Boucle
A woven or knit fabric made with Boucle yarns causing it to have an irregular, three-dimensional curled or looped appearance.

Brocade
An yarn-dyed three-dimensional floral or graphic pattern on a jacquard woven fabric.

Cable Knit
A way of knitting that produces the appearance of a heavy twisted cord.

Cashmere
Truly luxurious, surpassingly soft, hair from the Cashmere goat.

Chiffon
A very lightweight, sheer fabric typically made from silk – delicately feminine.

Cotton
A natural fiber harvested from the cotton plant. Once spun in to yarn it is manufactured into a soft, breathable, natural fiber cloth.

Crepe
Characterized by the high twisted yarn used to make the fabric and a crimped or puckered surface. An indispensable fabric in many weights and weaves.

Denim
A very durable, basic cotton or blended fabric, woven twill. Traditionally this sturdy material is used for jeans.

Embroidery
Decorative stitch work done by hand or machine.

Faggoting
An intricate openwork stitch that delicately joins seams – used predominately with lightweight fabric.

Faux
A French word meaning false or fake.

Garment Washed
Washing of a garment as part of the design process to alter hand and/or appearance.

Gauge
A measure of fineness or number of wales per unit of width across the knitted fabric – the higher the number the finer the knit.

Georgette
Tightly twisted threads (usually silk yet sometimes synthetic fibers) create a crinkly, crepe-like material that is delicately sheer with a flowing look.

Glen Plaid
This Scottish pattern has a woven broken check design characterized by two checks of different sizes.

Heathered Yarn
Molted or mélange-type yarn.

Herringbone
Resembling a fish backbone, hence its name. A broken twill weave characterized by a harmonious. It consists of rows of slanted parallel lines formatted to oppose each other at an angle.

Houndstooth
This classic design has a pointed broken-check effect made with two contrasting colors.

Iridescent
Producing a display of lustrous, brilliant rainbow like colors.

Jacquard
An elaborate elegant pattern weave produced on a jacquard loom.

Jersey
A plain knit, horizontal stripe or jacquard pattern fabric with a simple stitch distinguished by excellent drape and wrinkle resistant properties.

Jersey Stitch
A trade term used for the knit stitch in plain jersey fabric.

Jodhpur
An impeccable bi-stretch fabric. Retains stretch for everlasting shape, comfort and outstanding wearability.

Knit
A common term used for the process of inter-looping yarns – by either hand or machine.

Lame
A general term of any fabric woven with various types of flat metallic yarn – typically gold or silver – and possesses a subtle shimmer.

Linen
A textile created from the fibers of the flax pant. It is exceptionally light, cool and fresh.

Lurex
Registered trademark brand name, for its metallic fiber and yarn – gives fabric a touch of shine for added brilliance.

Lycra
Registered trademark brand name, for its spandex filament yarn – provides stretch to the fabric.

Matte Jersey
A dull warp-knit fabric made of fine crepe yarns renowned for its wrinkle resistance and wearability.

Melton
Made with a tight construction and finished in a way that conceals all the warp and filling, it is a completely smooth fabric with an extremely short nap. Originally all wool, now it is seen in wool blends and multiple weights.

Merino Wool
Wool sourced from premium merino sheep producing a high quality yarn, which is fine yet strong, offering great natural stretch.

Opalescent
Possessing a milky iridescence – similar to an opal.

Paisley
A pattern shaped like a teardrop/eggplant. Generally detailed inside with many different abstract designs, often from a rich Indian or oriental origin.

Patchwork
Separate pieces of fabric/leather in various colors and /or shapes sewn together.

Pickstitch
A small running hand stitch.

Piping
Binding the seam w/ a folded strip (of self or contrasting fabric) - as detailing on the face of the garment.

Placket
A finished piece of fabric – as a concealing flap that covers the closure (buttons/fasteners) or to reinforce slits or openings.

Plaid
A tartan pattern of colored stripes that intersect a right angles forming squares.

Rayon
A lustrous man-made fiber with elegant drape – provides a less expensive alternative to silk.

Rosette
A flower shape formed by the gathering of fabric.

Silk
A natural protein fiber extracted from the silkworm cocoon. Loved for its lustrous shine, beautiful drape and sumptuous feel, it encompasses the true essence of luxury.

Taffeta
A fine, smooth plain weave fabric that most typically posses a lustrous sheen (yet at times can have a dull matte face) –mostly made from silk.

Tartan
Having a checkered or plaid pattern. Once derived from old Scottish tradition to identify the clan.

Tweed
A nubby woolen fabric with a soft flexible, produced from either a plain or twill weave.

Twill
A broad term for any fabric made with a twill weave.

Twill Weave
An interlacing sequence of weft crossing over the warp creating diagonal lines.

Velvet
A rich, mostly warp-pile woven fabric that is soft and plush.

Viscose
A man-made fiber made from cellulose material. It is lightweight and soft, with excellent drape and color. It has a glossy smooth appearance and is also used in blends with silk and cotton.

Wale
In knits, the column of loops lengthwise; in wovens, a series of ribs, cords, etc running along the warp or weft. The more # of wales per inch measures the fabrics fineness.

Warp
The set of yarn the runs lengthwise, in the loom, and parallel to the selvage.

Weft
The back and forth filling yarn running widthwise from selvage to selvage at 90 degree angles to the warp.

Woven
An interlacing of two sets of yarns/fibers, warp and weft produced on a loom.

Yarn-Dyed
Woven or knitted with yarns that have been dyed prior to fabrication.