| Backtanning |
An After-treatment To Improve The Wet Fastness Of Dyed Or Printed Silk Or Nylon, Using Either Natural Or Synthetic Tanning Agents. |
| Badla |
Flat Metallic Wire, Often Silver-gilt, Used In Brocading And Embroidery. |
| Baghal Bandi |
A Kind Of Tunic Or Jacket, Worn Shorts And Fastened Under The Armpits. |
| Balabar |
An Outer Garment, Worn By Men, Related In Shape To The Coat-like Ashcan |
| Balagny Cloak |
First Half Of 17th Century, Cloak Or Cape With Wide Collar, In France Named After A Military Hero. |
| Balanced Stripes |
A Design Of Stripes That Are Even In Width And Spacing. |
| Baldrick |
(french Bandelier) Sword Hanger, Usually Decorated With Exquisite Embroidery, (often Metal Thread Embroidery) And Worn From The Right Shoulder To The Left Hip, Usually Over The Waistcoat Or Earlier Bolero-style Doublet, But Under The Coat Or Justaucorps. Frequently Worn Over The Coat To Show Off The Embroidery, When the Baldrick Had Become Very Broad And Long. The Sword (rapier, Later Also Dress-sword) Hangs Very Low At The Knees. |
| Bale Breaker |
A Machine Used For Opening Cotton Direct From A Bale. Layers Of Compressed Cotton Are Taken From A Bale And Fed Into A Machine Where The Tearing Action Of Two Coarse Spiked Rollers Moving In Opposite Directions, Produces A More Open Mass Of Tufts. |
| Bale Dyeing |
(1) Dyeing Of Loose Stock ( Usually Synthetic-polymer Fibre ) In The Form Of An Unpacked Bale.,(2) In The USA, A Low Cost Process For Dyeing Cotton Fabric To Produce A Coloured Warp And White Weft. |
| Bandanna |
A Print Design Characterized By White Or Brightly Colored Motifs On A Dark Or Bright Ground, Most Often Red Or Navy. Done By Discharge Or Resist Printing But Originally Done In India By Tie Dyeing. 2. A Fabric, Usually Cotton With Such A Design. |
| Bandelier |
See Baldrick. |
| Bandhani |
A Process Of Patterning Cloth By Tie-dyeing In Which The Design Is Reserved On The Undyed Cloth By Tying Small Spots Very Tightly With Thread To Protect Them From The Dye. Especially Popular In Rajasthan And Gujarat. |
| Banyan |
Name Given In England To Men's Jacket In Indian Cloth. The Term Is Mostly Used For Indoor Garments 'dressing Gowns'. |
| Barathea |
An Indistinct Twill Or Broken Rib- Usually A Twilled Hopsack Weave- With A Fine Textured, slightly Pebbled Surface . Often Of Silk Or Silk Blended With Wool, Used For Neckties, Women's Fine Suits And Coats Men's And Women's Evening Wear. |
| Bare Pychon Ka Pyjama |
A Pyjama (q. V) With Wide, Flared Legs. |
| Bark Cloth |
Originally Referred To Fabric Made From The Bark Of Trees. Now The Term Is Used To Describe Fabric With A Surface Texture Resembling Tree Bark. |
| Barras |
A Coarse Linen Fabric Similar To Sackcloth; Originally Produced In Holland. |
| Barrier Fabric |
Fabrics That Are Barriers To Dust, Dust Mites And Associated Allergens. |
| Bas De Cotte / De Jupe / De Robe |
In The Second Half Of The 17th Century This Term Was Used For The Lower Part Of The Petticoat Or Skirt, Which Went With The Petticoat Or Skirt Body, Covered By The Gown Body. |
| Basic Dye |
A Cationic Dye Characterized By Its Substantivity For Basic-dyeable Acrylic And Basic-dyeable Polyester Fibres, Especially The Former. The Term Was Originally Applied To Tannin-mordant Cotton Dyes. |
| Basin Waste; Basineés |
The Silk Waste Consisting Of Cocoons That Could Not Be Completely Reeled Because Of Too Frequent Breaks In The Thread. |
| Basket Stitch |
A Knit Construction With Mostly Purl Loops In The Pattern Courses To Give A Basket Weave Look |
| Basket Weave/hopsack |
A Variation Of Plain Weave In Which 2 Or More Yarns In Both The Warp And Weft Are Woven Side By Side To Resemble A Basket. |
| Basques |
Mid-17th Century. French Word For Short Tabs At Bodices And Male Doublets That Extended Below The Waist. Those Jackets With Basques Were Worn In Combination With Skirts Instead Of Gowns. |
| Bast Fibre |
Fibre Obtained From The Stems Of Various Plants. |
| Batik |
A Traditional Indonesian Dyeing Process In Which Portions Of Fabric Are Coated With Wax And Therefore Resist The Dye. The Process Can Be Repeated To Achieve Multi-color Designs. Fabric Usually Has A Veined Appearance Where The Dye Has Gone Through The Cracks In The Wax. |
| Batiste |
1. A Sheer, Fine, Soft, Light Weight, Plain Weave Fabric Usually Of Combed Cotton Or Polyester/cotton. It Often Has Lengthwise Streaks Due To The Use Of 2 Ply Yarns. Used For Shirts Blouses Dresses Nightwear And Lingerie. 2. A Lightweight Smooth All Wool Fabric. 3.a Sheer Silk Fabric. |
| Batt; Batting (u.s.a.) |
See Web |
| Bave |
The Silk Fibre Complete With Its Natural Gum ( Sericin ) As It Is Withdrawn From A Cocoon. It Is Composed Of Two Brins. |
| Beaded |
Referring To A Fabric Embellished With Beads. |
| Beading Lace |
A Machine Made Lace With A Row Of Openwork Holes Designed For The Insertion Of A Decorative Ribbon. |
| Beaver Cloth |
A High Quality, Heavy, Soft Wool Cloth With A Deep, Smooth Nap. Used In Overcoats. |
| Bedford Cord |
A Woven Fabric Constructed To Show Pronounced Rounded Cords In The Warp Direction With Sunken Lines Between Them. Used In Trousers, Uniforms, Hats, Upholstery. |
| Beet |
A Bundle Or Sheaf Of Tied Flax Crop Or Straw. |
| Beetled |
A Finishing Process In Which A Fabric Usually Linen Or Cotton Is Pounded To Produce A Hard Flat Surface With A Sheen. |
| Bellies (wool) |
The Coarser Quality Of Wool From The Underside Of Sheep. |
| Bemberg |
Brand Of Cupramonium Rayon. |
| Bengaline |
A Durable Plain Weave Fabric Characterized By Widthwise Cords Formed By Using Fine Warp Yarns And Course Weft Yarns, Used In Dresses, Coats, Suits, Ribbons, Draperies. |
| Bias |
Any Direction In The Fabric Which Does Not Exactly Flow In The Direction Of The Weft Yarn (vertical Yarns) Or Warp Yarns (horizontal Yarns) Of A Fabric. A True Bias Makes An Angle Of 45 Degree Across The Length And Width Of A Fabric, Fabric Cut On A Bias Has Maximum Stretch. |
| Bicomponent Fibre |
A Man-made Fibre Having Two Distinct Polymer Components. Both Components Are Themselves Usually Fibre Forming. Wool And Some Other Animal Fibres Are Sometimes Considered To Be Bicomponent Since They Possess A Side-by-side Configuration Of The Ortho- And Para-cortex Which Results In Crimp In The Fibre. |
| Binche Lace |
A Lace In Which The Lace Motifs Are Appliquéd To A Machine Made Net Ground. Originally Made In Binche Belgium. |
| Birdseye |
1. A General Term For A Fabric With A Surface Texture Of Small, Uniform Spots That Suggest Bird's Eyes. Can Be Woven Or Knit. 2 A Design That Suggests A Bird's Eyes. |
| Birefringence |
The Difference Between The Refractive Index Of A Fibre Measured Parallel To The Fibre Axis Nii And That Measured Perpendicular To The Fibre Axis Nl:, Dn = Nii - Nl, Birefringence Is Frequently Used As A Measure Of The Orientation Of The Macromolecules Within The Fibre. |
| Biscuit |
One Of Several Narrow Cylindrical Cheeses Of Yarn Wound As A Composite Package On A Single Former Side By Side But Not Touching. Biscuit Packages Are Used As The Take-up In Some Synthetic-fibre Extrusion Systems. |
| Bisu |
See Husks |
| Blanket Plaid |
A Large Vividly Colored Plaid Design Such As Those Often Found On Blankets. |
| Blaze |
See Cocoon Strippings, Also Termed Keba. |
| Bleached |
Chemical Treatment To Remove Impurities And Whiten The Fabric. It Can Be Done Either In Preparation For Dyeing And Finishing Or To Obtain Clean Whites In Finished Fabric. |
| Bleaching |
The Procedure Of Improving The Whiteness Of Textile Material, With Or Without The Removal Of Natural Colouring Matter And/or Extraneous Substances, By A Bleaching Agent. |
| Bleaching Agent |
A Chemical Reagent Capable Of Destroying Partly Or Completely The Natural Colouring Matter Of Textile Fibres, Yarns And Fabrics, And Leaving Them White Or Considerably Lighter In Colour. Examples Are Oxidizing And Reducing Agents. Amongst The Former, Hydrogen Peroxide Is Widely Used. |
| Blending |
A Process Or Processes Concerned Primarily With Efficient Mixing Of Various Lots Of Fibres. Blending Is Normally Carried Out To Mix Fibres, Which May Be Of Different Physical Properties, Market Values, Or Colours. |
| Blinding |
A Marked And Undesirable Loss Of Lustre Of Fibres Caused By Wet Processing. |
| Blister Fabric |
See Cloque/ Blister Fabric |
| Blitz |
A Light To Medium Weight Woven Fabric With A Filament Warp And Spun Weft. Often Has A Very Fine Crosswise Rib. Common Blends Are Acetate/rayon And Polyester/rayon. |
| Block Copolymer |
A Copolymer In Which The Repeating Units In The Main Chain Occur In Blocks, E.g.,-(a)m-(b)n-(a)p-(b)q- ,where A And B Represent The Repeating Units. |
| Block Printed |
A Hand Printing Method Using Wood, Metal, Or Linoleum Blocks. The Design Is Carved On The Blocks , One Block For Each Color. The Dye Is Applied To The Block Which Is Pressed Or Hammered Against The Fabric. |
| Blotch Print |
Refers To A Print In Which A Large Area Of Uniform Color Is Printed. The Printed Ground Is Referred To As The Blotch. |
| Blowing Room |
The Room In A Cotton Spinning Mill Where The Preparatory Processes Of Opening, Cleaning And Blending Are Carried Out. |
| Bobbin Lace |
A Handmade Lace Using A Pillow To Hold Pins Around Which Thread Is Intertwined. Bobbins Are Used To Hold And Feed The Thread. Also Called Pillow Lace Or Bobbinet. |
| Boiled Wool |
A Wool Or Wool Blend Fabric, Woven Or Knitted Which Has Been Given A Course, Crepey Texture By Heavy Felting Or By Putting It In A High Temperature Bath. |
| Boiling Off |
See Degumming. |
| Boll |
A Seed Case And Its Contents, As Of Cotton Or Flax. |
| Bolt |
See Piece |
| Bonded |
A Fabric Composed Of 2 Or More Layers Joined Together With An Adhesive ,resin, Foam, Or Fusible Membrane. |
| Bonnet |
Ladies' Headdress Covering The Back Of The Head And Having The Brim In Funnel Form To Shade The Face. |
| Book |
A Parcel Of Hanks Of Raw Silk Whose Total Mass Is Usually 2 Kg. |
| Boot-hose |
In The First Half Of The 17th Century, Stockings Usually Without Feet Worn In The Soft Fashionable Boots With Turned Cup-shaped Tops ("bucket"-tops). The Lace-edge Of The Boot-hose Is Turned Over The Boot-tops. ("cavalier"-style). They Were Worn Over The Silk Stockings To Protect Them In The Long Boots. |
| Border |
A Design Placed Along The Edge Of The Fabric Or Engineered In Such A Way That It Will Fall On The Edge Of The Finished Product. Border Designs Are Frequently Used In Skirts And Dresses. |
| Botanical |
Referring To Designs Dominated By Motifs Depicting Plant Life. |
| Botany Wool |
A Term Applied To Tops, Yarns And Fabrics Made From Merino Wool. The Term Originated From Botany Bay In Australia. |
| Boucle |
1.a Fancy Yarn With An Irregular Pattern Of Curls And Loops 2. A Fabric Made From Boucle Yarn. |
| Bourdalou |
Hat-ribbon, Finer Than Grosgrain, Round The Foot Of The Crown Of Hats. This Trimming Is Sometimes Finished Off With A Buckle And Has Been In Use Since The 17th Century. |
| Bourdon Lace |
A Machine Made Lace On A Mesh Ground Usually In A Scroll Design Outlined With A Heavy Cord. |
| Bourette |
A Fancy Plied Yarn With Nubs And Knots Of Another Color. |
| Bourette |
See Noil |
| Bourrelet |
A Double Knit Fabric With A Rippled , Corded Texture Running Horizontally. |
| Bow-string Hemp |
See Sansevieria |
| Brandenburg Coat |
Fourth Quarter Of 17th Century, A Loose Overcoat With Turned-back Cuffs. The Sleeves Are Made In One With The Rest Of The Garment. |
| Breaking (bast Fibres) |
The Deformation Of The Plant Structure By Flattening The Stem, Loosening The Bond Between The Fibre Bundles And The Wood, And Breaking The Woody Part Into Short Pieces, To Facilitate Their Removal From The Fibre By Scutching. Breaking By Means Of Rollers Is Often Referred To As Rolling. |
| Breaking Elongation; Breaking Extension |
The Elongation, Or Extension, Of A Substance At Its Breaking Load. |
| Breaking Length |
The Length Of A Specimen Whose Weight Is Equal To The Breaking Load. |
| Breaking Load; Breaking Force |
The Load That Develops The Breaking Tension. The Recommended Unit Of Measurement Is The Newton. |
| Breaking Stress |
The Maximum Stress Developed In A Specimen Stretched To Rupture. The Force Is Usually Related To The Area Of The Unstrained Specimen. If The Actual Stress, Defined In Terms Of The Area Of The Strained Specimen, Is Used, Then Its Maximum Value Is Called The Actual Breaking Stress. |
| Breaking Tension |
The Maximum Tension Developed In A Specimen Stretched To Rupture. It Is Correctly Expressed In Newton's. |
| Breathable Coated |
Refers To A Coating That Repels Water But Allows Water Vapor (thus Perspiration) To Pass Through, Allowing Garments To Be Comfortable And Waterproof . Used In Garments For Active Wear And Winter Sports. |
| Breton Lace |
Lace Embroidered On An Open Net With Heavy Often Brightly Colored Yarn. May Be Made By Hand Or Machine. Said To Have Originated In The Breton Region Of France. |
| Bright |
Descriptive Of Textile Materials, Particularly Man-made Fibres, The Natural Lustre Of Which Has Not Been Substantially Reduced. Bright May Denote The Presence Of A Very Small Amount Of Delustrant, Insufficient To Reduce The Lustre Of The Fibre Significantly. |
| Brightening Agent |
See Optical Brightner |
| Brin |
A Single Filament Of Silk Resulting From The Degumming Of The Bave Withdrawn From The Cocoon. |
| Broadcloth |
A Fine Tightly Woven Plain Weave Fabric With A Faint Rib . Usually Of Cotton Or Cotton Blend But Can Be Of Any Fiber. Frequently Used In Men's Shirts. 2. A Fine Soft Woven Wool Fabric, Plain Or Twill Weave, With A Smooth Napped Face. |
| Brocade |
A Heavy Rich- Looking Jacquard Fabric With Contrasting Surfaces Or A Multicolor Design . Used In Upholstery , Draperies Evening Wear. |
| Brocatelle |
A Jacquard Fabric Similar To Brocade With The Design In A Raised Appearance From Being Formed With A Satin Or Twill Weave. Used In Draperies And Upholstery. |
| Broken Twill |
A General Term For Twill Weave Fabrics In Which The Twill Line Changes Direction. |
| Brushed/napped |
A Finishing Process To Raise A Nap On Surface Of The Fabric Using Wire Brushes Or Other Abrasive Materials. |
| Brushstroke |
Refers To A Print Style In Which Color Looks As If It Had Been Applied With A Brush. |
| Brussels Lace |
May Be A Bobbin Or Needlepoint Lace Usually On A Machine Made Ground. Sometimes Designs Are Appliquéd On The Ground. As Brussels Belgium Is Important In The History Of Lace-making, Many Different Types Of Lace Are Called Brussels Lace. |
| Buckram |
A Stiff , Open Weave, Coarse Fabric Often Used As An Interlining To Give A Garment Shape. Also Used In Hats, Bookbinding. |
| Buckskin |
A Heavy Satin Weave Fabric, Often Of Fine Merino Wool, With A Smooth Face |
| Buffalo Check |
A Bold Check Pattern With Blocks Of 2 Or 3 Contrasting Colors. Often Red And Black In A Twill Weave. |
| Bulked Yarn |
A Yarn That Has Been Treated Mechanically, Physically Or Chemically So As To Have A Noticeably Greater Voluminosity Or Bulk. |
| Bunch (flax) |
The Aggregate Of Pieces, Which Are Tied Up With Two Or More Ties Preparatory To Baling. |
| Bunting |
A Plain, Drapey, Loosely Woven Fabric Most Often Used For Flags And Decoration. Also Called Banner Cloth. |
| Burl |
A Wool Trade Term For An Imperfection. |
| Burlap/hessian |
A Coarse Open Fabric Made Of Jute Used For Upholstery Lining And Bagging . When Dyed Or Printed It Is Used In Drapery, Wall Coverings, Upholstery. |
| Burn Out |
A Fabric Made Of 2 Fibers Then Printed With A Chemical That Dissolves One Of The Fibers Thus Creating A Design .often Done On Velvet. |
| Burry Wool |
Wool Contaminated With Vegetable Impurities Adhering To The Fleece. |
| Buta |
Literally, "a Plant". A Floral Motif, Derived Generally From Persian Sources, Much Used In Indian Textile Design, And Traditionally Rendered As A Flowering Plant With A Curling Bud At The Top. The Motif Is Also Sometimes Reduced To A Floral Pattern Designed Within The Form Of The Plant. |
| Butcher's Linen |
A Strong, Heavy, Plain Weave Linen Fabric With Uneven, Thick And Thin Yarns In Both Warp And Weft - Often Used In Tablecloths And Aprons. |
| Buti |
A Diminutive Of Buta (q.v.), Very Commonly Used In Indian Textile Design. |
| Butt |
To Level The Root Ends Of Flax Straw At Any Stage Of Processing By Vibrating It Upright On A Flat Surface, Either By Hand Or Mechanically. |
