There is a great new book out for those looking to get inspired and see a little of illustration's history. "100 Years of Fashion Illustration" shows various artists and styles over the decades... real eye candy. It will inspire you to get drawing!
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Textile dictionary
- Abrasion: the wearing away of any part of the material by rubbing
- Acetate: Usually a filament form organic chemical fiber. Aesthetic characteristics : crisp hand and high luster, Oftern woven into lightweight taffeta as lining or more densely as "tri-acetate" in suitings
- Acrylic: a polymer fiber that is soft and wool-like.
- Alpaca: a cousin of the llama from south america, it's long lustrous and elastic fleece is taken from it's sides, rump and chest.
- Angora: (mohair) the hair of an Angora goat considered part of the wool family. Also the term for the fur of an angora rabbit. Angora rabbits are a special breed originally from North Africa and France but now raised in Great Britain. The rabbit is clipped combed or plucked once a year.
- Barre: unintentional repetitive visual pattern in fabric
- basketweave: variation of a plain weave in which 2 or more yarns weave alike
- Batik: a method of resist dying that uses wax as the resist area. Originated in Indonesia
- Batiste:Originally a sheer linen fabric named for the French weaver Jean Baptiste in the 13th century. It is now more often woven in fine cottons or polyesters.
- Bayard: aBritish term for plain weave, cotton fabric with gaily colored stripes.
- Block Printing: A hand printing process in which designed are carved on to wood, metal or linoleum blocks. one block for each color.
- Boucle : derived from a French word meaning curled. Boucle yarns can be woven or knit.
- Brocade: Rich, heavy, jacquard woven fabric with raised floral or figured pattern emphasized by contrasting surfaces or colors.
- Calico: small busy printed patterned plain weave cotton. Originally from India in the 17th century (name derives from calicut or Calcutta)
- Cashmere: fine, soft, downy wool undergrowth produced by cashmere goats raised in Kashmir region of India/ Pakistan, Tibet, Mongolia and China and Iran.
- Chambray: Derived from the town of Cambrai in France, this is a broad class if plain weave, yarn-dyed fabrics with a colored warp and a white weft. Can also be made striped, checked and patterned.
- Chenille: Derived from French for "caterpillar" a special yarn with pile on all sides.
- Chintz: Derived from the Hindustani word "chitta" meaning spotted cloth. First popular from India in the 17th century then copied by Europe and America, this is a plain weave, printed or solid color glazed cotton most often used in home furnishings.
- Cloque: A French term for blistered. A name used to describe any fabric whose surface has a raised or blistered pattern
- Cotton: it's a plant.. you know this. what you may not know: the term is derived from the Arabic "qutn" or "qutun" which means cotton. Cultivation of cotton plants dates back as far as sometime before the third millennium B. C. E. in India. It first appeared in Europe during the classical period of ancient Greece and also used in Egypt as early as 700 B.C. Cotton remained rather rare in Europe until trade dramatically increased with India in the 17th century. Cotton was also cultivated in pre-Columbian America by ancient Peruvians.
- Covert: A medium to heavy weight suiting or topcoat fabric with a diagonal twill.
- Crepe: Twisted or texured yarns knitted or woven together to give a crinkled or grainy surface.
- Crochet: from the French work for "hook", known in Europe as early as the 16th century made first by nuns in convents.
- Damask: Originally a silk jacquard of floral design brought from China to Europe through Damascus (where the name came from).. now many in almost any fiber. the pattern is distinguised from the ground by contrast of color or shine.
- Denim: Basic cotton woven in a 2/1 or 3/1 warp faced right hand twill. The term denim was derived from the French "serge de nimes" , a twill fabric made in Nimes.
- Donegal Tweed: Thick heavy to medium weight woolen tweed originally from Donegal, Ireland. Distinguished by a one color warp and multicolored weft
- Duck: a broad term for a wide range of strong, firm plain weave fabrics (used as sails, awnings, tents) can also be called canvas. The term Duck comes from mid 19th century when most fabric of this kind were imported from England and Scotland and bore the trademark stencil picturing a duck.
- Faille: a flat-ribben fabric with light luster made with heavier yarns in the filling and finer yarns in warp
- Felt: Made since ancient times, felt is a non woven blend of matted materials made into a flat sheet by pressure, heat and moisture. Best grades of Hat felt include rabbit & beaver fur.
- Filament: a fiber of indefinite or extreme length (silk filaments are 300 to 1400 yards). Filaments yarns are generally therefore stronger than the other type of shorter fibers (Staple).
- Flannel: Derived from the Welsh word gwlanen which means wool, a light to medium weight plain or twill weave fabric with slightly napped surface.
- Foulard: a lightweight , lustrous fabric made with a two up / two down twill. used alot in men's ties
- Gaberdine: tightly woven, warp faced, distinct, raised twill
- Georgette: sheer, lightweight fabric in plain weave with slight crepe surface.
- Gossamer: a fine, very sheer, soft silk gauze.
- Greige: Fabric that has received no preparation, dyeing or finishing treatment.
- Habutai: soft, lightweight plain weave silk (or synthetic version).
- Harris Tweed: Defined by the british Board of Trade and the US Fed. Trade Com. as referring only to woolen fabrics hand woven on the islands of the Outer Hebrides (off the northern coast of Scotland)
- Hemp: a coarse, stong, lustrus fiber obtained from the inner bark of the hemp plant
- Herringbone: also Herringbone twill: a type of weave where the twill pattern alternates between left hand and right hand directions.
- Houndstooth: a pointed check effect produced by 2 up /2 down twill and yarns of contrasting color in groups of 4 in both the warp & weft.
- Ikat: a resist form of fabric decoration. Derived from the Malaysain word mengikat meaning to tie and dye. The idea is to tie and dye the yarns prior to weaving. then when woven the yarns create a pattern
- Jacquard: a system of weaving various designs in a wide range of scales. The jacquard loom was invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in France during the early 19th century.
- Lace: defined as an openwork fabric produced by a network of threads twisted and knotted to form pattern. Variations include: Battenberg Lace, Chantilly lace, Cluny Lace, Chemical lace, and many more... During the 16th century lacemaking took an important economic role as an industry in Europe.. the advent of machinery for making lace came in 1808 in Nottingham England. In 1813 John Leavers improved the achine and the "Leaver's lace" became the basis for the American and European lace industries.
- Lame: any fabric woven with flat metallic yarns (similar to tinsel) that form a ground or pattern.
- Linen: One of the oldest textile fibers known, it was mentioned in the Bible and was known to be used in ancient Egypt and Iran as far back as 5000BC. In some form the word Linen appears in every european language both modern and ancient. By the middle ages, linen was a predominant fiber used in Europe. By the 18th century when cotton became widely available, linen use declined.
- Madras: Fine cotton, handloomed (often dyed in rich vegetable dyes and patterns) from the Madras region of India.
- Matelasse: From the French meaning "cushioned" or "padded".A double or compound fabric that gives the look of a quilted pattern by interlacing warp & weft yarns to attach the 2 layers in a way that create a pattern.
- Merino: A wool specifically from the Merino sheep, famous for it's very fine, dense wool. Considered the top quality of fleece.
- Modal: a variation of Rayon fiber with greater resistance to deformation when wet.
- Mohair: see Angora.
- Moire: A French word that means "watered". A finishing process a wavy or rippling pattern with engraved rollers that press the deign into the fabric.
- Muslin: A large group of firm, plain weave cotton or cotton blend fabrics. Often used as a cheap fabric for draping on dress forms by designers when creating a garment's pattern in order to save cutting into the actual more expensive fabric they intend to use. According to Marco Polo at the end of the 13th century, "fabrics made of gold and silver thread" were called "mosolin"
- nap: an array of fiber ends protruding from the surface of one or both sides of a fabric, giving a fuzzy appearance (Velvet, Corduroy). Depending on the direction the fabric, the nap can catch the light and make the fabric appear lighter or darker. When creating a garment a designer would need to specify "nap up" or "nap down" for desired final look.
- Nylon: a generic fiber category defined as a manufactured fiber from various types of carboxylic aid and Amine monomers. Nylon was created for DuPont Co. and was one the 1st synthetic fiber to be marketed (1938). Characteristics: High strength, elasticity, abrasion, rot and mildew resistant, low water absorption, quick drying and resistance to chemicals.
- Ottoman: A firm, lustrous plain weave fabric with horizontal cords that are larger and rounder than a Faille
- Oxford: usually cotton, a plain or basket weave ,coarse count fabric using twice as many warp yarns to the soft weft filling. An important shirting fabric originally made in Scotland in the late 19th century and named after the school.
- Panama: a plain weave summer suiting made of cotton warp and worsted filling weft.
- Panne Velvet: a lightweight, high shine velvet where the nap (or "pile") has been pressed in one direction.Known since the middle ages, French laws were even passed about acceptable fibers and weave as panne became a central industry in Paris.
- Piece Dyed: Fabrics that have been dyed after they have been woven or knitted (as opposed to Yarn dyed)
- Pima Cotton: Variety of American-Egyptian cotton. The name originates from Pima County, Arizona.
- Pique: Generally, a cotton double cloth in a variety of patterns.
- Plisse: a cotton fabric treated with a sodium hydroxide solution that shrinks part of the cloth to create a puckered or crinkled effect
- Polyester: a generic fiber category for a manufactured fiber made of hydrocarbon chains joined to ester groups. Characteristics: crease resistant, quick drying, shape retention, high strength, abrasion resistance.
- Poplin: a durable, plain weave fabric (often cotton shirtings) with finer warp yarns than weft yarns.
- Ramie: a bast fiber yielded by the inner bark of the "boehmeria" plant. Produced mainly in China, Brazil and the Philippines
- Rayon: a generic fiber category for a manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose as well as manufactured fibers composed of regenerated cellulose in which substituents have replaced not more than 15 percent of the hydrogens. Originally known as "artificial silk", rayon is characterized by high absorbency, bright or dull luster, soft hand, good draping and the ability to be dyed in bright colors. Variations have been developed (see Modal) that partially overcome the tendency to wrinkle and stretch out when wet.
- Rib: a straight raised cord or ridge extended across the length or width of a fabric's surface. can also be diagonal (twill)
- Roller Printing: Printing fabric by passing them over engraved copper cylinders. more suited to long print runs than rotary printing. Some machine can print up to 16 colors in one pass.
- Rotary Screen Printing: a technique for printing that utilizes perforated metal (nickel) round cylinders as screens. each color in the print will have it's own cylinder screen. the color paste is fed into the cylinder, a small metal roller forces the color paste throught he holed and onto the fabric moving underneath. Rotary printing is faster than flat screen printing and changing colors is more economical than roller printing.
- Sand wash: Garment or fabric washing technique in which sand or another abrasive substance is used in the wash bath to achieve a softer hand and slightly faded appearance.
- Sateen: a cotton or cotton blend fabric made with a satin weave.
- Satin: Term originated from the town Zaytoun (Canton, now Guangzhou), a port of China from which these fabrics were exported during the Middle Ages. A smooth generally lustrous fabric with a thick, close texture made of silk or silk like yarn woven in a warp faced way so that the floating face yarns catch the light and give a lustrous smooth hand.
- Screen Printing: printing by blocking out a pattern on a flat mesh screen and pushing color though the unblocked areas onto the fabric. Each color has it's own screen. Flat bed printing is good for large prints but is very slow.
- Seersucker: Cotton fabric with a permanent woven crinkle stripe in the warp direction.
- Selvage: Narrow edge portion of fabric parrallel to the length that is often made with stronger yarns and in closer construction than body to prevent damage to fabric.
- Shantung: a rough plain weave fabric made of uneven yarns to produce a textured effect. Usually of silk and from China and India.
- Sharkskin: a four harness 2 up / 2 down weave that, for example, has a white and black yarns up / white and black yarns down giving a 2 tone effect with a dull luster.
- Silk: Protein filament produced by the larvae of various insects but esp. the moth caterpillars as they create their cocoons. Most silk used comes from the silkworm moth Bombyxmori. The silk filament is loosened from the cocoon and softened by immersion in warm water and reeled off. To attain a softer silk the filaments are steeped in a boiling soap solution to remove natural "gum" from the filaments. Silk's history: Chinese mythology gives princess, Si Ling-chi (2,650 BC) credit for discovery of the process of unwinding silk from cocoons, saying in the story that a cocoon fell from a tree into her hot tea cup. Archaeological evidence confirms the use of silk in China back to this time period. Silk in Europe started at about 550 CE in Constantinople, supposedly as a result of smuggling mulberry seeds and silkworm eggs out of China by former missionaries. By the 14th and 15th Century silk had spread and Italy gained a reputation for developing very fine silks. Slightly later, France and England followed. Attempts to introduce silk into the U.S. as an industry were never really successful. Silk fiber production remains to this day a great deal of hand labor, so the counties that remain the main producers of silk are those with large labor pools willing to work hard for low wages. Most silk comes from China.
- Slub: a thick, unevenly twisted place in yarn which can be both deliberate (shantung) or accidental.
- Spandex: a generic fiber category for a manufactured fiber similar to rubber in it's elasticity and elongation. "Lycra" is a branded name for one variation of spandex (the same way Ibook is to Computer))
- Staple: synonym for Fiber. a term used to indicate lengths of a fiber that require spinning to create yarn.
- Stone Washing: A method of achieving certain color effects on textiles or garments using pumice stones or other abrasive media. Stones may be soaked in sodium hypochlorite or potassium permanganate to produce a bleaching effect. the stones are tumbled vigorously with a load of dyed garments (jeans esp) in a special washing machine without water.
- Taffeta: a fabric made from a plain weave ad has a fine, crisp, smooth hand and lustrous face. Usually has a finer warp yarn and slightly thicker weft yarn. The term was derived from the Persian "taftah" which was the term in the 16th century for fine plain weave silks for women.
- Tartin: Originally a twisted woolen or worsted plaid worn by Scottish highlanders as shalls and /or kilts. each clan having it's own distinctive colors and pattern. The word is derived from the Gallic "tarstin" meaning "across".
- Toile de jouy: a floral or scenic design on cotton, linen or silk. In the late 18th century a German, Christopher Philip Oberkampf, was the first to achieve much success in Europe in imitating the very popular printed cottons coming in from India. His factory in Jouy, near Versailles, then became famous for the type of printed fabric and so Jouy became part of the name.
- Tulle: a fine, machine-made net with a hexagonal mesh of silk, cotton or manufactured fiber. Named for the French city Tulle.
- Tussah: a strong, coarse, light brown silk produced by various undomesticated Asiatic silkworms (filaments are more irregular and dull).
- Tweed: a class of rough wool fabrics with a wiry, somewhat hairy surface but soft, flexible texture. Can be made of wool or manufactured fibers. Today most tweeds are machine-made (with the exception of Harris).
- Twill: or twill weave: a basic characteristic created by a diagonal rib running upward from left to right on the surface of a fabric.
- Velour: From the French word meaning velvet, usually a knitted fabric that mimics velvet.
- Velvet: a warp pile fabric with short, closely woven cut pile that gives the fabric a rich, soft texture.
- Velveteen: a cotton or cotton blend version of velvet. Can not be called "cotton velvet" because of the difference in construction to true velvet. Velvet has a warp pile vs. weft pile in velveteen.
- Warp: the yarn that runs lengthwise in the fabric (top to bottom) - trick- remember the A in warp as pointing up.
- Weft: the yarn in a fabric that runs side to side or selvage to selvage. Trick- remember the E In weft as pointing to the side. Can also be called "filling"
- Wool: fibers from the fleece of a sheep or lamb and the undercoat hair of the angora goat or cashmere goat. Wool is distinguished from "hair" because the latter is more coarse, stiff and unable to spin or felt. Sheep appear to have been domesticated as far back as 7000 BC... the 1st wool fibers found date back to the 4th millennium. Romans began to crossbreed sheep to improve flocks in 200BC. These sheep were the progenitors of the Spanish merino sheep. England became the greatest wool producing country in Europe because 1) the tradition of sheep keeping dated back to pre-roman times 2) William the Conqueror brought skilled Flemish weavers in 1066 3) Henry II in the late 12th century supported the wool industry and saw it's potential 4)Edward III of the 14th century brought in weavers and dyers from Flanders to make it become a major textile industry.
- Worsted: A spinning process that produces compact, strong and smooth yarns in wools, and various other fibers.
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About Me
- JMK
- New York
- A fan of fashion and a designer in the industry since 1994... I decided to start a blog to share some of what I know to help others. I don't profess to know everything but when you start out a little help is always handy.