Encyclopaedia
In this section you will find a selection of the most important textile terms. If you are looking for a definition which we don’t provide here, please use the contact form – we will be happy to help you.
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Acetate
Acetate is a chemical fibre on vegetable basis. Fabric made from acetate does not crinkle or run in and shows a silk-like quality. It is mainly used to manufacture underwear, linings, dresses, blouses and ties.
Additives
Additives are added to products in tiny quantities to achieve or improve certain qualities. Additives are supposed to either influence the production process, the storage or the processing in a positive way. Most of the time, additives are optimised for the respective field of use: For example, additives in fuel have to have hydrophobic qualities, while biocides in water cycles normally are hydrophilic in nature. Along with specific qualities, additives have to meet the following requirements:- Environmental compatibility
- Minimal health hazard
- High efficiency
- Great degree of stability
- Specific activity
- Possibly a long-term effect (e.g. with screening agents)
- No negative impact
Alpaca
Alpaca is the wool of the South-American alpaca of the same name; its qualities resemble that of sheep wool. Its shiny hair is particularly fine and soft. Alpaca wool is high-quality, very durable and primarily used in the manufacturing of first-class knitwear. Since alpaca wool is fairly rare, textiles made from this material are rather expensive.
Angora
Angora is the name of the wool made from hair of the Angora rabbit. It is particularly smooth, fluffy and soft and has warming qualities. Angora is mainly made into clothes used for healing and promoting health (beneficial to rheumatism!).
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Bast fibres
Bast fibres are natural fibres derived from the stem of plants. The best-know bast fibres are linen and jute. Other plant-based natural fibres such as cotton and coconut are obtained from the fruit of the plants.Barrier layers
Barrier layers are supposed to protect the respective surface or the products underneath the surface from any harmful influence. The protection can be directed at any kind of environmental impact (e.g. solar radiation) or process-related impact (e.g. aggressive acids and bases).Batiste
Batiste is a very thin-threaded fabric which most often is manufactured from cotton or delicate blended yarns. Due to its delicate structure and transparent quality the fabric is used for fine lingerie and exquisite blouses or shirts.Boucle
Boucle is a soft so-called hairy yarn made from irregular loop fibres. Most often, it is made into eye-catching textiles with a pronounced structure (curly surface). In the world of fashion boucle is currently a must-have.Brocade
Brocade is a heavy, strong and frequently richly patterned silk or rayon fabric with gold or silver threads woven into it. Even today, the production of brocade is still quite time-consuming so that this precious fabric is mostly used only as an exquisite material for furniture and wallpapers as well as for extravagant clothes and shoes.
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Cashmere
Cashmere is a fabric made from the rare wool of the cashmere goat whose wool can be obtained only once a year and which constitutes the most precious quality of wool. Cashmere is incredibly soft, light-weight and cuddly. Mainly used in combination with merino wool, it is made into high-quality pullovers, coats, costumes and suits.Cellulose fibres
Even though viscose, modal, lyocell, cupro, acetate and triacetate are called „natural fibres“ on the market, these fabrics are actually made from synthetic fibres. They are produced from the raw material cellulose found in wood, with the wood being broken up in tedious chemical-industrial manufacturing processes to extract cellulose. The pasty cellulose mass is squeezed through thin nozzles and solidifies to a thin thread in the air (acetate) or in sulphuric acid (viscose).Charmeuse
This term refers to a special tricot fabric which most of the times is made from polyamide, sometimes also from viscose. Since this fabric is ladder-proof and form-resistant, it is mainly used for nightshirts and bodices.Chenille
Chenille is a soft fancy yarn with protruding pile. Due to its velvety structure chenille is frequently used in stylish knitwear for women.Chiffon
Chiffon is an extremely delicate, transparent, veil-like fabric the surface of which shows a fine, irregular structure. Chiffon is mainly used in the production of scarves, blouses and exquisite nightwear. Most of the time it is made from endless synthetic fibre yarns so that despite its delicate character it becomes durable and allows for an optimum wearing comfort.Cloque
The term cloque refers to a stylish fancy fabric with a puckered or blistered effect. A slightly contracted underfabric combined with a taffeta-like upperfabric which forms “blisters” make for the so-called “blister fabric”. This fabric is often used in elegant evening gowns and blazers.Cord
Cord is a fabric ripped longitudinally with a velvety surface. Being highly durable, cord fabrics are often used in the manufacturing of trousers and jackets.Cotton
Cotton is the most important and most widespread fabric used worldwide. Cotton can absorb dampness with up to 20% of its own weight without feeling wet. Cotton is mainly grown in China, North America, Russia, India and Egypt, with Egyptian cotton being particularly appreciated due to its very special quality. Cotton is used for all kinds of textiles (clothes, home textiles, etc.). In addition, cotton hardly retains any electrostatic charge, can be washed and ironed hot (to improve hygiene), can be bleached to white as well as dyed easily.Crinkle
Crinkle fabrics are made from cotton, silk or synthetic fibres, their special trademark being the crinkled look which is the result of a special heat treatment. The best thing about this type of fabric is that it requires no ironing at all!Crêpe
All types of fabric with a more or less grained surface appearance are called crêpe. The irregular structure of this fabric is due to the mixed-twist crêpe yarns. Crêpe is primarily used in costumes, blazers and blouses.Cupro
Cupro is a cellulose fibre made from regenerated cotton in the course of a copper process. Fabrics containing cupro have the fantastic look, soft fall and strong grip of washed silk. In addition, they boast the easy care qualities of modern synthetic fibres, i.e. they can easily be machine-washed and hardly crinkle. Since the manufacturing of cupro is hard on the environment, this fibre is hardly manufactured in Europe. Cupro is mainly used for elegant, silk-like textiles.
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Dart
A stitched tapering fold in a garment to adapt the piece of clothes to the exact shape of the body. Darts are frequently used in the area of the chest, waist and hips.Denim
Denim is a cotton fabric known for its enormous wear resistance. Thus, it is primarily used in the manufacturing of jeans wear. Different types of washing (e.g. stone-washed) of the finished pieces of clothes make for their special look.Diffusion barriers
Those are a typical field of use of barrier layers which are to prevent the permeation of the substrate with liquid or gaseous media or of certain wavelengths of light.Dralon
Dralon is a synthetic acrylic fibre produced by BAYER; it is easy to care for and highly durable. If other fibres such as wool are mixed with dralon, the resulting products benefit from easier care and a higher degree of wearing comfort.Dunova
Dunova is a synthetic acrylic fibre produced by BAYER. Also called “climate fibre”, Dunova can absorb humidity with up to 35% of its own weight and dries about one third faster than natural fibres. Thus, Dunova is put to use in the manufacturing of high-quality sports wear, underwear and knit wear.
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Faconné
Faconné is a fabric characterized by a very fine Jacquard pattern. Different bindings when weaving the yarns make for the particularly pleasant colours of this fabric. Faconné is used in costumes, blazers and suits.Flax
Flax is one of the oldest useful plants of mankind. Being very robust, there is no need for pesticides which would pollute the environment. Fibre flax is harvested when the green of the plant starts to turn yellow – it is of this “stem bast” that the natural fibre of flax is obtained.Flannel
Flannel is a classical woven material which is either made from cotton, wool, or viscose. Thanks to its napped surface on one or both sides this fabric is particularly soft, warm and cuddly. Flannel is mainly used for sports wear, night wear and bed sheets.Fleece
Fleece is a polyester fibre which absorbs hardly any humidity, is very durable and easy to care for. For these reasons this fabric is used extensively for sports wear and casual wear which has to be, first and foremost, functional. In winter fleece is great for its dense, warm fluffiness, while in summer it is worn in a much lighter form.
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Gabardine
Gabardine is a durable fabric made from wool or cotton with angular ribs. Due to its dense and durable quality gabardine is mainly used for dresses, suits and coats.Glaze
Glaze refers to all measures used to prepare the textiles for a specific purpose (e.g. impregnating, moth protection, etc.).Gore-Tex
Gore-Tex fabric is made up of an extremely thin membrane which transports humidity to the outside, but prevents rain or wind from entering the fabric. It is these perfect climatic qualities which make Gore-Tex a widely used fabric for high-quality sports wear, outdoor wear and workwear.
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Hemp
Hemp is a very versatile useful plant which today is being increasingly used in the clothing industry. As a natural fibre hemp is similar to linen, its use and care are similar to that of cotton. Hemp fibres show a tremendous abrasion resistance. Hemp is not very elastic, retains hardly any electrostatic charge, is cool and can absorb huge amounts of humidity without feeling damp, but dries only slowly. Hemp fabrics yellow under strong sunlight and crinkle even more than cotton.
III
Intelligent workwear
Intelligent workwear (also called Smart Fibres) refers to fabrics with new characteristics which can adjust to external conditions (e.g. heat, pulse frequency, humidity, etc.).
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Jacquard
All fabrics with a binding pattern are summed up under the term jacquard. The patterns stem from a rather complex control of the warp threads while weaving. This high-quality type of patterning was named after J.M. Jacquard who in 1805 developed a special weaving machine which also allowed for the manufacturing of fairly complex patterns.Jersey
Jersey is an elastic, soft fabric with an unobtrusive rib structure. Thanks to the high degree of elasticity it fits perfectly and is very comfortable to wear. Initially used only for underwear, today jersey is widely used in feminine women’s wear.
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Lamb wool
Lamb wool refers to the wool obtained from the first shearing of young lambs which is particularly soft and fine. Lamb wool is primarily used for fine knitwear (also in combination with other fibres) and is often mixed with other fibres. Products made from lamb wool are high-quality and thus expensive; they are not very durable and need to be cared for properly.Linen
Linen is a fabric obtained from flax fibre yarns. It is extremely strong and durable, cool to the touch and retains little warmth. Moreover, linen can absorb a lot of humidity, is permeable to air, anti-electrostatic and moth-resistant. Linen tends to crinkle greatly and to lose its form. Along with wool and silk, linen is one of the oldest and most natural textile fabrics.Linen label
The Linen label is proof of the use of 100 percent linen in the product. To identify linen, there is the linen label which for clothes is grey. It guarantees that the given product is manufactured of 100 percent linen. The typical structure of linen can be achieved by adding just a few percentage points of this fibre or through a certain kind of processing of cotton. The proper care is extremely important for this fibre.Linon
Linon is a fine-threaded, bleached and light-weight fabric made from linen or cotton. The glaze makes for the linen-like look of the fabric. Its smooth and dense surface is typically of high-quality linon. Linon is used primarily in bed sheets.Loden
Loden is a heavy and durable fabric made from so-called carded yarns. It is often produced in several production steps by rolling and napping of the fabric. Thanks to this specific manufacturing process loden is apt to withstand all kinds of weather. Loden is mainly used in liveries and country house style fashion as well as in coats.Lurex
Lurex is a shiny fancy yarn made from metallized fibres which are mainly used in high-range evening dresses, stylish blazers, costumes and blouses.Lycra
Lycra is the registered name of the high-quality spandex fibre manufactured by DuPont. This synthetic fibre ensures permanent elasticity as well as an optimum fit of the clothes.Lyocell
This rather new cellulose fibre offers a great advantage over viscose: its production is much more environment-friendly. Lyocell is mainly used in lingerie, clothes and home textiles.
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Melange
The term melange refers to a fabric made from different yarns; these are coloured already before being spun. This results in a washed-out pattern with several shades of colour. Stylish melange is primarily used in sports wear, casual wear and outdoor wear.Merino wool
Merino is the name of the delicate and extremely soft wool of the sheep of the same name. This high-quality wool is very elastic and has a smooth and shiny surface. It is mostly used in fine pullovers, blazers and costumes as well as in all kinds of high-range knitwear.Microfibre
Microfibre is a high-tech fibre (mostly made from polyester). A typical microfibre fabric withstands wind and rain which cannot permeate the fibres, while humidity is transported to the outside. Therefore microfibre is a preferred fabric for outdoor and sports wear.Modal
Modal is a chemical fibre obtained from the wood of beeches and spruces and is a further development of viscose. Fabrics made from modal are tearproof and durable, hardly crinkle, keep their form and dry quickly. In addition they feel nice and soft. Tablecloths and bed sheets, dresses, blouses, shirts and nightwear are often made from modal.Mohair
Mohair is the name of the fine, fluffy and long-haired wool of the Angora goat. It feels pleasantly light and soft on the skin. Mohair is used for exquisite (and therefore rather expensive) pullovers and scarves; these products are very delicate and require proper care.Moiré
Moiré is a fabric with shiny patterns which result from a complex process of horizontally ripped taffeta fabrics. The moiré effect (the shimmering pattern remindful of peacock feathers) stays on best on non-swelling synthetic fibres such as acetate.Muslin
Muslin is a light-weight, smooth and soft fabric, in its highest quality made from pure silk but also manufactured from cotton, wool or viscose. The fabric quality shows a soft, extremely fine fluff on the surface. Since muslin fabrics are particularly light-weight and airy, they are often used for summer wear.
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Nano materials
Nano materials comprise "punctiform" structures (nano particles, nano capsules, cluster or molecules), "linear” structures (nano fibres, nano tubes, nano ditches) as well as extremely thin layers. The optical, electrical and magnetic qualities as well as the grade, viscosity or melting point of nano materials differ greatly from the qualities of macroscopic solid bodies.Nanometer (nm)
A nanometer is a billionth of a meter (10-9 m) and approximately 50,000 times thinner than an average hair of a human being.Nano parts
Nano parts or nano particles refer to a composite of just a few up to some thousand atoms or molecules. The name refers to their size which typically is about a few nano meters. Small nano parts with less than 1,000 atoms are frequently referred to as a cluster.New wool
The term “pure new wool” refers to wool which was obtained without any additions directly from shearing the living animals, was spun or felted only once and is not damaged in the fibres. If these criteria are met, the International Wool Secretariat allows the manufacturer to use the woolmark logo and the description “pure new wool”. Pure new wool is available depending on the processing and type of wool in very fine qualities (e.g. Extra Fine Merino) or in rustic qualities (for thick, hand-knitted pullovers, rugs, etc.). Pure new wool is breathable and restores the body temperature, i.e. it cools you in the summer and warms you in the winter.Nylon
This synthetic fibre made from polyamide, which can be manufactured in a particularly fine quality, has been used extensively in the world of fashion since the 1950s. Nylon is particularly easy to care for, durable, tearproof, does not crinkle and dries quickly. It is thus ideally suited for sportive as well as elegant clothes.OOO
Organza
Organza is a delicate, transparent fabric made from natural and synthetic fibres. Intricate manufacturing processes see to it that this light-weight and precious fabric is very stiff. It is mainly used for puffed up or draped evening gowns for women.PPP
Pique
Pique is a double fabric material with a waferlike or grainy surface which feels very nice on the skin and is highly absorbant due to its special structure. It is for these qualities that pique is used mainly in shirts, blouses, home textiles for sauna and bath towels. In addition there is the knitted pique, the typical material of classical polo shirts.Polyacrylic
Polyacrylic is a synthetic fibre famous for its elasticity, no-crinkle-qualities, and light and weather resistance. Polyacrylic fibres feel a bit like wool and can be used in all kinds of clothes. Natural fibres are made easier to care for by adding polyacrylic (20-30%). Any piece of clothes with more than 50% polyacrylic is considered easy to care for (but please do read the care instructions).Polyamide
The synthetic fibre polyamide is tearproof, hardly crinkles, is abrasion-resistant and dries quickly, and is often combined with other fibres. This material is used primarily in swimwear, dresses, blouses and shirts as well as in linings.Polyester
Polyester is a fully synthetic fibre which is manufactured in different structures and strengths. Most of the time, polyester is mixed with other types of fabric. It is tearproof, elastic and hardly crinkles. A polyester-based product absorbs only little humidity, dries very quickly, keeps its form and does not run in. It is thus ideally suited for sports wear, swimwear, dresses, costumes, lingerie, scarves and ties.Popeline
Popeline is a very dense fabric made from fine cotton, wool or synthetic fibre yarns. Popeline has a fine rib structure and a slightly shiny surface. Shirts, women’s clothes, rain and sports wear are often made from popeline.
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Sable
Sablé refers to a soft, grainy voile fabric with an elaborate glossy effect. Therefore sable is used mainly in the manufacturing of home and decorative textiles.Satin
Satin is a fabric made from silk, cotton or rayon. Thanks to the sophisticated way of weaving the fabric has one smooth, shiny side and another matte and more irregular side.Sheep wool
The hair of the domestic sheep is called sheep wool. It is normally obtained by shearing the living animals (once or twice a year); the quality (how fine and regular the hair is and how long the curls are) depends on the type of sheep. Sheep wool regulates the body temperature, keeps you warm, lets water drops roll off, can absorb large quantities of water without feeling wet, is dirt repellent and is elastic and keeps its form. On the negative side, there are the electrostatic charge, the attraction of moths and the elaborate care instructions. Today, sheep wool is increasingly replaced by materials of cotton or synthetic fibres.Seersucker
Seersucker is a light-weight fabric with fine stripes. It is incredibly easy to care for: wash it, hang it and use it! Seersucker is mainly used for bed sheets.Silk
Silk threads are obtained from the middle layer of the cocoon-spinning caterpillars. One cocoon provides roughly 800 meters of silk thread. Silk is normally processed in an endless thread. There is a difference between real silk (mulberry silk) and wild silk (tussah silk from the cocoon spinning silk caterpillars living in the wild), with most silk products being manufactured from real silk. Please note that the label “Pure silk“ does not say anything about the quality! In general, heavier silk fabrics are more expensive and durable than light-weight ones; the thinner the fabric, the shorter its life. Fabrics made from silk have a shiny surface, are cool to the touch and very fine. Silk is smooth and pliant and feels good on the skin; it has isolating qualities and regulates the body temperature (i.e. it warms you when it’s cold and cools you when it’s warm). Silk needs to be treated carefully both when wearing and when cleaning it, since it is sensitive to light and spots and can suffer from washing (lose its colour or shrink). Silk products should thus be washed handwarm with a mild detergent unless the care instructions indicate differently. The most common silk fabrics are Crepe de Chine, satin, Crepe Georgette, taffeta, Faille, Habontai, Pongé, Bourette etc. Many of these fabrics however also come as synthetic fibres!Single Jersey
Ever since the invention of T-shirts Single Jersey has ranked among the most popular fabrics. Fine-knitted it is extremely soft on the skin and elastic as well as highly breathable. These positive qualities make Single Jersey an ideal material for shirts, lingerie, nightwear as well as sports and children’s wear.Shot fabric
This is a fabric in which two, most of the times shiny, yarns are dyed differently and then woven. The two-tone effect achieved in this way makes the fabric shine in different colours depending on the light.Sol-gel chemistry
In sol-gel processes nano-structured materials are being systematically produced or assembled through controlled reactions of various source materials (precursors).Spandex
Spandex is an utterly elastic, easy to care for and form-resistant synthetic fibre. It is used mainly to improve the fit and comfort of clothes. While e.g. for trousers and skirts some 3-7% of spandex are used, tight-fitting stretch clothes and in particular high-quality swimwear and lingerie normally are made from a material mix using up to 30% spandex. The more spandex is used, the better the product adapts to the shape of the body.Stretch
Stretch refers to highly elastic woven products and knitwear mostly made from textured polyamide yarns. Thanks to their elasticity they are ideally suited for tight fitting models. High-quality stretch fabrics are comfortable to wear, fit well over a long time and hardly crinkle.Sympatex
Sympatex is a special fabric used primarily in sports wear and casual wear since it is water and wind repellent, while also highly breathable.Synthetic fibres
This term refers to all synthetic fibres which can differ from each other depending on their composition and the chemical-physical production processes used. As opposed to natural fibres synthetic fibres have the advantage of being more durable, form-resistant and cheaper. In addition, they are easy to care for, can be washed easily (at low temperatures!) and dry quickly. However, they get charged electrostatically and hardly absorb any sweat. Therefore textiles often use a combination of synthetic and natural fibres to get the best of both worlds.
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Tafetta
Tafetta is a fabric made from natural silk, viscose or synthetic fibres. Such fabrics tend to be rather stiff and highly shiny but despite their elegant look very durable. Tafetta is thus used for linings or made into elegant blouses or evening dresses.Teflon
Teflon is the trademark name of a synthetic material which gives textiles using teflon a high-quality protection. Teflon is dirt-repellent and makes liquids roll off the surface. Clothes manufactured with teflon are comfortable to wear and breathable.Tencel
Tencel, a modern, extremely fine high-quality fibre, is obtained from the natural material of cellulose. The fabric is very soft and breathable, it regulates the body temperature, is highly durable and can be machine-washed up to 40°.Terrycloth
Terrycloth is an extremely soft fabric. It is highly absorbing and therefore used in the manufacturing of fluffy towels and robes.Trevira
Trevira is the registered trademark of the polyester fibre manufactured by HOECHST. Since it is extremely durable, it is frequently used in the manufacturing of trousers, skirts and coats. It is particularly easy to care for.Tweed
Tweed is a rough-threaded woollen fabric (sometimes based on cotton or synthetic fibres) made from tinged, primarily nappy yarns. Tweed is very durable and mainly used for coats and dresses.Twill
Twill is the name of a particularly dense double-threaded woven fabric made from cotton. Thanks to its strong, yet fine binding twill is often used in the manufacturing of durable, light summer clothes.
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Used look
To achieve the typical used look, clothes, in particular jeans wear, are being specifically treated within one washing.
VVV
Velour
Velour is made from cotton, viscose or soft synthetic fibres. It is characterized by a great degree of elasticity and is extremely soft and comfortable to wear. It is therefore frequently used for comfortable homewear and practical children’s wear.Velvet
Velvet is a fabric with a short and dense nap surface, which is cut open in most of the cases. In medieval times, it was clearly defined who was allowed to wear this precious fabric, and any violations of these rules were punished. Even today, velvet is still one of the highest-quality and most exquisite fabrics in the world of fashion.Viscose
Viscose is a fairly cheap material made from regenerated cellulose (obtained from beeches or spruces or non-spinnable cotton). Fabrics made from viscose are light-weight and nicely flowing and thus used mainly for clothes and linings. Combined with other materials viscose is also used in the manufacturing of underwear, blouses and trousers. Viscose needs special care.
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Wild silk
Wild silk has an uneven structure since it is made from irregular yarns. The thread is thicker than that of silk as well as stronger, rougher, more durable and cheaper to produce. Wild silk has a less pronounced shine, it cannot be coloured that easily, and wild silk fabrics often show differences in colour.Woolmark logo
The woolmark logo is a certificate for products made from pure new wool protected in 117 countries. There are rigid controls in place to check whether the corresponding quality regulations are adhered to. High-quality combinations with other textile fabrics receive the “Combo” woolmark logo. “COMBO WOLLSIEGEL” gibts im google auch auf deutsch nicht als diese Wortkombination – hab es daher auch fürs englische nicht gefunden
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