Light to medium weight fabrics

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

A soft, plain weave fabric originally made from linen, now usually of cotton.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 challis comes from the Anglo-Indian word “shalee,” meaning soft. Challis is indeed a very soft fabric, particularly fine in wool. It may be made of wool, rayon, cotton or manufactured fiber blends, and was originally made (1832) in Norwich, England, of silk and worsted. Characteristically in a light and open plain weave, although twill challis may be found. Challis is one of the few printed wools with the most common prints being floral or paisley on a dark ground. Also spelled challi, challie, challys, shallie.

Uses: Dresses, skirts, robes, pajamas, scarves and shawls

See also:
Étamine

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

The name means crepe of China, and originally the fabric was silk, later polyester, nylon, rayon or acetate. The light to medium weight fabric is of plain weave construction which is subtly crepe textured due to the crepe twist of the weft yarns. The warp yarn is low twist, finer and much more plentiful than the weft.

Uses: Blouses, linings, dresses, evening wear, lingerie

An open, plain weave fabric, étamine was originally used for sifting—the name was derived from the French word for sieve. It can be made of wool, cotton, manufactured fibers or blends. In wool it is more open in its weave than challis, and in cotton, more open than voile.

Uses: Dresses, nightwear, blouses, jackets, shirts, scarves

See also:
Challis
Voile

A fine, relatively sheer plain weave fabric, lawn is usually made of fine combed cotton but can be a blend. Owing to its higher thread count, it is crisper than both voile and batiste. Lawn gets its name from the city of Laon in the north of France, where it was originally made of linen.

Tana Lawn is the trademark registered by Liberty of London for its printed lawn fabrics.

Uses: Blouses, dresses, infant clothing, lingerie, handkerchiefs

See also:
Batiste
Voile

A large group of plain weave cotton or cotton blend fabrics of varying weights from very light to heavy, that have a range of finishes and uses. Although there is some disagreement, many sources state that muslin gets its name from Mosul, Mesopotamia (now Iraq), where it was first encountered by Europeans in the 17th century.

Muslin is often not dyed, left a natural off-white or white. It may also be dyed solid. If printed, it can be called by the print’s name, such as calico. Crinkled muslin is popular for casual clothing.

There are regional differences in the use of the term muslin; in the U.K. and Australia the use applies only to light weight and loosely woven fabric, equivalent to gauze in the U.S.

Uses: Shirts, dresses, sportswear, household items (aprons, sheets, slipcovers)

See also:
Calico
Mousseline
Percale

Oxford cloth is a fabric that was first milled in the late 19th century in Scotland, named for Oxford University. It is usually cotton, or a cotton blend, and it can be of manufactured fiber. Soft and porous, it makes a good shirt and is often white. If the warp is dyed and the weft left white, it is called oxford chambray. Oxford cloth is woven in a 2/1 plain weave.

Uses: Shirts, sportswear, dresses, pajamas

See also:
Chambray

French for “skin of silk,” peau de soie is a medium-weight, dully lustrous fabric. Although at first glance it appears to be satin, it is woven in a compact plain weave. Elizabeth Denny in her book Textile Fabrics (1928 ed.) states it is of a twill weave, and numerous sources state that it can be made in a satin weave, a less expensive alternative. Originally always silk, it can be made of manufactured fibers. The best quality peau de soie will be reversible, and most have a fine cross-ribbed reverse.

Uses: Evening gowns, bridal

See also:
Duchesse satin

A cotton or a cotton/poly blend fabric, percale is a balanced plain weave with a smooth hand and no luster. It can be limp to relatively crisp depending on the finish. It is finer and has a higher thread count than muslin.

Uses: Sheets, shirts, dresses, children’s clothing, pajamas

See also:
Muslin

The name pongee comes from penchi, the Chinese for “home loom.” The fabric originates from China, where it was hand loomed from wild silk yarns. Pongee is a plain weave and fairly light fabric with subtle irregular slubs most often crosswise (in the weft), but also in both directions. The fabric is usually a natural color (ecru, tan, cream, brown) and left undyed. It has a dull sheen.

Honan silk is pongee of excellent quality from Honan (Henan) China.

Uses: Blouses, dresses

See also:
Doupioni silk
Shantung
Thai silk
Tussah

Originally made with silk warp and wool weft, poplin is now a cotton or cotton blend fabric with fine horizontal ribs. The fabric is plain weave, and the ribs are formed by thicker (or grouped) weft yarns.

In the U.S. and Canada, poplin is considered a heavier weight fabric than broadcloth, while in the U.K., this distinction is not made. In fact, British poplin is another name for broadcloth.

First made in Avignon (which was the Papal seat from 1309-1378), papeline or poplin—in its silk and wool form—was used to make church vestments.

Uses: Shirts, dresses, raincoats, sportswear

See also:
Broadcloth, cotton type

Early references to radium silk noted it was a “Trade name for a light-weight supple washable silk for lining or dress purposes” and “The element radium, discovered in 1898, inspired a particularly shiny fabric sold as radium silk” and “Strong as the strongest lining silk…warranted not to stretch, split, or tear.”

References to radium silk appeared at least by late 1904. A trademark infringement U.S. court case regarding radium textiles noted: “The word (radium) came into use in Paris in connection with peculiarly lustrous fabrics, and was taken up by many persons here for use in the same connection…the evidence shows that the word was first used by the Gilbert Company…and registered by it (on Aug. 29, 1905 apparently) long before anyone else used it in this country…”

Although there were consumer products that contained radium, this brightly shiny fabric (thankfully!) does not.

Research, writing, and images by Lynne K. Ranieri

Unrelated to the wool sharkskin used for suits, filament sharkskin uses yarns of dull luster in plain or other weaves. It has a somewhat crisp hand and is most often found in white.

Uses: Women’s sportswear and light (such as nurses’) uniforms.

Surah is usually made of silk, or sometimes with silky manufactured fibers. It is found in a right-hand twill weave with the diagonal pattern of the twill visible on both sides. It is soft, smooth and fine and can be printed or solid. The French name surah comes from Surat, India, where the fabric was either first made, or dealt in, depending on the source of information.

Uses: Neckties (it is sometimes called tie silk), scarves, blouses, dresses, and lingerie

See also:
Foulard

Tropical cloths can be made of many different fibers and combinations of fibers, but tropical worsted is made of wool, often in a blend. Tropical worsted, like all fabrics designed to be worn in hot climates, are light, smooth, breathable, and if at all possible, easy to maintain. The (usually) plain weave is not too close, allowing circulation.

Uses: Suits, slacks, skirts