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Chiffon is French for “rag,” but this very sheer fabric is the most elegant of rags! Originally silk, chiffon is also now made of polyester, nylon or rayon as well. It is a loose, balanced plain weave with tightly twisted single yarns in both directions. It has a subtle crepe texture, and is as light and thin as can be.

Chiffon is sometimes also used to describe the lightness of a fabric, such as chiffon velvet (a light soft velvet) and chiffon taffeta (a glossy, light, soft taffeta).

Uses: Scarves, lingerie, blouses and evening wear

See also:
Georgette
Mousseline de soie

A lightweight, soft velvet with a short pile. The fabric has silk or manufactured fiber pile on a silk, manufactured fiber or cotton ground.

Uses: Dresses, evening wear, women’s suits

See also:
Velvet

Very similar in their qualities, China silk originates from China, while habutai is Japanese. Habutai means “soft as down” in Japanese. Both are extremely soft, fine, light and lustrous fabrics, usually in a plain weave. China silk can be dyed, while habutai is more often left a natural ecru and can be slightly irregular in its fibers.

Uses: Very light blouses, lingerie, linings

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Chintz was originally made in India.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

Ciré (French for waxed) is fabric given a hot calendering finishing treatment with wax applied to the fabric, resulting in a highly polished surface. When this treatment is given to taffeta, the fine ribs flatten and run together. Ciré is both the name of the finishing treatment and the name of cloth treated with this effect.

See also:
Taffeta

A velvet made of cut and uncut pile in a pattern on a satin ground.

See also:
Velvet

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

A crepe-textured lightweight cotton fabric, with the crepe texture achieved either through the use of crepe twist yarns or the treatment of the fabric with caustic soda. The caustic soda causes yarns to shrink, puckering the fabric. The result can be a crepe texture, a crinkled texture, or an even pattern such as dots or stripes. When caustic soda is applied in stripes, the result is plissé.

See also:
Crepe
Plissé
Caustic soda crepe
Cotton georgette
Crinkled gauze

A British term for a crepe-textured cotton fabric made of long staple cotton, the crepe texture achieved by the use of Z- and S-twist yarns, similar to silk georgette.

Uses: Blouses, dresses, skirts

See also:
Georgette
Crinkled gauze
Cotton crepe

Exceptionally strong, closely woven cotton or cotton and rayon blend fabric usually with a herringbone twill weave. The name is French, derived from “drill.”

Uses: Corsets, brasseries

See also:
Broché coutil
Drill

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

Lustrous on one side and with a crepe texture on the other, this light to medium weight fabric is called crepe-back satin when its glossy side is its face, and satin-back crepe when the dull side is the face. It can be called crepe satin or satin crepe as well. Sometimes the contrasting sides of the fabric are both used on the outside of a garment. Characteristically silk, it can be made of rayon or manufactured fibers.

Uses: Blouses, dresses, evening gowns, lining

See also:
Charmeuse
Satin

Crepon and its close cousin bark crepe are characterized by lengthwise wrinkles. Bark crepe resembles the bark of a tree and is usually cotton, linen or rayon. Crepon, too, has a sturdy, vertically-rippled textured and may be silk, manufactured fiber, wool or cotton. The fabrics are compound fabrics, woven on dobby or jacquard looms.

Uses: Dresses, blouses, suits, interior decorating

See also:
Matelasse

Gauze that has been given a wrinkled texture in the finishing process, usually mechanically, but also by the shrinking of high twist yarns. Similarly crinkled cotton fabric can also be seen in a heavier muslin sheeting weight, called crinkled muslin in the U.S.

Uses: Loose-fitting, unstructured garments, most often blouses and dresses

See also:
Gauze
Crepon
Muslin

A plain weave, sheer fabric with ribs at regular intervals in both directions (the warp and weft). The ribs are made by weaving two or more threads together as one. Crossbar dimity is made of cotton or a cotton blend and may be printed or plain. The name dimity is derived from the Greek dimitos, double thread.

Tissue gingham is crossbar dimity outlining gingham checks.

Uses: Dresses, blouses, skirts, aprons, lingerie, curtains

See also:
Dimity
Gingham

Damask differs from its jacquard relative brocade in that it can be reversed, although the reverse will feature the woven-in pattern in “negative.” Damask is characteristically one color but two different weaves, to set the patterns apart from the ground. If the pattern is satin on the face, it will be dull on the reverse. If two colors are used, these will be reversed on the back of the fabric.

The fabric gets its name from Damascus, Syria, a trade hub where this silk fabric from China was introduced to Europe. Starting in the 15th century, European damasks were made of linen; both staple fiber and filament fiber damasks are made still. Table linens of cotton and blends are often damask.

Uses: Table linens, household decorations, towels, wraps, evening wear, accessories

See also:
Brocade
Jacquard, woven

French for “devoured,” describing the eating away by chemical printing of one fiber in a velvet made of two fibers, such as silk and acetate. Synonymous with burn-out velvet.

See also:
Burn-out fabric
Burn-out velvet
Façonné velvet
Velvet

A sheer plain weave fabric, dimity is characterized by vertical ribs at regular intervals. These warp ribs are formed by joining two or more threads together and weaving them as one. Always cotton originally—now in cotton blends as well—dimity may be plain or printed. The name is derived from the Greek dimitos, double thread.

Crossbar dimity has the same occasional rib, but in both directions.

Uses: Dresses, blouses, skirts, aprons, lingerie, curtains

See also:
Crossbar dimity

Traditionally made of a fine plain weave cotton—now sometimes a blend with manufactured fiber—dotted swiss always is covered in small dots placed at regular intervals. These can be woven in, flocked or printed. Colors may be introduced, although the most common is all white. The original and finest was first made in Switzerland on a swivel loom. Other woven varieties are clip-spot (spot-dot, clip-dot or American dotted swiss) and lappet woven.

Flocked dots are made by applying tiny fibers with glue. Neither the flocked nor the printed versions of dotted swiss are as durable as the woven varieties, although they are less expensive to produce.

Uses: Blouses, dresses, wedding gowns and curtains

See also:
Flocked fabric

A plain weave, rather lustrous and crisp silk fabric with pronounced irregular ribs formed by slubbed yarns. The slubs are formed by the spinning of silk from a double (from which the name derives) silkworm cocoon, which can’t be unwound evenly in the reeling process, leaving thicker spots in the filaments. The slubbed ribs are usually horizontal (in the weft) but may also be vertical (in the warp). Doupioni silk is naturally an ecru shade but is often dyed in bright and/or iridescent colors.

As compared to its close relative shantung, doupioni silk is heavier in weight, with more pronounced slubs.

Uses: Blouses, dresses, skirts, suits, neckties

See also:
Pongee
Shantung
Thai silk
Tussah