Fabrics & materials

A heavy, plain-weave cotton or cotton-blend fabric prized for durability and stiffness, used for bags, workwear and structural garment interfacing.

A luxury animal-hair fibre combed from the undercoat of cashmere goats, softer and lighter than sheep's wool but less durable, used in fine knitwear.

A lightweight plain-weave cotton fabric with a coloured warp and white weft yarn, giving a denim-like appearance without the weight; used for shirts.

A sheer, lightweight plain-weave fabric made from tightly twisted crepe yarns, giving it a slightly rough, airy hand; slippery and prone to fraying when sewn.

An older term for a very lightweight, smooth plain-weave silk lining fabric similar to habotai, now less common due to its delicacy.

A fabric's resistance to fading or bleeding dye during washing, light exposure or rubbing, tested before combining contrasting fabrics in one garment.

A thin, twisted or braided cord used inside piping, as a drawstring, or couched onto fabric for decorative surface texture.

A durable cotton fabric woven with extra weft yarns cut to form vertical ridges, or wales, of pile; sewn with the nap running consistently in one direction.

A natural cellulose fibre harvested from the cotton plant's seed pods, valued for softness, breathability and absorbency; used in wovens and knits from quilting cotton to denim.

A natural-fibre sewing thread with a matte finish and low stretch, well suited to natural woven fabrics such as quilting cotton and linen.

A fabric with a crimped, pebbly surface produced by high-twist yarns, heat-setting or a crepe weave, giving good drape and a matte finish.