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Glossary Of Fabric Terms [28]

A Aba A coarse, often striped, felted fabric from the Middle East, woven from goat or camel hair. A loose-fitting sleeveless garment, made from aba or silk, worn by Arabs.
Abrasion A gradual loss of surface material due to rubbing, scraping, or wear. An abrasion may look like a roughened surface, a matte area, or a group of scratches. It may be done intentionally to smooth or clean a surface or it may be unintentional, resulting in damage.
Abrasion test The act of putting or exposing a material against the elements in order to determine their resistance to scratching under a specified set of conditions. Materials can include metals, composites, ceramics or thick spray coatings (such as the matte UV coatings sprayed on printed canvas). Fabrics are also put under abrasion test as well, to observe their durability, resistance and wear.
Absorbency The ability of a textile material to absorb and retain liquids within its structure.
Acetate Acetate is a synthetic fiber.
Acid dye Dye which is a salt of a sulfuric, carboxylic or phenolic organic acid. In the laboratory, home, or art studio, the acid used in the dye-bath is often vinegar or citric acid. In textiles, acid dyes are effective on protein fibers, i.e. animal hair fibers like wool, alpaca and mohair. They are also effective on silk.
Acrylic Synthetic fibers made from a polymer. First acrylic fibers were created in 1941 and trademarked under the name Orlon. Strong and warm, acrylic fiber is often used for sweaters and tracksuits and as linings for boots and gloves, as well as in furnishing fabrics and carpets. It is manufactured as a filament, then cut into short staple lengths similar to wool hairs, and spun into yarn.
Acrylic fiber Acrylic fiber, a synthetic fiber of polyacrylonitrile.
Aertex A British clothing company based in Manchester, established in 1888, and also the name of the original textile manufactured by the company.
Aida cloth Open, even-weave fabric traditionally used for cross-stitch embroidery. This cotton fabric has a natural mesh that facilitates cross-stitching and enough natural stiffness that the crafter does not need to use an embroidery hoop.
Airdura A synthetic fabric used for motorcycle clothing with summer or warmer riding conditions. The cloth is light and claimed to be "breathable".
Airguard A fabric made of polyamide hollow fibres. Air pockets of the fibres provide heat insulation. The polyamide material ensures a degree of abrasion-proofness and tear-resistance. The fabric is used for motorcycle clothing but is definitely unsuitable as a safe outer material.
Alençon lace A needle lace that originated in Alençon, France in 16th century. UNESCO recognized the unusual craftsmanship of this lace and added it to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in November 2010.
Alnage Formerly the official supervision of the shape and quality of manufactured woollen cloth in England. It was first ordered during the reign of Richard I in the 12th century.
Alpaca An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance. In the textile industry, "alpaca" primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas, but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair, but now often made from similar fibers, such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even high-quality English wool.
Amicor Anti-microbial fibre that is woven inside textile materials to provide protection from the growth of harmful microbes. It is an effective fibre that is versatile and has been designed to protect the entire fabric.
Angora fibre Angora hair or Angora fibre refers to the downy coat produced by the Angora rabbit. While their names are similar, Angora fibre is distinct from mohair, which comes from the Angora goat. Angora fibre is also distinct from cashmere, which comes from the cashmere goat. Angora is known for its softness, thin fibres, and what knitters refer to as a halo (fluffiness). It is also known for its silky texture. It is much warmer and lighter than wool due to the hollow core of the angora fibre. It also gives them their characteristic floating feel.
ANSI The American National Standards Institute. This national group determines the guidelines governing a wide variety of commercially produced goods.
Antique satin Also called satin-back shantung, refers to any five or eight harness satin weave that uses slubbed or unevenly spun yarns in the weft (filling). It is reversible in that one side is satin and other shantung and is used for simulating 17th and 18th century silks and clothing such as blouses, lingerie and evening wear.
Antistatic agent Compound used for treatment of materials or their surfaces in order to reduce or eliminate buildup of static electricity.
Apparel Clothing (also called clothes and attire) is fiber and textile material worn on the body.
Appliqué Ornamental needlework in which pieces of fabric are sewn or stuck on to a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. This technique is very common in some kinds of textiles, but may be applied to many materials. The term originates from the Latin "applicare" and subsequently from the French "appliquer" or "apply". The technique is accomplished either by hand or machine.
Aramid Class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic-rated body armor fabric and ballistic composites, in bicycle tires, and as an asbestos substitute.
Argentan lace Lace produced in Normandy from the 17th century. In Argentan lace each side of every mesh was closely stitched over in buttonhole fashion, giving it a thicker or weightier look. This stitching, combined with impressively dense designs, made Argentan lace a favourite of the French court throughout the mid 18th century.
Argyle Pattern made of diamonds or lozenges. The word is sometimes used to refer to an individual diamond in the design, but more commonly refers to the overall pattern. Most argyle contains layers of overlapping motifs, adding a sense of three-dimensionality, movement, and texture. Typically, there is an overlay of intercrossing diagonal lines on solid diamonds.
Armenian needlelace A pure form of needle lace made using only a needle, thread and pair of scissors. Originates from Armenia.
Asbestos Highly heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics. Its large-scale mining began at the end of the 19th century, when manufacturers and builders began using asbestos for its desirable physical properties:sound absorption, average tensile strength, resistance to fire, heat, electricity, and affordability. However, prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious and fatal illnesses including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
Autoclave A pressure chamber used to carry out industrial processes requiring elevated temperature and pressure different from ambient air pressure. Autoclaves are used in medical applications to perform sterilization and in the chemical industry to cure coatings.