FABRIC TERMINOLOGIES AND END USES

The product category of textiles is segmented into three large groupings viz. Apparel, Home furnishings or Industrial. Though not exhaustive, the following segmentation indicates representative classifications of fabric end uses:

Brocade: A heavy, exquisite jacquard type fabric with an all-over raised pattern or floral design. Common end-uses include such formal applications as upholstery, draperies, and eveningwear.

Burlap: Aloosely constructed, heavy weight, plain weave fabric used as a carpet backing, and as inexpensive packaging for sacks of grain or rice. Also, as fashion dictates, burlap may also appear as a drapery fabric.

Cambric: Fine, light weight closely woven fabric of linen or cotton with a high thread count. It is a plain weave fabric available in white and colors. Used chiefly for hand kerchiefs, children’s dresses, underwear and night gowns

Canvas: Cotton, linen, or synthetic fabric made with a basic plain weave in heavy and firm weight yarns for industrial or heavy duty purposes. Also referred to as "duck", although, the term "canvas" usually relates to the heavier and coarser constructions.

Casement: general term for sheer fabrics for curtains of plain weave variations. May be of fine or combination of heavy yarns using any kind of fibers and blends

Chambray: Aplain woven fabric that can be made from cotton, silk, or manufactured fibers, but is most commonly cotton. It incorporates a colored warp (often blue) and white filling yarns

Chiffon: A plain woven lightweight, extremely sheer, airy, and soft silk fabric, containing highly twisted filament yarns. The fabric, used mainly in evening dresses and scarves, can also be made from rayon and other manufactured fibers.

Crepe: A lightweight fabric of silk, rayon, cotton, wool, man-made, or blended fibers, and characterized by a crinkled surface. This surface is obtained through the use of crepe yarns (yarns that have such a high twist that the yarn kinks), and by chemical treatment with caustic soda, embossing, or weaving (usually with thicker warp yarns and thinner filling yarns). Although crepe is traditionally woven, crepe yarns are now used to produce knit crepes.

Crepe De Chine: Traditionally, a very sheer, pebbly, washable silk with the fabric degummed to produce crinkle. Today, it is a sheer, flat crepe in silk or man-made fibers. It is used for lingerie, dresses, and blouses.

Damask: A glossy jacquard fabric, usually made from linen, cotton, rayon, silk, or blends. The patterns are flat and reversible. The fabric is often used in napkins, tablecloths, draperies, and upholstery.

Denim: Firm, left hand twill weave of white filling and colored warp usually blue. Strong, durable, heavy weights used for work clothes and sports wear. Lighter weights come in colors and patterns, are softer and may be used for sportswear and furnishings.