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aigrette (A' gret, A gret'): the long white plumes of the egret, once worn for ornament by women; also spelled
aigret
albatross: a lightweight, soft, plain weave fabric with a fleecy and somewhat napped texture; primarily used to make
children's wear and sheer dresses or blouses
alpaca: 1. a cloth woven from the wool of the South American mammal of the same name and often mixed with other fibers
2. a glossy cloth of cotton and wool
Alsatian bow: a large flat bow originated by the people of Alsace, a former province of Northeastern France
awning cloth: a canvas-like cloth often used to make awnings
bandeau (ban dO', ban' dO): a narrow ribbon, especially one worn around the head to hold the hair in place
brilliantine: a light lustrous fabric that is similar to alpaca and is woven usually with a cotton warp and mohair or worsted
filling
broadcloth: a fine, smooth cotton or silk cloth, used for shirts, pajamas, etc.
canvas: 1.a closely woven, coarse cloth of hemp, cotton or linen, used for tents, sails, etc. 2. any loosely woven, coarse
cloth for embroidery
cashmere: a soft, twilled cloth made of fine, carded wool from goats of Kashmir and Tibet
challis (shal' E): a soft, lightweight, usually printed fabric of wool, cotton, etc; sometimes referred to as nun's-veiling,
see below
chambray (sham' brA): a smooth fabric of cotton, made of weaving white or unbleached threads across a colored warp
Chantilly: a delicate silk, linen or synthetic lace having a six-sided mesh ground and a floral or scrolled design; named
for the area in France where it originated
chenille: 1. a tufted, velvety yarn used for trimming, embroidery, etc. 2. a fabric filled or woven with this as for rugs and
bedspreads
cheviot: a cotton cloth resembling a rough wool fabric in a twill weave
chiffon: a sheer, lightweight fabric of silk, nylon, etc.
China silk: a smooth spun silk fabric with even weave used for scarves, dresses, blouses and linings; also known as
"Habotai", a Japanese word meaning "soft as down"; popularly used today for silk painting
Cluny lace: a coarse linen handmade lace originated in an eastern area of France by the same name; it was rejuvenated
in the mid and later 1800's, using lace works done in the 1500's as the source of design; mostly used for household trimming
crash: a coarse cloth of plain, loose weave
damask (dam' esk): a durable, lustrous reversible fabric as of silk or linen, in figured weave, used for table linen,
upholstery, etc.
duck: a cotton or linen cloth like canvas but finer and lighter in weight
etamine (A' te mEn): a light cotton or worsted fabric with an open mesh
fibre: a substance that can be separated into threadlike structures for weaving, etc.
flannel: a soft, lightweight, loosely woven woolen cloth
flouncing: a wide, ornamental ruffle
foulard (foo lard'): 1. a lightweight material of silk, rayon, or sometimes cotton 2. a necktie, scarf, etc. of this material
galloon (gu loon'): a braid, as of cotton, silk or metallic thread, used for trimming or binding
gimp: a ribbonlike braided fabric, used to trim garments, furniture, etc; see also guimpe
gingham: a cotton cloth, usually woven in stripes, checks or plaids
guimpe (gimp, gamp): 1. a blouse worn under a jumper or pinfore 2. a wide cloth used by some nuns to cover the
neck and shoulders; see also gimp above
holland: a linen or cotton cloth used for clothing, window shades, etc.
homespun: a coarse, loosely woven cloth resembling cloth made of yarn spun at home
horsehair: a stiff fabric made from the hair from the mane or tail of a horse
kersey: a coarse, lightweight woolen cloth, usually ribbed and with a cotton warp
kid: leather from the skin of young goats, used for gloves, shoes, etc.
lawn: a fine, sheer cloth of linen or cotton, used for blouses, curtains, etc.
linen: thread or cloth made of flax
Merino (me rE' nO): a soft, thin cloth made of yarn made from the long, fine wool of a hardy breed of sheep by the
same name
mohair: yarn or fabric made from the hair of the Angora goat
mull: a soft, fine, sheer fabric of cotton, silk or rayon
nun's-veiling: an extremely soft, lightweight clothing fabric made of cotton, wool or synthetic yarns; sometimes referred to as
challis, see above
organdie (or' gen dE): a very sheer crisp cotton fabric used for dresses, curtains, etc.
panne (pan): a silk or rayon velvet with lustrous pile flattened in one direction; called also panne velvet
peau de soie (pO' de swo''): a French term for a corded silk fabric; later altered to poudesoy and now
paudasoy (pa' je we soi")
percale: a closely woven cotton cloth, used for sheets, etc.
pique (pE kA'): a firmly woven cotton fabric with ribbed wales; see wales below
pongee (pon jE'): a soft, thin, silk cloth, usually left in its natural light brown color
ragged robins: a common name for a plant also known as Clarkia pulchella, deerhorn or pink fairies; first discovered
and studied by Merriweather Lewis along the Clearwater River in Idaho in 1806 during the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition
ruching (roo' shing): a fluting or pleating of lace, ribbon, net, etc. for trimming garments, especially at the neck or wrist
serge: a strong, twilled fabric made of wool, silk, rayon, etc. and used for suits, coats, linings, etc.
silk: thread or fabric made from the fine, soft, shiny fiber produced by silkworms
taffeta: a fine, rather stiff fabric of silk, nylon, acetate, etc. with a sheen
toque (tOk): a woman's small, round hat
tweed: a wool fabric with a rough surface, in a twill weave of two or more colors
velvet: a rich fabric of silk, rayon, nylon, etc. with a soft, thick pile
Venetian cloth: a lustrous fabric of medium to heavy weight worsted used for suits and coats for both men and women
as well as for dresses
voile (voil): a thin, sheer fabric, as of cotton
wales: welts; ridges
wash silk a silk and polyester blended fabric
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Many words referring to fabric types, trims, dressmaking and fashion
that were used in antique books and periodicals are not in use today or are now called something else. Some of these items are
no longer manufactured and must now be sought from suppliers specializing in vintage goods. To ease some of the confusion and
simply to feed curious minds, I have gathered a list of these terms and other more recognizable terms together with their definitions.
I will add to the list as more of these words show up in various articles on this site. If you seek a word you have seen on my fashion
pages, but cannot find it in this listing, the reason is that I thought it was either too common a word to include or it may be a term I
have yet to find any information on. Overall, I hope you will find this page a useful tool or at the very least, a source of interesting
reading.