50/50 50 percent cotton/50 percent polyester fabric; also referred to as polycotton.

Acetate A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is cellulose acetate and where no less than 92% of the hydroxyl groups are acetylated. The term triacetate may be used as a generic description of the fiber. It has different physical and chemical properties from rayons, especially in its reaction to dyes, and a whole new set of dyes had to be developed for it.

Argyle A popular design for knitted fabrics, both hand and machine knit. Two or three colors generally are used in a diamond-shaped pattern.

Acrylic A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is any long chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% acrylonitrile units by weight.

Angora A specialty wool fiber. From the hair of the angora goat, which is native to Turkey, this is the primary source of mohair fabrics.

Barathea Fine texture of broken filling character. High-quality stock is used in making this cloth. Closely woven fabric with same characteristic as the pebbly weave.

Barre A French term denoting the horizontal lines appearing in a repeat pattern throughout a piece of fabric. This fabric flaw can be caused by uneven winding and thick-and-thin at the spinning.

Bedford Cord Strong ribbed weave fabric with raised lines or cords produced by warp stuffing threads. Has a smooth, fine appearance since it is made with worsted yarns: may be of wool, silk, cotton, etc.

Bengaline Cross-rib material with filling yarn coarser than warp. Made of silk and wool. Wears and drapes well. Pronounced filling cords add to the appeal of the cloth.

Blind Stitch Special hidden stitch under waistband lining curtain to attach waistband lining into waistband as a reinforcement.

Boucle Looped-yarn giving a “ring appearance” to the face of the cloth.

Buckskin (1) a cotton cloth with a clear surface and napped back, satin effect weave. (2) A rugged, durable, woolen fabric made on 8-shaft with warp effect satin weave. The cloth is heavily fulled and napped, and is then cropped so that a smooth finish results.

Canvas Cotton, linen, or synthetic fabric made with an even weave in heavy and firm weights for sails and industrial purposes. Today this effect is accepted as a very casual fashion. The ply yarns used give much strength and body to the fabric. From 2-ply to 14-ply yarns are used to make the goods.

Carding the process in yarn manufacture in which the fibers are brushed up, made more or less parallel, have considerable portions of foreign matter removed. Carding is done by means of rollers or flats that are clothed with fine, cylindrical, pressed-steel wire, called card clothing. No fiber-twist is applied in carding.

Cashmere the finest cashmere goat is raised in Tibet, the province of Kashmir in Northern India, Iran, Iraq and Southwest China. Cashmere is more like wool than any other fiber. The hair is very cylindrical, soft, strong and silken-like.

Calvary Twill A strong fabric with a pronounced double-twill line on a 63-degree will weave. Can be from fabrics of all natures and weights.

Chambray Plain weave, smooth lustrous fabric made of dyed warp and white filling.

Chambray A lightweight plain colored and natural or white weave fabric usually of cotton or rayon, or a blend of these.

Chenille A cotton, wool, silk, or rayon yarn which has a pile protruding all around at right angles; simulates a caterpillar. The yarn is used as filling for fancies, curtains and carpets. After weaving, the fabric is cut between the bunches of warps, and the latter twisted, thereby forming the chenille effect.

Chevoit Rough woolen suiting and overcoating cloth. Similar to tweed in construction. Name is derived from the fact that hardy wool from cheviot hills of Scotland is used in making the cloth.

Chiffon A light, sheer fabric of plain weave. Spun with fine, hard-spun yarn with approximately the same size in warp and filling and the same number of ends and picks per inch. The finish is dull and soft.

Chino A cotton fabric with a plain or twill weave made popular as summer wear for the armed forces. Has since become a wardrobe staple.

Chintz printed cloth made in bright and vivid colors. Closely woven texture, singed, starched, glazed. Not easily laundered, as starching or sizing is usually not permanent.

Clan Plaid any Scottish plaid in true colors of some particular Scottish clan such as the Cameron, Campbell, Macphee, Macdonald, etc.

Clean-Finished Placket Typically the interfacings of plackets are raw or edged, which means they can look ragged or uneven, particularly on light-colored shirts. Cutting the interfacing in a rectangle, then turning the edges under and fusing them in place, creates a straight placket with no raw edges. All that shows inside the shirt is the smooth edge.

Colorfast A term used to describe fabrics of sufficient color retention so that no noticeable changes in shed takes place during the “normal” life of the garment.

Color Fastness The determination as to whether a color is fast in a number of standard tests used for the purpose. Yarn or fabric may be tested for fastness to color fading, with dry cleaning, laundering, sunlight, perspiration, and ironing.

Combed Cotton Cotton yarn that has been combed to remove short fibers and to straighten or arrange longer fibers in parallel order.

Combed Yarns Extra smooth, fine and strong. This is due to the combing machine, which removes short fibers after carding.

Converter An individual or firm that buys greige goods, and sells them as a finished product. The converter arranges for the finishing of the fabric.

Corduroy A cut-filling-pile fabric made of cotton, which has hardwearing qualities. When woven with a plain weave back, the fabric is called “tabby-back” corduroy and when woven with a twill weave back, it is known as “Genoa-back” corduroy. Corduroy is woven in about the same way as velvet, except that the pile filling picks are bound by the warp yarns to form straight lines of floats, thus producing the ribbed surface. The material is often waxed and singed to remove any long protruding fibers. Corduroy is made with the filling forming the pile effect after the cutting, which is a separate process after the cut of cloth has been taken from the loom.

Covert Twill usually made of woolen or worsted yarn with two shades of color such as a medium and a light brown. It is a highly desirable cloth and gives smart appearance to the wearer.

Crepe Characterized by a crinkling surface obtained either by use of (1) hard twist yarns, (2) chemical treatment, (3) weave or (4) embossing.

Croydon British term for heavy, plain weave bleached cottons. The body to this fabric comes from a stiff starched finish.

Cupra Rayon/Cupro A rayon yarn made by the cuprammonium process, which was developed originally in Germany.

Double-Needle Stitched A finish used on a sleeve and/or bottom hem that uses two needles to create parallel rows of visible stitching. It gives the garment a cleaner, more finished look and adds durability.

Embossing Any pressure process producing raised or relief figures on the surface of fabrics. Usually accomplished by means of engraved rollers and heat application.

End-and-End Warp A warp made from two warps by taking the ends from each warp in an alternating order when the warp dressing is done.

End-on-End An alternating color or striped effect.

Enzyme Wash A fabric softening process that gives a soft hand to fabric and wears the color down very slightly. Does not have a washed out look like pigment dying.

Eponge The name means “sponge” and refers to a woolen dress-goods cloth that is very soft and sponge-like. Texture is low, about 20×20. A plain warp and novelty yarn filling are used, or the reverse can be used to advantage. Cloth is bleached and dyed.

Fabric Finishing A process through which fibers, yarns, and fabrics are passed to improve their appearance, feel and/or performance in preparation for their end use.

Faille ribbed wool, silk or rayon cloth with crosswise rib effect. Good draping effects and wears well hence is ideal for dress pants.

Filament An individual strand that is indefinite in length. One example is silk, which may run from 300 to 1800 yards in length. Filaments are finer in diameter than fibers. A fiber or a filament is the smallest unit in any type of cloth.

Filling An individual yarn, which interlaces with warp yarn at right angles in weaving fabric. Also known as pick or filling pick. Filling usually has less twist when it is compared with warp yarn. Weft is the equivalent term used in UK English.

Findings Pocketing, linings, zippers and other sundry and supplementary items used in the manufacture of garments.

Flannel A light or medium-weight fabric of plain or twill weaves, with a slightly napped surface. Can be from a combination of fabrics of three or four harness weaves. The warp is finer and stronger than the filling yarn. A flannel finish refers to a napped finish, which has the flannel appeal one expects.

Flax A plant from which linen is produced.

Fustagno Italian moleskin.

Gabardine A 45 to 63 degree twill. These weaves give the characteristic single-diagonal lines noted on the face of the cloth. There are twice as many threads per inch in the warp than there are in the weft. Because of the twist in the yarn and texture, the cloth wears very well and outlasts similar materials used for the same purpose.

GATT General agreement on tariffs and trade. This is an international agreement that controls the flow of goods throughout the world. The starting point for the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which today governs world trade.

Glen Plaid A design of small squares and rectangles which is similar to shepherd’s and hounds tooth check, district check, woolen or worsted yarn.

Gore-Tex this trademark is owned by W.I. Gore and Associates, inc. A porous fabric that repels water but allows for the passage of moisture vapor. Widely used in comfortable, waterproof garments.

Hand The “feel” of a fabric’s texture, weight, drape and finish when felt within your hands (i.e. its tactile qualities).

Harness The frame upon which heddles used in weaving fabric are placed. Warp threads are drawn through their respective heddle eyes. Harnesses, which form the shed of the loom to enable the shuttle with the filling yarn wound to pass through, are raised and lowered in accordance with the pattern set up by the designer. There must always be at least one harness raised and at least one lowered to make a shed.

Harris Tweed A trademark for an imported tweed made of virgin wool from the highlands of Scotland. Spun, dyed and hand woven by islanders in Harris and other islands of the Hebrides.

Heather Blended fibers combined to create a vari-colored effect; e.g. heather gray. Heathered fabric typically contains 3 fibers: cotton, polyester or rayon.

Heat Set Finish Heat finishing treatment that will stabilize many man-made fiber fabrics so that there will not be any subsequent change.

Henley Style A shirt featuring a banded neck and button placket.

Herringbone A twilled fabric with a herringbone pattern, namely a pattern made up of rows of parallel lines, which in any two adjacent rows slope in opposite directions.

Herringbone A broken twill weave giving a zigzag effect produced by alternating the direction of the twill. Same as the chevron weave. Structural design resembles backbone of herring.

Hopsack Popular woolen or worsted suiting fabric made from a 2-and-2 or a 3-and-3 basket weave.

Interfacing Woven or not woven fabrics used between outer fabric and lining to reinforce or stiffen. Some major types include fusible and non-fusible, non-woven, canvas, haircloth, etc.

Interfacing Woven or not woven fabrics used between outer fabric and lining to reinforce or stiffen. Some major types include fusible and non-fusible, non-woven, canvas, haircloth, etc.

Interlock Fabric Interlock is a variation of rib knit construction. Similar to a Jersey knit except both front and back of the fabric look identical.
Double knit construction makes this a thicker knit fabric.
Interlock is the tightest weave, gives the smoothest surface and the finest hand. The fabric is extremely soft, firm and absorbent.

Jacquard Intricate method of weaving. A head motion at the top of the loom holds and operates a set of punched cards, according to the motif desired. The perforations in the cards, in connection with the rods and cords, regulate the raising of the stationary warp thread mechanisms.

Jacquard Knit Dyed yarn knit on sophisticated equipment to produce a desired pattern and/or texture in the fabric and/or collar.

Jersey Fabric A type of fabric with a flat appearance, knit on a circular, single-knit machine; its principal distinction is that it is not a fabric with a distinct rib.

Jaspe Fabric, which has a series of faint stripes formed by light, medium and dark yarn, made up of a particular color.

Knit Fabric A fabric formed by the inter-meshing of loops of yarn creating a stretchable fabric. Some knit fabrics are pique, jersey and fleece.

Linen Linen is woven from fibers produced by the flax plant, and the term “linen” cannot be applied to any other kind of fiber except that of natural flax. Among the properties of linen are rapid moisture absorption, fiber length of a few inches to one-yard, no fuzziness, soil-resistance, natural lustre and stiffness.

Llama Animal raised in Bolivia, Peru, Southern Ecuador and Northwestern Argentina. Lake Titicaca between Bolivia and Peru is the centre of llama land. The fleece is obtained every two years and the life span of the animal is 10 to 14 years.

Lycra The elastic fiber made by Dupont.

Lycra/Spandex Elastic yarn comprised of at least 85% of segmented polyurethane thus giving it the ability to stretch

Lyocell General classification for solvent-spun cellulosic fiber.

Marbled A texture that involves a body color with contrasting highlight flecks on the surface. These flecks give the garment a heather-like appearance.

Medium Weight Classification for fabric of 22 to 24 single yarn, where the number of yarn denotes the overall fabric weight.

Mercerization A process that eliminates all of the small “hairs” of cotton yarn or cloth, which adds to its luster. This yarn is then additionally run through a caustic solution, which further smoothes and adds gloss to the yarn surface by burning off additional fabric hairs.
This process slightly pre-shrinks yarn and makes it stronger. Also helps with dye absorbency to achieve a richer color.

Mercerizing Treatment for cotton yarns and cotton goods to increase lustre and improve strength and dye affinity.

Merino The highest quality, finest and best type of wool obtainable. The best wool in the world comes from the Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales districts of Eastern Australia. (Botany Bay and Port Phillip bay areas of Australia.)

Microfiber Picture the finest fiber you can imagine, and then divide it in half and that is what is called a microfiber. Half of the thickness of silk and 100 times finer than a human hair. A microfiber is the tiniest man-made fiber ever created. Fabrics made of microfiber are wrinkle resistant and easy to care for.

Micro-fiber Polyester Extremely fine synthetic fiber used to produce soft, lightweight fabrics, which are resilient and resist wrinkling. Clothing made with microfibers has a luxurious drape and the body retains its shape and resists pilling. Most often used in outerwear with water resistant coatings.
Most other fabrics have 70-80 tendrils of yarn per strand. Microfiber has 216 tendrils per strand, which makes it very strong and durable.
Did you know? Micro-fiber Polyester is made from recycled plastic bottles that are cleaned, crushed, melted and extruded into fibers. Every bit as warm and durable as virgin polyester, but takes less processing energy.

Micromattique MX Trademark of the Dupont company (patent pending) for a special production method that produces yarn said to provide more body and resilience to mid-weight and bottom-rate fabrics.

Micron (or micrometer): a unit of length, the thousandth part of one millimeter, or the millionth of a meter. This is the unit of measurement employed to designate fiber thickness. One micron is about 1/25,000 of an inch or, expressing it another way, about forty millionths of an inch (0,000039 in).

Micro Pique A pique fabric characterized by a prominent, all-over mini geometric texture on the fabric face and a jersey stitch on the fabric’s back. The softest of all pique fabrics due to the way it is knit.

Milled A woven cloth that has been felted, which is to say that the fabric is heavily fulled then shrunk, so the yarns become closely interlocked. It is almost impossible to distinguish the weave.

Modal British generic fiber category for manufactured cellulose fabrics having a high breaking strength. Often mixed with other fibers.

Mohair Obtained from the angora goat, this is one of the oldest textile fibers. It is both durable and resilient.

Moleskin A heavy, strong fabric woven with coarse, carded yarns. The fabric is made with a short nap and then sheared. The surface is smooth and solid, often suede-like.

NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement. Governs the management of trade between the countries, with a philosophy of promoting North American content.

Napping A finishing process that raises the fibers of a cloth to the surface by means of revolving cylinders. A finish for such fabrics as flannels, wool, broadcloth, etc.

Nip A flaw in a yarn in the form of thin spots in the fiber.

Ombre A pattern, usually a plaid or stripe where one color blends or fades into the next color very gradually.

Ottoman Silk or man-made fiber yarn fabric characterized by a heavy large rounded cord effect in the filling direction of the goods. The filling rib yarn is often cotton, wool or waste yarn, none of these showing on the face or back of the goods since the warp covers the filling in its entirety.

Oxford Cloth A soft, somewhat porous textured cotton weave that creates a soft, nubby texture. Created by weaving a single filling yarn woven over and under two smaller warp yarns.

Paddock A worsted fabric very much like gabardine, made in England. The name probably derives from the fact that clothing made of this fabric was worn in the paddock.

Piece-Dyed Term used when the knitted cloth is dyed prior to being assembled into a finished product.

Pigment A colorant that is permanent in nature when dispersed into the fabric.

Pile A soft furry or velvety raised surface consisting of threads standing out from the surface of fabric or carpet, either singly or as loops, soft down, fur, hair or wool.

Pilling Accumulation of fibers on the surface of a fabric, caused by wear and washing. In 50/50 fabric, cotton fibers tear and become tangled with the stronger fibers on the surface of the garment. A higher cotton content results in less pilling.

Pima Cotton High-quality yarn made by plying yarns spun from long combed staple (meaning the length of the individual fibers). This type of cotton is a very soft and strong fiber that accepts dye well. Its natural color is yellow as opposed to white for other cotton.

Pinpoint Oxford Two fine yarns that are wrapped together for a fine and luxurious hand.

Pinwale A very narrow ridge or rib in a fabric (from 16 to 23 wales to the inch) Example: Pinwale corduroy. PIQUÉ Cotton cloth with raised cords that run in the warp direction.

Piping A narrow tube of fabric, sometimes enclosing a cord, used for trimming seams and edges.

Pique (pronounced pee-kay) A knit fabric that is characterized by its waffle-like appearance. It has a distinct right and wrong side. The right side resembles a Honey Comb or a waffle and the wrong side is flat and smooth. It has a course firm hand and generally uses fine yarns. Sometimes called LaCoste because that company popularized its use

Placket The construction that forms the opening in the front of the shirt, from the neck down, allowing the wearer to put it on and take it off with ease. The slit is usually secured with buttons.

Plain Weave The simplest; most important and most used of all of the hundreds of weaves in the making of textiles. Over 70% of all cloths made each year are made on this simple construction. There is only one plain weave, and it gives a checkerboard appearance. It is made, and repeats, on two warp ends and two filling picks, and is read as “1-up-and-1-down”.

Plain Weave The simplest, most common of all basic weaves, in which a pick or filling yarn passes over the first end or warp yarn, under the second and so continuously. The surface provides a smooth surface for printing

Polyester A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is any long chain synthetic polymer composed at least 85% by weight of an ester of a dihydric alcohol and terephthalic acid.

Polynosic A high-modulus, dimensionally stable rayon staple fiber. It is natural, originating from wood pulp, cellulose and rayon. Finer quality than the regular rayon yarns, it has high resistance to stretching under wet conditions. Used blended with other yarns in modern and sophisticated fabrics.

Polynosic A type of fabric that has a smooth twill texture with a very soft “silk like” feel. This fabric will also protect against 95% of the UV rays from the sun.

Poplin A broad term applied to several fabrics made from various types of yarn. It is identified by a fine rib effect in the filling direction from selvage to selvage. Plain weave used with rib effect made by the use of a warp yarn much finer than filling yarn with a texture or count of two or three times as many ends and picks in the goods

Poplin A medium-to-heavyweight unbalanced plain weave. It is a spun yarn fabric that is usually piece dyed. Made by weaving one weft (vertical) yarn over and under each warp (horizontal) yarn, alternating each row. The filling is cylindrical. Two or three times as many warp as weft per inch.

Post-Cure A type of durable press finish in which the finish is applied to the fabric by the mill, but the garment manufacturer completes the cure of the finish by applying heat, using an oven or press or both to the completed garment.

Pre-Cure A type of durable press finish in which the finish is applied to the fabric and set or cured through the use of heat by the mill, prior to shipment of the fabric to be made into garments.

“Pre-shrunk” Material Pre-shrinking is not about pre-washing the fabric. It is a process where the bolted, uncut fabric is run through rollers containing tiny nubs that press the fabric over the nubs, creating grooves, which condense it. This puckered shrinking effect then allows for real shrinking to occur when washed, without it being detected. Therefore, the fabric – not the shirt – is pre-shrunk before it is even cut and sewn.

Raglan A type of sleeve stitched under the arm and in two parallel lines leading from the armpit to the neck; it makes for ease of arm movement.

Ramie An important bast fiber also known as “rhea” or “china grass”. Ramie resembles flax but it is coarser. The cost of production in making the yarn is high. Ramie has great strength, lustre, body and appearance.

Rayon A manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose in which substituents have replaced no more than 15% of hydrogens of the hydroxyl groups.

Reinforced Placket (X-Box) A square or rectangular sewn area used to strengthen and reinforce the bottom of a placket.

Resin Treatment The addition of thermosetting resins applied in the finishing process, used to control the shrinkage of a fabric and add durable press characteristics.

Rib Knit A stretchy fabric normally used for trim. This stitch is formed by two sets of needles at right angles to each other, which provides more elasticity than jersey knit. The face of the fabric appears to be the same as the backside.

Ring-Spun Cotton, Ring-Spun Yarn Yarn that is reproduced on ring frame equipment. Tends to be a finer yarn with a softer hand when knit

Sailcloth Made of filament nylon or polyester. It is smooth, light, strong, durable and has good resistance to water.

Sateen similar to satin from the construction standpoint. Fabrics have a very smooth lustrous surface effect.

Satin Satin cloths were originally made of silk and simulations but are now made from different types of yarns. The fabric has a very smooth, lustrous face-effect while the back of the material is dull.

Saxony Cloth made of very high-grade wool originally raised in Saxony, Germany. The name is also applied to soft-finished woolen fabrics of similar fine stock, in fancy yarn effects in the order of tweeds.

Scoop Neck A rounded neck, larger than a crewneck, but smaller than a boat neck.

Seamless Collar A collar that is knit in a circle and is set in circular. There are no joining seams on the collar, found in better-made T-Shirts.

Seersucker lightweight cloth made of cotton, nylon, silk and other yarns. Two warps are used, a base warp which lies flat in goods and a warp that becomes crinkled.

Serge Popular staple, diagonal worsted cloth.

Set-In Sleeve A style of sleeve that is sewn into the shoulder, as opposed to the neck. The seam is straight up and down from the shoulder seam to the underarm (as opposed to the neck in raglan sleeves).

Shantung Low in lustre, heavier and rougher than pongee. A plain weave silk in which large irregular filling yarns are used. Also made from several major fibers.

Sharkskin A fine worsted quality fabric made from small color effect weaves or fancy designs, in which the effect noted in the finished cloth resembles the skin of a shark.

Sheared Refers to a towel’s finish. A sheared surface is created clipping the loops on one side of the towel. Sheared terry is often referred to as having a velour finish. The shearing process creates a plush and smooth finish, which is great for printing or embroidery. The weight of the fabric has a big impact on the overall appearance of the shear. A heavier weight fabric enhances the velour appearance because there is more material to shear.

Shearing The operation of leveling the nap on cloth is much used in the woolen and worsted trades as well as in the case of certain cotton fabrics. Shearing regulates the height of the nap or protruding fiber found on the surface of goods.

Sheeting plain weave corded yarn (or combed) cloths in medium and heavy weights. Comfortable wearing fabric. Warp yarns in sheeting are often heavier than the filling yarn.

Shepherd’s Check The shepherd’s check of the Scottish borders is the foundation on which the entire series of district checks rest (similar design to a hounds tooth). The shepherd’s check consists of about a quarter inch of white and a quarter inch of black.

Shetland Suiting fabric made wholly or partly of Shetland wool. The cloth has a raised finish and a rather soft handle. Very popular for suiting and sportswear. (2) A soft knitted fabric made of Shetland wool. (3) Loosely applied to various soft wovens or knits.

Shoulder-to-Shoulder Taping Shoulder seams, as well as neck seam are covered by tape or binding. This reinforces shoulder and neck seams, and reduces separation of the seams.

Shrinkage Rate Approximately 4 – 5 % on most 100 % cotton garments after pre-shrinking or compacting.

Silk The end product of silk moths. The only natural fiber that comes in a filament form; from 300 to 2,000 yards in length as reeled from the cocoon, cultivated or wild.

Singeing A process which smoothes out the surface of a fabric by passing it over gas jets to singe off the protruding fibers.

Single Needle Stitch or Single Needle Tailoring A stitch, requiring a single needle and thread, characterized by its straight-line pathway which provides each seam with twice the strength of a standard seam.
A single-needle shoulder seam has been finished with a visible row of stitching, single needle, for additional reinforcement and fashion. This process takes three times longer than the conventional method, however the seam is flatter, more comfortable and much more durable. Sliver A strand or rope of fibers, which are soft, loose, and untwisted. Obtained from the delivery end of the carding machine in yarn manufacture.

Sofflex Ban-Rol A soft knitted waistband canvas tape, it is a blend of texturized polyester and nylon monofilament yarns with a total crease recovery. It is sewn into the trouser waistband to prevent roll over. It is fully washable.

Soybean Fiber The fiber produced from the soybean is of protein base. It resembles wool in resiliency and feel. It is insulative and has a tensile strength about 80% of that of wool. It excels wool in resistance to alkalies.

Spinning This final operation in yarn manufacture consists of the drawing, twisting and winding of the newly spun yarn onto a device such as a bobbin, spindle, cop, tub, cheese, etc. Spinning requires great care on the part of all the operatives involved. Mule and ring spinning are the two major methods used today and, in addition to being spun on these methods, worsted yarn is also spun on the cap and flyer frame methods of producing finished spun yarns.

Sponging A pre-shrinkage by dampening with a sponge, rolling in moist muslin or steaming, given to woolens and worsted by the cloth maker before cutting to ensure against a contraction of the material in the garment. A popular sponging treatment is “London shrunk”, a cold-water treatment originating abroad that is frequently applied and guaranteed by the cloth manufacturers themselves.

Staple, Staple Length A measurement of a sample of fibers, the longer being the higher quality yarn characterized in a softer more lustrous fiber and the shorter being lower quality or coarser.

Stitches per Inch The measure of sewing stitches in an inch on a seam. The consistency of sewing more stitches per inch provides a flatter, neater seam and makes the seam stronger.

Supima Trademark for a superior type of extra long staple fiber, 1 3/4″ and longer. This is an exceptionally high quality American-Egyptian cotton grown in the southwestern part of the USA.

Supplex A filament nylon fiber, trademark of the Dupont company.

Tactel A filament nylon fiber. Trademark of the Dupont company.

Taping A design feature whereby a piece of fabric is used to cleanly cover a seam. The term is used when referring to shoulder-to-shoulder taping.

Tartan Woolen, worsted or cotton cloth made in plain weave or in a two-up and two-down twill weave. Associated with Scottish clans, the fabric originated in Spain and was called tiritaña. This multi-colored fabric may be conventional or bizarre when made in variations of color effects.

Tasmanian Wool A merino-quality type of wool that comes exclusively from the island of Tasmania, off the coast of Australia. The wool is taken only off the shoulders of the sheep, which produces the finest yarns. This quality of wool is used strictly for super 90′s, super 100′s and super 120′s.

Tattersall A heavy, fancy woolen vesting of “loud appearance” checks, bold effects and gaudy color combinations, often used in suiting and overcoating material.

Tear Strength The force necessary to tear a fabric, usually expressed in pounds or grams.

Teflon Trademark of Dupont. Stain resistant, water repellent finish applied to textiles. This treatment gives the fabric a protective coating (without affecting any of the fabric’s inherent properties).

Tenacity The breaking strength of fiber, filament, yarn, cord, etc. Expressed in force per unit yarn number.

Tencel A miraculous new way of producing fiber from the wood pulp of trees. The trees are grown especially for this purpose on managed tree farms, which replant and reharvest as they cut down. Processed in a natural, non-chemical manner, which is environmentally safe, the use of non-toxic dissolving agents does not pollute the rivers. Fabric is 100% biodegradable. The selected trees are grown on agriculturally poor land and are constantly replenished, so there is no threat to the environment. Tencel was introduced to the world of apparel in 1992 and is the first new fiber introduction in over thirty years. Tencel gives fabrics great color richness, from pale pastels to deep vibrant tones. It also has a subtle lustre found only in luxurious fabrics, and breathes well. Tencel can be finished in a variety of manners to produce unique surface effects. Comfort and strength are two more properties of Tencel. Strength means high wash stability, extremely low shrinkage and good tear resistance, which all add up to a longer lasting garment.

Tinting (1) application of a very light color to material. (2) Application of a fugitive color to yarn for identification purposes. A color is selected that will wash out during subsequent finishing.

Trevira Trademark of Hoechst Celanese. A polyester fiber, in partially oriented yarn, staple and monofilament forms. The term is used often with other qualifiers that sub classify the fabrics.

Tricotine A fine quality cavalry twill.

Tropical Lightweight fabrics used for warm weather wear. The weave is plain, of 1-up 1-down. Tropicals have a clear finish, and high-twist yarns are used to make up for the lack of weight and to provide good performance to consumers. The breathability is especially good for slacks.

Tubular knit A knit shirt or t-shirt with no side seams.

Tussah Name of wild silk raised anywhere in the world. Compared with cultivated or true silk, it is more uneven, coarser and stronger. Difficult to dye or bleach.

Tweed A rough, irregular, soft and flexible, unfinished shaggy woolen named for the tweed river that separates England from Scotland. It is made of a two-and-two twill weave, right-hand or left-hand in structure. Outstanding tweeds include Bannockburn, English, Harris, Irish, Linton, Manx, Scotch and Donegal.

Twill Characterized by a diagonal rib. Twill weaves are used to produce a strong, durable, firm fabric.

Twill Weave Identified by the diagonal lines in the goods. It is one of the three basic weaves, the others being plain and satin. Most twills are 45 degrees in angle. Steep twills are made from angles of 63, 70, and 75 degrees while reclining twills use angles of 27, 20, and 15 degrees.

Two-Ply Yarn Two strands of thread are used to form the yarn that is woven into terry loops.

Upland Cotton The largest part of the world’s cotton crop is of the upland type. It is also used as the standard with which other cotton types are compared.

Velour Thick bodied, close napped, soft type of cloth.

Velvet A warp pile cloth in which a succession of rows of short cut piles stand so close together as to give an even uniform surface; appealing in look and with soft handle. When the pile is more than 1/8″ in height, the cloth is called plush.

Velveteen A filling pile cloth in which the pile is made by cutting an extra set of filling yarns which weave in a float formation and are woven or bound into the back of the material at intervals by weaving over and under one or more warp ends. It is a low pile fabric.

Vicuna Wool The finest hair fiber to be found anywhere in the world; it is twice as fine as the finest merino wool fiber. It is found in small flocks in the almost inaccessible mountain regions of Peru. The animals thrive at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. Since the animal must be killed to obtain its fleece, only a very limited supply is readily available.

Viscose See rayon.

Waistband Lining Trimmings on the inside of dress trousers.

Wale In a knit fabric, the wale is the series of loops formed by one needle that runs lengthwise in the material. In a woven fabric, like corduroy or Bedford cord, the wale is the rib or raised cord that runs lengthwise with the warp.

Warp The yarn that runs lengthwise in a woven fabric. Also called chain or twist.

Weft Yarn that runs widthwise across the fabric. In Britain the word weft is used in the sense of filling.

Woolens Cloth made from woolen yarn but not always 100 percent wool in content. The average woolen has a rather fuzzy surface with a soft texture nap that does not shine with wear. Woolen finish is rather easily recognized on fabrics to determine the difference between this cloth and a worsted material. Fabrics are woven from yarn that has been spun from carded fibers and are not combed parallel prior to spinning as in a worsted yarn. Homespuns, tweeds, overcoatings, blankets, softness, bulk and surface nap are characteristics of woolen cloths where the weave is often invisible because of finishing.

Worsteds A wide range of fabrics are made from worsted yarn and are compactly made from smooth uniform, well-twisted yarns. Little finishing is necessary in these clear surface materials. Plain or fancy weaves are used and the cloth is usually yarn-dyed, but piece-dyed fabrics are also popular. Ideal for summer wear by men and women, some of the fabrics in this fabric family include plain weave worsted, dress goods, gabardine, crepe, serge, tropical, etc.

Woven Fabric constructed by the interlacing of two or more sets of yarns at right angles to each other. Woven Fabric is when yarns are woven in horizontal and vertical positions to form a fabric, usually a rigid fabric.

Wrinkle Free The basic process for imparting the wrinkle free finish into fabric involves applying a resin into the fabric, drying and curing at extremely high temperatures to the desired dimension, scouring to remove any residual chemicals, and final drying.
The application and curing of wrinkle free may occur before or after the garments are produced. “Precured wrinkle free” means that the finish has been applied to the fabric before the garment has been manufactured. Because “postcure wrinkle free” means the finish has been applied after the garment has been manufactured and because it is set into the final, pressed garment, it is more popular.

Yarn A generic term for an assemblage of fibers or filaments, either natural or man-made, twisted together to form a continuous strand that can be used for weaving, knitting, etc.

Yarn-Dyed The dyeing of yarn before weaving or knitting.

Yarn Size/Count A method of expressing the specific length or size of a yarn. The higher the number, the finer the yarn and the lower the number the coarser the yarn.

Yoke Contoured portion of a garment, usually at the shoulder or hip.