Cotton or cotton-like

Assuit is a netting fabric embroidered with metal. The embroidery is done by threading wide needles with flat strips of metal about 1/8” wide. The metal may be nickel silver, copper or brass, and it is threaded through the holes in the net, folded over, cut and flattened, making little packets of metal. When finished, the metal packets are further flattened by rolling and/or hammering over the fabric. The netting is made of cotton or linen. The fabric is also called tulle-bi-telli, an Arabic term meaning “net with metal.”

The patterns formed by this metal embroidery include geometric figures as well as plants, birds, people and camels.

Assuit has been made in the Asyut region (where it gets its name) of Upper Egypt since the late 19th century, although the concept of metal embroidery dates back to ancient Egypt, as well as other areas of the Middle East, Asia, India and Europe. A very sheer fabric is shown in Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings and the metallic embroidery is referenced in Exodus 39: “and they did beat the gold into thin plates and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the very fine linen, with cunning work.”

With the invention of the bobbinet machine, the netting fabric could be machine made, and during the French Protectorate this machine was introduced to the Asyut region (a textile center) by the French. The fabric was first imported to the U.S. for the 1893 Chicago Exposition, and again became popular with the fascination surrounding the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922. The geometric motifs were well suited to the Art Deco style of the time. Assuit is generally black, white or ecru. It is found most often in the form of a shawl, but also seen in small squares, large pieces used as bed canopies and even traditional Egyptian dresses. Assuit shawls were made into garments by purchasers, particularly during the 1920s.

The fabric’s name is seen in many alternate spellings including asyut, assyut, asyute, asuit, assuite and azute.

Although we now associate bandanna with a handkerchief of red or navy with a black and white pattern, a much older resist-dyed fabric from India is the progenitor of the mass-produced modern version. The name comes from the Hindi word bandhana meaning “to tie”—as in the preparation for dying the fabric. Tying small areas of a cotton cloth and then dying the fabric creates a tie-dye pattern of white spots in a darker ground.

Bandanna discharge prints are also mentioned in some sources.

Uses: Handkerchiefs, scarves (Note that bandanna is both a fabric type and the scarf to which it gives its name.)

See also:
Tie-dye
Discharge print

A fabric with a crepe-like texture, woven barkcloth is actually a granite or momie weave textile, as compared to non-woven traditional barkcloth. The term barkcloth as applied to this type of fabric appears to date from the 1920s, and it is most associated with interior decorating in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. The fiber is cotton and the weight substantial. The texture is characteristic of the fabric—as are the decorative, bold patterns and colors—which truly evoke Mid-century home decor.

Uses: Interior decorating, decorative items

See also:
Barkcloth, nonwoven

An ancient form of resist printing from Indonesia in which wax is used in patterns where dye is not desired. The wax resist is then removed and the process may continue, creating rich multicolored patterns—most often in blues, browns and oranges. Characteristic of batik are tiny lines where the wax has cracked and the dye has seeped into the resist pattern. This is not considered a flaw, rather part of the fabric’s distinct beauty. Originally almost always made of cotton, batiks today are usually cotton can be made of silk or blends.

Imitation batik is machine printed to resemble true batik.

Uses: Apparel, household decor

See also:
Tie-dye

Named for Jean Baptiste, a French weaver of the 13th century who wove fine linen cloth, batiste is now most commonly made of cotton or a cotton/polyester blend, The fabric is light and sheer, with lengthwise streaks. It is a balanced plain weave. When cotton is used, the soft, limp fabric is often mercerized to bolster its luster and strength. The fabric is often white, pale solids or delicate prints.

There are also wool, silk and rayon batistes.

Uses: Blouses, shirts, nightwear, infant clothing, lingerie, handkerchiefs and dresses

See also:
Cambric
Lawn

In the piqué family but of heavier weight, bedford cord features vertical cords usually padded with stuffer yarns. It may be made of cotton or cotton blends—sometimes wool—or with a wool face and a cotton back. It is asserted that the fabric comes from New Bedford, Massachusetts (it had a thriving late 19th to early 20th century textile industry), hence its name.

Uses: Riding habits, uniforms, slacks, suits, coats

See also:
Piqué
Warp piqué

One of the piqué fabrics, made in cotton or cotton blends and with a small, distinct raised pattern on its face. Birdseye piqué’s pattern is a tiny diamond shape, reminiscent of a bird’s eye. A similar but somewhat larger oval pattern is called bullseye piqué.

Also written bird’s-eye piqué, bird’s eye piqué.

Uses: Dresses, blouses, sportswear, children’s clothing

See also:
Piqué

Broadcloth is a shirt weight fabric most commonly made of cotton or cotton blends. It is plain weave with a very fine horizontal rib.

In the U.K., broadcloth is virtually synonymous with poplin. In the U.S. and Canada, poplin is considered a heavier fabric. Cotton broadcloth was introduced from England in the 1920s, and as it was a fine poplin, it was given a name to distinguish it from poplin. Broadcloth was originally a name given to fabrics wider than 27”; applying this name to the shirting fabric was fanciful.

There is also a similarly made fabric of silk, silk broadcloth.

Uses: Shirts, dresses, sleepwear

See also:
Broadcloth, wool type
Poplin

Broché is a French term for brocade, or figured, and broché coutil is coutil with a jacquard pattern in its closely woven herringbone twill.

Uses: Corsets

See also:
Coutil

Denim that has been given a soft brushed finish.

See also:
Denim

A heavy, coarse, open plain weave fabric, buckram is usually made of cotton, linen or hemp, and is heavily sized. As an interfacing between the fabric and the lining of clothing, buckram is used to give structure to the garment, and it makes hat shapes and other accessories that require structured forms. Buckram is sometimes made by gluing two cotton fabrics together, then sizing as with the open-weave buckram.

Uses: Millinery, interfacing, bookbinding

See also:
Crinoline

See Birdseye piqué

Calico is a cotton or cotton blend fabric with a long history and distinct meanings in the U.S. and U.K. The fabric was first made of cotton in Calicut (Kozhikode), India, and there it was block printed with intricate designs. In the U.S. the fabric evolved into a relatively inexpensive fabric with small machine-printed patterns, usually flowers.

In the U.K., calico is a plain weave cotton cloth, white or unbleached.

Uses: The printed calico used for dresses and quilts

A soft, plain weave fabric originally made from linen, now usually of cotton. It is named for the French city of Cambrai—a linen center since medieval times. The fabric is calendered to give it a glossy finish. On its finer side, cambric is much like lawn or batiste, while in its heavier weight (called “lining cambric”), it can be similar to fine muslin.

Uses: Handkerchiefs, shirts, aprons, dresses, lingerie. Lining cambric is used for linings. Linen cambric is used for collars and cuffs, and tablecloths.

See also:
Batiste
Lawn

The name canvas comes from Latin for hemp—cannabis—as canvas was originally made of hemp or linen. Now it is usually cotton or linen. Canvas is virtually synonymous with duck which is a strong, firm, plain weave fabric. Many grades, weights and qualities are made. A 2/1 weave canvas is also made.

Uses: Sails, artists’ paint surface, workwear, utility wear, sportswear, tents, embroidery ground

See also:
Duck

Chambray gets its name from Cambrai, a linen weaving town in Northern France where the fabric was first made. Originally linen, chambray is now usually cotton or a cotton blend. It is characterized by dyed warp yarns and undyed (white) weft yarns. It is a plain weave fabric and can be found in light to moderately heavy weights. The variations include stripes and checks as well as dobby-woven patterns.

Uses: Shirts, children’s clothing, dresses, skirts aprons; heavier for workwear, sportswear, household items

In the U.S., cheesecloth is the name of sheer, soft, loosely-woven bleached gauze fabric used for non-clothing purposes such as bandaging, dust cloths, and pressing cheese, butter and meat.

In the U.K., cheesecloth is a light shirting weight soft cotton which is most often bleached but can be dyed, and is characterized by a crinkled texture.

See also:
Gauze
Muslin
Cotton crepe
Cotton georgette

Most commonly khaki tan mercerized cotton, chino is always twilled on its face (either left or right-hand twill) with a plain back. It is a durable, rugged fabric, known for being used by the U.S. and British armies for summer weight uniforms.

The fabric originally came from China, later was exported to China from England, and was purchased by the U.S. Army stationed in the Philippines prior to WWI. The name chino apparently comes from the fabric’s Chinese connection.

In the U.S., chinos are a name for pants made from chino. The fabric may be dyed in colors other than tan, and it may be made in a blend, typically cotton/polyester.

Uses: Uniforms, sportswear (especially pants), work clothes

See also:
Drill

The characteristic print of chintz is a large floral pattern, and the finish is glossy from glazing. It is of cotton or a cotton blend, in a plain weave. The glaze can be starch or wax (both temporary finishes), or a more durable chemical resin. Unprinted but glazed fabrics are sometimes called chintz today.

Chintz was originally made in India. The Indian name for the fabric was chint (plural chints), and the classic 17th century Indian chintz is a hand-painted Tree of Life pattern—brightly colored and featuring plants, animals and birds. The fabric was copied in Europe and America using block printing and starch glaze. The starch glaze would wash out, so it was used more practically for household decorating rather than clothing purposes. To this day, chintz is primarily associated with interior decorating.

Uses: Household decorations, some accessories and clothing

See also:
Polished cotton

Clydella is the trademarked name for 81% cotton and 19% wool fabric produced by William Hollins & Co. of England. It was woven in a mill near Glasgow on the banks of the Clyde river, from which it takes its name. Clydella was developed as a shirting for military uniforms in WWI. It is a less costly alternative to Viyella, also made by Hollins.

See also:
Viyella