| Fabrics |
Weaves |
Characteristics |
Uses |
| Acetate |
|
Soft, crisp feel and durable. |
Clothing, uniforms, lingerie, linings, interlinings. |
| Acrylic |
|
Durable, soft and wooly feel. |
Used as replacement of wool. |
| Alpaca |
Various weaves, knits and weights. |
Fine, silk-like, soft, lightweight, and warm. |
Men's and Women's suits, coats, and sportswear, linings, sweaters. |
| Angora goat |
Various weaves and knitted. |
Smooth, very strong, and high luster. |
Carpet, upholstery, curtain, and automobile cloth. |
| Angora rabbit |
Various weaves and knitted. |
Long, very fine, light weight, extremely warm and fluffy. |
Knit wear - gloves, scarves, sweaters, etc. for children and women. |
| Beaver |
|
Soft, silky, shiny. |
Fur coats, trimming fur and fabric garments. |
| Broadcloth |
Plain weave. |
Closely woven with smooth finish. |
Shirts, dresses, particularly the tailored type in plain colors, blouses, summer wear. |
| Camel hair |
Twill or plain |
Light weight, lustrous and soft. |
Coats, women's suits, sports coats, sweaters, some blankets and put in some very expensive oriental rugs. Also used in (fine) overcoating, topcoating, hosiery and transmission belts. |
| Canvas |
Plain. |
Mostly rugged. |
Hair canvas is an interfacing material in various weights. |
| Cashmere (Kashmir) |
All weaves but mostly plain or twill. All knits. |
Soft, silky and very lightweight. |
Knitted into sweaters for men and women, also women's dresses. |
| Challis |
Plain. |
Soft and very lightweight. |
Women's and children's dresses and blouses, kimonos, neckties, and sportswear. |
| Chiffon |
Plain. |
Lightweight, sheer, and transparent. |
Evening wear, blouses and scarves. |
| Crepe |
Mostly plain but various weaves. |
Crinkled and puckered surface with rough feel and appearance. |
Depending on weight, it is used for dresses of all types, including long dinner dresses, suits, and coats. |
| Damask |
Figured on Jacquard loom. |
Reversible fabric with woven pattern. Sheds dirt. |
|
| Denim |
Twill - right hand - may be L2/1 or L3/1. |
Originally had dark blue, brown or dark gray warp with a white or gray filling giving a mottled look and used only for work clothes. Comes in heavy and lighter weights. |
Pants, caps, uniforms, bedspreads, slipcovers, draperies, upholstery, sportswear. |
| Douppioni |
Plain. |
Irregular with many slubs. It is imitated in rayon and some synthetics |
|
| Drill |
Twill. |
Closer, flatter wales that gabardine. |
Uniforms, work clothes, slip covers, sportswear, and many industrial uses. |
| Flannel |
Usually twill, some plain. |
Soft, with a napped surface that partially cancels the weave. Dull finish. Made in a variety of weights. Shrinks if not pre-shrunk. Sags with wear, unless underlined. Does not shine or hold a crease. |
Blazers, dresses, skirts, suits and coats. Boys suits, jackets, and shirts. |
| Gabardine |
Steep twill |
Clear finish, tightly woven, firm, durable. Wears extremely well. Inclined to shine with wear. Hard to press properly. |
Men's and women's tailored suits, coats, raincoats, uniforms, and men's shirts. |
| Georgette |
Plain. |
It is characterized by it's crispness, body and outstanding durability. It is sheer and has a dull face. |
|
| Herringbone twill |
Twill. |
It is usually created in wool and has varying qualities. |
Suitings, top coatings, sports coats. |
| Houndstooth |
Broken twill weave. |
Weaned into an irregular check of a four pointed star. |
sportcoats, suits. |
| Mohair |
Plain or twill or knitted. |
Smooth, glossy, and wiry. |
Linings, pile fabrics, suitings, upholstery fabrics, braids, dress materials, felt hats, and sweaters. |
| Nylon |
|
Very strong, resistant to both abrasion chemicals. It is elastic, easy to wash and is quite lustrous. It returns easily to it's original shape and is non-absorbent. It is fast drying, resistant to some dyes. |
Women's hosiery, knitted or woven lingerie, socks and sweaters. |
| Organdy |
Plain. |
Made with tightly twisted yarns. Crispness is due to a finish with starch and calendaring which washes out, or a permanent crispness obtained with chemicals. Wrinkles badly unless given a wrinkle-free finish. |
Collars and cuffs, artificial flowers, millinery, summer formals, blouses, aprons. |
| Organza |
Plain. |
Fine, sheer, lightweight, crisp fabric. It has a very wiry feel. It crushes or musses fairly easily, but it is easily pressed. Dressy type of fabric, sometimes has a silvery sheen. |
Evening dresses, trimming, millinery, underlinings for delicate, sheer materials. |
| Oxford |
Plain variations - usually basket 2 x 1. |
Warp has two fine yarns which travel as one and one heavier softly-spun bulky filling which gives it a basket-weave look. Rather heavy. |
Men's shirts mostly. Summer jackets, shirts, skirts, dresses, and sportswear. |
| Polyester |
|
It is lightweight, strong and resistant to creasing, shrinking, stretching, mildew and abrasion. It is readily washable and is not damaged by sunlight or weather and is resistant to moths and mildew. |
Vary, depending on blend. |
| Pongee |
Plain. |
Light or medium weight. |
Dresses, blouses, summer suits. |
| Rayon |
|
It¹s drapability and dyeability are excellent and it is fairly soft. Rayon does have a tendency to shrink but does not melt in high temperatures. It is resistant to moths and is not affected by ordinary household bleaches and chemicals. |
Clothing, hose. |
| Sateen |
Sateen filling-face weave. |
Lustrous and smooth with the sheen in a filling direction. Better qualities are mercerized to give a higher sheen. |
Dresses, sportswear, robes, pajamas. |
| Satin |
Satin. |
Usually has a lustrous surface and a dull back. Made in many colors, weights, varieties, qualities, and degrees of stiffness. |
Slips, evening wear, coats, capes, and jackets, lining fabrics, millinery. |
| Spandex |
|
It is lightweight and flexible. It resists deterioration from perspiration, detergent and body oils. It is characterized by it¹s strength and durability. |
Athletic wear and foundation garments. |
| Taffeta |
Usually plain with a fine cross rib. |
It is smooth with a sheen on its surface. The textures vary considerably. They have a crispness and stiffness. |
Dressy evening wear: suits and coats, slips, ribbons, blouses, dresses. |
| Tussah |
Usually plain but also in twill. |
It is coarse, strong, and uneven. Dull lustre and rather stiff. Has a rough texture with many slubs, knots, and bumps. |
In lighter weights, dresses. In heavier weights, coats and suits and ensembles. |
| Velour |
Thick, plush pile, with a plain or satin ground, or sometimes knitted. |
The pile is characterized by uneven lengths (usually two) which gives it a rough look. The two lengths of pile create light and shaded areas on the surface. A rather pebbled effect. |
Dressing gowns, dresses, waist-coats. |
| Velvet |
Pile, made with an extra warp yarn. |
velvet may be crush resistant, water resistant, and drapes well. Has to be handled with care, and pressed on a velvet board. |
Eveningwear, at home wear. |
| Voile |
Plain, loosely woven. |
Sheer and very light weight. To obtain a top quality fabric, very highly twisted yarns are used. Voile drapes and gathers very well. |
Dresses, blouses. |
| Wool |
|
It is very resilient and resistant to wrinkling. It is renewed by moisture and well known for it's warmth. |
Clothing, blankets, winter wear. |
