Fabric Descriptions

Broadcloth:

A fine, tightly woven plain weave fabric with a faint rib. Usually of cotton or cotton blend, but can be made with any fiber.

Flannel:

Plain woven fabric with a soft “nap” on one side, known for being very soft and warm to the touch. Ours is 100% cotton.

Gabardine: 

A medium to heavy weight cloth woven like a twill, in a smooth pattern of parallel diagonal ridges often used for men’s formal wear.

Jersey Knit:

Single knit fabric with an intermeshing of stitches in the same direction on the face and a series of semicircular loops on the back, making each side appear different from the other.

Linen:

A plain weave cloth made from flax fibers and noted for its strength, coolness and soft luster. Linen is traditionally prevalent in warmer climates because of its light weight and loose weave, but its seasonal versatility and rich heirloom look is gaining popularity in all regions. Please note, although it is a beautiful fabric, linen tends to wrinkle easily.

Mirror Organza:

Woven in the same manner as our regular organza, but with a sparkly shine for a dressy effect.

Muslin:

Plain weave cotton fabric. Ours is a medium weight, and is unbleached, providing a chemically stable product ideal for textile preservation.

Netting:

A very delicate, open, and light fabric created by twisting, knotting, or weaving threads together at regular intervals.

Nylon Tricot:

Durable, lightweight, sheer knitted fabric using super fine synthetic fibers.

Organza:

A plain weave fabric made of tightly twisted yarns in a sheer, light weight with a crisp finish and can be constructed of any number of textile fibers. Ours is 100% polyester and has a soft luster.

Pique:

A textured weave, available in many different patterns: vertical, horizontal or diagonal rib, birdseye (small diamonds), waffle (small squares), honeycomb, or wave. Usually tightly woven and constructed of cotton or cotton blend fibers.

Polyester Lining:

Lightweight, tightly woven plain weave fabric utilizing a 100% polyester fiber. Always soft, smooth and durable.

Satin:

A weaving process that causes light to reflect off diagonally “floating” yarns rather than being absorbed by the regular perpendicular intersections of yarns found in a plain weave. Satin can be made from any fiber, is smooth and tightly woven, and comes in many weights and degrees of shine.

Shantung:

Woven in the same manner as dupioni (see silk dupioni description below), creating the same overall textured effect of the silk product, but utilizing man-made polyester fibers rather than natural silk yarns. Our shantung is bright, pure white in color, is medium weight, and has a soft luster on the surface.

Silk Dupioni:

A subtly textured fabric woven from a double strand of silk yarn in a plain weave pattern. The yarn is uneven and varies in width, creating a series of natural horizontal “slubs”, which should not be considered flaws, as they make up the unique character of the textile. Our silk dupioni is “pearl white” in color (a shade between white and ivory), is light to medium weight, and has a crisp finish with an understated sheen for an overall luxurious appearance.

Taffeta:

Crisp, plain woven fabric with a very fine cross rib. Taffeta has a smooth texture with a soft sheen on the surface.

Tulle:

Sheer net in a hexagonal mesh pattern (see netting description above). Has a light to medium stiffness and is often made from silk, rayon, cotton or nylon fibers. Tulle is most commonly used in formal wear, veils and costuming.