one for each of the types of yarn.

Cationic dye

A dye that dissociates in aqueous solution to give a positively charged coloured ion.

Causticising

Brief treatment of cellulosic fabrics with caustic soda solution at room temperature without tension to improve the colour yield in printing and dyeing, particularly with reactive dyes.

Cavalier-style

The flamboyant men's fashion of the first half of the 17th century. The supporters of the english King Charles I were called cavaliers, in contrast to the plain dressed puritans.

Cavalry twill

A sturdy woven fabric with a steep pronounced double twill line . Often of cotton or wool but may be any fibre.

Centre front

It is the portion of the pattern or the garment which is suppose to come in the exact front.

Centrifugal spinning

A method of man-made fibre production in which the molten or dissolved polymer is thrown centrifugally in fibre form from the edge of a surface rotating at high speed., the term is also used to describe a method of yarn formation involving a rotating cylindrical container, in which, the yarn passes down a central guide tube and is then carried by centrifugal force to the inside of a rotating cylindrical container.

Ceremonial Fabric

Fine Wool Cloth Fabric used for military garments, livery, paradewear costumes.

Ceremonial Worsted

Worsted Cloth is made from long staple wools where the wool is combed and the threads are twisted. The cloth is smooth surfaced, tightly woven with a smooth hard surface. Types of worsted cloth include serge barathea, gabardine and panama. Ceromonial worsteds are used for Military parade uniforms.

Chafe

A damage to fibre in the fabrics often caused by the a crease in the fabric being court between two nip rollers.

Check

A small pattern of squares or rectangles. It may be printed, yarn dyed , cross dyed or woven into the fabric ( as a dobby or jacquard).

Cheese cloth

See Muslin/gauze.

Chenille

1. A yarn with fuzzy pile protruding from all sides . It has a velvety caterpillar -like appearance . ( the term chenille is derived from the french word for caterpillar) 2. A fabric made with chenille yarn.

Cheviot

1.a rough surfaced fabric of wool with a heavy nap. Used for coating. 2. A loosely woven tweed fabric with a shaggy texture . Cheviot was originally made from the wool of the cheviot sheep in the hills at the bordering England and Scotland.

Chevron

A design which incorporates herringbone elements of zigzag stripes or joined v's.

Chiffon

A lightweight , sheer, plain weave fabric with a dull surface, a soft hand , and good drape. It is made with fine high twisted yarns and has an even or close to even number of threads per inch in the warp and weft. Originally made in silk but now found in polyester and other man-made filament yarns. Used in dresses blouses, scarves, veils.

Child's pudding

Small round hats for children made of cloth or straw, forming a shock-absorber to protect them if they fell.

Chinchilla

A thick, heavy, pile fabric with surface curls or nubs, originally made to suggest chinchilla fur . It is often double faced. It may be woven or knit and is often used as coating.

Chino

A sturdy, medium weight, twill fabric usually of cotton or a cotton blend. It has often been used for summer weight military uniforms, sportswear and work clothes. It is often found in khaki and tan colors.

Chlorination

When used with reference to textile processing, a term indicating the reaction of a fibre with chlorine. The chlorine may be in the form of a gas, or its solution in water or it may be obtained from a suitable compound.

Circular knit

Refers to fabrics knit on a circular knitting machine, i.e. One which has its needles arranged in a circle thus producing the fabric in tubular form . The fabrics may be sold tubular or slit and sold open width. A circular knitting machine may be used to produce full width fabrics or narrow shaped components such as for hosiery.

Civil Wars

Wars fought between different elements in the same country. Possibly on religious or political grounds.

Civilian Tailors

Manufacturers of clothing and suits for civilians fashion costumes.

Clip (wool)

One season's yield of wool.

Cloth

A generic term embracing most textile fabrics. The term was originally applied to wool fabric suitable for clothing.

Clothing wool

Wools of short fibre, not suitable for combing, and used in the manufacture of woollens.

Cluny lace

A heavy bobbin lace using thick yarns usually of cotton or linen. Most often done in geometric patterns . Used for curtains doilies and trim for apparel.

Coarse

Having thick yarns.

Coated

Refers to the application of material such as plastic resin, wax, oil, varnish or lacquer to the surface of the fabric. Application methods include dipping, spraying, brushing, calendering or knife coating . Coating is often applied to make a fabric water repellent or waterproof but may be done simply to alter the hand or appearance of the fabric. Polyurethane, acrylic and pvc resins are common types of coating.

Coating Melton

Fine Heavy Wool Cloth. For Coats Capes and Cloaks.

Cocked hat

A hat which is styled with the brim turned up. Particularly applied to styles of the 17th and 18th century.

Cocoon (silk)

An egg-shaped casing of silk spun by the silkworm to protect itself as a chrysalis.

Cocoon strippings

The first threads secreted by the silkworm when it finds a place to form its cocoon.

Coif

Medieval to 17th century term for close-fitting head covering. Worn in the later period exclusively by women.

Coiffure en bouffons

Women's hairstyle from the end of the reign of Louis XIII, tufts of crimped hair over the temples, while the forehead was covered by a fringe known as a garcette.

Cold drawing (synthetic filaments and films)

The drawing of synthetic filaments or films without the intentional application of external heat., note: free drawing of filaments or films at a neck is also referred to as cold drawing even though this may be carried out in a heated environment., colour, (1) sensation. That characteristic of the visual sensation which enables the eye to distinguish differences in its quality, such as may be caused by differences in the spectral distribution of the light rather than by differences in the spatial distribution or fluctuations with time.(2) of an object. The particular visual sensation (as defined above) caused by the light emitted by, transmitted through, or reflected from the object., note: the colour of a non-self luminous object is dependent on the spectral composition of the incident light, the spectral reflectance or transmittance of the object and the spectral response of the observer. Colour can be described approximately in terms of hue, saturation and lightness, or specified numerically by chromaticity co-ordinates e.g., those defined by the c.i.e. Standard observer data (1964). Alternatively, colour can be specified by reference to visual standards, e.g., the munsell colour atlas.

Colour constancy

The ability of a coloured object to give the same general colour impression when viewed under different illuminants, the observer having been chromatically adapted in each case.note: the most common comparison is made between the impression under artificial light, e.g., tungsten filament, and that under daylight.

Colour quality

A specification of colour in terms of both hue and saturation, but not luminance.

Colour value; tinctorial value

The colour yield of a colorant, compared with a standard of equal cost. Note: it is usually determined by comparing the cost of coloration at equal visual strength. Comparisons are normally made between products of similar hue and properties.

Colour yield; tinctorial yield

The depth of colour obtained when a standard weight of colorant is applied to a substrate under specified conditions.

Combed

Refers to a process in the manufacture of cotton and other staple yarns. The fiber is combed to remove foreign matter and the shorter, undesirable fibers, leaving longer, more desirable fibers that become straightened & aligned in parallel before spinning into yarn. Combed yarns are finer, cleaner and more even than those that are not combed.

Combed yarn

Yarn produced from fibres that have been carded (or prepared) and combed.

Combination yarn

A yarn in which there are dissimilar component yarns especially when these are of fibre and filaments.

Combing

The straightening and parallelizing of fibres and the removal of short fibres and impurities by using a comb or combs assisted by brushes and rollers.

Compact

Refers to a tight, dense fabric with a firm hand.

Composite

A solid product consisting of two or more discrete physical phases, including a binding material (matrix) and a fibrous material.

Composite yarn

A yarn composed of both staple and continuous-filament components, e.g., core spun or wrap spun.

Compressive shrinkage

A process in which fabric is caused to shrink in length e.g., by compression. The process is often referred to as ccs (controlled compressive shrinkage).

Condensation polymerisation

See polymerisation, condensation

Condense dye

A dye which, during or after application, reacts covalently with itself or other compounds, other than the substrate, to form a molecule of greatly increased size.

Condenser (ring-doffer or tape)

The last section of a condenser card: it divides a broad thin web of fibres into narrow strips, which then consolidated by rubbing into slubbings.

Condenser card

A roller-and-clearer type of card, as distinct from a flat card, which converts fibrous raw materials slubbings, by means of a condenser.

Condenser spun

Descriptive of yarn spun from slubbing.

Condition

(1) the moisture present in textile fibres in their raw or partly or wholly manufactured form., (2) to allow textile materials (raw materials, slivers, yarns, and fabrics) to come to hygroscopic equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere or with the standard atmosphere for testing., (3) to add relatively small quantities of water to textile materials (raw materials, slivers, yarns and fabrics)., note: the object of conditioning is to prepare for testing, or to bring textiles to an agreed moisture content for sale or to facilitate later processing. Among methods used for applying water are: (a) mechanical means during gilling or winding, (b) the use of conditioning machines, and storing in an atmosphere of very high relative humidity.

Conditioner tube

A tube supplied with steam or hot air surrounding a melt-spun thread-line and located between extrusion and wind-up, whose purpose is to control the fine structure of the yarn., cone, (1) a conical support on which yarn is wound., (2) a conical package of yarn wound on a conical support.

Contemporary

Currently in vogue.

Continuous yarn felting

A process whereby slivers, rovings, slubbings, or yarns are felted on a continuous basis. This is achieved by passing wool-rich material through a unit where it is agitated an aqueous medium where felting takes place. The process is used to produce a yarn, or consolidate a spun yarn.

Continuous-filament yarn; filament yarn

A yarn composed of one or more filaments that run essentially the whole length of the yarn. Yarns of one or more filaments are usually referred to as monofilament or multifilament respectively.

Conventional allowance

The percentage that, in the calculation of commercial weight and yarn count or linear density, is added to the oven-dry weight of the textile material, which has been previously washed free of finish. For such material, the conventional allowance is arbitrarily chosen according to commercial practice, and includes the moisture regain and the normal finish that is added to impart satisfactory textile qualities.

Converter; merchant converter

An individual who or an organization which locates a supplier and purchases grey fabric, procures its finishing and then re-sells the finished fabric to customers.

Converting; conversion (tow)

The production, from a filament tow or tows, of a staple sliver in such a way that the essential parallel arrangement of the filaments is maintained. Note: the two methods of converting most commonly employed are:, (a) crush cutting, in which the filaments of the tow are severed by crushing between an anvil roller and a cutting roller with raised 'blades' helically disposed around its surface, and , (b) stretch breaking, in which the filaments of the tow are broken by progressive stretch between successive sets of rollers., if subsequently a top is required, further processes of re-breaking and/or gilling may be necessary and the whole operation is then often referred to as tow-to-top converting or conversion.

Cool

A smooth, slick, hand generally associated with synthetics.

Cool colours

Blue, violet and green are cool / light colors. They are reducing in nature, as seen by the eye they move away from the object thereby increasing it's size. Cool colors have a calm and restful effect.

Coolmax brand

A Du Pont brand of polyester with good wicking qualities allowing for better moisture evaporation . Used in activewear.

Cop

A form of yarn package spun on a mule spindle. The term can also be used to describe a ring tube.

Copolymer

 polymer in which the repeating units are not all the same. Usually, but not always, copolymers are formed from two or more different starting materials. For example, chloroethene (vinyl chloride) and 1,1-dichloroethene (vinylidene chloride) form a copolymer that contains the repeating units: -ch2-chcl- and -ch2-ccl2-, the different classes of copolymer include random copolymers, alternating copolymers, block copolymers, and graft copolymers.

Copolymer, block

A copolymer in which the repeating units in the main chain occur in blocks, e.g.,-(a)m-(b)n-(a)p-(b)q- where a and b represent the repeating units.

Cord

A term applied loosely to a variety of textile strands including (a) cabled yarns (b) plied yarns and (c) in structures made by plaiting, braiding or knitting.

Corded

A fabric with a surface rib effect resulting from the use of a heavier or plied yarn together with finer yarns. 2. A yarn made from two or more finer yarns twisted together.

Cordon yarn

A two-ply union yarn made from a single cotton yarn and a single worsted or woollen yarn.

Cordura brand

A Du Pont brand of air textured nylon yarn. Used in luggage and outerwear.

Corduroy

A strong, durable, woven fabric characterized by vertical cut pile stripes or cords with a velvet- like nap. Corduroy is classified by the number of wales or cords to the inch. It is traditionally of cotton but may be cotton blends or other fibers as well. It is common in men's women's and children's apparel especially trousers.

Core sampling

A method of taking representative samples from bales or packs of textile fibres obtained by inserting a coring tube driven by hand or machine into each package., note 1: core samples can be used for the determination of yield or fineness, but not fibre length., note 2: the term mini-core sampling is applied to small-scale sampling.

Core-spun yarn ; core yarn

Yarn consisting of a central thread surrounded by staple fibres. The yarn has the strength and elongation of the central thread whilst exhibiting most of the other characteristics of the surface staple fibres., example 1: a sewing thread consisting of a central synthetic continuous-filament yarn surrounded by cotton fibres., example 2: worsted yarn with bulked-nylon core, e.g., typically 1/24s worsted count (37 tex) with approximately 33% of nylon. These yarns are normally produced to give strength and elasticity to the fabric., example 3: a spun yarn from either natural or man-made fibres incorporating an elastomeric core, these yarns are normally used in stretch fabrics.

Cornet

The cornet headdress is a simplified fontange. The cap has an upstanding frill in front and lappets at the back. The veil is wired to stand up above the forehead. A topknot of wired ribbon is pinned at the front of the cap; fourth quarter of 17th century.
 

Correct invoice weight

The weight of material calculated from the oven-dry weight and the recommended allowance.  Different fibre have different allowances.

Cortex

The inner portion of most animal hair fibres. It consists of spindle-shaped cells.

Costume Cloth

Cloth used for making garments for re-enactors, medieval garments, fashion, Tudor and Victorian clothing, Khaki World War 1 and World War 2 Uniforms and Civil War Clothing.

Cotton

The seed hair of a wide variety of plants of the gossypium family.

Cotton dust

Dust present during the handling or processing of cotton that may contain a mixture of substances, including smaller particles of ground-up plant matter, fibre, bacteria, fungi, soil, pesticides, non-cotton plant matter and other contaminants which may have accumulated during the growing, harvesting and subsequent processing or storage periods.

Cotton-spun

A term applied to staple yarn produced on machinery originally developed for processing cotton into yarn.

Count

Methods of variously expressing the specific length or length per unit mass of a yarn. Also termed linear density; number of yarn; yarn count; yarn number; grist.

Couple

To combine a suitable organic component, usually a phenol or an arylamine, with a diazonium salt to form an azo compound as in the manufacture of azo colorants, in azoic dyeing or in after treatment of direct dyeing.

Course length (weft-knitted)

The length of yarn in a knitted course.

Course, knitted (fabric)

A row of loops across the width of a fabric.

Couvrechef

A veil or covering for the head.

Cover

(1) the degree of evenness and closeness of thread spacing. Good cover gives the effect of a plane surface and cannot be obtained with hard-twisted yarns., (2) the degree to which, in fabric finishing, the underlying structure is concealed by the finishing materials or treatments.

Cover factor (knitted fabrics)

A number that indicates the extent to which the area of a knitted fabric is covered by the yarn: an indication of the relative looseness or tightness of the knitting.

Cover factor (woven fabrics)

A number that indicates the extent to which the area of a fabric is covered by one set of threads. By introducing suitable numerical constants, its evaluation can be made in accordance with any system of counting. For any fabric there are two cover factors: warp cover factor and weft cover factor.

Covered yarn

A yarn made by feeding one yarn under a controlled degree of tension through the axis or axes of one or more revolving spindles carrying the other (wrapping) yarn(s).

Cravat

Wide cloth or piece of lace knotted or tied around the neck. The term was first used in the mid-17th century.

Crease-recovery

The measure of crease-resistance specified quantitatively in terms of crease-recovery angle.

Crease-resist finish

A finishing process, usually for cellulosic-fibre fabrics or their blends, that improves the crease recovery and smooth-drying properties. In the process used most extensively, the fabric is impregnated with a solution of a reagent that penetrates the fibres, and, after drying and curing cross-links the fibre structure under the influence of a catalyst and heat. The crease resistant effect is durable to wash and wear.

Crease-resistance

A term used to indicate resistance to, and/or recovery from, creasing of a textile material during use.

Creel

A structure for holding supply packages in textile processing., crimp, (1) (fibre). The waviness of a fibre. Note: this fibre characteristic may be expressed numerically as the crimp frequency or as the difference between the lengths of the straightened and crimped fibre, expressed as a percentage of the straightened length.(2) (yarn) (uk., take-up, regain, shrinkage) the waviness or distortion of a yarn that is due to interlacing in the fabric., note: in woven fabrics, the crimp is measured by the relation between the length of the fabric sample and the corresponding length of yarn when it is removed therefrom and straightened under suitable tension., crimp may be expressed numerically as (a) percentage crimp, which is 100 divided by the fabric length and multiplied by the difference between the yarn length and the fabric length, and (b) crimp ratio, which is the ratio of yarn length to fabric length. In both methods, the fabric length is the basis, that is to say, 100 for percentage crimp and 1 for crimp ratio. This definition could logically be applied to knitted fabrics or fabrics of pile construction, but it is preferable to employ special terms, e.g., 'stitch length', or 'terry ratio'.

Crepe

A fabric characterized by an all over crinkled, pebbly, or puckered surface. The appearance may be a result of the use of high twist yarns , embossing , chemical treatment or a crepe weave.

Crimp contraction

The contraction in length of a previously textured yarn from the fully extended state (i.e., where the filaments are substantially straightened), owing to the formation of crimp in individual filament under specified conditions of crimp development. It is expressed as a percentage of the extended length.

Crimp frequency

The number of full waves or crimps in a length of fibre divided by the straightened length.

Crimp stability

The ability of a textured yarn to resist the reduction of its crimp by mechanical and/or thermal stress., note: crimp stability is normally expressed as the ratio of values of crimp retraction measured before and after a specified mechanical and/or thermal treatment of the yarn.

Crimp, latent

A crimp that is potentially present in specially prepared fibres or filaments and that can be developed by a specific treatment such as thermal relaxation or tensioning and subsequent relaxation.

Crimped length

The distance between the ends of a fibre when substantially freed from external restraint, measured with respect to its general axis of orientation.

Crimped yarn

A continuous-filament yarn that has been processed to introduce durable crimps, coils, loops or other fine distortions along the lengths of the filaments., note 1: the main texturing procedures which are usually applied to continuous-filament yarns made from or containing thermoplastic fibres, are:, (a) the yarn is highly twisted, heat-set and untwisted either as a process of three separate stages (now obsolescent) or as a continuous process (false-twist texturing). In an infrequently used alternative method, two yarns are continuously folded together, heat-set, then separated by unfolding;, (b) the yarn is injected into a heated stuffer box either by feed rollers or through a plasticizing jet of hot fluid (invariably air or steam). The jet process is sometimes known as jet texturing, hot-air jet texturing, or steam-jet texturing;, (c) the yarn is plasticized by passage through a jet of hot fluid and is impacted on to a cooling surface (impact texturing);, (d) the heated yarn is passed over a knife-edge (edge crimping), (now obsolete);, (e) the heated yarn is passed between a pair of gear wheels or through some similar device (gear crimping);, (f) the yarn is knitted into a fabric that is heat-set and then unravelled (knit-deknit texturing);, (g) the yarn is over-fed through a turbulent air stream (air-texturing, air-jet texturing), so that entangled loops are formed in the filaments;, (h) the yarn is composed of bicomponent fibres and is subjected to a hot and/or wet process whereby differential shrinkage occurs., note 2: procedures (a) and (d) in note i above gives yarns of a generally high-stretch character. This is frequently reduced by re-heating the yarn in a state where it is only partly relaxed from the fully extended condition, thus producing a stabilized yarn with the bulkiness little reduced but with a much reduced retractive power., note 3: the procedure (g) may also be applied to fibres which are not thermoplastic.

Crockmeter

An apparatus for evaluating the colour fastness to rubbing of dyed or printed textiles.

Cross cut

Refers to a corduroy fabric which has the pile cut in a weftwise direction, forming squares or rectangles on the surface.

Cross dyed

A method of coloring fabric made with strategically placed yarns of 2 or more different fibers. A pre-planned effect becomes visible by dyeing the fabric in different dye baths, one for each of the types of yarn. For example a predominately rayon fabric may have a polyester yarn woven into it in a stripe pattern then dyed in a bath to which only the rayon is sensitive. The polyester stripe will be made to appear since it remains undyed. The stripe may then be colored by dyeing it again in a bath of a different color to which only the polyester is sensitive. Heather effects may be achieved by mixing more than one fiber in a single yarn then cross dyeing.

Cross dyed & overprinted

A cross dyed fabric which has also had a design printed on it.

Cross dyeing

The dyeing of one component of a mixture of fibres of which at least one is already coloured.

Cross lapping; cross laying

The production of a nonwoven web or batt from a fibre web by traversing it to and fro across a lattice moving at right angles to the direction of traverse.

Cross-linking

The creation of chemical bonds between polymer molecules e.g., in a fibre or in a pigment binder this generally restricts swelling and alters elastic recovery.

Cross-wound package

A package characterized by the large crossing angle of the helixes of sliver or yarn.

Crossbred

A term applied loosely to wool, tops, yarns or fabrics produced from wools of medium quality.

Crumbs

A term used to describe shredded alkali-cellulose.

Crush cutting

A process in converting in which the filaments of the tow are severed by crushing between an anvil roller and a cutting roller with raised 'blades' helically disposed around its surface.

Crushed

A finish that creates a planned irregular disturbance on the surface of the fabric, usually by mechanical means.

Crystallinity

Three-dimensional order in the arrangement of atoms and molecules within a chemical phase. Most chemical compounds of low molecular weight may be obtained in a state of virtually complete three-dimensional order. When polymers crystallize, in general the product consists of regions of high order (crystallites), regions of low order (amorphous regions), and regions of intermediate order. Different methods of measuring the degree of crystallinity (e.g., density, wide-angle x-ray scattering, enthalpy measurement) emphasize different aspects and therefore lead to quantitatively different values. In recent years the simple concept of crystalline and amorphous regions has been questioned and terms such as para-crystalline have been introduced.

Curing

A process following addition of a finish to textile fabrics in which appropriate conditions are used to effect a chemical reaction. Heat treatment for several minutes has been standard, but higher temperatures for short times (flash-curing) and long times at low temperatures and higher regain (moist curing) are also used.

Dacron

Du pont brand of polyester fiber.

Damask

Originally a silk fabric made in damascus, only one colour, with patterns of flowers, branches and animals in satin finish contrasting with the slightly textured taffeta background. Multi-coloured damasks are called lampas.

De-aeration

The removal of all undissolved gases and part of the dissolved gases (chiefly air) from solutions prior to extrusion.

Deacetylated acetate (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres of regenerated cellulose obtained by almost complete de-ethanoylation (deacetylation) of a cellulose ethanoate (acetate).

Dead cotton

An extreme form of immature cotton with a very thin fibre wall and commonly the cause is excessively slow secondary growth, resulting in many of the fibres having developed only a thin secondary wall by the time the boll opens. It is sometimes caused by premature 'death' or cessation of growth due to factors such as local pest attack, incidence of some types of disease, or curtailment of the life of the plant itself, resulting in the death of the fibres before the full potential secondary-wall thickening has been reached. Particularly for such fibres there may be no secondary thickening at all. The fibres are weak, brittle and lacking in twist or convolutions, become easily entangled into neps, and are generally lacking in lustre, with a 'dead' appearance, although some fibres without any secondary thickening tend to stick together and show up as small bundles in ginned raw cotton.

Dead wool

Wool taken from a sheep that has died from natural causes.

Deburring

A process in wool yarn manufacturing for extracting burrs, seeds and vegetable matter from wool. Deburring is carried out mechanically by a burring machine.

Decitex

A unit of the tex system.

Deco

Refers to designs which suggest the art deco style of the 20's and 30's, characterized by bold outlines and streamlined shapes.

Deep dyeing

Descriptive of fibres modified so as to have greater uptake of selected dyes than normal fibres, when the two are dyed together., degreasing, (1) the removal of grease, suint, and extraneous matter from wool by an aqueous or solvent process., (2) the removal of natural fats, waxes, grease, oil, and dirt from any textile material by extraction with an organic solvent., degree of orientation, the extent to which the macromolecules composing a fibre or film lie in a predominant direction in the case of fibres the predominant direction is usually the fibre axis. Note 1: there are several methods for assessment of the degree of orientation, of which measurement of birefringence is the most usual., note 2: the degrees of orientation of crystalline and non-crystalline regions may be evaluated separately.

Degree of polymerisation

The average number of repeating units in the individual macromolecules in a polymer., note: in general, this average will depend on the basis on which it is calculated, which should stated. For example, it may be based upon a mass (weight) or a number average.

Delicate

Referring to a fine, light hand with good drape.

Delustrant

A particulate material added before extrusion to subdue the lustre of a man-made fibre.  Note 1: the anatase form of titanium dioxide is commonly used for this purpose. Note 2: terms used to indicate the level of delustrant in man-made fibres include: clear, bright, semi-dull, semi-matt, dull, matt, extra dull, and super dull.

Denier

The weight in grams of 9000 metres of a filament or yarn etc. The denier system was common as the standard for all continuous-filament yarns. Yarns spun from man-made staple fibre were usually designated by the count system appropriate to the method of spinning, although the fineness of individual fibres composing the spun yam was denoted by denier. The recommended system is the tex system with the unit of decitex for filament yarns.

Denim

A firm 2/1 or 3/1 right hand twill usually with a colored warp and white or natural weft . Commonly made of cotton or cotton blends in a variety of weights.

Depitching

The removal of tar or other branding substances from wool, usually, though not necessarily, by solvent-extraction.

Depth

That colour quality an increase in which is associated with an increase in the quantity of colorant present, all other conditions (viewing, etc.) Remaining the same.

Desizing

The removal of size from fabric.
 

Detergent

A substance normally having surface-active properties specifically intended to cleanse a substrate.

Detwisted

Descriptive of a yarn of fibres or filaments from which twist has been removed.

Differential dyeing

Usually descriptive of fibres of the same generic class, but having potentially different dyeing properties from the standard fibre.

Diffusion

Movement of substance owing to the existence of a concentration gradient.

Dip

(1) an immersion of relatively short duration of a textile in liquid., (2) the depth of liquid in the inner cylinder of a rotary washing machine., (3) a laboratory dyeing, usually to develop a dye formula.

Direct dye

An anionic dye having substantivity for cellulosic fibres, normally applied from an aqueous dyebath containing an electrolyte., direct spinning, (1) (man-made fibre production) integrated polymerization and fibre extrusion without intervening isolation or storage of the polymer., (2) (man-made fibre production) the method whereby tow. Is converted to staple fibre and spun into yarn in an integrated operation., (3) (bast fibre production) a method of dry-spinning bast fibres whereby untwisted slivers are drafted with suitable controls and directly twisted into yarn. Gill spinning and slip-draft spinning systems are particular forms of the method.

Direct warping

The transference of yarn from a package creel directly on to a beam.

Direct-spun

(1) a term used to describe filaments or yarn produced by direct spinning., (2) descriptive of woollen yarns spun on a mule onto weft bobbins.

Discharge (printing)

To destroy by chemical means a dye or mordant already present on a substrate to leave a white or differently coloured design.

Discharge printed

A dyed fabric is printed with a chemical paste that bleaches out or "discharges" the colour to allow white patterns on a dyed ground. By adding a dye to the paste that is not affected by the chemical it is possible to replace the discharged ground colour with another colour.

Discharging

The destruction by chemical means of a dye or mordant already present on a material to leave a white or differently coloured pattern, note: this term is also used to cover the removal of gum from silk (see degumming).

Disperse dye

A substantially water-insoluble dye having substantivity for one or more hydrophobic fibres, , e.g., cellulose acetate, and usually applied from fine aqueous dispersion.

Dispersion spinning

A process in which the polymers that tend to an infusible, insoluble, and generally intractable character (e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene) are dispersed as fine particles in a carrier such as sodium alginate or sodium xanthate solutions that permit extrusion into fibres, after which the dispersed polymer is caused to coalesce by a heating process, the carrier being removed either by a heating or by a dissolving process.

Distressed

Describes a finish that disturbs the surface of the fabric, giving it a used, beaten, or uneven appearance. Often done through sand or stone washing after the fabric has been pigment dyed.

District check

A category of small check designs, sometimes with contrasting overplaids, originally of Scottish origin. Glen plaids are part of this category.

Dobby

1. A fabric with small, repeating geometric patterns woven into the surface. 2. An attachment to a loom which controls the harness allowing the weaving of these geometric patterns.

Doeskin

A soft fabric with a low, napped finish on one side.

Doffing tube (rotor spinning)

An extension to the navel to guide the withdrawn yarn from the rotor.

Dolly

(1) a machine in which fabric pieces sewn end to end are circulated repeatedly through a liquor by means of a single pair of squeeze rollers above the liquor. , (2) a machine in which lace, hosiery, or knitwears are subjected to the action of free-falling beaters while immersed in a detergent solution and carried in a moving rectangular or cylindrical box., (3) an open-width washer, containing 3-5 compartments, originally used for dunging aged cotton prints, and now also used for any open-width washing where a shorter machine than an open soaper is desired.

Donegal

A plain-weave fabric woven from woollen-spun yarns characterized by a random distribution of brightly coloured flecks or slubs. It was originally produced as a coarse woollen suiting in county donegal.

Dope

A solution (spinning solution) of fibre-forming polymer as prepared for extrusion through a spinneret., note: a spinning solution is often referred to as dope, a term historically associated with cellulose ethanoate (cellulose acetate) solutions as varnishes.

Dope-dyed

Descriptive of man-made fibres in which colouring matter (e.g., dye or pigment) has been incorporated before the filament is formed.  Hainsworth mainly used Dope Dye Nomex® fibre, also refered to as pigmented fibre, due to improve colour fastness properties.

Double (yarn)

See folded yarn, also termed plied yarn.

Double cloth

A fabric consisting of 2 layers woven together on the same loom . The fabrics may be held together with binder threads or interwoven . The 2 layers often are of different patterns, colors or weaves . Hainsworth use this technique to produce their TITAN fabric but is also be used for coatings, sportswear, blankets, upholstery.

Double face

A reversible 2 layer fabric, usually with a different color or pattern on each side. Double face is usually a double cloth but some reversible bonded fabrics may be referred to as double face.

Double knit

A weft knit, double layered fabric produced on a machine with 2 sets of needles. Double knits are thicker have more body and are more stable than single knits. As they curl, sag, and shrink less than single knits , they are more suitable for sportswear and tailored garments. They usually are reversible.

Doublings (drawing)

The number of laps, rovings, slivers or slubbings, fed simultaneously into a machine for drafting into a single end., note: doubling is employed to promote blending and regularity.

Draft

(1) when drafting the degree of attenuation calculated either as the ratio of the input and output linear densities, or as the ratio of the surface speeds of the output and input machine components which bring about drafting., (2) to reduce the linear density of a fibrous assembly by drawing, or drafting.

Drafting

(1) the process of drawing out laps, slivers, slubbings, and rovings to decrease the linear density., (2) the order in which threads are drawn through heald eyes before weaving.

Drapey

Refers to a fabric with good drape, that is, one that is supple and falls easily into graceful folds when hung or tailored.

Draping

Draping means to hang or to adorn the body form with loose fabric, and to obtain a body fitted garment by using adequate sewing techniques.

Draw (mule)

The cycle of operations from the start of the outward run to the finish of the inward run of the carriage of a spinning or a twiner mule.

Draw (sampling)

A sample of fibres abstracted manually from a bulk lot of raw material or sliver with a view to assessing the length and/or distribution of length of fibre within the sample.

Draw mechanism (knitting)

A mechanism on a straight-bar knitting machine for converting rotary motion into reciprocating motion for the purpose of laying the yarn and kinking it round the needles.

Draw pin

A stationary pin or guide, which by inducing a localized change in yarn tension and/or temperature may be used to stabilize the position of the draw-point or neck in some processes of drawing of man-made-fibre yarns., note: for the drawing of some fibre types, e.g., polyester, a heated pin may be used: with other types, e.g., nylon, the pin is normally not heated.

Draw ratio

Machine draw ratio, in a drawing process, the ratio of the peripheral speed of the draw roller to that of the feed roller.: true draw ratio, in a drawing process, the ratio of the linear density of the undrawn yam to that of the drawn yam. : residual draw ratio, the draw ratio required, in draw texturing, to convert a partially oriented yarn into a commercially acceptable product. : natural draw ratio, the ratio of the cross-sectional areas of a filament before and after the neck, when a synthetic filament or film draws at a neck.

Draw roller

The output roller of a zone in which drawing is taking place.

Draw thread (knitting)

A thread introduced in the form of one row of loops during knitting which, on removal, permits the separation of articles that are knitted as a succession of units connected together.

Draw threads (lace)

Removable threads included in the construction of lace either to act as a temporary support for certain parts of the pattern or to hold together narrow widths or units that are separated subsequently by their removal.

Draw-beaming

See draw-warping, also termed warp drawing.

Draw-down

In man-made filament extrusion, the ratio of take-up or haul-off speed to the average speed of the spinning fluid as it leaves the spinneret., note: the terms spin-stretch ratio and extrusion ratio are also commonly used.

Draw-spinning

A process for spinning partially or highly oriented filaments in which the orientation is introduced prior to the first forwarding or collecting device.

Draw-texturing

A process in which the drawing stage of man-made-yarn manufacture is combined with the texturing process on one machine., note: the drawing and texturing stages may take place in separate, usually consecutive, zones of a machine (sequential draw-texturing) or together in the same zone (simultaneous draw-texturing).

Draw-twist

To orient a filament yarn by drawing it and then to twist it in integrated sequential stages.

Draw-warping

A process for the preparation of warp beams or section beams from a creel of packages of partially oriented yarn in which the traditionally separate stages of drawing and beaming are combined sequentially on one machine., also termed draw-beaming; warp drawing (usa.)

Draw-wind

To orient a filament yarn by drawing it, and then to wind it on to a package in an integrated process without imparting twist.

Drawing (staple yarn)

Operations by which slivers are blended (or doubled) levelled, and by drafting reduced to the state of sliver or roving suitable for spinning. In cotton spinning the term is only applied to processing at the drawframe. Various systems of drawing are practised in modern worsted spinning, but with machinery development, and the greater use of man-made staple fibres, the differences are becoming less distinct. Most modern drawing sets incorporate three passages of pin drafting and a roving process. The systems differ mainly in the means of fibre control between the major pairs of drafting rollers and in the types of output package.

Drawing (synthetic filaments and films)

The stretching to near the limit of plastic flow of synthetic filaments or films of low molecular orientation., note: this process orients the molecular chains in the length direction.

Drawing-in

The process of drawing the threads of a warp through the eyes of a heald and the dents of a reed.

Drawing, cold (synthetic filaments and films)

The drawing of synthetic filaments or films without the intentional application of external heat. , note: free drawing of filaments or films at a neck is also referred to as cold drawing even though this may be carried out in a heated environment.

Drawing, hot (synthetic filaments and films)

A term applied to the drawing of synthetic filaments or films with the intentional application of external heat.

Drawn yarn

Extruded yarn that has been subjected to a stretching or drawing process that orients the long-chain molecules of which it is composed in the direction of the filament axis. On further stretching, such yarn acquires elastic extension as compared with the plastic flow of undrawn yarn.

Dressing (warp preparation)

The operation of assembling yarns from a ball warp, beam, or chain on a beam immediately prior to weaving., scotch dressing, (1) (dry taping; scotch beaming) a method of preparing striped warps for weaving, suitable for use when long lengths of any one pattern are to be woven. Three operations are involved, (a) splitting-off from stock ball warps (bleached or dyed, and sized) the required number of threads of the required colours,, (b) the winding of the differently coloured warps, each onto a separate 'back' or warper's beam, and, (c) the simultaneous winding of the threads from a set of back beams through a coarse reed onto a loom beam: (2) (dresser sizing; scotch warp dressing) a method of warp preparation, used particular linen industry, which incorporates sizing. Yam in sheet form is withdrawn from two warper's beams (one set at each end of the machine) and wound onto a loom beam at a headstock. Each half of the machine has its own size box and hot- air-drying arrangement., yorkshire dressing, a method of preparing a striped warp beam for a loom. Four operations are involved, (a) splitting-off from stock ball warps (bleached or dyed, and sized) the required number of threads of the required colours,, (b) the disposition of these threads to pattern in the reed with or without ends from stock grey warps,, (c) the slow and intermittent winding of the threads onto the loom beam, during the process they are tensioned by means of rods and rollers, brushed by hand, and kept and in correct position and if, as is usual, there are two or four ends per reed dent, these are further separated by means of a rod, and , (d) the picking of an end-and-end lease. The process ensures that in the warp all threads will be kept parallel, separated one from another, in their correct position, and correctly tensioned.

Drill

A strong, medium to heavy weight 2x1 or 3x1 warp faced twill usually of cotton. It is similar to denim but drill is usually piece dyed.

Drip-dry

Descriptive of textile materials that are reasonably resistant to disturbance of fabric structure and appearance during wear and washing and require a minimum of ironing or pressing.

Drop stitch

Refers to a knit fabric with an open stripe design at set intervals made by removing some of the needles.

Dry

Refers to a fabric that feels lacking in surface moisture or natural lubrication . Cottons are often said to feel dry.

Dry cleaning

To remove grease, oil, and dirt from garments or fabrics by treating them in an organic solvent, as distinct from aqueous liquors. Examples of suitable solvents are white spirit, trichloroethylene (trichlorethylene) and tetrachloroethylene (perchlorethylene). The process was originally known as 'French cleaning', also termed French cleaning

Dry laying.

A method of forming a fibre web or batt by carding and/or air laying, followed by any type of bonding process.

Dry spinning (man-made fibre production)

Conversion of a dissolved polymer into filaments by extrusion and evaporation of the solvent from the extrudate.

Dry-combed top

A wool top containing not more than 1 % of fatty matter based on the oven-dry, fat-free weight as tested by the international wool textile organisation's method which specifies soxhlet extraction with dichloromethane., ,m note: the standard regain of a dry-combed top is 18.25% based on the combined weight of oven-dry, fat-free wool and the fatty matter.

Dry-spun

(1) descriptive of a worsted yarn produced from a dry-combed top or of synthetic yams spun on similar machinery., (2) descriptive of coarse flax yarn spun from air-dry roving (cf. Wet-spun ), (3) descriptive of man-made filaments produced by dry-spinning.

Drying cylinder

Heated, rotating, hollow cylinder(s) around which textile material or paper is passed in contact with it.

Duchesse lace

A guipure lace characterized by floral and leaf designs with very little ground . Heavier threads are intertwined to give raised texture. Used in bridal veils and gowns.

Duck

See canvas/duck.

Dull

Descriptive of textile materials, the lustre of which has been reduced.

Durable finish

Any type of finish reasonably resistant to normal usage, washing, and/or dry-cleaning.

Durable press

A finishing treatment designed to impart to a textile material or garment. The retention of specific contours including creases and pleats resistant to normal usage, washing, and/or dry-cleaning., note: the treatment may involve the use of synthetic resin, which may be applied and cured either before or after fabrication of a garment, or, in the case of textiles composed of heat-settable fibres, may involve high-temperature pressing.

Duvetyn

Medium to heavy weight twill fabric with a soft, short nap covering the weave. It has a sueded, velvety hand. Originally made of wool or wool blends but may be of cotton or other fibers . Used in suits, coats, millinery.

Dye

A colorant that has substantivity for a substrate, either inherent or induced by reactants.

Dye-fixing agent

A substance, generally organic, applied to a dyed or printed material to improve its fastness to wet treatments.

Dyed & overprinted

Refers to fabrics which have been first piece dyed, then printed in colors that are darker than the dyed ground.

Easy care

Refers to fabrics which are restored to their original appearance after laundering with little or no ironing. Generally such fabrics can be machine washed and tumble dried/see drip-dry.

Ecru

Descriptive of fibres, yarns, or fabrics that have not been subjected to processes affecting their natural colour.

Effect threads

Yarns inserted in a fabric that are sufficiently different in fibre, count, or construction to form or enhance a pattern.

Egyptian cotton

Cotton from Egypt characterized by its strong, fine, long and lustrous fibres.

Elastane (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres that are composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain at least 85% (by mass) of segmented polyurethane groups and which rapidly revert substantially to their original length after extension to three times that length.

Elastic fabric

A fabric containing rubber or other elastomeric fibres or threads, having recoverable extensibility in a direction parallel to the elastomeric threads, and characterized by a high resistance to deformation and a high capacity to recover its normal size and shape.

Elastodiene (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres composed of natural or synthetic polyisoprene, or composed of one or more dienes polymerized with or without one or more vinyl monomers, which rapidly revert substantially to their original length after extension to three times that length.

Elastomer

Any polymer having high extensibility together with rapid and substantially complete elastic recovery., note: most fibres formed from elastomers have breaking elongations in excess of one hundred percent.

Elastomeric yarn

A yarn formed from an elastomer., note 1: elastomeric yarn may either be incorporated into fabric in the bare state or wrapped with relatively inextensible fibres. Wrapping is done by covering (see covered yarn), core spinning or uptwisting., note 2: examples are elastane and elastodiene yarns.

Electrostatic flocking

The process of applying a flock to an adhesive-coated substrate in a high-voltage electrostatic field.

Elongation

See extension, note: the increase may be expressed in three ways, namely:, (i) as a length, (ii) as a percentage of the initial length, and, (iii) as a fraction of the initial length.

Elysian

A thick, heavy, usually woolen fabric with a deep nap that forms a diagonal or ripple pattern on the surface. Used for coatings.

Emboss

To produce a pattern in relief by passing fabric through a calendar in which a heated metal bowl engraved with the pattern works against a relatively soft bowl, built up of compressed paper or cotton on a metal centre.

Embossed

Fabric with a raised design that has been engraved on a metal cylinder then impressed on the fabric with heat and pressure.

Embroidered

A fabric decorated with needlework stitching of yarn or thread. May be done by hand or machine.

Emerizing

A process in which fabric is passed over a series of emery-covered rollers to produce a suede-like finish. Note: a similar process is known as sueding.

End

(1) (spinning) an individual strand,, (2) (weaving) an individual warp thread., (3) (fabric) a length of finished fabric less than a customary unit (piece) in length, (4) (finishing) , (a) each passage of a length of fabric through a machine, for example, in jig-dyeing., (b) a joint between pieces of fabric due, for example, to damage or short lengths in weaving or damage in bleaching, dyeing or finishing.

End & end

A plain weave fabric with a warp yarn of one color alternating with a warp yarn of white or a second color. Often the weft yarns alternate with the same 2 colors forming a mini check design. Used most commonly in shirtings.

End-group

A chemical group that forms the end of a polymer chain. Linear polymers possess two end-groups per molecule and branched polymers with n branch points possess n + 2 end-groups per molecule.

Enzyme washed

Refers to the process of washing with a cellulase enzyme -one which attacks the cellulose in the fabric- giving it a used, worn appearance and a desirable soft hand . The effect is similar to stone washing but is less damaging to the fabric. It is sometimes called bio-washing. Done commonly with denim or other cottons and fabrics of lyocell.

Epitropic fibre

A fibre whose surface contains partially or wholly embedded particles that modify one or more of its properties, e.g., its electrical conductivity.

Ethnic

Refers to designs with elements suggesting the culture or traditional designs of a particular group of people.

Exfoliation

An inherent fault in silk only apparent after degumming or dyeing. It is characterized by fine fibrils or fibrillae that become separated from the filament, so giving a speckled, dishevelled appearance.

Exhaustion

The proportion of dye or other substance taken up by a substrate at any stage of a process to the amount originally available.

Expression

The weight of liquid retained by textile material after mangling or hydroextraction, calculated as a percentage of the air-dry weight of the goods.

Extension

An increase in length., note: the increase may be expressed in three ways, namely:, (i) as a length, (ii) as a percentage of the initial length, and, (iii) as a fraction of the initial length.

Extract

Wool or hair recovered by the wet process of carbonization.

Extrusion

In the spinning of man-made filaments, fibre-forming substances in the plastic or molten state, or in solution, are forced through the holes of a spinneret or die at a controlled rate. There are five general methods of spinning (extruding) man-made filaments, but combinations of these methods may be used (see dispersion spinning, dry spinning, melt spinning, reaction spinning, and wet spinning).

Extrusion (fibre production)

The process of forming fibres by forcing materials through orifices.

Extrusion ratio

In man-made filament extrusion, the ratio of take-up or haul-off speed to the average speed of the spinning fluid as it leaves the spinneret.

Eyelet

A fabric decorated with cut out areas surrounded by stitching. Used for dresses, blouses, children's apparel, curtains.

Fa

The french word for 'figured'. It is used in relation to textiles to describe jacquard fabrics with a pattern of small scattered figures.

Fabric (Textile)

A manufactured assembly of fibres and/or yarns that has substantial surface area in relation to its thickness and sufficient mechanical strength to give the assembly inherent cohesion. , note: fabrics are most commonly woven or knitted, but the term includes assemblies produced by lace-making, tufting, felting, net-making, and the so-called non woven processes.

Fabric Length

Unless otherwise specified, the usable length of a piece between any truth marks, piece-ends, or numbering, when the fabric is measured laid flat on a table in the absence of tension.

Fabric Width

Unless otherwise specified, the distance from edge to edge of a fabric when laid flat on a table without tension. In the case of commercial dispute the measurement should be made after the fabric has been conditioned in a standard atmosphere for testing . When buying and selling fabric it is normal to specify the basis on which the width is to be assessed e.g., overall, within limits, or usable width (which implies within stenter pin marks).

Face Finish

Cloth with a raised finish on the face of the cloth. This face has usually been drawn and pressed.

Face-finished (fabric)

Descriptive of a finish, for example, to wool fabrics, in which the face side is treated selectively, as in raising.

Face-to-face carpets

Carpets manufactured as a sandwich in which the pile is attached alternately to two substrates: two cut pile carpets are made by cutting the pile yarns between the two substrates.

Facing Silk

A fine lustrous fabric of silk (usually of corded satin, twill weave, or barathea) used for facing, e.g., lapels in men's evening wear. (fabrics of other fibres are used for facing purposes but are not properly described as 'facing silk'.)

Facings

Edging of fine fur or rich cloth, these trimmings were purely for decoration. During the course of time the meaning changed towards the contemporary meaning of today, the term was extended to cover all the reveres of the body or sleeves of a garment.

Faconne

A fabric with small scattered motifs usually jacquard but sometimes burn out.

Fad

Short lived fashion are called fad's; they seldom have any lasting impact on future fashion. They are briefly and suddenly seen everywhere and just as suddenly they vanish.

Fade

(1) in fastness testing, any change in the colour of an object caused by light or contaminants in the atmosphere, e.g., burnt-gas fumes., note: the change in colour may be in hue, depth or brightness or any combination of these., (2) colloquially, a reduction in the depth of colour of an object, irrespective of cause.: fallers, (1) straight, pinned bars employed in the control of fibres between drafting rollers., (2) curved arms fixed to two shafts on a mule carriage and carrying the faller wires.

Faggoting

A openwork stripe effect with connecting threads across the open area that create a ladder effect.

Faille

A plain weave fabric characterized by a narrow, crosswise rib which is usually the result of a fine warp yarn crossed with a heavier weft yarn. Most commonly made with filament yarns but can be from a variety of fibers and weights. It usually has a soft hand and a light luster with good body and drape.

Failling Bands

Also known as rabat and hanging collars; linen or lace collars (or combined) with two distinct ends hanging down over the chest. The forerunner of the cravat in the 17th century. They were worn by both men and women.

False-Twist Direction

The direction, s or z, of twist generated by a false-twisting device.

False-twist-textured yarn

A continuous process in which a yarn is highly twisted, heat-set and untwisted. In an infrequently used alternative method, two yarns are continuously folded together, heat-set, then separated by unfolding.

False-Twisting

A twisting operation applied at an intermediate position on a yarn or other similar continuous assembly of fibres, so that no net twist can be inserted, as distinct from twisting at the end of a yarn where real twist is inserted., note: real twisting necessarily involves either rotation of a yam end, as in uptwisting or downtwisting (see ring twisting), or the repeated passage of a thread loop around an end, as two-for-one~twisting. In false-twisting, a yarn normally runs continuously over or through a false-twisting device which may act at either a constant or varying rate. When the twisting rate is constant and equilibrium has been established, the yarn passes through a zone of added twist then, on leaving the twisting device, returns to its original twist level. The added (false) twist level is equal to the ratio of the rotational and axial speeds of the yarn. Equilibrium false-twisting is utilized in one method of yarn texturing where thermal setting is carried out in the zone of temporary twist; it is also used to provide temporary cohesion and thus strength in some staple-fibre processing systems. (see also pin-twisting and friction-twisting.) The self-twist (repco) process is an example of the use of a varying false-twisting rate. Static elements such yarn guides may, in certain circumstances, generate either equilibrium or varying false-twist in running yarns.

Fancy Yarn

A yarn that differs from the normal construction of single and folded yarns by way of deliberately produced irregularities in its construction. These irregularities relate to an increased input of one or more of its components or to the inclusion of periodic effects such as knots, loops, curls, slubs or the like.

Fargul

A kind of jacket.

Farji

A kind of jacket. Defined by the dictionaries as simply 'a kind of garment', the farji was possibly a long over-garment without sleeves, or with very short sleeves, open in front and worn like a coat over pyjama (q.v.) Or angarakha (q.v.).

Farshi Pyjama

Wide-legged pyjama (q. V) that trails on the ground, sometimes completely covering the feet; worn often with a kurta (q.v.) Or angarakha (q.v.).

Fasciated Yarn

A staple fibre yarn that by virtue of is manufacturing technique consists of a core of essentially parallel fibres bound together by wrapper fibres. The current technique of manufacture is often referred to as jet spinning.

Fashion forecast

To predict of foretell future fashion tread for a specific period of time.

Fashion Houses

Establishments in which fashion clothes are designed and made.
 

Fashioned (weft knitting)

See shaping

Fastness

The property of resistance to an agency named (e.g., washing, light, rubbing, crocking, gas-fumes)., note: on the standard scale, five grades are usually recognized, from 5, signifying unaffected, to 1, grossly changed. For lightfastness, eight grades are used, 8 representing the highest degree of fastness.

Fatuhi

A 'jacket without sleeves'. Generally understood as a vest lightly padded with cotton wool, and quilted.

Faux Fur

A pile fabric made to simulate animal fur. May be woven or knit in a variety of fibers although acrylic and modacrylic are most common.

Faux Leather

A fabric made to imitate animal leather . Often a polyurethane laminate.

Faux Linen

A fabric made with slubbed yarns to imitate linen. Usually inexpensive, easy care fabrics.

Faux Shearling

Fabrics made to imitate shearling- the pelt of a sheep with the wool in place.

Faux Silk

A fabric of manufactured fiber, most commonly polyester , with good drape, luster and a soft hand to imitate silk.

Faux suede

See suede cloth/faux suede.

Faz-Vi

A 'jacket without sleeves'. Possibly the same kind of garment as fatuhi (q.v.).
 

Feed roller; feed roll

A roller that forwards a yarn to a subsequent processing or take-up stage.

Fellmongering

The process of pulling wool from sheep skins. (see also skin wool.): felt, a textile fabric characterized by the entangled condition of most, or all, of the fibres of which it is composed. Three classes of felt can be distinguished:, (a) fabrics with a woven or knitted structure;, (b) pressed felt, which is formed from a web or batt containing animal hair or wool consolidated by the application of heat and mechanical action that causes the constituent fibres to mat together;, (c) needlefelt.

Felt

1 a nonwoven fabric made directly from fibers bound together with heat, moisture and mechanical pressure . Usually some wool or animal hair is used.
2. A woven fabric that has been subjected to a heavy milling ( fulling) process which compresses and shrinks the fabric through heat and pressure hiding the weave and entangling the fibers.

Felting

The matting together of fibres during processing or wear (see milling (fabric finishing)).

Fiberfill

Fiber batting used as a backing in a quilted fabric or in a sandwich with other fabrics . Used in outerwear, bedspreads.

Fibre

(1) textile raw material generally., (2) a unit of matter characterized by flexibility, fineness, and high ratio of length to thickness.

Fibre (Flax)

|flax cultivated mainly for fibre production as distinct from that cultivated for linseed-oil production.

Fibre Extent

See fibre length.

Fibre Length/Fibre Length

(a) crimped length, the distance between the ends of a fibre when substantially freed from external restraint, measured with respect to its general axis of orientation., (b) fibre extent, the distance between two planes which just enclose a fibre without intercepting it, each plane being perpendicular to the direction of the yarn or other assembly of which the fibre forms a part., (c) staple length, a quantity by which a sample of fibrous raw material is characterized as regards its technically most important fibre length., note: the staple length of wool is usually taken as the length of the longer fibres in a hand prepared tuft or 'staple' in its naturally crimped and wavy condition (see crimp). With cotton, on the other hand, the staple length corresponds very closely to the modal or most frequent length of the fibres when measured in a straightened condition., (d) span length, the extent exceeded by a stated proportion of cotton fibres, e.g., 2.5% span length is the length exceeded by only 2.5% of fibres by number.

Fibre Ultimate

One of the unit botanical cells into which leaf and bast fibres can be disintegrated.
 

Fibre, Man-Made

A fibre manufactured by man as distinct from a fibre that occurs naturally.

Fibre, Regenerated

A man-made fibre produced from a naturally occurring fibre-forming polymer by a process that includes regeneration of the original polymer structure.

Fibre, Synthetic

A man-made fibre produced from a polymer built up by man from chemical elements or compounds, in contrast to fibres made by man from naturally occurring fibre-forming polymers.

Fibrid

A netted filamentary or fibrillar structure, substantially longer in one dimension than in the other two that exhibits a capacity for mechanical entanglement with other structures and much higher water-holding capacity than fibres produced by conventional spinning means. Fibrids are used as bonding elements in the production of wet-laid synthetic papers.

Fibrillae

Specks visible on the surface of silk yarns.
 

Fibrillated

A finish which causes tiny fibrils or fibrous elements to be spilt from the fibers and protrude from the surface of the fabric. Results in a frosted, hazy, laundered appearance and a soft hand. Common on lyocell fabrics.

Fibrillated Yarn

A yarn produced by the process of fibrillation.
 

Fibrillated-Film Fibre

Staple fibre produced by cutting, chopping or stretch-breaking fibrillated yarn or fibrillated film tow.

Fibrillated-Film Tow

An assembly of fibrillated textile films.
 

Fibrillated-Film Yarn

Yarn produced from fibrillating film that has been converted into a longitudinally fibrillated structure (cf. Polymer tape).

Fibrillating Film

A polymer film in which molecule orientation has been induced by stretching to such a degree that it is capable of being converted into yarn or twine by manipulation, e.g., by twisting under tension which results in the formation of a longitudinally split structure (split fibre).

Fibrillating Roller

A pinned roller used for fibrillation.

Fibrillation

The process of splitting a longitudinally oriented textile film or tape into a network interconnected fibres., note: processes for producing fibrillation may be divided into two groups:, (a) those producing random splitting to give a relatively coarse network, e.g., twisting, and, (b) those producing controlled splitting to give a relatively fine network e.g., by rapidly rotating pinned rollers.

Fibroin

The part of a silk thread remaining after the gum has been discharged.

Fichu

Large neckerchief at the end of the 18th century that was worn around the neck and shoulders together with the robe à l'anglaise.

Figue

A fibre from the leaf of the plant furcraea macrophylla.
 

Figured Velvet

A fibre from the leaf of the plant furcraea macrophylla.
 

Filament

A fibre of indefinite length.
 

Filament Blend Yarn

A filament yarn which contains separate filaments of two distinct types, the filaments being more or less randomly blended over the cross-section of the yarn.

Filament Yarn

A yam composed of one or more filaments that run essentially the whole length of the yarn. Yams of one or more filaments are usually referred to as monofilament or multifilament respectively.

Filamentation

A fibrous or hairy appearance due to broken filaments on the surface of a yarn package or fabric.
 

Filler (USA)

A synonym, used in north america, for weft yams.

Filler Fabric.

A rubber-coated cross-woven fabric which is placed around the bead section assembly of a tyre and serves to reinforce the join between apex and casing plies. (in all-metallic radial-ply tyres this filler often consists of a ply of wire cords).

Filling

(1) non-substantive and generally insoluble materials, such as china clay, gypsum, etc., added to fabrics together with starches or gums during finishing to add weight or to modify their appearance and handle., note 1: this term is usually applied only to cellulosic textiles (see also loading). Finishes in which starches or gums are used without the addition of insoluble materials are sometimes referred to as 'fillings' but are more correctly described as 'assisted finishes'., note 2..the equivalent term in north america is 'filler'., (2) a synonym, used in north america, for weft yams (see weft)., (3) see wadding thread.

Finish

A term used broadly in the paint, paper, printing ink, leather, plastics and textile industries to include the added materials, the finishing processes employed, and the final result., (1) a substance or mixture of substances added to a substrate at any stage in the process to impart desired properties., (2) the type of process, physical or chemical, applied to a substrate to produce a desired effect., (3) such properties, e.g., smoothness, drape, lustre, gloss or crease resistance produced by (1) and/or (2) above., (4) the state of the substrate as it leaves a previous process., (5) the quality or appearance of a paint or printing-ink film., (6) to apply or produce a finish.

Finish

Perfection with which the garment / fabric is completed.
 

Firm

Refers to a fabric with a relatively solid, compact texture, good body and reduced drape.

Firm Pressed Melton Finish

Plain wool milled cloth smooth finish for blazers, coats and fashion.

Fishnet

A wide, coarse, relatively heavy mesh used in apparel and trimming.
 

Fixation Accelerator

A product added to a finishing formulation to speed up, or lower the temperature required for, chemical reaction.

Flame Resistant

Refers to a fabric which will burn only when the source of the flame remains lit, and will quickly self extinguish when the source is removed. Standards for flame resistance are generally set according to the end use of the fabric. Flame resistance may be the result of the nature of the fiber or of a chemical finish put on the fabric.

Flame Stitch

A zig zag design that suggests a flame.

Flanelette

A fabric made from cotton warp and soft-spun cotton weft, the fabric being subsequently raised on both sides to give an imitation of the true woollen flannel. The weave may be plain, plain with double-end warp, or twill., note 1: it may be woven grey and dyed or printed, or it may be woven from dyed yarns., note 2.. Fibres other than cotton are sometimes present in the weft yarn. If these exceed 7% they are named in the description, e.g., cotton-rayon flannelette.

Flanelette

A lightweight fabric usually of cotton with a nap on one side.

Flannel

An all-wool fabric of plain or twill weave with a soft handle. It may be slightly milled and raised.
 

Flannel

A light to medium weight woven fabric with a soft, slightly napped surface . Expensive flannels of wool and wool blends are usually napped and fulled whereas less expensive flannels of cotton and other fibers are usually just napped.

Flash Curing

See curing

Flash Spinning

A modification of the accepted dry-spinning method in which a solution of a polymer is extruded at a temperature well above the boiling point of the solvent such that on emerging from the spinneret evaporation occurs so rapidly that the individual filaments are disrupted into a highly fibrillar form.

Flash-spun Fabric

A nonwoven formed from the fine fibrillation of a film by the rapid evaporation of solvent and subsequent bonding during extrusion.

Flat Fabric

A two-dimensional woven or knitted fabric that has no pile loops.
 

Flat Knitting Machine

A weft-knitting machine having straight needle beds carrying independently operated latch needles., note 1: rib machines (v-type) have two needle beds, which are opposed to each other in inverted-v formation., note 2: purl machines have two needle beds horizontally opposed in the same plane.

Flat Metal Yarn

A yarn consisting of one or more continuous lengths of metal strip or incorporating one or more continuous length(s) as a major component., note1: a notable example is a singles metal yarn in banknotes, which may be o.50mm (0.020in.) Wide and 0.08 mm (0.003 in.) Thick. For this purpose, it must be without twist, i.e., flat throughout its length in the banknote. Analysis of the metal is proof of the authenticity of a banknote., note2: twist inserted in flat metal yarns may form irregular facets, which reflect light accordingly to give decorative effects in fabrics.

Flat Screen Printed

In screen printing a separate screen is created for each color . The open mesh part of the screen corresponds to the area to be printed in that color. The areas where color is not to pass through are blocked. Dye paste is forced through the open mesh area with a squeegee. The fabric is then moved or the screen replaced to allow printing of the next color. In flat screen printing the screens are in the form of flat panels, the width of which is the same as the repeat of the pattern. Flat screen printing allows for greater flexibility than rotary printing as the panel size can often be adjusted to various repeat sizes.

Flat Setting

The setting of fabric at open-width. The term is particularly used in the finishing of woven wool fabrics, where setting is usually effected by steaming under pressure.

Flat Yarn

(1) descriptive of full drawn continuous-filament yarns substantially without twist and untextured (see also twistless yarn.), (2) a synonym for straw.

Flax

(1) plants of the species linum usitatissimum cultivated for the production of fibre, or seed and fibre., (2) fibre extracted from flax plants.

Flax Fibre Bundle

One of the aggregates of ultimate fibre that run from the base of the stem up to the top of the branches of flax straw. They are each composed of large numbers of ultimate fibres overlapping each other.

Flax Fibre Strands

Flax fibres after removal from the plant, consisting in the cross-section of more than one ultimate fibre.

Flax Green (obsolescent)

Flax Tow

Short flax fibres that are removed during the scutching or hackling processes:, (a) rug tow: short flax fibre removed during scutching and containing extraneous woody material;, (b) re-scutched tow: short fibre which has been cleaned in a tow-scutching apparatus, (c) machine tow: short fibre which has been removed from scutched long flax during the hackling process.

Flax Yarn Bundle

The standard length by which wet-spun flax yarns are bought and sold. The 'bundle' traditionally contained 60000 yards (about 55000 m) of yarn.

Flax Yarn Bundle

The standard length by which wet-spun flax yarns are bought and sold. The 'bundle' traditionally contained 60000 yards (about 55000 m) of yarn.

Flax-Spun

A term applied to staple yam that has been prepared and spun on machinery originally designed for spinning yarns from flax.

Flax, Green (obsolescent)

Scutched flax produced from deseeded straw without any intermediate treatment such as retting.
 

Flax, Line (obsolescent)

Hackled flax
 

Fleece

A fabric with a thick, soft nap or pile resembling sheep's wool. Commonly a knit which has been brushed and sheared but may be woven.

Fleece

The woolly covering of a sheep or similar animal.
 

Fleece Wool

Any wool as shorn from a living sheep. The term is in use to distinguish this wool from other forms such as skin wool.

Fleecy

Resembling a wool fleece in appearance and handle, or descriptive of fabrics having a fine, soft, open, and raised structure.
 

Fleecy Fabric (weft-knitted)

A weft-knitted fabric composed of three separate yarns; a ground yarn of normal count, a finer binding yarn, and a thicker fleecy yarn which is held into the fabric at close intervals by the binding yarn. The fleecy yarn appears on the back of plain-knitted fabric and presents an ideal surface for brushing or raising.

Flock

A material obtained by reducing textile fibres to fragments as by cutting, tearing, or grinding. There are two main usages:, (a) stuffing flock: fibres in entangled small masses or beads, usually of irregular broken fibres, obtained as a by-product, as, for example, in the milling, cropping, or raising of wool fabric, and mainly used for stuffing, padding, or upholstery., (b) coating flock: cut or ground fibres used for application to yarn, fabric, paper, wood, metal, or wall surfaces prepared with an adhesive (see also electrostatic flocking).

Flock Printed

A method of printing resulting in short fibers, rather than color, being applied in a design to the surface of the fabric . The fabric may be printed with an adhesive and the fiber dusted onto it, or the fibers may be contained in the adhesive, or the fibers may be applied electrostatically to hold them erect.

Flocked

A method of applying short fibers rather than color to the entire surface of the fabric . The fabric may be printed with an adhesive and the fiber dusted, onto it ,or the fibers may be contained in the adhesive or the fibers may be applied electrostatically to hold them erect.
 

Flocked Carpets

Carpets manufactured by applying short chopped lengths of fibre (flock) to an adhesive-coated backing fabric. The application is usually carried out electrostatically.

Flocks (Wool)

Waste fibres obtained from wool during the different finishing processes.
 

Floral

Refers to design motifs dominated by flowers.

Flounce

A band of cloth or lace fluting around a garment to which it is attached only by its upper edge.

Fluff

Lint or fluff that has accumulated on a knitting machine and become incorporated in the fabric.

Fluff Ball

See lint ball

Fluidity

A measure of the ease with which a fluid flows; numerically the reciprocal of viscosity. The unit of fluidity is the reciprocal pascal second (pa-1 s-1)., note: the fluidity of dilute solutions of polymers is inversely related to the polymer molecular weight and, for certain fibre-solvent systems, may be used as an indicator of polymer degradation.
 

Fluorescent Brightener

See optical brightener
 

Fluorescent Whitening Agent

See optical brightener

Fluorofibre (fibre)

A term used to describe fibres composed of linear macromolecules made from fluorocarbon aliphatic monomers.

Fly

Fibres that fly out into the atmosphere during processing.
 

Flyer Spinning

A spinning system in which yarn passes through a revolving flyer leg guide on to the package. The yarn is wound-on by making the flyer and spinning package rotate at slightly different speeds.
 

Flyshot Loom

A multi-piece loom for weaving narrow fabrics in which each shuttle is knocked through the open shed by means of a peg fixed in a slide. The term is also sometimes applied to single-head narrow-fabric looms.

Foam Bonding

A method of making nonwoven fabrics in which a fibre web or batt is treated by the application of a liquid in the form of a foam.
 

Foam Laminated

A layer of foam usually polyurethane, pvc or latex is bonded to the fabric with adhesive or fused to the fabric with heat. Generally results in a "breathable" fabric. Used for footwear , outerwear and carpet backings.

Foambacked Fabric

A combined fabric usually having two layers, one of which is of cellular plastics material.
 

Fold

See folded yarn

Folded Yarn

A yarn in which two or more single yarns are twisted together (fold) in one operation, e.g., two-fold yarn, three-fold yarn, etc., note: in some sections of the textile industry, e.g., the marketing of hand-knitting yams, these yarns are referred to as two-ply, three-ply, etc.

Folk Weave

A term applied to any construction which, when used in loosely woven fabrics made from coarse yams, gives a rough and irregular surface effect. Coloured yarns are commonly used to produce weftway and/or warpway stripes.

Fontange

A bow on a ladies' headdress worn in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, named after the duchesse de fontanges.

Foot Guards

The infantry Regiments of the Household Division of the British Army, Coldstream Guards, Welsh Guard,s Scottish Guards, Grenadier Guards and the Irish Guards .

Forehead Cloth or Cross Cloth

Forehead cloth or cross clothThe term is often incorrectly applied to the whole headdress.16th and 17th century term for a band covering the front of a woman's head. It was often triangular.

Forte of a Garment

Means the strong point of the garment.

Foulard

See padding mangle

Foulard

1. A lightweight, lustrous, soft 2x2 twill fabric usually found printed . Used in neckties scarves dresses. 2. Small all over geometric print design usually on a plain solid ground typical of those found on neckties.
 

Foulard

1. A lightweight, lustrous, soft 2x2 twill fabric usually found printed . Used in neckties scarves dresses. 2. Small all over geometric print design usually on a plain solid ground typical of those found on neckties.
 

French Clean

See dry clean

French Terry

A knit jersey with loops on one side. Sometimes napped to make fleece.

Frey

Threads which come out from the fabric during handling.
 

Friction Calendering

See calendaring
 

Friction Spinning

A method of open-end spinning which uses the external surface of two rotating rollers to collect and twist individual fibres into a yarn. At least one of the rollers is perforated so that air can be drawn through its surface to facilitate fibre collection. The twisting occurs near the nip of the rollers and, because of the relatively large difference between the yam and roller diameters, high yarn rotational speeds are achieved by the friction between the roller surface and the yarns.

Friction- Twisting

The generation of false-twist ( see false-twisting) by a device in which the yarn lies in contact with one or more surfaces of high friction driven in a direction at substantial angle to the yarn axis. In practice, friction disks, belts or bushes are commonly used.

Frieze

A pile fabric with the loops left uncut . Usually the loops are sheared to various heights to form a pattern. Used widely for upholstery and slipcovers.

Frisons

The first waste obtained in the process of reeling silk cocoons. It is composed of the tangled beginning of the silk filament that is removed by the reeler up to the point when the filament begins to reel properly.

Fugitive Tint

A colorant for application to textile materials for their identification during handling. The colorant must be removed easily during normal textile scouring or dyeing procedures.

Fuji

A lightweight, plain weave fabric originally of silk but now usually of polyester bi-component yarn which gives the appearance of a subtle texture on the surface . Used in blouses, dresses.

Fujiette

A medium weight fabric with a filament yarn warp and a spun yarn weft . Usually it has a fine crosswise rib. Commonly found in rayon and blends of acetate and rayon . Used in blouses, dresses.

Full-Fashioned; Fully-Fashioned

Terms applied to knitted fabrics and garments that are shaped wholly or in part by widening and/or narrowing by loop transference to increase or decrease the number of wales.

Fulled

See milled/fulled.

Fusibles

Refers to a fabric, usually a nonwoven, that can be bonded to another fabric with heat and pressure . Used as interlinings to give body and shape to a fabric.

Gabardine

Firm durable warp faced cloth with marked twill.
 

Gait (flax)

A large handful of loose, pulled flax, stood up on end in a cone form to dry.
 

Gait (lace machines)

(1) the distance between the centres of adjacent comb blades., (2) a measure of the distance over which a thread is moved,
 

Gait (weaving)

A full repeat of the draft in the healds, or in the case of jacquard, in one complete row of the harness
 

Gait; gait up (weaving)

General terms used to describe the positioning of the warp, healds, and reed in a loom, in readiness for weaving. Where drop wires are mounted on the warp during warp preparation, gaiting also includes the positioning of the drop wires.

Gaiting (knitting)

See gating (knitting)

Galants or Gallants

Small ribbon bows which were worn in the mid 17th century in the hair and attached to the garments in various places.

Galatea

A durable, warp faced, left handed twill fabric often found in white and stripes . Used in children's wear, uniforms.

Galloon

Lace

Gamla Buti

A popular motif in textile design in india, consisting of flowers of different kinds growing in a flowerpot, neatly arranged.

Gamma Value

The mean number of xanthate groups per 100 glucose residues in cellulose xanthate.

Garbadine

A tightly woven durable twill, usually 2x2 right handed, with a distinct twill line. Common used in men's and women's trousers, rainwear and a variety of other uses.

Garters

Ribbon tied around the leg to hold up the stockings.

Gas

See singe

Gas Fume Fading

An irreversible change in hue which occurs when textiles, particularly cellulose ethanoate ( acetate) and triethanoate (triacetate) dyed with certain blue anthraquinone disperse dyes are exposed to oxides of nitrogen which arise from, for example, gas or storage heaters.

Gassed Yarn

A yarn that has been passed through a flame or over a heated element to remove surface fibres.
 

Gating (knitting)

The relative alignment of 2 sets of knitting elements e.g., needles, on knitting machines. Two forms of needle gating (rib and interlock) are common and may be interchangeable on the same machine. Types of gating are: (a) interlock gating:  interlock gaiting (knitting) - the opposed alignment of one set of needles with the other on a knitting machine. (b) purl gating : purl gaiting (knitting), the opposed alignment of tricks of two needle beds lying in the same plane, on a machine equipped with double-headed needles. (c) rib gating : rib gaiting (knitting), the alternate alignment of one set of needles with the other on a machine equipped with two sets of needles arranged to knit rib fabrics. Also termed gaiting.

Gauze

A light-weight, open-texture fabric produced in plain weave or simple leno weave.
 

Gauze Weaving

A term commonly used as a synonym for leno weaving; strictly, a method of producing the simpler types of light-weight fabric by leno weaving.

Gauze/Cheesecloth

A loosely woven, thin, sheer, plain weave fabric usually cotton.

Gear-Crimped Yarn

A form of textured yarn in which the heated yarn is passed between a pair of gear wheels or through some similar device.

Gel Dyeing

A continuous tow dyeing method in which soluble dyes are applied to wet-spun fibres (e.g., acrylic or modacrylic fibres) in the gel state (i.e., after extrusion and coagulation, but before drawing and drying).

Genappe Yarn

A gassed worsted yarn. (genappe in belgium.)
 

Generic Name

When used here a name to distinguish different classes of textile fibre. For natural fibres, distinguishing attribute is the fibre source; for man-made fibres (see fibre, man-made) chemical difference, which often results in distinctive property differences, is the main basis for classification: other attributes are included where necessary. Generic names are normally used as adjectives; are descriptive of the nature of the fibre or filament components of the associated object (yarn, top, sliver, fabric, garment, etc). The attributes used for specification of the generic names of man-made fibres are however not necessarily identical with the attributes used for naming chemical molecules., the international organization for standardization has published, in iso 2076, a list of the generic names and definitions of the different categories of man-made fibres at present manufactured on industrial scale for textile and other purposes. These definitions and categories are used throughout this publication.

Geometric

Refers to designs dominated by relatively simple, clearly defined geometric shapes.

Georgette

A fine, light-weight, open-texture fabric, usually in a plain weave, made from crepe yarns, usually having two s-twisted and two z-twisted yarns alternately in both warp and weft.

Georgette

A lightweight, plain weave, crepe fabric with a pebbly texture and slightly raspy hand. Uses high twist yarns which alternate between s and z twist every thread or 2 in both warp and weft . Used for blouses, dresses.

Geotextile

A textile material used by civil engineers as a component of earthworks.

Ghagho

A woman's dress, closely related to the abbo (q.v.). The skirt part of the abagho was often more flared than that of an abbo, the ample gathers at either side of the waist lending it peculiar gracefulness when the wearer moved.

Ghaghra

which turns the cloth or ghaghra-pata into a tube, fastened with a drawstring passing through a long, narrow slot at the waist. Flared ghaghras are made up of, several triangular gored pieces stitched together.

Gherdar

Skirt, usually with a great deal of flare. The simple ghaghras have only one vertical seam, which turns the cloth or ghaghra-pata into a tube, fastened with a drawstring passing through a long, narrow slot at the waist. Flared ghaghras are made up of, several triangular gored pieces stitched together.

Gherdar

Flared with an ample skirt, as in a gherdarjama.
 

Ghundi

Loop; generally used to hold the little button-like boss called the tukma.

Ghutanna

A short paoan (q. V.), worn by men, tight and ending just below the knees. Much favoured in 19th century sikh punjab.

Gigging

The process of raising a nap on fabrics by means of a teazle machine.

Gill Box

A drafting machine, used in worsted processing, in which the motion of the fibres is in part controlled by pins fixed on moving bars (pinned fallers).

Gilling

A system of drafting in which the direction of the fibres relative to one another in a sliver is controlled by pins.

Gin Cut Cotton

Cotton that has been damaged in ginning by the cutting saws to the extent that its value is reduced.

Gingham

Light to medium weight, plain weave fabric. It is usually a cotton or cotton blend yarn dye in a color and white or 2 color check design.

Gingham

A plain-weave, light-weight cotton fabric, approximately square in construction, in which dyed yarns, or white and dyed yarns, form small checks or, less usually, narrow stripes., note: if fibres other than cotton are used the term should be suitably qualified (e.g. Viscose rayon gingham).

Ginning

A process that removes cotton fibres (lint) from the seed.

Ginning

A process that removes cotton fibres (lint) from the seed.

Glass (fibre)

A term used to describe fibres made of mixed silicates.

Glass Bleaching

A process for bleaching linen cloth after it has been washed by exposing it, while spread our on a grass lawn or field known as a green, to the action of the elements.

Glaze

To produce a smooth, glossy, plane surface on a fabric by heat, heavy pressure, or friction., note: glazing may be produced intentionally, e.g., by friction calendering, or as a fault.

Glazed

A finish resulting in a smooth, glossy surface on the fabric. Usually the fabric is first treated with resin, wax, starch or other substances then calendered.

Glen plaid ( also called glen urquhart)

A popular scottish district check made of elements of houndstooth and guard's check often with a fine line overplaid in a contrasting color.

Gossypium

The generic name of the cotton plant.
 

Gota

Narrow ribbon made of 'gold' or 'silver' thread.

Graft Polymenization

The production of a branched macro-molecule, with a high molecular weight backbone of one polymeric species, to which a second polymer is attached (grafted) at intervals.

Grain

Another word used for the length wise (weft yarn) or cross-wise (warp yarn) threads of the fabric.

Grassing (Crofting)

See grass bleaching

Gray Scale

A series of pairs of neutrally coloured chips, showing increasing contrast within pairs, used visually to assess contrasts between other pairs of patterns: for example the iso (international organization for standardization) grey scales comprise two series of chips against which the magnitude of the change in colour of a specimen submitted to a fastness test and of staining of adjacent uncoloured material can be visually assessed and rated on a 1-5 scale.

Grease Wool

Sheep's wool still containing the natural grease.

Greasy Peace

A piece of woollen fabric as it comes from the loom
 

Greasy Wool; Grease Wool

Sheep's wool still containing the natural grease.

Green Flax (obsolescent)

Scutched flax produced from deseeded straw without any intermediate treatment such as retting.
 

Greige

See grey goods
 

Greige

Fabric that has not been bleached, dyed or finished after production. If woven sometimes called loomstate.

Grenadine

A leno weave fabric with high twist yarns often with woven in stripes, checks or other patterns . Used for dresses, blouses curtains.

Grey Goods

Woven or knitted fabrics as they leave the loom or knitting machine, i.e., before any bleaching, dyeing or finishing treatment has been given to them. Some of these fabrics, however, may contain dyed or finished yams., note: in some countries, particularly in the north american continent, the term greige is used. For woven goods, the term loomstate is frequently used as an alternative. In the linen and lace trades, the term brown goods is used.

Grinding (Rag)

A local term for pulling.

Grist

See count.

Gros Point

Also known as point de venise and venetian lace; very expensive heavy lace from venice, the most fashionable material for cravats among aristocrats and royalty in the 17th century. The lace was usually held together with a ribbon or cravat string, or sewn into a pre-formed bow and fall because it was too heavy to be tied accurately.

Grosgrain

A firm, tightly woven fabric with a heavy, pronounced, crosswise rib. Used for neckties, millinery, trim . The term often describes ribbon but may be a full width fabric as well.

Grospoint

A durable, uncut loop pile fabric used mainly for upholstery.

Guard Hairs

Fibres which project beyond the under-coat of some mammals. They are usually coarser than under-coat fibres.

Guipure Lace

A needlepoint lace made with a heavy buttonhole stitch and with the pattern on a coarse mesh or held together with connecting threads.
 

Gum-Sericin

A gelatinous protein, usually comprising 20% to 30% by mass of raw silk, cementing the two fibroin filaments (brins) in a silk fibre (bave).
 

Gume Waste

Waste comprising all broken silk threads that have been discarded during reeling, or at the inspection of the skeins, and that have not undergone any further processing.
 

Gunny

A strong, coarse, plain weave fabric usually of jute . Similar to burlap but heavier and coarser. Used for baling and sacks.

Habit

In the 17th century it meant for men the suit of clothes all in the same cloth or colour. The court habit in the 17th and 18th centuries meant men's clothes, and the grand habit women's, worn only at court and at festivities where the court was present.

Hackling (flax)s

A process in which stricks of scutched flax are combed from end to end, both to remove short fibre, naps (or neps), and non-fibrous material, and to sub-divide and parallelize the fibre strands.

Hainsworth Broadcloth

Wide width fine face cloth used for clothing interiors pool and snooker.

Hainsworth Paradewear

Manufacturers of quality Wool cloth for M.O.D Uniforms.

Hair

Animal fibre other than sheep's wool or silk., note: it is recognized that this definition implies a distinction between sheep's wool and the covering of other animals, notwithstanding the similarity in their fibre characteristics. Thus the crimped form and the scaly surface are not confined to sheep's wool. It seems desirable in the textile industry, however, to avoid ambiguity by confining the term wool to the covering or sheep and to have available a general term for other fibres of animal origin. Normally the less widely used fibres are known by name e.g., alpaca, mohair, etc., but collectively they should be classed as hair. A difficulty arises when it is desired to distinguish between the fibres of the undercoat and the remainder of the fleece; for instance, between the soft short camel hair used for blankets and the coarse long camel hair used for belting. The term wool is sometimes used for the shorter fibre, qualified by the name of the animal, e.g., cashmere wool.

Hairy

Refers to fabrics with a lot of protruding fibers on the surface.
 

Hammered Satin

A satin fabric with an allover surface texture that looks like hammered metal.

Handle; hand u.s.

The quality of a fabric or yarn assessed by the reaction obtained from the sense of touch., note: it is concerned with the subjective judgement of roughness, smoothness, harshness, pliability, thickness, etc.

Hank

(1) a synonym for skein. Textile linear material in coiled form., (2) a definite length of sliver, slubbing, roving, or yarn, e.g., in the metric system it is 1000 metres., (3) a synonym for count as applied to sliver, slubbing, or roving.
 

Hank Sizing

The application of size solution to yarn in hanks.

Hankerchief Linen

A fine lightweight plain weave fabric of linen or a linen blend. Used in blouses, dresses.

Hard

Describing fabrics with a firm, coarse hand.

Hardening

Treatment of man-made regenerated-protein filaments so as to render them completely insoluble in cold water and cold dilute saline solutions.

Harlequin

A design motif dominated by diamond shapes or checks in 3 or more contrasting colors as in a harlequin costume.

Harris Tweed

A woolen tweed fabric hand woven on the outer hebrides islands off the coast of scotland. (harris is one of these islands) genuine harris tweeds are certified by the harris tweed association.

Haul-off roller; haul-off roll

The first driven roller around which an extruded yarn passes after leaving the spinneret, and whose surface speed determines the spin-stretch ratio.

Haute Coture

Hi-fashion garments (of which only a single price is produced) it's extravagant, it's irrational, it's unique and it's totally unaffordable.

Head (jute)

One of a number of bunches of raw jute forming a bale. The heads are each given a twist and folded over before being made into the bale.

Head Setting

The process of conferring stability of form upon fibres, yarns, or fabrics, usually by means of successive heating and cooling in moist or dry conditions.

Heat Transver Printed

A method of printing fabric by transferring a design from a paper to fabric by passing them together through heated rollers or a heated press. Also called sublistatic printing or sublimation printing.

Heather

See melange/heather

Heavy Blazer Melton

Good quality durable cloth made for school blazers.

Hemp, True

different plants, e.g., manila 'hemp' (abaca) from musa textilis nee; sisal 'hemp' from agave sisalana perrine; sunn 'hemp' (sunn fibre) from crotalaria juncea l.

Henequen

A fine light-coloured, lustrous, and strong bast fibre, obtained from the hemp plant, cannabis sativa l. , note: the colour and cleanliness vary considerably according to the method of preparation of the fibre, the lower grades being dark cream and containing much non-fibrous matter. The fibre is obtained by retting. Its principal use is in twine and cordage, but some of the finer grades are used in weaving. The fibre ranges in length from 1 to 2.5m (3 to 8 ft). The term 'hemp' is often incorrectly used in a generic sense for fibres from The fibre obtained from the leaf of agava fourcroydes lemaire.

Heritage

Fine wide width face cloth for clothing and interiors.
 

Herringbone

A broken twill weave in which the twill line reverses regularly forming zig zag v's. Also called fishbone.

Hessen

See barras.

Hessian

See burlap/hessian.

High Charged System

A method of dry cleaning in which an oil-soluble reagent such as petroleum sulphonate is added to the solvent so that a significant amount of water can be added to obtain a substantially clear dispersion of water in the solvent. In a high-charged system the concentration of added reagent, a so-called detergent is 4% while, in a low-charged system the concentration ranges  up to 2%.

High Count

Refers to fabrics woven with a relatively high thread count, resulting in a dense, tight fabric.

High Twist

Refers to yarn that are manufactured with a relatively high number of turns per inch . This may be done to increase the yarn strength or to give the fabric a crepey texture or hand.

High-Bulk Yarn

A yarn that has been treated mechanically, physically or chemically so as to have a noticeably greater voluminosity or bulk.

High-Speed Spinning (melt spinning)

A melt spinning process in which filaments are drawn down and collected at high speeds.

High/ Low

1. Pile fabrics that have variation in pile height 2 a corduroy with wales of 2 or more different widths.

Hog wool; Hoggett Wool

The first clip from a sheep not shorn as a lamb., also termed tag/teg wool (obsolescent)

Holland/Shadecloth

A plain weave fabric similar to sheeting with a stiff sometimes glazed finish . Often of linen or cotton. Frequently used for shades.

Hollow Filament

A man-made fibre continuous filament or fibre with a single continuous lumen.
 

Hologram

A three dimensional effect produced with a laser that changes with the angle of view and reflects light in a striking way . Often printed on reflective material.

Homespun

A plain weave fabric loosely woven with coarse uneven yarns that look as if they were spun by hand.

Homopolymer

A polymer in which the repeating units are all the same (cf. Copolymer).
 

Honan

A high quality, plain weave pongee fabric made with wild silk from henan in eastern china.

Honeycomb

A pique fabric with a waffle or cellular appearance. May be woven or knit.

Honeydew

The result of infestation of growing cotton by aphids of whitefly. It takes the form of more or less randomly distributed droplets of highly concentrated sugars, causing cotton stickiness.

hopsack

See basket weave/hopsack.

Hose (narrow fabric)

A tubular woven fabric for conveying liquid under pressure., note: hose is manufactured in both unlined and lined forms. When unlined, the weave is plain and the material is generally flax or hemp with a weaving density so arranged that when the fibres swell on wetting, the fabric becomes tight enough to reduce percolation under pressure to a negligible amount. For lined hose, fibres other than flax or hemp may be used in a plain or twill weave. Light-weight hose woven from synthetic yams may incorporate an independent tubular plastic lining, which is introduced.

Hosiery

(1) knitted coverings for the feet and legs., (2) formerly in the uk., the term was used in the generic sense of all types of knitted fabrics and, goods made up therefrom.

Hosiery Knitting Machine

A knitting machine for the production of hosiery. Most are small-diameter latch-needle circular knitting machines.

Hot drawing (synthetic filaments and films)

A term applied to the drawing of synthetic filaments or films with the intentional application of external heat.

Hot Mercerization

See mercerization

Hottenroth Number

A measure of the degree of ripening of viscose, note: a hottenroth number is expressed as the number of milliliters of 10% ammonium chloride solution that it is necessary to add to a somewhat diluted viscose (solution) to induce incipient coagulation under standard conditions.

Houndstooth

A pointed broken check design . Most commonly a woven produced with contrasting yarns in groups or multiples of 4, woven in a 2x2 twill. Sometimes called dogstooth.

Household Division for Trooping the Colour

The 5 regiments that make up the Queens Guard. The regiments are Coldstream Guards, Welsh Guards, Scottish Guards, Grenadier Guards and the Irish Guards.

Huarizo

See alpaca fibre

Huckaback

A soft toweling fabric with short, loosely twisted filling floats to aid absorption, and a birdseye or honeycomb surface texture . It is sometimes embroidered.

Hue

That attribute of colour whereby it is recognized as being predominantly red, green, blue, yellow, violet, brown, bordeaux, etc.
 

Illusion

A very fine sheer net fabric usually of nylon or silk. Used for veils.

Indigo

A type of blue dyestuff originally obtained from the indigo plant but now produced synthetically. Used for denim.

Indigo & color

Refers to yarn dyed fabrics using a combinations of indigo dyed yarns and yarns of other colors together in the design.

Indigo & overprinted

Refers to printing done on an indigo denim, indigo chambray, or indigo dyed fabric.

Indigo dyed

Refers to a fabric which has been piece dyed with indigo dye.

Indirect warping

The transference of yam from a package creel onto a swift from which it is subsequently wound onto a beam.

Infantry

Soldier who would fight on foot.

Interfacing

A fabric, usually a nonwoven, that is meant to be fused or sewn to another to give it body and shape.

Interlining

Any one of a wide variety of fabrics used between the inner and outer layers of a garment to improve shape retention, strength, warmth or bulk. Interlining may be of woven, knitted, or nonwoven material and may be produced with or without a fusible adhesive coating.

Interlock

A double face knit fabric with 1x1 rib on each side. Usually firm and closely knit.

Interlock, weft-knitted

A double-faced rib-based structure consisting of two 1 x i rib fabrics joined by interlock loops. It is made on machines equipped with two sets of opposed needles, from various materials for a variety of purposes, including outerwear.

Intermingled yarn

A multifilament yarn in which cohesion is imparted to the filament bundle by entwining the filaments instead of, or in addition to, twisting. The effect is usually achieved by passing under light tension through the turbulent zone of an air-jet., note 1: some manufacturers describe such a product as an interlaced yarn., note2. Intermingling should be distinguished from air-texturing (see textured yam ) in which a much higher level of entanglement is achieved with the objective of producing texture or bulk.

Intermingling jet

An air-operated device used as an ancillary to some processes of yam extrusion, of drawing and texturing to induce intermingling

Iridescent

A fabric with a changeable color effect depending on the angle of view and lighting. It is usually the result of weaving with one color in the warp and another in the weft.

Jacquard

A fabric with a complicated pattern woven or knit into it as part of its structure. For wovens, a jacquard loom is used which controls each warp yarn separately, raising or lowering it as needed during weaving to create the design. For knits a jacquard knitting machine creates the design by controlling whether individual needles knit, tuck, or miss.

Jacquard (warp knitting)

A term generally applied to a warp-knitting machine with a string-type jacquard placed above to ,control pins placed between specially shaped guides mounted in a normal guide bar. The pins when, raised do not affect the guides but when in a low position deflect individual guides in the guide bar to extend or reduce by one needle space the movement by the pattern chain or pattern wheel. A fall plate .nay or may not be used. The term is also applied to a machine in which a string jacquard raises individual guides in a guide bar so reducing the lapping movement of these individual guides compared to that applied to the guide bar by the pattern chain or wheel.

Jaquard mechanism (weaving)

A shedding mechanism, attached to a loom, that gives individual control of up to several hundred warp threads and thus enables large figured designs to be produced. (named after the inventor, joseph marie jacquard, 1752-1834).

Jersey

1. Single knit fabric with an intermeshing of stitches in the same direction on the face and a series of semicircular loops on the back. Thus the 2 sides appear different. 2. A general term referring to any knit fabric without a distinct rib.

Jet-dyeing machine

(1) a machine for dyeing fabric in rope form in which the fabric is carried through a narrow throat by dye-liquor circulated at a high velocity., (2) a machine for dyeing garments in which the garments are circulated by jets of liquid rather by mechanical means.

Joshua Briggs

Founder of Joshua Briggs and Sons in 1878. Manufacturer of wool cloths for school blazers, university scarves and caps. Taken over by Hainsworth in 2006.

Jute

The fibre obtained from the bast layer of the plants corchorus capsularis and corchorus olitorius., note 1:commercially, jute is divided into two main classes, white jute generally being associated with corchorus capsularis, and dark jute with corchorus olitorius., note 2:each of the above-noted classes is further sub-divided into numerous grades denoting quality and other characteristics.

Jute-spun

Descriptive of staple yarn that has been prepared and spun on machinery originally designed for spinning yarns from jute.

Kemp

A coarse animal fibre with a wide lattice-type medulla that is shed from the skin at least once a year; it is often shorter than other fibres of the fleece, has a long tapering tip, and, when completely shed, tapers sharply towards the root end.

Kersey

Originally Coarse Woollen Cloth taking its name from the village of Kersy in Suffolk.

Knit

To form a fabric by the intermeshing of loops of yarn.

Knitwear

A term applied in the generic sense to all knitted outer garments except stockings and socks.

Lace

A fine openwork fabric with a ground of mesh or net on which patterns may be worked at the same time as the ground is formed or applied later, and which is made of yarn by looping, twisting, or knitting, either by hand with a needle or bobbin, or by machinery; also a similar fabric made by crocheting, tatting, darning, embroidering, weaving, or knitting.

Lamb's wool

Wool obtained from a lamb (a young sheep up to eight months old or up to weaning).

Laminated

A compound fabric usually comprised of a continuous sheet of thermoplastic film such as polyurethane or pvc bonded to a base fabric with heat or adhesive.

Lap

(1) (general) a sheet of fibres or fabric wrapped round a core with specific applications in different sections of the industry, e.g., sheets of fibre wound on rollers or round endless aprons to facilitate transfer from one process to the next., note: in cotton spinning, the sheets of fibre from openers and scutchers, sliver-lap machines, and ribbon-lap machines are wound on cores. , ( 2) (flax) an arrangement of the fibre strands in scutched flax, pieced out for hackling, or in pieces of hackled flax, to facilitate their removal as separate units from built-up bundles. (3) (fabric.) The length of fabric between successive transverse folds when pieces are plaited down or folded,, (4) (fabric) an individual layer of fabric in roll form., (5) fibres wrapped accidentally round any rotating machine part., (6) silk waste after discharging and combing, but before processing into sliver or top. The staple length of the fibre decreases between the first, second and third drafts (combings).

Lap waste (wool)

A sheet of fibres accidentally wound round rollers or aprons. It is substantially without twist and may be carded without further processing.

Latent crimp

A crimp that is potentially present in specially prepared fibres or filaments and that can be developed by a specific treatment such as thermal relaxation or tensioning and subsequent relaxation.

Length, fabric

Unless otherwise specified, the usable length of a piece between any truth marks, piece-ends, or numbering, when the fabric is measured laid flat on a table in the absence of tension.

Leno

Refers to an open weave fabric. In a leno weave the warp yarns are arranged in pairs, twisting or interlocking around the filling yarn to prevent slippage and make the open weave stronger and more firm.

Leno fabric

A fabric in which warp threads have been made to cross one another, between the picks, during weaving. The crossing of the warp threads may be a general feature of plain leno fabrics (as marquisette and some gauzes and muslins) or may be used in combination with other weaves (as in some cellular fabrics).

Levelling

Migration of dye leading to uniform coloration of a substrate.

Light Melton

500 gsm Fine Wool Melton used for trimmings and badges.

Limp

Refers to a fabric that is very drapey and lacking in body.

Linear density

The mass per unit length of linear textile material.

Linen

(1) descriptive of yarns spun entirely from flax fibres., (2) descriptive of fabrics woven from linen yarns., (3) descriptive of articles which, apart from adornments, are made of yarns spun from flax, note: despite some usage of this term in non-technical circles as a generic one, e.g. Linen department, baby linen, household linen, it does not apply to individual articles that do not comply with the definition.

Lingerie

Feminine underwear, slumberwear and similar garments of fine texture and aesthetic appeal., note: the term, derived from the french 'lin', referred originally to linen articles, especially ladies' underwear.

Linseed flax

Varieties of flax cultivated mainly for seed production.

Lint

(1) the main seed hair of the cotton plant, (cf. Linters).,(2) a plain-weave, highly absorbent material with one raised fleecy surface. For surgical purposes it is sterilised.

Liquid ammonia treatment

A process during which textile material is immersed in or brought into contact with anhydrous liquid ammonia. The treatment confers 'flat setting', i.e., smooth drying properties and an attractive soft handle to cotton fabrics.

Locks

A term used in wool-sorting for short oddments of wool which fall from the skirting tables or are swept up from the boards. In some countries it can include soiled tufts and pieces from near the rumps of sheep.

Loden

Coarse woollen milled water-repellent fabric used for jackets, coats and capes.

Lofty

A term applied to an assemblage of fibres to denote a relatively high degree of openness and resilience, or a large volume for a given mass.

Loom

A term used for weaving machine.

Loom-state

Any woven fabric as it leaves the loom before it receives any subsequent processing.

Loose

Refers to a fabric that is not tightly constructed and shifts easily.

Lustre

The display of different intensities of light, reflected both specularly and diffusely from different parts of a surface exposed to the same incident light. High lustre is associated with gross differences of this kind, and empirical measurements of lustre depend on the ratio of the intensities of reflected light for specified angles of incidence and viewing., note: this definition makes these differences in intensity of light the key point, since these form the chief subjective impression on the observer of lustre. Both specular and diffuse light must be present together, for, if diffuse light only is present, the surface is matt, not lustrous, whereas, if specular light only is present, the surface is mirror-like, and again not lustrous. The phrase 'exposed to the same incident light' has been included to rule out shadow effects, which have no part in lustre proper. The general term 'surface' is intended to apply to fibres, yarns, and fabrics, and indeed to other surfaces, e.g., that of a pearl (through there the differently reflecting parts are very close together). In the second sentence of the definition, lustre is regarded as a positive function of the differences, the appropriate adjective of intensification being 'high'.

Machine-washable

A term denoting that a textile article can be washed in a domestic washing machine to remove dirt and other extraneous substances using an aqueous detergent solution at elevated temperatures.

Madame Tussaudes

Wax Museum in London with branches in other cities set up by Wax Sculpture Marie Tussaud.

Man-made fibre

A fibre manufactured by man as distinct from a fibre that occurs naturally.

Mangle

A machine whose purpose is to express liquid from moving textiles by passage through a nip. The textile may be in rope form or in open width, and the mangle may consist of two or more rollers (bowls) running in contact.

Marl

To run together and draft into one, two slubbings or rovings of different colour or lustre.

Marl effect yarn (continuous-filament)

Two single, continuous-filament yarns, of different solid colours or dyeing properties (subsequently dyed) doubled together., also termed ingrain (filament yarn).

Marl yarn (woollen)

A yarn consisting of two woollen-spun single ends of different colours twisted together.

Marled

Yarns made up of 2 different colors, produced by combining fiber strands (rovings) of 2 different colors, or twisting together 2 yarns of different colors, or by cross dyeing plied yarns of 2 different fibers.

Matchings

Wool that has been sorted.

Matt

See dull.

Mechanical stretch

Fabrics that have stretch properties but no not use spandex or other stretch yarns. The stretch is usually created in the finishing process.

Medieval Era

Period of history approximately dating from 5th Century to th 16th Century. Cloth used by re-enactors relating to the Middle Ages.
 

Melange/heather

A variation in tone or mottled look . May be done by mixing fibers or yarn of different colors together, printing of the top before spinning the yarn, or cross dyeing the fabric.

Melt spinning (man-made fibre production)

Conversion of a molten polymer into filaments by extrusion and subsequent cooling of the extrudate.

Melt-spun

Descriptive of man-made filaments produced by melt-spinning.

Melton

A heavily felted, tightly woven fabric with a sheared nap giving it a smooth surface. It is almost always of wool or a wool blend. Used mainly for coats but lighter weights may be used for other apparel.

Mercerised

A finishing process for cotton using caustic soda which may be applied at the yarn or fabric stage resulting in additional luster, improved strength and an improved ability to take dye.

Merchant converter

An individual who or an organization which locates a supplier and purchases grey fabric, procures its finishing and then re-sells the finished fabric to customers.

Merino

(1) wool from merino sheep. The merino breed of sheep originated in spain and the wool is noted for its fineness and whiteness.Refers to wool from the merino sheep which produces a fine, strong elastic fiber of very high quality . It can be washed to a clean white color and has good felting and spinning characteristics.

Merino Wool

Wool from Merino Sheep. Merino Sheep originated in Spain they produce some of the finest and softest wools.

Mesh

A general term for fabric with open spaces between the yarns. It may be knit , woven or knotted (net) in construction.

Mess Dress

Uniform worn by the services when dining.
 

Metal (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres made from any metal.

Metallic

A highly lustrous, reflective fabric that has the appearance of metal. May be coated or made from synthetic yarns in metallic colours.

Metameric

Descriptive of objects that exhibit metamerism.

Metamerism

A phenomenon whereby the nature of the colour difference between two similarly coloured objects, changes with change in the spectral distribution (characteristics) of the illuminant., note 1: metamerism is most frequently seen when two coloured objects match in daylight, but differ markedly in colour when viewed in tungsten-filament light. This arises because the visible absorption spectra of the two objects differ significantly, although the tristimulus values in daylight are identical., note 2: this term is often used loosely to describe the behavior of a single coloured object that shows a marked change of colour as the illuminant changes. Use of this term in this way is incorrect: this effect should be described as lack of colour constancy.

Microfibre

Extremely fine synthetic fiber used to produce soft, lightweight fabrics . Microfiber is often defined as fibers of less than 1 denier per filament but the term is used loosely in the industry. May be polyester, nylon, acrylic, rayon or other fibers. Used for rainwear, outerwear and various other types of apparel.

Milanese

A warp knit process resulting in a fabric with a fine rib on the face and a diamond effect on the back. Used for women's lingerie and other apparel.

Mildew

A superficial growth of certain species of fungi., note: on textile materials, this may lead to discoloration, tendering, and variation in properties.

Military Tailors

Person or company that makes repairs or alters military garments.

Milled/fulled

A method of compressing , shrinking and felting a fabric through the use of moisture heat and mechanical pressure. Usually done on wool and wool blends such as melton. The process often obscure the weave.

Milling (fabric finishing)

The process of consolidating or compacting woven or knitted fabrics that usually, although not exclusively contain wool., note., the treatment, which is usually given in a cylinder milling machine or in milling stocks, produces relative motion between the fibres of a fabric. That have been wetted out and swollen with a liquid of suitable ph. Depending on the type of fibre and structure of the fabric and on variations in the conditions of milling, a wide range of effects can be obtained varying from a slight alteration in handle to a dense matting with considerable reduction in area.

Mock leno

A woven fabric made on a dobby loom with an open mesh design that simulates a leno weave by interlacing and grouping the warp and weft yarns with spaces between the groups. Warp yarns are not paired as in a true leno weave.

MOD Uniform Baratheas

Smooth faced worsted cloth spun from evenly combed long staple fibres woven with a twilled hopsack weave used for military garments.
 

Modacrylic (fibre) (generic name)

Fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain between 35% and 85% (by mass) of recurring cyanoethane (acrylonitrile) groups.

Modal (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres of regenerated cellulose obtained by processes giving a high tenacity and a high wet modulus. These fibres must be able, in the wet state, to withstand without breaking a force of 22.o cn per tex. Under this force, the elongation in the wet state should not be greater than 15%.

Modeste

French word for the outer layer of a skirt. The underlayer was called secrète.

Mohair

(1) fibre from the angora goat (capra hircus), (2) descriptive of yams spun from mohair.

Moir

A ribbed or corded fabric that has been subjected to heat and heavy pressure by rollers after weaving so as to present a rippled appearance. The effect arises from differences in reflection of the flattened and the unaffected parts. This type of fabric is also correctly described as watered.

Moire

A wavy watermark pattern produced by calendering 2 layers of fabric together or embossing with an engraved roller. This causes the embossed or crushed parts of the fabric to reflect light differently . It is often done on corded fabrics and is often used for upholstery and drapery.

Moisture content, percentage

The weight of moisture in a material expressed as a percentage of the total weight.

Moity wool

A term used mainly in the U.K, for wool containing vegetable matter (straw, hay, twigs, etc.,) picked up by sheep during grazing.

Molar mass (polymer)

The average of the sum of the atomic weights of the atoms present in the chains of macromolecules in a polymer. This average will in general depend upon the basis on which calculated, and this should be stated, e.g., it may be based on a number average or a mass average.

Moleskin

A strong, heavy, woven fabric with a short, smooth nap produced by brushing and shearing the surface. Usually of cotton.

Molten-metal dyeing process

A method of continuous dyeing in which material is impregnated with an aqueous liquid dye and chemicals and then passed through a bath of liquid low-melting alloy usually below 100˚c

Monk's cloth

A heavy, coarse, loosely woven fabric made in a basket weave . Used for drapery, upholstery and other home furnishings.

Monofilament yarn

A yam composed of one filaments that run essentially the whole length of the yarn. Yams of more than one filament are usually referred to as multifilament .

Monotone

Refers to a design with one colour.

Moquette

A firm double woven pile fabric used mainly for upholstery . Pile may be cut , uncut or partially cut.

Moshla

A cap, worn usually by children, covering, apart from the back, the back of the neck through a long, suspended flap.

Moss crepe/pebble crepe

A woven fabric with a characteristic grainy surface and often a spongy hand. Generally made with high twist yarn in a crepe weave. Used in women's suits, dresses etc.

Mull

Soft, thin, plain weave fabric usually of cotton or silk.

Multi-filament yarn

A yarn composed of filaments that run essentially the whole length of the yarn. Yams of one filament are usually referred to as monofilament .

Multilobal

Descriptive of a fibre or filament whose cross-section resembles a polygon but has concave sides and rounded vertices (lobes)., note: the prefixes tri- (3), penta- (5), hexa- (6), octa- (8), etc., are used with the suffix -lobal to indicate the number of lobes.

Mungo

The fibrous material made in the woollen trade by pulling down new or old hard-woven or milled fabric or felt in rag form.

Muslin

A large group of plain weave cotton or cotton blend fabrics. They cover a variety of weights from light, fine sheers to heavier sheetings. Used in interfacings, dresses, shirts, sheets, furniture covers, and many other applications .

Mutton cloth

A plain-knitted fabric of loose texture, usually cotton, made on a multi-feeder circular-knitting machine.

Nap

(1) a fibrous surface, produced on a fabric or felt, in which part of the fibre is raised from the basic structure., note: originally nap and pile were used synonymously, but the present trend of using the two terms for different concepts is to be encouraged as providing a means of differentiation and avoidance of confusion. (2) a local variation, used in the flax-processing industry, of nep. (3) in raw cotton, matted clumps of fibres which are entangled more loosely than those in neps.

Napoleonic Collection

Collection of cloths suitable for groups re-enacting Napoleonic Battles.
 

Napoleonic Era

Relates to the time when Napoleon the first was French Emperor 1804 - 1825.

Napped

See brushed/nap.

Natio

A kind of cap popular in gujarat and rajasthan. It consists generally of a woven piece and headband, with a long flap, which hangs at the back to cover the neck.

Natural

Refers to the colour of the fibre as found in nature, i.e. Unbleached and undyed. Linen and linen blends are often sold in their natural brown colour.

Natural & colour

Refers to yarn dye fabrics which combine natural yarns and colored yarns in the design.

Natural flax

Scutched flax produced from deseeded straw without any intermediate treatment such as retting.

Navel

In rotor spinning a device, aligned on the axis of the rotor, through which the yarn is withdrawn.

Neck

In the process of drawing synthetic filaments or films, the relatively short length over which a reduction in cross-sectional area occurs as a result of stretching beyond a critical value., note: commercial drawing processes for man-made fibres and films do not necessarily involve the formation of a neck.

Neckcloth

Term used from the 17th century until ca. 1840 to describe either a cravat, stock, kerchief or bandanna worn around the neck.

Necking (synthetic fibres)

The sudden reduction in diameter that may occur when an undrawn filament is stretched.

Needled

A type of nonwoven in which the fibres are entangled and mechanically bonded by needle punching.

Needlepoint lace

A method of making lace by buttonhole stitches using an embroidery needle and thread on a heavy paper base.

Nep

A small knot of entangled fibres. (in the case of cotton it usually comprises dead or immature cotton hairs).

Nep

Small knots of fibre embedded in the yarn. May be intentional or unintentional.

Neppy yarn

A yarn in which the incidence of nep occurs at a relatively high level and so constitutes a fault., note: neppy yarns are sometimes used purposely as decoration.

Neutral-dyeing acid dye

An acid dye that from a neutral bath has useful substantivity for wool, silk or polyamide.

Nightcap

Worn in bed or in the 16th to 18th centuries informally within the house. Those worn by men were often exquisitely embroidered.

Nimainimatana

A kind of tunic, a modified version of the kurta (q.v.), generally made of fine material.

Nip

The line or area of contact or proximity between two contiguous surfaces that move so as to compress and/or control the velocity of textile material passed between them.

Nip roller

One of a pair of rollers intended to run with their cylindrical surfaces in contact or separated yarn or other textile material., note: the two rollers are intended to have the same surface speed and one normally drives other by frictional contact.

Noil (wool)

The shorter fibres separated from the longer fibres in combing.

Non Woven Felts

Cloth neither woven or knitted made by condensing matting and pressing fibres.

Non-ionic dye

A dye that does not dissociate electrolytically in aqueous solution.

Nonwoven fabric

In general, a textile structure made directly from fibre rather than yarn. Fabrics are normally made from extruded continuous filaments or from fibre webs or batts strengthened by bonding using various techniques: these include adhesive bonding, mechanical interlocking by needling or fluid jet entanglement, thermal bonding and stitch bonding., note: opinions vary as to the range of fabrics to be classified as nonwoven. The controversial areas are: (i) wet-laid fabrics, containing wood pulp, in which the boundary with paper is not clear, (ii) stitch-bonded fabrics, which contain some yarn for bonding purposes; (iii) needled fabrics containing reinforcing fabric.

Nonwoven fabric thermally-bonded

Textile fabric composed of a web or batt of fibres containing heat-sensitive material, bonded by the application of heat, with or without pressure. The heat-sensitive materials may be in the form of fibres, bicomponent fibres or powders.

Nylon (synthetic fibre) (generic name)

See polyamide (synthetic fibre)

Oatmeal cloth

A heavy, soft fabric with a specked pebbly surface. Used for drapery, upholstery.

Odhani

A veil-cloth for a woman, often worn tucked into the side of the waist and drawn upward over the back and the head, the free end being draped over the shoulder. Literally, 'a wrap'.

Oil coated

The application of oil to a fabric (usually linseed oil) to seal it and made it waterproof.

Oil repellent

A treatment that allows a fabric to resist staining by oily substances.

Oil-repellent

Descriptive of textile material on which oil globules do not spread.

Oiled wool

Unscoured or undyed knitting wool or wool dyed before spinning and containing added oil not subsequently removed.

Olefin (fibre) (us.)

A term used to describe manufactured fibres in which the fibre-forming substance is any long-chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of ethene (ethylene), propane (propylene), or other olefin units. The term includes the iso generic names are polypropylene and polyethylene.

Oligomer

A simple polymer containing a small number of repeating units., note: the oligomer most frequently encountered in the textile industry is the cyclic trimer of poly(ethylene benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate) (poly(ethylene terephthalate)), the polymer used for polyester fibre. This material can form deposits during the processing and dyeing of yarns and fabrics.

Open end

A high speed yarn spinning process that creates yarn by transferring twist from previously formed yarn to fiber or sliver continuously fed into the spinning machine. The twisting may be done by mechanical methods, rotors or air jets.

Open-end spinning; break spinning

A spinning system in which sliver feedstock is highly drafted, ideally to individual fibre state, and thus creates an open end or break in the fibre flow. The fibres are subsequently assembled on the end of a rotating yarn and twisted in. Various techniques are available for collecting and twisting the fibres into a yarn, the most noteworthy being rotor spinning and friction spinning.

Open-width processing

The treatment of fabric at its full width in the unfolded state in contrast to rope-form processing. The fabric may be carried on rollers through the processing media or be held on a roller, as in dyeing.

Opening

The action of separating closely packed fibres from each other at an early stage in the processing of raw material into yam.

Operatic Fabrics

Cloth used to make garments used by Opera Houses. Costumes for Opera Singers.

Optical brightener

A substance that is added to an uncoloured or a coloured textile material to increase the apparent reflectance in the visible region by conversion of ultra-violet radiation into visible light and so to increase the apparent brightness or whiteness. Also termed fluorescent brightener; optical whitener; fluorescent whitening agent; brightening agent.

Orientation

(1) parallelism of fibres, usually as a result of a combing or attenuating action on fibre assemblies causing the fibres to lie substantially parallel to the axis of the web or strand. (2) a predominant direction of linear molecules in the fine structure of fibres. Note 1: in man-made fibres orientation is usually parallel to the fibre axis as a result of extrusion stretching, or drawing. In natural fibres the predominant direction is determined during growth, for example a helix around the fibre axis in cotton. Note 2: unoriented structures are those in which orientation is absent. Disoriented structures are those in which orientation has been reduced or eliminated as a result of a disrupting treatment.

Ottoman

A medium to heavy weight fabric with wide horizontal ribs . May be knit or woven. Used for women's apparel, upholstery, drapery.

Outline embroidered

A fabric with a design motif traced (outlined) with embroidery stitches.

Outline quilted

A quilted fabric in which the quilting stitches follow the motif of a print design.

Oven-dry weight

The constant weight of textile material obtained by drying at a temperature of 105 ± 3˚c.

Overcoating

Heavy weight wool melton used for coatings and other heavy garments.

Overdyed

Dyeing of a print or yarn dyed fabric in a shade which does not totally cover the original design.

Overprinted

Usually refers to printing over a previously dyed fabric, however yarn dyes, cross dyes and previously printed fabrics are also sometimes overprinted.

Oxford

A fabric with a single filling yarn woven over and under 2 smaller warp yarns. Commonly found in cotton shirtings,  but oxfords are produced in a wide variety of fibers and weights for many uses, mainly in apparel.

Package dyeing

A method of dyeing in which the liquor is circulated radially through a wound package.

Pad

Abbreviated form of padding mangle or padding. Note:. It is often used in conjunction with other process terms to describe sequential operations in dyeing, or finishing, e.g., pad-bake, pad-batch, pad-dry, and pad-steam. It is occasionally used also to describe processes carried out on a padding mangle as opposed to batchwise treatment padder.

Padding

Impregnation of a substrate with a liquor or a paste followed by squeezing, usually by passage through a nip, to leave a specific quantity of liquor or paste on the substrate.

Padding mangle

A form of mangle for the impregnation of textiles in open width in which the textile is passed through one or more nips. The textile may be saturated before passing through the nip, or impregnating liquid may be carried as a film on the surface of one of the bowls forming the nip.

Pairhaniphiran

Loose cloak-like shirt reaching down to the feet. Very popular as an article of wear in kashmir where it was made mostly of woolen cloth.

Paisley

A design originating in asia, traditionally in a teardrop shape with a curving point containing and surrounded by many small abstract and geometric designs.

Palatine

Little fur stole which takes its name from the princess palatine who, during the hard winter of 1676, wore a fur as a cravat.

Panama

A plain weave fabric traditionally of cotton or wool. Used for summer suitings and dresses.

Panne

A fabric which has had the surface flattened by heavy roller pressure giving it luster . Often done on pile fabrics, knits, or satins.

Paper-like

Refers to fabric with a crisp, noisy hand that suggests paper.

Parachute cloth

Lightweight, strong, compact fabric used for outerwear, luggage and parachutes.

Parchmentising

A finishing treatment, comprising a short contact with, e.g., sulphuric acid of high concentration, whose aim is to produce a variety of effects, depending on the type of fabric and the conditions used ranging from a linen-like handle to a transparent organdie effect. The treatment is applied mainly to cotton. Reagents other than sulphuric acid will also produce the effect.

Partially oriented yarn - poy

A continuous-filament yam made by extruding a synthetic polymer so that a substantial degree of molecular orientation is present in the resulting filaments, but further molecular orientation is possible. Note.1, the resulting yarn will usually require a positive draw-ratio in subsequent processing in order to orient fully the molecular structure and optimize tensile properties. Note 2: yarns of this type made by high-speed spinning are commonly used as a feedstock for producing draw-textured yarns.

Patchwork

Various colours or designs combined together in one design . May be print or yarn dye.

Percentage cover

Cover factor as a percentage of the maximum possible for a particular weave structure.

Percentage moisture content

The weight of moisture in a material expressed as a percentage of the total weight.

Perch

(1)a manually or mechanically operated contrivance consisting of a system of rollers over which fabric is drawn at open width for the purpose of inspection. (2) to inspect fabric in a vertical (hanging) position or at an angle inclined upwards away from the source of light. Note: the inclined position on a manual perch is obtained by holding the fabric forward when required. On a mechanical perch the angle is fixed by a low front roller. The purpose of perching is to inspect the product at different stages of manufacture and processing.

Perforated/punched

Holes or small motifs are punched out of the fabric with a metal roller forming a design or pattern.

Permanent press

A deprecated alternative to durable press.

Permanent set

The process of conferring stability of form upon fibres, yarns, or fabrics, usually by means of successive heating and cooling in moist or dry conditions.

Peshwaz

Long gown-like dress, consisting essentially of a choli (q.v.) Worn rather high to which a front-opening skirt is attached. The garment was worn at an early point by men, too, but is essentially to be regarded as women's apparel. Worn with much refinement and elegance 'on occasions of household festivals'. Literally, "front-opening".

Petia

An apron-like piece of cloth attached to the lower end of a choli (q.v.) Or kanjari (q.v.) And hanging down so as to partially cover the stomach.

Petite point

A small, slanting, needlepoint stitch that form even lines of a solid background . Used for pillows, slipcovers.

Photodegradation

Degradation caused by the absorption of light or other radiation and by consequent chemical reactions. Ultra-violet radiation is an especially potent cause.

Pick

To pass the weft through the warp shed in weaving.

Picking

Terms used to describe the process of the removal of faults in a woven woollen cloth before finishing.

Piece

A length of fabric of customarily accepted unit length. Note: a frequent contract practice is for the purchaser to specify a minimum piece length below which no pieces will be accepted. Alternatively, a 'cut-through' allowance is specified, the seller has to make in the case of all pieces less than the specified figure. The reason for such practices is the greater liability to waste in cutting out from short-length pieces than standard-length pieces. The term 'piece' is applied at all stages of fabric manufacture although often qualified, e.g., grey piece, or loomstate piece, the qualification is understood in commercial practice.

Piece dyeing

Dyeing in fabric form.

Piece-goods

Fabric sold by or on the piece.

Pieces

Small bunches of wool staple taken during sorting from various fleeces and sold in lots.

Pigment

A substance in particulate form that is substantially insoluble in a medium, but which is mechanically dispersed in this medium to modify its colour and/or light-scattering properties.

Pigment dyed

An insoluble colorant is applied to the fabric as a paste or emulsion, heat cured and bound to the fabric with resins or binders. The curing process can be controlled so the color will fade after washing, giving the garments a used worn look.

Pigment padding

The application of an aqueous dispersion of a pigment to a fabric by padding., note: lt is commonly used to describe the first stage of a process for the application of vat dyes to fabrics, followed by fixation of the vat dye through its leuco form. It is also used in the application of resin-bonded pigments.

Pigment printed

An insoluble colorant is printed on the fabric as a paste or emulsion, heat cured and bound to the fabric with resins or binders. Allows for the printing of fabrics with fiber blends that would be otherwise difficult or expensive to print.

Pile

A surface effect on a fabric formed by tufts or loops of yarn that stand up from the body of the fabric., note: originally nap and pile were used synonymously, but the present trend of using the two terms for different concepts is to be encouraged as providing a means of differentiating and avoidance of confusion.

Pill; pilling

Small accumulations of fibres on the surface of a fabric. Pills can develop during wear, and are held to the fabric by an entanglement with the surface fibres of the material.

Pinpoint oxford

An oxford weave fabric using fine yarns resulting in a small oxford texture. Usually cotton . Used for fine shirtings.

Pinstripe

A design using fine line vertical stripes, usually light color stripes on a dark ground.

Pique

A fabric characterized by a prominent, all-over geometric texture. It is most commonly woven on a dobby loom but it is also produced as a double knit. The most common textures are cords ( either vertical or horizontal) , birdseye, waffle, honeycomb and bullseye. Produced in a variety of weights and fibres.

Pirn

(1) a support, slightly tapered, with or without a conical base, on which yarn is spun or wound for use as a weft.(2) the weft package wound on the support defined in (1). (3) a relatively long but narrow package of yarn taken up on a cylindrical former during draw-twisting of continuous filament yarns.

Plaid

A pattern of stripes and bars that cross each other at right angles.

Plain stitch

A knitting stitch that shows a series of lengthwise ribs on the face( from the neck of the yarn loops), and cross wise loops on the back ( from the head of the yarn loops).

Plain weave

The simplest form of weaving in which a pick ( filling yarn) passes over the first end ( warp yarn), under the second and on continuously, over one end and under the next. The next pick alternates , passing under the first end, over the second , and on continuously under and over each end . Each filling row alternates, thus extending the fabric. Also called a one up one down weave.

Plain weave woollen fabrics

Woollen cloth woven with a plain weave. Each weft thread passes successively over and under each warp thread alternating each row.

Plied

Refers to a yarn consisting of 2 or more single yarns twisted together.

Plisse

A fabric with a puckered or pleated effect resulting from printing the fabric with caustic soda . The printed part of the fabric shrinks, causing the unprinted part to pucker.

Plush

1. A fabric with a thick cut pile, used in apparel, draperies, upholstery, stuffed toys . May be woven or knit. 2. Brushed or sheared fabrics are also sometimes referred to as plush.

Pockets

Even in the 17th century were the pockets still a small independent bag attached to the gusset. It is only with the appearance of the justaucorps that pockets are to be found, usually vertical at first, then mostly horizontal (from the 1680s onwards). Women's pockets, in the 18th century, were attached on a string and worn over the panier, to be reached by a slit on both sides of the dress.

Polished cotton

A cotton fabric with a luster. The luster may be due to the weave (often satin), or from application of a calendered finish, or both. The degree of luster can be moderate or bright.

Polishing

The treatment of tanned skins, or of fabrics, particularly pile fabrics, to increase luster by mechanical means, without compressing the material.

Polishing (yarn)

Operation(s) for conferring on yams a relatively high degree of smoothness of surface.

Poly(vinyl alcohol)

A term used to describe fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules of polyethenol (poly vinyl alcohol) of differing levels of acetalization. The iso generic name is vinyl.

Polyacrylonitrile fibre; pan fibre

A term used to describe fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain at least 85% (by mass) of recurring cyanoethene (acrylonitrile) groups.

Polyamide (synthetic fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain recurring amide groups, at least 85% of which are attached to aliphatic or cyclo-aliphatic groups. , note.. This limited definition was introduced by iso in 1977 as a consequence of the creation of a separate class for aramid fibres.

Polyamide, natural (fibre)

Natural fibres consisting of polymers containing the repeating group -co-nh-. Examples are silk, wool, and other animal hairs.

Polycarbamide (generic name); polyurea (fibre)

A term used to describe fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain recurring aliphatic groups joined by ureylene groups which together comprise at least 85% (by mass) of the chain.

Polyester

A polymer whose repeating units contain ester linkages in the main chains of the macromolecules. , note: cross-linkable polyesters are resin-forming and linear polyesters are fibre-forming.

Polyester (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain at least 85% (by mass) of an ester of a diol and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (terephthalic acid)., note 1: this term is more restrictive than the chemical definition of polyester note 2.. In the u.s., the generic term is more broadly defined to encompass the use of aromatic dicarboxylic acids other than benzene- 1,4-dicarboxylic acid and also to include certain aromatic polyetherester fibres.

Polymer

A large molecule built up by the repetition of small, simple, chemical units.

Polymerisation

The process used to link small, simple, chemical molecules into a polymer.

Polynosic (fibre)

A term used to describe regenerated cellulose fibres characterized by a high initial wet modulus of elasticity and a relatively low degree of swelling in sodium hydroxide solution. The is0 generic name is modal.

Polyolefin (fibre)

A term used to describe manufactured fibres in which the fibre-forming substance is any long-chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of ethene (ethylene), propene (propylene), or other olefin units. The term includes the iso generic names are polypropylene and polyethylene.

Polypropylene (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon chain in which alternate carbon atoms carry a methyl group, generally in an isotactic disposition and without further substitution.

Polyurethane (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres composed of synthetic linear macromolecules having in the chain recurring aliphatic groups joined by urethane groups which together comprise at least 85% (by mass) of the chain.

Poplin

A plain weave fabric with a fine, crosswise rib, the result of using finer warp yarns and heavier weft yarns and a higher thread count in the warp than the weft . Usually medium weight. Made in a variety of fibers but common in cotton and cotton blends . A common shirting fabric.

Potting

A finishing process applied mainly to woollen fabrics. The dyed fabric (which may have crabbed) is batched on a roller and is then immersed in water. The temperature of the liquor an duration of treatment depend on the effect desired. The fabric is cooled on the roller and re-batched end for end and the process is repeated. The fabric is finally wound off the roller and dried.

Powder bonding

A method of making thermally-bonded nonwoven fabric in which the fibre web or batt is bonded by the use of heat-sensitive powder dispersed within it.

Pre-shrunk

The fabric is allowed to shrink during finishing to reduce residual shrinkage in the final product.

Prepared for printing /dyeing

Fabric which has been made ready for dyeing or printing by performing all preliminary processes on the greige such as singeing, desizing, scouring, and bleaching.

Press mark

Undesirable shinning lines on the right side of the garment due to incorrect ironing.

Press ratio (alkali-cellulose)

The ratio of the weight of alkali-cellulose, after excess sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) solution has been pressed out, to the original weight of pulp.

Pressing

The application of pressure, with or without steaming or heating, (i) to remove unintended creases and to impart a flat appearance to fabrics and garments, (ii) to introduce desirable creases garments.

Print bonding

A method of making nonwoven fabrics in which there is controlled application of adhesive specific areas of the fibre web or batt by using printing techniques similar to those used colouration.

Printed & overdyed

Refers to fabrics which have been first printed then overdyed allowing the design to show through.

Printing

The production of a design or motif on a substrate by application of a colorant or other reagent, usually in a paste or ink, in a predetermined pattern.

Producer twist

The small amount of twist inserted during the production of multi-filament yarn by certain take-up systems such as pot, cap, or ring-and-traveler.

Proof

Fully resistant to a specified agency, either by reason of physical structure or inherent chemical non-reactivity, or arising from a treatment designed to impart the desired characteristics. Note 1: proofing treatments are defined by specified limits ascertained by test, and the use of the term related to the limiting conditions. Note2: 'resistant', 'retardant' or 'repellent' are appropriate alternatives when the resistance is less than full.

Proofed

Descriptive of material that has been treated to render it resistant to a specified agency. Note: a designation of materials as 'proofed' should indicate that the material conforms to definite standards.

Protein (fibre) (generic name)

A term used to describe fibres obtained from natural protein substances by chemical regeneration.

Pseudo Finish

Soft handling cloth with a face finish.

Pu coated

Refers to a fabric which has been coated with polyurethane, usually to make it waterproof but sometimes to give a firmer hand.

Pucker

A blister or puffed effect on the surface of the fabric . It may be the result of chemical treatment of the fabric or the result of using different yarns, yarns under different tension, or yarns of different shrinkage in one fabric.

Pucker

To draw up into folds or wrinkles.

Pucker embroidery

Fabric which has been embroidered in a such a way that the stitching purposefully causes a crinkle or pucker in the fabric.

Pull (sampling)

A sample of fibres abstracted manually from a bulk lot of raw material or sliver with a view to assessing the length and/or distribution of length of fibre within the sample.

Pulling (rag)

The operation of reducing rags and thread waste to a fibrous state.

Pulp (cotton)

Purified cotton linters usually in the form of standard sheets about 1 mm thick. Note: the preparation of the linters involves one or more pressure boils with sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) followed by hypochlorite bleaching, the severity and number of the boils depending on the use to which the resultant material is to be put. The fibres are composed of glucose units to the exclusion of other sugars and only 1-2% of the cellulose is soluble in sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) of 17.5% strength at 20˚c. Suitability for a specific purpose is determined by measurement of the viscosity of the product under standard conditions, and different viscosity ranges are usually specified for material to be used for man-made fibres, lacquers, etc. The material is also supplied in pressed bales.

Pulp (wood)

Cellulose fibres isolated from wood by chemical treatments. Note 1: the preparation of wood pulp involves the boiling of wood chips with alkaline liquors or solutions of acidic or neutral salts followed by bleaching with chlorine compounds, the object of these treatments being to remove more or less completely the hemicelluloses and lignin incrustants of the wood. The purified fibres are usually pressed into standard sheets about 1 mm thick, and commercial material retains 4-12% of carbohydrates soluble in 17.5% soda at 20˚c, the actual content depending on the severity of the purification treatments. Note 2: mechanical wood pulp is obtained by wet-grinding bark-free wood in stone or other mills. The material is used largely in admixtures with bleached pulp for newsprint and is quite different from wood pulp as defined above in note 1.

Punching (wool industry)

A winding operation that prepares four-end balls of sliver for a noble comb.

Pure New Wool

Yarn or cloth made of Fibres of  100% Animal Fibre.
 

Pyjama

Trouser-like garment, worn on the lower part of the body alike by men and women. Literally, 'leg-clothing'. The pyjama was worn in many cuts and shapes, much variation being seen in respect of girth, length, tightness, material, etc.

Pyjama

The word derives from the hindustani epai-jama. Pyjamas were already worn in england in the 17th century and were called moghul breeches.

Qaba

A full-sleeved garment for outer wear, worn by men, closely related to thejama . William thevenot who saw this garment frequently at the moghul court spoke of the "caba of the indians" being "wider than that of the persians, and 1 cannot tell how to express the manner of it more intelligibly, than by saying it is a kind of gown with a long jerkin fastened to it.

Queens Guard

The regiments that guard the Queen. They are the Coldstream Guards, Welsh Guards, Scottish Guards, Grenadier Guards and the Irish Guards.

Quench

A cooling zone in which the temperature of melt-spun filaments is lowered very rapidly and/or at a controlled rate soon after extrusion. The two main types are water-quench and air-quench.

Quilted

Two or more layers of fabric which have been stitched through, often with batting . The stitching forms a pattern, most commonly a square or diamond shape. Used for apparel, bedspreads, sleeping bags. Thermoplastic fibers such as polyester or nylon are sometimes quilted without thread by using a heat bonding method . The heat effectively melts or welds the fabric at the point of application.

Rabbit hair

Fur from the common or wild rabbit.

Rack stitch

A knitting stitch that produces a herringbone effect with a rib back.

RAF Number One Dress

Ceremonial RAF Dress Uniform.

Rags (new)

The waste fabric, whether woven or knitted, that is left after a garment has been cut out. The term also covers piece ends and discarded pattern bunches.

Rags (old)

Worn garments that have been discarded.

Raising

The production of a layer of protruding fibres on the surface of fabrics by brushing, teazing, or rubbing.

Raschel

Refers to knit fabric made a a raschel machine, a warp knitting machine capable of a wide variety of intricate designs, various surface textures, and open work effects.

Raschel lace

A lace fabric knit on a raschel machine. Usually moderately priced.

Rate of dyeing.

The rate at which a dye is absorbed by a substrate under specified conditions. Note: it may be expressed quantitatively in several ways, such as the weight of dye absorbed in unit time, or the time taken for the substrate to absorb a given fraction of the amount of dye which it will absorb at equilibrium.

Ratine

A plain weave , loosely constructed fabric with a rough, nubby texture resulting from the use of ratine yarn, a knotted, curly, plied yarn. Used for drapery, dresses and women's sportswear.

Raw silk

Continuous filaments or strands containing no twist, drawn off or reeled from silk cocoons.

Rayon (fibre)

A term used to describe manufactured fibres composed of regenerated cellulose, as well as manufactured fibres composed of regenerated cellulose in which substituents have replaced not more than 15% of the hydrogens of the hydroxyl groups. The iso generic names are viscose, modal and cupro.

Re-breaking

The shortening of fibres in a sliver or top by a process similar in principle to stretch breaking. Re-breaking may be intended to shorten a limited number of over length fibres or to reduce the average length.

Re-enactment Groups

Historical re-enactment a type of role play in which participants re-enactment historaical events. Often dressing in re-created period clothing.
 

Reaction spinning (man-made-fibre production)

A process in which polymerization is achieved during the extrusion of reactants through a spinneret system.

Reactive dye

A dye that, under suitable conditions, is capable of reacting chemically with a substrate.

Recommended allowance

The percentage that, in the calculation of commercial weight of textile material and of yarn linear density is added to the oven-dry weight. The determination of this weight may or may not be preceded by washing to remove natural or added oils and dressings. The recommended allowance is arbitrarily chosen according to commercial practice and includes the moisture regain. It may also include the normal finish that is added to impart satisfactory textile qualities to the material.

Reenactment Fabrics

Fabrics used to make re-enactment garments. Periods include Medieval, Napoleonic, Tudor, War of the Roses, English Civil War, Americal Civil War, Boer War, World War 1 and  World War 2. Cloth can be used for German re-enactment, World War 1 re-enactment, World War 2 re-enactment ,German Militaria , British Militaria, Re-enactment costumes, re-enactment civil war.
 

Regain

The weight of moisture present in a textile material expressed as a percentage of the oven-dry weight.

Regenerated fibre

A man-made fibre produced from a naturally occurring fibre-forming polymer by a process that includes regeneration of the original polymer structure.

Regimental Uniforms

Uniforms used by army regiments for parades and ceremonial duties.

Relative humidity

The ratio of the actual pressure of the water vapour in the atmosphere to the saturation water vapour at the same temperature. The ratio is usually expressed as a percentage e.g. 65 % rh.

Relaxation

The releasing of stresses in textile materials.

Rep

A plain weave fabric with ridges in the filling. Used for drapery, upholstery, neckties, robes.

Repeating unit

A chemical group that recurs in the backbone of a polymer.

Residual shrinkage

The latent shrinkage of a fibre, filament, yam, or fabric.

Resin treated

A fabric that has been treated with a synthetic film-forming polymer (resin) . This may be done to make the fabric firmer, heavier, more stable, to add wrinkle resistance, to reduce shrinkage or to create surface effect such as embossing or glazing.

Resist printed

A chemical is printed on certain areas of the fabric to make those areas resistant to dye. Allows for the printing of small or fine motifs in the design.

Reused wool

Wool rags and manufactured waste, torn up and reprocessed into fibres again, and used for such fabrics as are composed of shoddy and mungo yarns.

Rib

1. Any fabric with a cord or ridge effect . 2. A knit fabric made with plain stitches alternating with purl stitches. Rib knits have natural stretch properties.

Ring spinning

A spinning system in which twist is inserted in a yarn by using a revolving traveller. The yarn is wound on since the rotational speed of the package is greater than that of the traveller.

Ring spun

A yarn spinning method in which roving ( a thin strand of fiber with very little twist) is fed to a "traveler" with rotates around the edge of a ring. Inside the ring is a faster rotating bobbin . The process simultaneously twists the roving into yarn and winds it around the bobbin. Ring spun yarns are generally stronger than open end yarns.

Ripstop

A woven fabric with corded yarns spaced at regular intervals in both the warp and filling, forming squares on the surface of the fabric. Originally intended so a tear in the fabric would not spread. Used mainly for outerwear and active wear.

Robe

Originally this described all the furniture and effects belonging to a person, then the meaning was gradually reduced until it denotes a person's collection of clothing.

Roller printed

A method of printing by passing the fabric over metal rollers on which the design has been engraved. One roller is used for each color. Used for printing long runs with good register and a clear, sharp design.

Rolling (flax)

The more general term is breaking and consists of deformation of the plant structure by flattening the stem, loosening the bond between the fibre bundles and the wood, and breaking the woody part into short pieces, to facilitate their removal from the fibre by scutching.

Roman Era

Period in western history when ancient rome was the centre of power of the world. The period from about 2 nd century BC to 455 AD.

Rotary screen printed

In screen printing a separate screen is created for each color . The open mesh part of the screen corresponds to the area to be printed in that color. The areas where color is not to pass through are blocked. Dye paste is forced through the open mesh area with a squeegee. In rotary screen printing the squeegees are contained within cylindrical screens aligned one after the other, and the fabric moves continuously. Rotary printing is a much faster process than flat screen printing but the pattern repeat is limited by the circumference of the cylinders.

Roving

A name given, individually or collectively, to the relatively fine fibrous strands used in the later or final processes of preparation for spinning.

Royal Hussars

Prince of Wales Own Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1969 to 1992. Amalgamated with Kings Hussars in 1992 to form the Kings Royal Hussars.

Sacking

A general name applied to coarse fabrics used chiefly for the making of bags or sacks. They are often made of jute, hemp, flax or polyolefin, and the number of threads per centimetre may vary from 2 to over 12.

Sailcloth

Originally a tightly woven cotton or linen canvas used in the manufacture of ship and yacht sails. It is now more common for these fabrics to be manufactured from nylon for spinnakers, and polyester or aramid for foresails and mainsails. Newer developments include laminated constructions which give greater dimensional stability.

Sanded

A finishing process that brings the fabric in contact with sandpaper or another abrasive material. This may be done to raise surface fiber, impart a peached or sueded hand or to create a surface effect.

Sandwashed

A finishing process in which the fabric is washed with sand or another abrasive material to produce a soft, sueded hand and a faded appearance.

Sanforised

A trademarked finishing process which compresses the fabric to reduce its residual shrinkage to not more than 1 percent.

Sash

In the 60s and 70s of the 17th century a broad, loosely knotted sash was often worn around the hips over the coat by men. Usually made of silk and the edges decorated with tassled fringes.

Sateen

A smooth, strong, lustrous satin weave fabric made with cotton or other spun yarns . In a warp face satin, the most common, the filling yarns cross over one and under several warp yarns, thus mainly the warp yarns are visible on the face. In a filling face satin, the filling yarns cross under one and over several warp yarns thus the mainly the filling yarns are visible on the face.

Satin

A smooth strong, lustrous satin weave fabric made with silk or manufactured filament yarns . In a warp face satin, the most common, the filling yarns cross over one and under several warp yarns, thus mainly the warp yarns are visible on the face. In a filling face satin, the filling yarns cross under one and over several warp yarns thus the mainly the filling yarns are visible on the face . Some satins have a filament yarn face and spun yarn back.

Satin stripe

Stripes in a fabric formed by a satin weave, often alternating with sheer plain weave stripes.

Saxony

A high-quality fabric, made of wool of 60s quality or finer, spun on the woollen system.

Saxony

High grade soft wollen cloth often used for making University school and college scarves.

Scale margins

The external margins of cuticular scales. The distance between scale margins is described as close, near, distant, or a combination of these such as near to distant.

Scale patterns

The pattern formed by the scale margins. Most scale patterns are waved, although not all to the same extent. Patterns may described as regular, irregular or streaked. A regular waved pattern is one in which the waves are of almost equal wavelength and equal amplitude; an irregular wave pattern is one in which the waves are of unequal wavelength and amplitude. A streaked wave is one in which the waves are interrupted by steeply inclined scale margins. The term waved is frequently used in conjunction with another adjective e.g., waved crenate margins. Other scale-patterns are:- chevron. A waved pattern. In single chevron either the troughs or crests are narrow and v-shaped. In double chevron both the trough and crests are v-shaped. Crenate. Margins which are 'notched', i.e. Have fairly shallow indentations but sharp peaks. Mosaic. A pattern composed of a number of units; this type is divided into regular in which the units are approximately the same size and irregular in which the units of the mosaic are of different sizes. Pectinate comb-like margins. This type is subdivided into coarse pectinate, which the 'teeth' are large and wide , and lanceolate in which the 'teeth' are long and narrow. Petal. Patterns in which the scales have the appearance of over-lapping flower petal. This type is divided into irregular petal and diamond petal. Rippled. Margins having indentations, the troughs and peaks being deeper but more rounded than in the crenate type.

Schappe silk

Originally, yarn spun from fibre degummed by schapping, but nowadays the term increasingly used as a generic alternative to spun silk. Note: the change in meaning reflects the greatly decreased use of fermentation processes for degumming.

Scotchguard

A water repellent and oil repellent finish trademarked by 3M company.

Scouring

The treatment of textile materials in aqueous or other solutions in order to remove natural waxes, proteins and other constituents, as well as dirt, oil and other impurities. Note: the treatment varies with the type of fibre. Cotton and flax goods are normally scoured at the boil or under pressure with sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) or with lime followed by sodium carbonate (soda ash) or with a mixture of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and sodium carbonate (soda ash); wool goods with aqueous solutions of sodium carbonate (soda ash) or soap or both temperatures not exceeding 50˚c, or substantially neutral liquors containing a synthetic detergent in the presence of an inorganic salt; viscose rayon with soap and sodium carbonate (soda ash) at or below the boil; cellulose ethanoate (acetate) with soap and sodium carbonate (soda ash) liquors of relatively low alkalinity and at temperatures below the boil to prevent alkaline hydrolysis of the ethanoate (acetate);nylon, etc., with soap and sodium carbonate (soda ash) or ammonia below the boil, although special cases neutral or acidic liquors may be used.

Screen printing

A design reproduction process, developed from stencilling, in which print paste is forced through unblocked areas of a mesh, in contact with the substrate. The mesh may be a woven fabric or a fine screen, flat or cylindrical (rotary screen). Pressure is applied to the paste by a squeegee (blade roller), which is moved when the screen is stationary or stationary when the rotary screen is rotating.

Scrim

A general term, irrespective of structure, for a lightweight basecloth included in a nonwoven fabric.

Scroll

A design dominated by fanciful curves.

Scroop

A rustling noise and a characteristic 'dry' handle when a material is compressed by hand. Scroop is usually associated with silk but also produced in certain man-made cellulosic fibres, yarns, or fabrics by suitable finishing treatments. It is probably associated with a high coefficient of static friction relative to the dynamic coefficient.

Sea island cotton

The exceptionally fine, long-staple types of cotton grown in the West Indies.

Seam line

Is the line which indicates where the seam should be stitched - or it is plainly the stitching line of any garment.

Seersucker

A lightweight fabric with puckered stripes made by weaving with some of the warp yarns tight and some loose . The loose warp threads become crinkled. Frequently made in yarn dye stripes and plaids. Often made of cotton or a cotton blend but can be in a variety of fibers . Used for summer clothing.

Semi-dull

Refers to fabric from manufactured yarn that has been delustered to reduce but not completely eliminate the shine.

Semi-worsted spun

A term applied to yarn spun from sliver produced by carding and gilling in which the fibres are substantially parallel, the carded sliver not having been condensed or combed. Alternatively, the yarn may be produced from a roving. Note: the above definition is descriptive of processing technique and not of the fibre content.

Sequins

A small, flat, reflective disk with a hole for attaching to the fabric for decorative purposes. May be of metal plastic or shell.

Serge

A smooth faced 2x2 twill weave fabric. Traditionally of wool but may be of other fibers. Used for trousers, suitings.

Serge

Smooth faced worsted cloth made with a two and two down twill weave.
 

Sett; set

(1) a term used to indicate the density of ends or picks or both in a woven fabric, usually expressed as the number of threads per centimetre. The state of the fabric at the time should be described e.g. Loomstate or finished. (2) synonym for count of reed. (3) the term may be used in such phrases as high sett, closely sett etc., where a high end or pick density is indicated.

Setting

The process of conferring stability of form upon fibres, yarns, or fabrics, usually by means of successive heating and cooling in moist or dry conditions. Note: the term is sometimes used in conjunction with a description of the particular characteristics to be stabilized (e.g., twist setting, crimp setting) or of the setting medium (e.g., heat setting, steam setting).

Shafty wool

Strong, dense and well grown wool with good length and spinning characteristics.

Shahtoosh

The hair of the tiberian antelope (pantholops hogsoni), locally called chiru. The un list this animal under the convention of international irade in endangered species, appendix 1, i.e. Giving it highest protection. The only way to collect the wool is to kill the antelope.

Shear

(1) to cut the fleece from a sheep. (2) to cut a nap or pile to uniform length or height (also called crop). (3) to cut loose fibres or yam from the surface of a fabric after weaving (also called crop).

Sheared

A finishing process in which the fibers on the surface of the fabric are mechanically trimmed to create an even nap. Often follows brushing of the fabric. Done on fleeces, moleskins, pile fabrics, wools.

Sheeting

A plain weave fabric with even or close to even thread counts in warp and weft . Often of cotton. Carded yarn versions are used for inexpensive apparel, furniture covers and as a base for laminates. Finer yarns and higher counts may be used for bed sheets.

Shetland

A soft shaggy wool tweed fabric . Originally referred to only wool from the shetland islands in scotland but now refers to any wool fabric with similar characteristics . May be woven or knit . Used for overcoats, sportcoats, sweaters.

Shield

The wider and flattened portion of a guard hair. In many guard hairs the fine shaft widens out into a flattened shield, the proportion of shaft to shield varying in different types of fibres.

Shiny

Refers to fabric having a surface with a high reflectance of light.

Shivey wool

Wool that contains small particles of vegetable matter other than burrs.

Shoddy

(1) fibrous material made in the woollen trade by pulling down new or old knitted or loosely woven fabric in rag form. (see also mungo and note the distinction.) (2) droppings from woollen cards consisting of very short fibres that may be heavily charged with oil and dirt.

Shrink-resistant finish

A treatment applied to a textile material to make it shrink-resistant.

Shrinkage

The reduction in length (or width) of a fibre, yam, or fabric. It may be induced by, e.g., wetting, steaming, alkali treatment, wet processing as in laundering, or dry heat.

Silhouette

Dark-shaded profile portrait outline of any garment.

Silk

The fibroin fibre forming the cocoons produced by silkworms.

Silk noils

Fibres extracted during silk dressing or combing that are too short for producing spun silk. These fibres are usually spun on the condenser system to produce what are known as 'silk-noil yams'.

Silk waste

The fibres remaining after drawing off, reeling, or throwing nett silk, and fibres obtained from damaged or unreelable cocoons.

Silk-spun

A term applied to staple yam produced by dressing or combing and spinning on machinery originally designed for processing waste silk into yam (see spun silk). Note: whenever the term silk-spun is used, it is qualified by the name of the fibre and fibres from which the material is made.

Silver coated

A fabric with a silver colored coating . Used in outerwear.

Singe

To remove, by burning against a hot plate, in a flame, or by infra-red radiation, unwanted surface hairs or filaments. The operation is usually performed as a preliminary to bleaching and finishing.

Single yarn

A thread produced by one unit of a spinning machine of a silk reel.

Sinkage

(1) loss of weight in wool cleansing, usually expressed as a percentage. (2) unaccounted or 'invisible' loss of weight in processing, usually expressed as a percentage.

Size

A gelatinous film-forming substance, in solution or dispersion, applied normally to warps sometimes to wefts, generally before weaving. Note 1: the main types are carbohydrates and their derivatives, gelatin, and animal glues, although other substances, such as linseed oil, poly(acrylic acid), and poly(vinyl alcohol) are also used note 2: the objects of sizing prior to weaving are to protect the yarns from abrasion in healds and reed and against each other; to strengthen them; and by the addition of oils and fats, to lubricate them.

Skin wool

Wool removed from the skins of slaughtered sheep . Note: there are three methods of removal. (a) lime-steeping, (b) sweating (by bacterial action), and (c) painting with, for example, sodium sulphide.

Skirting (wool)

(1) the removal of wool different from the main bulk from the edges of a fleece. See also wool classing (2 ) a wool sorting term for stained parts of the fleece such as the legs and the whole edge of the fleece.

Slashings

Small openings made in a garment, showing the lining. Slashings (crevés, chiquetades) were made in garments, shoes and gloves.

Slay

Also sley . That oscillating part of a weaving machine, positioned between the healds and the fell of the cloth, which carries the reed.

Slipe

Lime-steeped wools.

Sliver

An assembly fibres in continuous form without twist.

Slope

Loose clothes tunics, smocks, trousers.

Slub

A short abnormally thick place in a yarn.

Slubbed

Refers to fabric using yarn with uneven areas, i.e. With a thick and thin appearance occurring at irregular intervals.

Slubbing

The name given, individually or collectively, to relatively thick fibrous strands, and also to strips of web from a condenser card that have been consolidated into a circular cross-section by rubbing.

Slurry steeping

A process in the manufacture of viscose rayon in which a pulp is dispersed in a solution of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) in the preparation of alkali-cellulose.

Smooth

Refers to fabric with an even surface with little surface hair or texture.

Soft

Having a gentle, pliable, supple, hand.

Softening

The application of a chemical agent and/or mechanical process, e.g., calendering, to impart to fabrics a soft handle and frequently a smooth appearance. A number of chemical softening agents also confer a fullness of handle.

Soil release

Any one of a class of textile finishes that make it possible to remove stains from fabrics by ordinary domestic washing.

Solid

Having a single even colour.

Solvent bonding

A method of making nonwoven fabrics in which a solvent is used to soften the fibre surfaces in a web or batt and hence cause bonding.

Solvent dyeing

Dyeing carried out from a continuous non-aqueous phase.,note. Water may be added to assist the dyeing process.

Solvent finishing

The treatment of textile materials with reagents, other than dyes, dissolved in organic solvents.

Solvent scouring

The treatment of fabrics in organic solvent media to remove impurities such as lubricating oils and spin finishes.

Sour

To treat textile materials in a bath of dilute acid.

Space dyed

Sections of the yarn are dyed in different colors resulting in a fabric with a multi-color effect.

Sparkle

A fabric that uses a yarn, usually nylon with a high reflectance of light.

Specific length

A count of the number of unit lengths per unit mass of linear textile material.

Specific stress (formerly mass-stress)

The ratio of force to the linear density. This ratio is equal to the stress per unit density and is expressed as mn/dtex or n/tex.

Spin stretch ratio

In man-made filament extrusion, the ratio of take-up or haul-off speed to the average speed of the spinning fluid as it leaves the spinneret. Note: the terms draw-down and extrusion ratio are also commonly used. Spinneret; spinnerette (1) (man-made fibres) a nozzle or plate provided with fine holes or slits through which a fibre-forming solution or melt is extruded in the manufacture of man-made fibres. (2) (entomology) the small orifices, on the lower lip of the silkworm and at the rear of the abdomen of the spider, through which thread-forming material is extruded in the formation of a cocoon, web or other filamentous structure.

Spin-draw-texturing

A process for making textured yarns in which spinning, drawing and texturing stages are integrated sequentially on a single machine.

Spin-drawing

A process for spinning partially or highly oriented filaments in which most of the orientation is introduced between the first forwarding device and the take-up, i.e., spinning and drawing are integrated sequential stages.

Spinning

The present participle of the verb 'to spin' used verbally, adjectivally, or as a noun, meaning process or the processes used in the production of yarns or filaments. Note 1: the term may apply to: (i) the drafting and, where appropriate, the insertion of twist in natural or staple man-made fibres to form a yarn; (ii) the extrusion of filaments by spiders or silkworms; or (iii) the production of filaments from glass, metals, fibre-forming polymers or ceramics. Note 2: in the spinning of man-made filaments, fibre-forming substances in the plastic or molten state, or in solution, are forced through the holes of a spinneret or die at a controlled rate. There are five general methods of spinning man-made filaments, but combinations of these methods may be used (see dispersion spinning, dry spinning, melt spinning, reaction spinning, and wet spinning) note3: in the bast and leaf-fibre industries, the terms 'wet spinning' and 'dry spinning' refer to the spinning of fibres into yarns in the wet state and in the dry state respectively.

Spinning bath

A coagulating bath into which a solution or dispersion of a fibre-forming polymer is extruded during the processes of wet-spinning or dispersion spinning respectively.

Spinning frame

A machine consisting of a number of spinning positions for converting slivers, slubbings, or roving into yarn.

Spinning pump

A small pump, usually of the gear-wheel type, used to provide a uniform flow of a spinning solution or molten polymer to a spinning jet.

Spinning solution

A solution of fibre-forming polymer as prepared for extrusion through a spinneret. Note: a spinning solution is often referred to as dope, a term historically associated with cellulose ethanoate (cellulose acetate) solutions as varnishes.

Split film

A yarn produced by the process of fibrillation.

Spongy

Having a surface that can be compressed but recovers.

Spray bonding

A method of making nonwoven fabrics in which droplets of adhesive are sprayed on to the fibre web or batt.

Spray dyeing

Application of colorant to a substrate using a spray gun with the object of producing ombre effects.

Spray print

Color is applied to the fabric by spraying dye on the surface with a compressed air gun. Multiple colors maybe applied by using a different stencil for each color. Ombre or tie dye effects may be achieved.

Spun silk

(1) yarn produced by dressing or combing processes from silk waste that has been 'boiled off' to remove the gum. (2) descriptive of fabrics produced from spun silk.

Spun yarn

Commonly used to describe a yarn that consists of staple fibres held together (usually) by twist.

Spunbonded

A method of producing nonwoven fabric in a continuous process. Polymer is extruded through a spinneret and the resulting filaments are cooled and laid down in a web along a continuous conveyor belt . The web is then bonded by heat, pressure or adhesives to form the fabric.

Spunlaced

A method of producing a nonwoven fabric by mechanically entangling the fibers with high pressure water jets . Also called hydroentangled fabric.

Spunlaid fabric

A nonwoven fabric made by the extrusion of filaments that are laid down in the form of a web and bonded.

Staining

(1) an undesirable local discoloration. (2) in fastness testing of coloured textiles; the transfer of colorant from the test material to adjacent materials.

Staple

A lock or tuft of fibres of uniform properties and hence a lock of tuft prepared to demonstrate fibre length. In bulk, a mass of fibres having a certain homogeneity of properties, usually length. Used as a verb, to bring fibres to a certain uniformity of properties, usually length, e.g. By sorting wool or by cutting filaments.

Staple fibre (man-made)

Man-made fibres of predetermined short lengths.

Staple length

A quantity by which a sample of fibrous raw material is characterized as regards its technically most important fibre length. Note: the staple length of wool is usually taken as the length of the longer fibres in a hand prepared tuft or 'staple' in its naturally crimped and wavy condition (see crimp). With cotton, on the other hand, the staple length corresponds very closely to the modal or most frequent length of the fibres when measured in a straightened condition.

Stenter; tenter

An open-width fabric-finishing machine in which the selvedges of a textile fabric are held by a pair of endless travelling chains maintaining weft tension. Note 1: attachment may be by pins (pin stenter) or clips (clip stenter). Note 2.. Such machines are used for: (a) drying, (b) heat-setting of thermoplastic material, (c) fixation of chemical finishes.

Stitch holding (shaping)

A method of shaping a knitted product by changing the number of loops in individual wales by continuing to knit on certain needles whilst knitting is stopped and the stitches held on other needles for a given number of courses. It is possible to start to knit again and join the held stitches into a continuation of the fabric.

Stitch shaped

A garment shaped wholly or partially by change of stitch length, or structure, or both.

Stitch transfer

A method of shaping a garment panel on a flat knitting machine by transferring selvedge loops from one needle bed to the other in a sequence designed to increase or decrease the width of the fabric over a given number of courses. Shetland (1) original usage: a yarn spun by hand in the shetland islands from the wool of sheep bred and reared in these islands. (2) common usage: a yam, spun on the woollen system from 100% new wool, of a quality capable of imparting to a fabric the handle attributed to the products formerly made exclusively from the shetland breed of sheep. (3) current trade usage: (as recognised by the international wool textile organisation) where the term shetland is qualified by the adjective 'genuine', 'pure', 'real', or any similar description, implies that the wool actually originated in the shetland islands.

Stitch transfer

A method of shaping a garment panel on a flat knitting machine by transferring selvedge loops from one needle bed to the other in a sequence designed to increase or decrease the width of the fabric over a given number of courses.

Stock dyed

Refers to the dyeing of staple fiber before it is spun into yarn. A common method for woolen fabrics.

Stonewashed

A process of washing the fabric with pebbles to alter the hand and produce fading of the color.

Strand

(1) a single two-fold or multi-fold yarn used as a component of a folded or cabled construction. (2) linear textile material generally.

Stretch fabric

A fabric characterized by a capacity for stretch and recovery from stretch. Note: the term is used for materials with greater extension and recovery properties than traditional woven or knitted structures from conventional yarns and implies the use of stretch yarns, elastomeric threads, or finishing treatments. Such fabrics may have different degrees of extensibility and recovery specified for particular uses.

Stretch in warp

Refers to a woven fabric with elastic properties in the warp direction only, usually the result of using spandex yarn in the warp.

Stretch in weft

Refers to a woven fabric with elastic properties in the weft ( filling) direction only, usually the result of using spandex yarn in the weft.

Stretch spinning

A process of spinning whereby the filaments are substantially stretched at some stage between spinning (extrusion) and collection. The term is applied specifically to a process involving substantial stretch in order to provide high-tenacity yam.

Stretch yarn

Yarn capable of a pronounced degree of stretch and recovery from stretch.

Strick

A small bunch of flax straws of scutched flax, or hackled flax, of a size that can be held in the hand. Note: in the jute section of the textile industry, the corresponding term is strike which refers to a bunch of jute similar to a 'head' but smaller, usually 1 to 2 kg.

Stripe

A design dominated by lines or bands of contrasting colour or texture.

Stripping

Destroying or removing dye or finish from a fibre.

Stuffer box

A crimping device consisting of a confined space into which a tow, a converted tow, a sliver, a yarn or a similar assembly of filaments or fibres is injected by feed rollers or other means such as a fluid jet and in which the fibre assembly is packed and compressed so that the individual filaments or fibres buckle and fold.

Sublimation printing

A form of transfer printing employing dyes that sublime readily and have substantivity for the substrate to which they are applied.

Superfine wool

A general term for the best and finest quality of wool with a diameter of 15-18 microns.

Supple

Having a soft, flexible, luxurious hand.

Surface decoration

Ornamenting the surface of a fabric or garment (e.g. Embroidery etc.)

Surfactant

An agent, soluble or dispersible in a liquid, which reduces the surface tension of the liquid. (a contraction of 'surface-active agent'.)

Swatch; sample swatch

Fabric for display, test, or record purposes, in the form of a single sample or an assembly of small samples, the latter being sometimes called a bunch.

Swealing

(1) migration of dye into the angles of folds and creases during fabric drying. (2) partial transfer of colour, dirt or grease into the surrounding fabric, caused by unsatisfactory removal of stains by hand from a fabric when using an aqueous or solvent treatment.

Swelling agent

A substance that causes the total liquid imbibition of a fibre to increase. Note: a swelling agent may be used in a dyebath or a printing paste to promote coloration by accelerating the diffusion of dyes into a fibre.

Synthetic fibre

A man-made fibre produced from a polymer built up by man from chemical elements or compounds, in contrast to fibres made by man from naturally occurring fibre-forming polymers.

Taffeta

A plain weave, tightly woven smooth crisp fabric with a characteristic rustle. Made from silk or man-made filament yarns.

Tag wool

The first clip from a sheep not shorn as a lamb.

Tailors

Person or company that makes repairs or alters garments such as suits, coats, dresses or uniforms.
 

Tape (textile)

(1) a woven narrow fabric, generally plain-weave, used in non-loadbearing applications and the reinforcing of fabrics to resist wear and deformation. (2) a long narrow flat structure with textile-like properties made from thermoplastic polymer, paper, or other appropriate material.

Tape yarn

A yarn which comprises a tape with a large width-to-thickness ratio, and which has an apparent width not exceeding an agreed limit (e.g., 5mm or 8mm). Note: such yarns are usually of paper or are formed by slitting a wide film of (usually) polyethylene or polypropylene polymer into individual tapes, with hot-stretching either before or after slitting to induce high longitudinal strength. The draw ratio in hot-stretching is kept low enough to avoid excessive longitudinal fibrillation. The tape yarn so produced is suitable for weaving.

Taper

To decrease width gradually and bring it to an end point.

Tapestry

A closely woven figured fabric of compound structure in which a pattern is developed by the use of coloured yarns in the warp or in the weft or both. A fine binder warp and weft may be incorporated. It normally used for upholstery. Note: originally the term was applied to furnishing fabrics in which the design was produced by means of coloured threads inserted by hand as required. Modern tapestry fabrics are woven on jacquard looms, coloured yarns being used to produce the desired pattern. There are various fabric structures in which two or more warps and wefts of different materials may be used. The face of the fabric is usually of uniform texture, the design being developed in various colours, but in some tapestry fabrics figures of the brocade type formed by floating some of the threads are also to be found.

Tartan

Refers to the kinds of plaid patterns traditionally worn by scottish highlanders . Each design was associated with a specific family or "clan". The term is generally used to today in reference to any plaid design similar to these Scottish designs.

Tattersall

A simple overcheck design, usually a thin check of one or 2 colors on a contrasting colour ground.

Teazle; teazel; teasel

The dried seed-head of the plant dipsacus fullonum (fullers thistle) used to raise a pile or nap on certain fabrics. The machine used for this purpose is known as a teazle gig.

Teentah topi

A topi (q.v.) Consisting of three different pieces, stitched together.

Teflon

A water repellent, stain resistant finish applied to fabric . Trademark of du pont co.

Teflon Treated

Dupont brand name for Polytetrafluroethylene (PTE) compound consisting of Carbon and Flourine neither water or oil are wet by Polytetrafluroethylene.This gives good water and stain resistance to cloths which have been treated with Teflon.

Temporary set

The process of conferring temporary stability of form upon fibres, yarns, or fabrics, usually by means of successive heating and cooling in moist or dry conditions.

Tensile test

A test in which the resistance of a material to stretching in one direction is measured.

Terry

A fabric with uncut loops on one or both sides . May be woven or knit. Used for toweling, robes. Knit versions such as french terry have loops on one side and are sometimes brushed to produce a fleece.

Tex

The basic unit of the Tex system.

Tex system

A system of expressing linear density (mass per unit length) of fibres, filaments, slivers, and yarns, or other linear textile material. The basic unit is the tex, which is the mass in grams of one kilometre of the product. Multiples and sub-multiples recommended for use in preference to other possible combinations are: kilogram per kilometre, designated kilotex (ktex); decigram per kilometre, designated decitex (dtex);and milligram per kilometre, designated millitex (mtex).

Textile

Originally a woven fabric but the term is now applied to fibres, filaments, or yarns, natural man-made, and products obtained from them. Note: for example, threads, cords, ropes, braids, lace, embroidery, nets, and fabrics made by weaving, knitting, felting, bonding, and tufting are textiles. Used as an adjective, descriptive of fibrous or filamentous manufactures and of the raw materials, processes, machines, buildings, and personnel used in the organizations connected with, and the technology of, their manufacture.

Textile film

A man-made textile material in film form within which molecular orientation is predominantly in the longitudinal direction. Note: polymer films for non-textile use are commonly unoriented or bi-axially oriented, but uni-axial orientation is present in some cases.

Textured yarn

A continuous-filament yam that has been processed to introduce durable crimps, coils, loops or other fine distortions along the lengths of the filaments. Note 1: the main texturing procedures which are usually applied to continuous-filament yarns made from or containing thermoplastic fibres, are: (a) the yarn is highly twisted, heat-set and untwisted either as a process of three separate stages (now obsolescent) or as a continuous process (false-twist texturing). In an infrequently used alternative method, two yarns are continuously folded together, heat-set, then separated by unfolding; (b) the yam is injected into a heated stuffer box either by feed rollers or through a plasticizing jet of hot fluid (invariably air or steam). The jet process is sometimes known as jet texturing, hot-air jet texturing, or steam-jet texturing; (c) the yam is plasticized by passage through a jet of hot fluid and is impacted on to a cooling surface (impact texturing); (d) the heated yam is passed over a knife-edge (edge crimping), (now obsolete); (e) the heated yarn is passed between a pair of gear wheels or through some similar device (gear crimping); (f) the yam is knitted into a fabric that is heat-set and then unravelled (knit-deknit texturing); (g) the yam is over-fed through a turbulent air stream (air-texturing, air-jet texturing), so that entangled loops are formed in the filaments; (h) the yarn is composed of bicomponent fibres and is subjected to a hot and/or wet process whereby differential shrinkage occurs. Note 2: procedures (a) and (d) in note i above gives yams of a generally high-stretch character. This is frequently reduced by re-heating the yam in a state where it is only partly relaxed from the fully extended condition, thus producing a stabilized yarn with the bulkiness little reduced but with a much reduced retractive power. Note 3: the procedure (g) may also be applied to fibres which are not thermoplastic.

The Life Guards

"The Regiment of Life Guards is a cavalry regiment in the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry . The Life Guards  is the senior regiment of the British Army. With the Blues and Royals they make up the Household Cavalry.

Theatrical Fabrics

Cloth used for actors costumes, theatrical scenery, curtains and furnishings.
 

Thermal fabric

A knit or woven fabric constructed so as to trap warm air between the yarns. Often in a waffle or honeycomb texture. Used for blankets and underwear.

Thermally bonded nonwoven fabric

Textile fabric composed of a web or batt of fibres containing heat-sensitive material, bonded by the application of heat, with or without pressure. The heat-sensitive materials may be in the form of fibres, bicomponent fibres or powders.

Thermoplastic

Deformable by applied heat and pressure without any accompanying chemical change. The deformation is reversible.

Thick & thin

A fabric with a mottled appearance, made from a filament yarn with varying thickness.

Thickener

A substance used to increase the viscosity of a print paste or other fluid, in order to control its flow properties. Natural polymers (starch, alginates, etc.,), chemical modifications thereof, synthetic polymers, emulsions, foams and clays can be used.

Thread

(1) the result of twisting together in one or more operations two or more single, folded, or cabled yarns (2) a product as defined in (1) intended particularly for sewing purposes. (known also as sewing thread.) (3) a component of silk yarn. It is the product of winding together without twist a number of baves. A three-thread silk yarn is the result of folding three such products together (4) a textile yam in general.

Thread count

Is the number of warp and weft yarns in one square-inch of a fabric (warp yarn x weft yarn per sq. Inch)

Throw

A term, of germanic and anglo-saxon origin, used especially in the silk and man-made fibre industries to describe the twisting or folding of continuous-filament yams. Note. The term throwster was traditionally used to describe an individual or company specifically involved with these twisting processes, but, in more recent times, the title has also been inherited by those who manufacture textured yarns by the false-twist method.

Ticking

A general term for a strong, tightly woven fabric most often used for mattress and box spring covers but also for workwear and other apparel. Often found in a pattern of narrow stripes on either side of a wider stripe. They are commonly dark warp stripes on a white ground.

Tie dyed

A hand method of dyeing that involves gathering small portions of the fabric and tying them tightly before dyeing. The tied areas resist penetration of the dye, resulting in irregular patterns. Also refers to similar designs created by machine methods.

Tinsel yarn

A textile yarn or thread, combined, coated, or covered with a shiny substance, often metallic (e.g., aluminium, occasionally gold or silver), to produce a glittering or sparkling effect.

Tippy wool

Wool in which the tip portions of the fibres have been so damaged by weathering during growth as to have markedly different dyeing properties.

Tissue faille

A lightweight, plain weave, filament yarn fabric characterized by a narrow crosswise rib. Used for blouses and dresses.

Tone on tone

1. A fabric with a pattern consisting of 2 or more shades of the same color. 2. Piece dyed dobbies in which the dobby effect takes on a different tone by virtue of the weave, light reflection or types of yarn used.

Top

(1) sliver that forms the starting material for the worsted and certain other drawing systems, usually obtained by the process of combing, and characterized by the following properties: (a) the absence of fibres so short as to be uncontrolled in the preferred system of drawing; (b) a substantially parallel formation of the fibres; (c) a substantially homogeneous distribution throughout the sliver of fibres from each length-group present. Note 1: tops are usually produced by carding and combing, or by preparing and combing on worsted machinery, but recent years have seen the introduction of top-making by the cutting or controlled breaking of continuous-filament tows of man-made fibres, and the assembly of the resultant staple fibres into sliver in a single machine. Note 2: the advent of man-made fibres has meant the introduction of staple-fibre top into the flax, jute, spun silk, and other drawing systems. (2) the form or package in which sliver is delivered, e.g., ball top or bump top.

Top dyed

A fibre dyeing method in which dye in applied to combed fibers in an untwisted or loosely twisted rope form (called top or sliver ) . Sometimes dye is applied or printed on the fiber at regular intervals to give a melange effect . Top dyeing results in good colourfastness.

Tow-to-top

A process in which heavy continuous-filament yam, having no twist and a substantially parallel alignment of the filaments, is cut or broken into staple and drafted into a sliver as a continuous process. It is characteristic of the process that the tow does not lose its form, although the filaments are broken down into short lengths, but is only attenuated in the drafting process.

Transfer printing

Any process by which a design is transferred from paper to another substrate. Several techniques have been used, viz melt-transfer, film-release, and wet-transfer, but vapour transfer (sublimation transfer) is the most important. Selected disperse dyes transfer in vapour form to thermoplastic fibres when the printed paper and fabric are brought into close contact in a transfer press at 170˚-220˚c.

Trash (cotton)

A loose term embracing, in its widest sense, the non-fibrous foreign matter present in bales of raw cotton other than abnormal items, such as stone, timber, pieces of old iron, etc. Note 1: normal whole seeds, either ginned or un-ginned, are frequently excluded from this category but broken portions of them and also whole or broken undeveloped seeds are usually regarded as trash. Note2, the main component of trash is chaff and dirt in the form of soil or sand.

Trend

Fashion is not static, they are constantly moving, their movement has a definite direction. The direction in which fashion moves is called fashion trend.

Trim

To cut off the ragged edges below the seam line to prevent the garment from being bulky and to give the seam a neat finish.

Tubular

A knit fabric made on a circular knitting machine and shipped without being slit to open width form.

Tuck stitch

A knit stitch that results in open spaces at regular intervals on the fabric by having some needles hold more than one loop at a time.

Twaddell

A scale used for the measurement of the specific gravity of liquids by hydrometry. The following formula expresses the relationship between specific gravity (sg), and degrees twaddell (tw), for liquids heavier than water.

Tweed

Originally a coarse, heavy-weight, rough-surfaced wool fabric for outerwear, woven in southern scotland. The term is now applied to fabrics made in a wide range of weights and qualities from woollen-spun yams in a variety of weave effects and colour-and-weave effects.

Twill

A general term for a woven fabric made with a twill weave, a basic weave characterized by diagonal lines on the face of the fabric.

Twill

A weave characterised by diagonal lines . This is produced by a series of floats staggered in the warp or weft direction.

Twill weave woollen fabrics

Woollen cloth woven with a weave characterised by diagonal lines.

Twist

The condition of a yarn or similar structure when the component elements have a helical disposition such as results, for instance, from relative rotation of the yarn ends. For all practical purposes twist is measured in turns, but for purely theoretical work its measurement in radians (the si unit) often leads to much simpler mathematical expressions.

Twist angle

The angle between the path of a yarn element and the yarn axis.

Twist direction

Twist is described as 's' or 'z' according to which of these letters has its centre inclined in the same direction as the surface elements of a given twisted yarn.

Twist factor; twist multiplier

In a yarn, the product of twist level and the square root of the linear density. Note: where units of specific length are in use, the corresponding factor is the quotient of the twist level and the square root of the count.

Twist level

The amount of twist per unit length of a yarn. Note: with the exception of false-twisting , the length is normally assumed to be that in the twisted form but, when necessary, ambiguity can be avoided by stating, for example, turns per twisted metre or turns per untwisted metre.

Twist liveliness

The tendency of a yam to twist or untwist spontaneously. Note 1: examples of effects which may be caused by twist liveliness include snarling of yarns during processing and spirality in knitted fabrics.

Twist multiplier; twist factor

In a yarn, the product of twist level and the square root of the linear density.

Twistless spinning

A system of yarn formation that relies on the use of a permanent or temporary adhesive to bond fibres together. Note: where a temporary adhesive is used it is removed during fabric finishing, and the yarn (and fabric) strength is then obtained through lateral pressure produced by the interlacings in the fabric. A similar fabric construction can be achieved by using wrap spun yarns which have been produced with a soluble binder.

Twistless yarn

A yarn prepared without twist in order to obtain special properties, e.g., increased softness and dyeability.

Twitty

Descriptive of an irregular yarn or stubbing in which local concentrations of twist have accentuated the irregular appearance.

Unbalanced stripes

A stripe design with an irregular spacing between the lines.

Undrawn yarn

Extruded filament yarn (or tow), the component macromolecules of which have a low degree of orientation. Note: undrawn yarn and tow represent intermediate stages in the production of some synthetic yams and staple fibres respectively.

Vat dye

A water-insoluble dye, usually containing keto groups which is normally applied to the fibre from an alkaline aqueous solution of the reduced enol ( leuco) form, and which is subsequently oxidized in the fibre to the insoluble form.

Veiling

A general term for a large variety of light, open fabrics used for such purposes as bridal veils, dress trim, evening wear, or millinery.

Velour

A knit or woven fabric with a soft , short thick nap made by brushing and shearing. Knit velours are used in women's tops and sportswear. Wovens are usually heavier in weight and used for coats, jackets, drapery.A knit or woven fabric with a soft , short thick nap made by brushing and shearing. Knit velours are used in women's tops and sportswear. Wovens are usually heavier in weight and used for coats, jackets, drapery.

Velvet

A woven fabric with a thick, dense cut pile, a soft texture and a rich appearance. May be made by 2 different methods a) 2 layers of fabric with connecting threads are cut apart or b) warp threads are lifted over wires during weaving forming loops, and the loops are cut when the wires are withdrawn. Velvet may be plain, or the pile may be flattened, embossed, crushed, or sculptured. Originally made of silk but now also made of nylon, rayon, acrylic, and other fibers . Used for dresses, evening wear, drapery, upholstery.

Venetian

A warp faced, strong, heavy sateen with a high luster.

Vest or veste

In the 17th and 18th centuries a man's garment worn under the justaucorps, generally in rich material. Originally almost as long as the coat, the vest was gradually shortened and simplified until, in the middle of the reign of louis xv, it became the waistcoat.

Vicuna

The undercoat hair of the vicuna, an animal of the llama group of the camel family. It produces a softer and finer fabric than can be obtained with any other wool or hair.

Viscose

The solution obtained by dissolving sodium cellulose xanthate in a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda).

Viscose (fibre) (generic name )

A term used to describe fibres of regenerated cellulose obtained by the viscose process.

Viscosity

The internal resistance to flow of a fluid. The unit of viscosity is the pascal second. Note 1: the viscosity of a solution of a polymer is commonly expressed in one of the following ways: (a) viscosity ratio: the ratio of the viscosity of a solution to the viscosity of the pure solvent (formerly known as relative viscosity). (b) specific viscosity: the viscosity ratio less unity. (c) limiting viscosity number: the value obtained by extrapolating, to zero concentration, the ratio of the specific viscosity of a solution to the concentration of the solute (formerly known as intrinsic viscosity). Note 2: some fluids such as size mixings exhibit anomalous viscosity effects and cannot therefore be characterized by a single measurement. The flow behavior of a mixing is best described flow curve relating apparent viscosity to shearing stress. If the shearing stresses operative in sizing were known, then the apparent viscosity of the mixings at these stresses could be related to their sizing behavior. Without this knowledge, measurements at some arbitrary stress have to be used: these are of value in characterizing a particular type of size and can often be relate the take-up of size by the warp.

Visible absorption spectrum

The curve relating the absorption of light by a coloured substance (usually in solution) to the wavelength of the light.

Wadding

A loosely cohering sheet of fibres used for padding, upholstery, stuffing, packing, or similar purposes.

Waffle

A fabric characterized by a honeycomb texture or small squares similar to the surface of a waffle. May be woven or knit.

Waistcoat

From the louis xvi period onwards waistcoats were worn under all men's outer garments, coat, riding-coat, frock coat, jacket, etc. Usually the two front panels were made from fine material and the back, which isn't seen, from lining material.

Wale (knitting)

A column of loops along the length of a fabric.

Wall thickness, apparent

The apparent width of a fibre wall as seen when fibres are examined under a microscope. Note: in the cotton fibre maturity test, the apparent wall thickness assessed visually at the widest part of the fibres as a fraction of the maximum ribbon width.

Warm

A woolly or fibrous hand generally associated with fabrics that keep the body warm.

Warm colours

Colors like red, orange, yellow are classified as warm colors, they are advancing in nature, because as seen by the eyes these colors move closer thereby reducing the size of an object. Warm colours are cheerful.

Warp

Used as a verb - to arrange threads in long lengths parallel to one another preparatory to further processing. Note: in addition to beaming the following methods of warping are practised; ball warping, cross-ball warping, and chain warping. The primary stage of these methods of warping is withdrawal of ends from a warping creel and their assembly in rope form, a form that may conveniently be used for wet processing. For convenience of handling, this rope may be (a) wound into a ball (ball warping), (b) machine-wound on to a wooden roller into a cross-ball cheese (cross-ball or cheese warping), or (c) shortened into a link chain (chain warping). A number of these ropes may be assembled into a complete warp on a beam or may be split and dressed and incorporated in warps made by other methods.

Warp (uk, local, chain)

Used as a noun - (1) threads lengthways in a fabric as woven. (2) a number of threads in long lengths and approximately parallel, in various forms intended for weaving, knitting, doubling, sizing, dyeing, or lacemaking.

Warp dressing

The operation of assembling on a beam yarns from a ball warp, beam warp, or chain warp immediately prior to weaving.

Warp knit

A fabric produced by interlocking loops in a lengthwise direction . Warp knits tend to be flatter, smoother, more run resistant, and more stable than weft knits . Examples are tricot, raschel and milanese.

Warp knitting

A method of making a fabric by normal knitting means in which the loops made from each warp thread are formed substantially along the length of the fabric. It is characterized by the fact that each warp thread is fed more or less in line with the direction in which the fabric is produced.

Warp print

The warp yarns are printed with a design before weaving. After weaving the design then has a hazy shadowy effect.

Washed

Refers to fabrics that have been laundered before shipping. This may be done to reduce shrinkage, soften the hand, wash down the color or to give the fabric a used, laundered look.

Washer

A machine for removing impurities, excess dyes or chemicals by submitting fabric or yarn, in rope or open-width form, to successive liquid treatments.

Washing-off

Treatment of textile material in water or detergent solution to remove substances employed previous processes.

Waste (cotton, wool and other staple fibres)

There are two classes of waste known as 'hard' and 'soft', and their treatment differs according to the class. Hard waste is essentially that from spinning frames, reeling and winding machines and all other waste of a thready nature. Soft waste comes from earlier processes where the fibres are relatively little twisted, felted, or compacted.

Water repellent

Fabrics that have been treated to resist wetting and shed water by causing the water to bead on the surface. It does not close the pores of the fabric as waterproof treatments do, so the fabrics are comfortable to wear. It will offer protection in a light shower but not heavy rain. Water repellency may be added by treating the fabric with fluorocarbon chemicals , wax, silicone or resins . Sometimes called water resistant.

Water-repellent

A state characterized by the non-spreading of a globule of water on a textile material.

Watercolour

Refers to designs that are characterized by soft gradations and soft shadings of color suggestive of semi-opaque watercolor paintings.

Watering

An operation used in grass bleaching that consists of spraying fabrics laid on a green with water.

Waterproof

The ability of fabric to be fully resistant to penetration by water. Note: the term is an absolute one and implies that the water penetration resistance of the fabric is equivalent to its hydraulic bursting strength.

Wax coated

Refers to fabric that has been coated with wax or paraffin to alter the hand or appearance or to make the fabric water repellent.

Waxing, warp

The application of wax to a warp sheet so as to improve its weaving performance. The wax, in emulsion or molten form, is usually applied by a trough and lick roller. The point of application may be between the swift and warp beam in section warping , or between the creel and beaming head in beam warping or immediately after drying in slasher sizing. Normally waxes must be readily removable in the subsequent finishing operation. Note: alternatively wax is sometimes applied to a warp by means of a wax rod placed in the nip between the warp sheet and the weaver's beam at the point where the yarn leaves the latter.

Weathering

(1) the action of atmospheric agencies or elements on substances exposed to them. (2) the discoloration, disintegration, etc., that results from this action.

Weave

The pattern of interlacing of warp and weft in a woven fabric.

Web

(1) a rarely used synonym for fabric. (2) the sheet of fibres delivered by a card (card web) (3) a plain circular-knitted fabric. (4) a local and little-used synonym for warp. (5) (nonwoven) single or multiple sheets of fibre used in nonwoven fabric production. Also termed batt.

Webbing

A woven narrow fabric, the prime function of which is load bearing. It is generally of a coarse weave and has multiple plies. It is produced in widths up to and including 450 mm and includes all elastic narrow fabrics.

Weft

(1) threads widthways in a fabric as woven. (2) yarn intended for use as in (1).

Weft carrier

A yarn carrier providing a supply of weft and driven positively through a shed in a weaving machine.

Weft knit

The most common type of knit formed by interlocking loops in the widthwise direction . Weft knit tend to have more stretch than warp knits. Examples are interlock, jerseys, double knits, rib knits.

Weft knitting

A method of making a fabric by normal knitting means in which the loops made by each weft thread are formed substantially across the width of the fabric. It is characterized by the fact that each weft thread is fed more or less at right angles to the direction in which the fabric is produced.

Wet cleaning

The removal of water-soluble or emulsifiable soil from garments, often carried out on a draining board using tepid water in the presence of detergents. It is also a process for cleaning garments etc., made from fabrics, e.g. Vinyi coated materials, liable to be damaged by dry cleaning solvents.

Wet fixation

A finishing process for cellulosic-fibre fabrics that improves the wet crease recovery and smooth drying properties, but not the dry crease recovery.

Wet laying

The process of forming a fibre sheet by papermaking techniques, for nonwoven fabric production.

Wet spinning (man-made-fibre production)

Conversion of a dissolved polymer into filaments by extrusion into a coagulating liquid. Note: the extrusion may be directly into the coagulating liquid or through a small air-gap. In the latter case it may be known as dry-jet wet spinning or air-gap wet spinning.

Wet-laid

Formation of a non-woven fabric by suspending fibers in water to disperse them evenly . The suspension is poured onto a moving screen allowing the water to pass through and leaving a fiber web, which is then dried to form the fabric.

Wet-spun

(1) descriptive of a yarn of flax, hemp, or similar fibre spun from roving that has been thoroughly wetted out in hot water immediately prior to the drafting operation. (2) descriptive of man-made filament produced by wet spinning.

Whipcord

A strong, firm fabric with a prominent, steep, indented twill line. Used for trousers, drapery, upholstery.

Whipcord.

Woven cloth having a very steep twill on the face of the cloth.

Width, fabric

Unless otherwise specified, the distance from edge to edge of a fabric when laid flat on a table without tension. In the case of commercial dispute the measurement should be made after the fabric has been conditioned in a standard atmosphere for testing . When buying and selling fabric it is normal to specify the basis on which the width is to be assessed e.g., overall, within limits, or usable width (which implies within stenter pin marks).

Wildness

A ruffled appearance of the surface fibres in slivers, slubbings, rovings, and yams. Note: wildness may be due to the processing of these products under dry atmospheric conditions which causes increased inter-fibre friction and static-electricity troubles. The static charges cause mutual fibre repulsion and prevent fibres from taking up normal orderly positions in the respective products.

Winch; wince

A dyeing machine in which one or more endless lengths of fabric are drawn through the dyebath by a rotating reel or drum above the surface of the dye liquor.

Wind ratio

The number of wraps wound on a take-up package while the traverse completes a full stroke in one direction.

Winder

A machine used for transferring yam from one package to another.

Windowpane

A design that looks like a windowpane, with narrow bands of one color forming an over-check that encloses rectangles of another ground colour.

Wool

The fibrous covering of a sheep (see note under hair).

Wool sorting

A process by which fleece or skin wool is divided up into various qualities. It is usually carried out by the user.

Wool waste

There are two classes of waste known as 'hard' and 'soft', and their treatment differs according to the class. Hard waste is essentially that from spinning frames, reeling and winding machines and all other waste of a thready nature. Soft waste comes from earlier processes where the fibres are relatively little twisted, felted, or compacted.

Wool/Nylon Blazer Fabric

Wool blazer Melton with a percentage of nylon to give extra durability. Suitable for school blazers.
 

Woollen

Refers to fabrics of carded wool yarns spun in the woolen spinning system . These are shorter coarser yarns than worsted yarns and the fabrics are heavier than worsteds.

Woollen Textile

Woollen cloth is made using fibres that are carded the yarn is spun with fibres not parallel but crossed in a haphazard arrangement. Fibres are often short and can be waste fibres.

World War II Collection

Collection of cloths suitable for groups re-enacting the second world war.

World War Two

War fought between 1939 and 1945 involving most of the Worlds Nations.

Worsted

Descriptive of yams spun wholly from combed wool in which the fibres are reasonably parallel, and fabrics or garments made from such yarns. In most countries fabrics with a small proportion of non-wool decorative threads can be described as worsted.

Worsted Cavalry Twill

Rugged heavy twill with pronounced diagonal weave.

Worsted Double Barathea

Barathea woven double sided to give extra weight.

Worsted fabric

A fabric manufactured wholly from worsted yams, except that decorative threads of other fibres may be present.

Worsted(s)

Name comes from the village of Worstead in Norfolk. Refers to yarn and fabrics made from combed wool. Yarns are smooth surfaced and spun from evenly combed long staple fibres. Cloth is tightly woven with a smooth hard surface.

Wound packages (yarns)

Yarn wound on formers which facilitate convenient handling. Note: in some cases the former may be withdrawn before further processing.

Wrap yarn

(1) a fibrous yarn covered with other yarn(s) to bind projecting fibre ends to the main body. Note: it is commonly used for interlinings to prevent fibre ends from penetrating the outer fabric.

Wrap-spun yarn

A yarn with a twistless core wrapped with a binder.

Wrapper fibres

Fibres which wrap around the main body of a staple fibre yarn during yarn formation in the production of open-end and fasciated yarns.

Wrinkle

An unwanted short and irregular crease in a fabric. Note: the distinction between a wrinkle and a crease is often not clear but creases are generally sharper and longer than wrinkles.

Wrinkle resistant

A fabric that has been treated to resist the formation of wrinkles.

Yarn

A product of substantial length and relatively small cross-section consisting of fibres and/or filament(s) with or without twist. Note 1: assemblies of fibres or filaments are usually given other names during the stages that lead to the production of yarn, e.g., tow, slubbing, sliver, or roving. Except in the case of continuous-filaments or tape yarns, any tensile strength possessed by the assemblies at these stages is generally the minimum that can hold them together during processing. Note 2: staple, continuous filament, and mono-filament yarns are included. Note 3: no distinction is made between single, folded and cabled yarns. Note 4: zero-twist continuous filament yarns are included. Note 5: zero-twist and self-twist staple yarn are included. Note 6: by the definition of fibre and filament, paper, metal, film and glass yarns are included.

Yarn dyed

Fabrics which have had the yarns colored before the fabric is woven. Used to produce stripes plaids or tapestries.

Yarn dyed and overdyed

A fabric which has been first yarn dyed, then piece dyed in a lighter shade that allows the yarn dye pattern to show through.

Yarn linear density

The coarseness or fineness of yarn or other linear textile material.

Yarn setting

The process of conferring stability of form upon yarns usually by means of successive heating and cooling in moist or dry conditions

Yarn, combination

A yarn in which there are dissimilar component yams especially when these are of fibre and filaments. (1) descriptive of full drawn continuous-filament yarns substantially without twist and untextured (see also twistless yarn.) (2) a synonym for straw (see yarn, straw).

Yarn, single

A thread produced by one unit of a spinning machine or of a silk reel.

Yarn, spun

Commonly used to describe a yarn that consists of staple fibres held together (usually) by twist.

Yarn, straw

Extruded monofilament yarns that have the cross-section and appearance of natural straw.

Yarn, zero-twist

(1) a continuous-filament single yarn in which there is no twist, (2) a multi-fold yarn in which there is no folding twist. Note 1: some fibrous yarns are described as twistless, since the fibres may be held together by adhesive temporarily e.g., until incorporated in fabrics. Varieties of core-spun yarn and scaffolding yarn have appeared with this description after solvent-removal of one component. Note 2.. Zero-twist continuous-filament yams usually become twisted by over-end withdrawal e.g., from a pirn in a loom shuttle.

Yarn; folded, doubled, plied

A yarn in which two or more single yarns are twisted together in one operation, e.g., two-fold yarn, three-fold yarn, etc. Note: in some sections of the textile industry, e.g., the marketing of hand-knitting yams, these yarns are referred to as two-ply, three-ply, etc.

Yarns, fancy

A yarn that differs from the normal construction of single and folded yarns by way of deliberately produced irregularities in its construction. These irregularities relate to an increased input of one or more of its components or to the inclusion of periodic effects such as knots, loops, curls, slubs or the like.

Yellowing

The yellow discoloration that may develop on textile materials during processing, use, or storage.

Zari

Metallic thread twisted over cotton or silk for brocading. Also referred to, in popular parlance, asjad,

Zero-twist yarn

(1) a continuous-filament single yarn in which there is no twist, (2) a multi-fold yarn in which there is no folding twist. Note 1: some fibrous yarns are described as twistless, since the fibres may be held together by adhesive temporarily e.g., until incorporated in fabrics. Varieties of core-spun yarn and scaffolding yarn have appeared with this description after solvent-removal of one component. Note 2.. Zero-twist continuous-filament yams usually become twisted by over-end withdrawal e.g., from a pirn in a loom shuttle.