Useful Terms |
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Absorbency
The ability of a fabric to take in moisture. Absorbency is a very important property, which affects many other characteristics such as skin comfort, static build-up, shrinkage, stain removal, water repellency, and wrinkle recovery.
Blend
A term applied to a yarn or a fabric that is made up of more than one fibre. In blended yarns, two or more different types of staple fibres are twisted or spun together to form the yarn. Examples of a typical blended yarn or fabric is polyester/cotton.
Calendering
A process for finishing fabrics in which such special effects as high lustre, glazing, embossing, and moiré are produced.
Carding
A process which eliminates fibres too short for inclusion in the spun yarn. The process also removes dirt and foreign matter still remaining in the fibre mass, and arranges the fibres into a very thin layer.
Colourfastness
A term used to describe a dyed fabric's ability to resist fading due to washing, exposure to sunlight, and other environmental conditions.
Cotton
A unicellular, natural fibre that grows in the seed pod of the cotton plant. Fibres are typically 1/2 inch to 2 inches long. The longest staple fibres, longer than 1 1/2 inch, including the Pima and Egyptian varieties, produce the highest quality cotton fabrics.
Crocking
The rubbing-off of dye from a fabric. Crocking can be the result of lack of penetration of the dyeing agent, the use of incorrect dyes or dyeing procedures, or the lack of proper washing procedures and finishing treatments after the dyeing process.
Denier
A system of measuring the weight of a continuous filament fibre. This measurement is used to number all manufactured fibres (both filament and staple), and silk, but excluding glass fibre. The lower the number, the finer the fibre; the higher the number, the heavier the fibre. Numerically, a denier is the equivalent to the weight in grams of 9,000 meters of continuous filament fibre.
Elasticity
The ability of a fibre or fabric to return to its original length, shape, or size immediately after the removal of stress.
Facing
A piece of fabric that is sewn to the collar, front opening, cuffs, or arms eye of a garment to create a finished look.
Gauge
A measurement most commonly associated with knitting equipment. It can mean the number of needles per inch in a knitting machine. However, in full fashioned hosiery and sweater machines, the number of needles per 1-1/2 inches represents the gauge.
GSM
Gram Square Metre.
Herringbone
A variation on the twill weave construction in which the twill is reversed, or broken, at regular intervals, producing a zigzag effect.
Interlining
An insulation, padding, or stiffening fabric, either sewn to the wrong side of the lining or the inner side of the outer shell fabric. The interlining is used primarily to provide warmth in coats, jackets, and outerwear.
Interlock
The stitch variation of the rib stitch, which resembles two separate 1 x 1 ribbed fabrics that are interknitted. Plain (double knit) interlock stitch fabrics are thicker, heavier, and more stable than single knit constructions.
Jacquard
Woven fabrics manufactured by using the Jacquard attachment on the loom. This attachment provides versatility in designs and permits individual control of each of the warp yarns. Thus, fabrics of almost any type or complexity can be made. Brocade and damask are types of jacquard woven fabrics.
Jersey Fabric
The consistent interlooping of yarns in the jersey stitch to produces a fabric with a smooth, flat face, and a more textured, but uniform back. Jersey fabrics may be produced on either circular or flat weft knitting machines.
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Knit Fabrics
Fabrics made from only one set of yarns, all running in the same direction. Some knits have their yarns running along the length of the fabric, while others have their yarns running across the width of the fabric. Knit fabrics are held together by looping the yarns around each other. Knitting creates ridges in the resulting fabric. Wales are the ridges that run lengthwise in the fabric; courses run crosswise.
Lining
A fabric that is used to cover the inside of a garment to provide a finished look. Generally, the lining is made of a smooth lustrous fabric.
Nylon
Produced in 1938, the first completely synthetic fibre developed. Known for its high strength and excellent resilience, nylon has superior abrasion resistance and high flexibility.
Ottoman
A tightly woven plain weave ribbed fabric with a hard slightly lustered surface. The ribbed effect is created by weaving a finer silk or manufactured warp yarn with a heavier filler yarn, usually made of cotton, wool, or waste yarn. In the construction, the heavier filler yarn is completely covered by the warp yarn, thus creating the ribbed effect. End uses for this fabric include coats, suits, dresses, upholstery, and draperies.
Pill
A tangled ball of fibres that appears on the surface of a fabric, as a result of wear or continued friction or rubbing on the surface of the fabric.
Piqué
A medium-weight fabric, either knit or woven, with raised dobby designs including cords, wales, waffles, or patterns. Woven versions have cords running lengthwise, or in the warp direction. Knitted versions are double-knit fabric constructions, created on multi-feed circular knitting machines.
Polyester
A manufactured fibre introduced in the early 1950s, and is second only to cotton in worldwide use. Polyester has high strength (although somewhat lower than nylon), excellent resiliency, and high abrasion resistance. Low absorbency allows the fibre to dry quickly.
Quilting
A fabric construction in which a layer of down or fiberfill is placed between two layers of fabric, and then held in place by stitching or sealing in a regular, consistent, all-over pattern on the goods.
Reactive Dye
Reactive dyeing is the most permanent of all dye types. Unlike other dyes, it actually forms a covalent bond with the cellulose or protein molecule. Once the bond is formed, what you have is one molecule, as the dye molecule has become an actual part of the cellulose fiber molecule.
Rib Knit
A basic stitch used in weft knitting in which the knitting machines require two sets of needles operating at right angles to each other. Rib knits have a very high degree of elasticity in the crosswise direction. This knitted fabric is used for complete garments and for such specialized uses as sleeve bands, neck bands, sweater waistbands, and special types of trims for use with other knit or woven fabrics. Lightweight sweaters in rib knits provide a close, body-hugging fit.
Rib Weave
One of the plain weave variations, which is formed by using: 1) heavy yarns in the warp or filling direction, or 2) a substantially higher number of yarns per inch in one direction than in the other, or 3) several yarns grouped together as one. Rib fabrics are all characterized by having a slight ridge effect in one direction, usually the filling. Such fabrics may have problems with yarn slippage, abrasion resistance, and tear strength. Examples of this construction include broadcloth, poplin, taffeta, faille, shantung, and cord fabric.
Selvage or Selvedge
The thin compressed edge of a woven fabric which runs parallel to the warp yarns and prevents ravelling. It is usually woven, utilizing tougher yarns and a tighter construction than the rest of the fabric.
Spandex Fibre
A manufactured elastomeric fibre that can be repeatedly stretched over 500% without breaking, and will still recover to its original length.
Warp
In woven fabric, the yarns that run lengthwise and is interwoven with the fill (weft) yarns.
Weft
In woven fabric, the filling yarns that run perpendicular to the warp yarns.
Wickability
The ability of a fibre or a fabric to disperse moisture and allow it to pass through to the surface of the fabric, so that evaporation can take place.
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