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Textile Dictionary

Word	Short description
Babushka	Triangularly folded kerchief, used as headscarf.
Baby blue colour	In textile parlance a pale blue colour.
Baby combing wool fibre	Exclusive, chosen fine wool fibres having staple lengths between 5 to 6.25 cm. High-grade worsted yarns are spun from this stock, by employing the Worsted spinning, French system.
Baby cord Synonym: Pin cord	Corduroy fabric, having very finer needle cords than those usually employed for extra soft styles of garments.
Baby flannel	Lightweight, fluffy, flannel fabric usually made of cotton, wool or in combination of both. Usually woven in plain or twill weave; used mainly for children's wear.
Baby lace	Narrow, delicate lace edgings usually used on garments for infants and children.
Baby pique	Term used to describe a very small pique knit.
Baby sharkskin	Flat and supple shirting fabric, made from combed cotton yarns in a cross weave pattern.
Back-and-fore stitch	Hand-stitch, employed for sewing the linings and pockets. The stitch involves taking a back and then a running stitch before the needle is removed.
Back beam	Beam or shaft at the back of the loom, on which warp yarns are wound for weaving.
Back breakpoint	Term related to garment sizing. In anatomy, location on the back of the body where the arm separates from the body.
Back-chroming Synonym: Back-dyeing	After-treatment, employed on dyed materials, for enhancement of colourfastness, which includes the application of a chrome mordant after dyeing.
Back-coating	Adhesive-type substance, applied to the back of a fabric for enhancement of the body of the fabric and/or its stiffness.
Back drape	Length of material, attached either at the shoulder or at the waist, that flows over the back to floor length. In some cases it is removable.
Back-dyeing	See Back-chroming
Backed cloth	Fabric in satin or twill weave designed with an additional set of extra warp or weft added for weigh and warmth. Used for dress goods, suitings and skirtings. .
Backed cloth weave	Weave used for reversible fabric, in which single warp end and double weft picks are employed without any binder yarn.
Backed fabric	Woven or knit fabric, in which extra sets of yarn are introduced in lengthways or widthways or in both the ways, to improve its strength, weight and warmth. Mainly find usage as suiting, overcoating, etc.
Back-filling Synonym: Back-sizing	Finishing process employed usually on low grade, cheap fabrics, to beef up their appearance, hand and increase in weight. The process includes application of varying amounts of fillers, like cornstarch, China clay, tallow etc. on the backside of the fabric. Other starches are often added when deemed necessary. During application care is taken to prevent the filling starch from working to the face of the fabric. Also the filling compound is carefully coloured to resemble closely to the shade of the fabric itself.
Back grey	During the process of roller printing, the cloth, that is sandwiched between the blanket and the fabric to be printed. This sandwiched cloth, soak up any printing paste that might infiltrate through the fabric being printed, and ensure sharp prints by providing supple backing to the fabric being printed. ? During the process of screen-printing, the cloth, that is employed to support and maintain stability of the fabric being printed. The back grey and the fabric being printed are gummed together prior to the combined fabric itself being gummed to the printing table conveyor belt. ? See also Bump grey
Backing	Reinforcing layer of fabric other material adhered to the reverse side of a fabric; it stabilizes the fabric and give it body to support embroidery. There are two types of backing; 'tear away backing' and 'cut away backing', with different levels of stability. ? In a pile yarn floor covering, the fabric into which, the pile yarns are inserted; in other words, materials in a pile yarn floor covering, other than the pile yarns.
Backing-fabric seam impression	Printing defect, which is classified a major defect. During printing, the backing cloth is used to cushion the fabric that is being printed, and if there is a joining seam in the backing cloth, that may cause an impression on the printed fabric.
Backing, primary	See Primary backing.
Backing, secondary	See Secondary backing
Backing, warp	See Warp backing
Backing, weft	See Weft backing.
Backing yarn	In pile fabrics, the base yarn that holds in place, the piles shaped by the wadding yarn, together with the warp ends and weft picks.
Back loop	Knit loop; the constituent parts of which include a simple open loop passed through the loop below it, away from the viewer.
Graphic	See also Knitted loop
Backpack	Utilitarian camping pack, made from a sturdy fabric like nylon or polyester canvas, usually supported by an aluminium frame to provide proper support for carrying items and carried on the back. ? Bag made from many varieties of tough fabric, worn on the back and attached to the body by shoulder straps; used often by students to carry books.
Backpack	Utilitarian camping pack, made from a sturdy fabric like nylon or polyester canvas, usually supported by an aluminium frame to provide proper support for carrying items and carried on the back. ? Bag made from many varieties of tough fabric, worn on the back and attached to the body by shoulder straps; used often by students to carry books.
Back pleats	Tiny folds in the material on the back of a garment that allow for more room and comfort.
Back rise	In a garment, the distance from crutch to centre back of waistline.
Backside Synonym: Wrong side	Reverse side, of a fabric, as opposed to face side.
Back-sizing	See Back-filling
Backstitch	Strong and versatile hand-stitch, employed to seam garment parts. The stitch is so named because, the needle, on emerging, goes back to be inserted at the end of the previous stitch.
Back strap	In garment, a strap, placed across its back at the waist, usually fitted with a buckle, or other method of adjustable fastening, and used to adjust the fit of the garment, within limits, to the wearer's requirements.
Back-tacking	Reverse sewing, employed at the beginning and end of a seam, for reinforcement.
Back-tanning Synonym: Back-tracking	After-treatment, in which either natural or synthetic tanning agents, are applied on a dyed or printed silk or polyamide material, to improve wet fastness of the dyeing or printing.
Back-tracking	See Back tanning
Back-twisting	Term used to describe the process of re-twisting of a yarn in the opposite of the original direction of the formerly set twist.
Back warp	Additional sets of warp ends, which are woven into the back of a compound fabric. In double, triple or quadruple fabrics the back-warps form the back of the goods along with the back-filling.
Back washer	Machine used for washing of carded wool to remove all remaining impurities. It is also used to dry the tops after washing, by passing them over steam-heated cylinders, or perforated cylinders through which hot air is forced
Back-washing	I? Removal of oils, which have been put into worsted stock during blending, oiling and mixing operations when the mix was made up. ? Scouring process for dyed or undyed wool slivers or tops, during the course of production worsteds. It is carried out before or after the gilling and combing, dependent on the manufacturing system employed.
Back weft	Term used to describe the additional sets of weft picks, woven into the back of certain fabrics. The back wefts are employed to improve the strength, weight and warmth of the fabric or to highlight the surface design on it.
Back width Synonym: Cross back width	Body measurement, the distance from back break point to back break point.
Back-winding	Operation of rewinding, of yarn from one type of package to another more suitable package for the next process. Operation of unravelling, of yarn from knit fabric and then winding it as suitable packages for any reuse or rework.
Back-wrap	Wraparound garment, like a skirt, that fastens in the back.
Back yoke	Piece of fabric, which connects the back of a garment to the shoulders, which allows the garment to lay flat and drape nicely. Fitted or shaped piece of fabric at the top of a skirt.
Bactericide	See under Anti-bacterial agents
Bacteriostat	See under Anti-bacterial agents
Bad cast	Yarn defect, considered as major. The abrupt increase in the diameter of raw silk yarns, usually occurring during reeling operation due to improper joining of filaments.
Bad cover	Fabric defect, in which the spaces between adjacent threads in the fabric surface appear more pronounced than ideal. The degree of cover, achieved is adversely affected by imperfect loom setting, wrong count of reed, or faulty construction of yarns used. ? Defect in finished fabric. The defect manifests as insufficient surface cover achieved, or the underlying structure not properly concealed to the degree required, by the finishing materials used.
Badla	Flat metallic wire, often in silver-gilt, used for brocading and embroidery.
Bad listing	See Cut selvedge
Bad odour	Fabric defect, which manifests in a variety of objectionable odours often noted in unfinished or finished fabrics. Usually it is caused by some chemical action, which has not been properly controlled during application, washing, scouring, bleaching, dyeing, fulling, etc.
Bad temple	See Temple mark
Bagasse	Crushed stalks of the sugar cane after the sugar has been extracted.
Bag cloth	Fabric woven in a rather light and open structure from inferior quality yarns, made exclusively for manufacturing of bags, or sacks to hold dry goods such as flour, beans, lentils, etc. It is usually heavily sized to prevent the contents from coming through.
Bagging Synonym: Tacking	Practise of sewing together of both the selvedges of a fabric that has been folded lengthwise, with the face side in. This causes ballooning of the fabric, during its wet processing and thereby reduces rope marking and also protects the face of the fabric in other finishing operations. Bagging also helps in preventing wrinkles and selvedge curling.
Bagging fabric Synonym: Gunny	Very heavy, loosely woven fabric made from heavy tight-twisted roving, largely consisting of reworked and waste fibres, principally cotton and jute. Used for bale covering, manufacture of bags, etc.
Bagging-out	Practise of joining the facings and/or linings to the outer fabric of a garment by sewing them together, face to face in the form of a bag and then turning the garment out, to the right side.
Baggy Cloth	See Wavy cloth
Baggy selvedge	See Slack selvedge.
Baghdad wool	Dark wool type obtained from in and neighbouring areas of Mesopotamia. Used mainly for carpets.
Bagheera velvet	Piece-dyed velvet fabric, with uncut piles. The rough surface makes it largely wrinkle proof. Used mainly for outerwear
Bagwig	Traditional wig with the back hair enclosed in a small silk bag.
Bail Synonym: Lug	In zippers, the portion or portions of slider to which the pull or pulls are attached.
Bainin	Loosely constructed, hand-woven fabric made from homespun wool. Used for coats, skirts, stoles, etc.
Baize Synonym: Baze	A plain-woven, coarse short napped woollen felt fabric. Usually heavily filled and piece-dyed and the surface has a long produced by raising. Used for the production of wall coverings, table covers and screens.
Baking	Dry-heat treatments employed on dry fabric.
Baking Soda	Commercial name for sodium bicarbonate.
Baku straw	Exclusive, lightweight, fine straw having a characteristic dull appearance. It is obtained from the fibres of the 'buri palm'.
Balaclava	Knitted cap, which covers the head and neck
Balance	Garment related term, which describes the adjustment of relation of one section of a garment to another, in harmony with the natural attitude of the figure, especially that of the back and front lengths.
Balanced crêpe	A crêpe fabric, woven with alternate yarns of 'S' and 'Z' crêpe twists in both warp ends and weft picks.
Balanced crimp	Fabric, woven with an equal degree of crimp in the warp ends and weft picks.
Balanced fabric leaves	Woven of fabric, in which the number of warp ends per unit width is equal to the number of weft picks per unit length and both yarns are of the same count, e.g. a fabric woven with 2/40s yarns in both warp ends and weft picks, and having a pick count of 60 square, i.e. 60 individual threads running each way in the goods. ? See also Square cloth
Balanced stripes	Balanced stripes
Balanced twill Synonym: Even-sided twill; Equally flush twill	Twill weave fabric, in which the floats in both warp and weft directions span equal numbers of crosswise yarns.
Balanced twist	GreyYarn or cord, in which a combination of single yarn twists and plied yarn twists are manoeuvred in such a way, that the yarn or cord will not have any propensity for kinkling, doubling or twisting on itself when held in the form of an open loop or suspended without tension.
Balanced weave plants	Weave, in which the normal float is equal in warp and weft directions, and warp and weft floats are evenly divided between two sides of fabric.
LacBalanced yarns	Yarn spun in balanced twist.
Balance marks	In garments, the notches, nips or threads made on its different parts, which help to preserve the balance of the garments by serving as guides during assembly. These markings are generally put at side seams, hind arm and forearm seams and elsewhere as necessary.
Balance of count	See under Balanced fabric
Balance wheel Synonym: Hand wheel	In sewing machine, the pulley, that incorporates counter balance to stabilise the driven shaft of the machine.
Balagny cloak	Traditional French cloak or cape with wide collar.
Balanced Stripes	Fabric design made of stripes, which are even in width and spacing.
Balbriggan hosiery	Lightweight, fabric made on a circular knitting machine. Originally made in and around Balbriggan, Ireland, hence the name. The fabric is usually made from cotton, and it may have a slight fleece on the wrong side. Used mainly for sportswear, underwear and pyjamas.
Baldachin	Silk fabric richly embroidered with silk and gold yarns.
Baldric	Belt, usually ornamented, worn over one shoulder to support a sword or bugle.
Bale	Compressed package of staple fibres, usually cotton, wool, etc. Standard size and weight of a bale vary in different parts of the world. Most common form is the farm bale weighing between 100 and 200 kg. ? Term is also used to describe a package of yarns or fabrics, in a bag or sack.
Bale breaker	Machine employed in the blow-room of a spinning mill to break the bales of ginned cotton or other staple fibres.
Bale-breaking	Operation comprising of taking out layers of compressed cotton or other staple fibres from a bale and feed into a bale breaker machine, in which the tearing action of two coarse spiked rollers moving in opposite directions, opens up the layers to give substantially more open mass of tufts.
Bale-dyeing	Low cost method of dyeing in ambient temperature, without prior scouring or singeing. The method is mostly employed for dyeing of imitation chambray, as the sized warp yarns take up dye readily while the weft yarns containing some wax resist the dye. ? Term is also used sometimes, to describe the dyeing of loose stock, of synthetic polymer fibre, in the form of an unpacked bale.
Balibuntal straw	Fine, lightweight, glossy straw obtained from unopened palm leaf stems.
Baling	Process of compressing and packing of ginned cotton into bales, to be sent to mills to be spun into yarns.
Balk	AFabric defect, which manifests as an incomplete pattern in striped or plaid fabrics; usually caused by carelessness of designing depart
Ball	Bundle of fibres, tops, slivers, or yarns made into the shape of a ball or an egg. Cotton, silk, viscose, wool and their blends are often sold in this form to the consumers.
Ballerina neckline	Low neckline that is usually used in strapless or spaghetti strapped dresses.
Ballerina skirt	Ball gown that reach only to the mid calf or above the ankles.
Ballet toe	Textile fibres are primarily categorized into natural fibres and man-made fibres.
Ballet toe	In knitting, the reverse toe, in which the toe yarn on the upper side covers the ends of the toes only, and the toe is usually extended and more pointed.
BBall fall	Term used to describe the measure of the viscosity of a liquid, expressed as the time in seconds required for a standard sphere to fall through a column of liquid of standard length under standard conditions
Ball gown	Full-length skirt that that begins at the waist and reaches down to the ankles, usually made in satin or silk. The skirt waist is seamed and can be of various styles
Balling up	See Fuzz ball
Ballistic tearing strength	Force, required for extending a tear over a given length of fabric established from the energy absorbed in tearing at high speeds. It is usually conducted at shock loads using falling pendulum.
Balloon cloth	Closely woven high quality cotton fabric made from fine, combed yarns, in plain weave. It has uniform breaking strength in all directions. Constructions generally range from 92 x 108 to 116 x 128 with yarn counts from 60s to 100s. The uses include balloons, ready-made shirts, artificial flowers, typewriter ribbons, etc. When vulcanised, the cloth is used mainly for air cells in planes and barrage balloons.
Ballooning	Term used to describe the manifestation of semi-circled paths taken by yarns running at high speed during various operations like spinning, doubling, winding, etc. ? Incidence of deliberate or accidental entrapment of air, by a fabric during wet processing.
Ballooning eye	Yarn-guide, that forms the apex of a yarn balloon that manifests during the running of a yarn at high speed.
Ballotini	Very small reflective glass beads, which are sometimes incorporated into fabric as accessory.
Ball-warping	Winding of a group of warp ends in the form of a twistless rope and then making it into a ball, cheese or cake.
Balmoral	Sturdy, heavy, twill weave, woollen fabric of British in origin. Usually feature stripes in red, black, and grey colours.
Balsa fibre	Natural silky fibre of vegetable origin, obtained from the seed covering of the corkwood tree, 'ochroma lagopus', found in South America. The fibres find usage as stuffing for pillows.
Balustre fabric	Traditional golden fabric of very high quality, which had its origin in Vienna, Austria.
Bamboo	Giant woody grass 'bambusa', often reaching a height of forty feet or more, found in the tropical and subtropical regions. The fibres closely resemble those from straws in many of their characteristics. The average length of fibres stand between softwood and hardwood fibres.
Banana fibre	See Plantain fibre
Band	Close-fitting strip that confines material at the waist, neck, or cuff of clothing ? Term used to describe the weft-wise area in a fabric that extends across the full width and is different from the rest of the fabric.
Bandage cloth	Thin, very loosely woven cotton fabric. It looks like gauze and is normally in plain weave, bleached and sterilised. Sometimes made in linen also. Fabric is made available in rolls of various widths or in cut squares or other shapes in bundles, which find very wide usage in hospital needs.
Bandana	Cotton handkerchief fabric, having stylised discharge or resist printed patterns including spots, in bright colours, usually in red or navy, on white or dark ground.
Bandeau	Fillet or band especially made for the hair.
Banded laces	Group of narrow laces, in the form of bands or strips, which are used for trimming of garments. There are many types.
Bandhani	Process of patterning cloth by tie-and-dye, in which the design is reserved on the undyed cloth by tying small spots very tightly with thread to protect them from the dye. It is especially popular in the northern parts of India.
Banding fabrics	Group of woven, knit, or braided narrow fabrics, tapes or webbings. Used for manufacture of hatbands, neckbands, trimmings, and also as tying band for securing bundles, etc.
Band knife	Mechanical device, the main part of which is a mechanically driven endless moving blade, which passes through a slot in a table. The machine is used for cutting all together, many layers of fabric.
Bandolier	Belt worn over the shoulder and across the breast.
Bandle	Coarse, homespun, narrow linen fabric made on hand looms.
Band warping	See Pattern warping
Bane yarns	Group of yarns, usually man-made types, in its extruded form without any other yarn wrapped around it or other types of uncovered yarns.
Bangkok hat	Measure around base of the neck (the lowest point of the neck). Number of inches equals the neck size you should order.
Bangle	Stiff ornamental bracelet or anklet slipped or clasped on.
Bang Off	See Fine filling bar
Baniyan	Men's simple indoor jacket of Indian origin made from inexpensive cotton fabric.
Bank	Creel, which holds the package of sliver or yarn, employed to help increase the speed of unwinding.
Banner cloth	See Bunting
Bannockburn	Top quality tweed fabric in which, a single colour yarn is alternated with another yarn made of two colours. The alternated yarns are twisted together before weaving. The fabric is named after the Scottish town of Bannockburn that has long been the centre of an area producing this type of fabric, which is used for manufacture of suits and coats.
Bar	Fabric defect, which manifests as a bar effect that has developed a different colour from the adjacent fabric. The fabric or weft picks, which were normal prior to the weaving, might have got damaged or got contaminated during or subsequent to, the dyeing and finishing operations.
Baracan	Heavy, closely woven warp ribbed fabric, made with hard-twist worsted warp ends and weft picks. Sometimes, it is also made with silk or wool warp ends and mohair weft picks forming weft ribs. ? See also Camelot baracane
Barathea	Rich, soft-looking but hardwearing, fine textured fabric, having a slightly pebbled surface. It is closely woven, in plain or novelty twill weave, with slight diagonal-weave appearance and broken-rib effect. The fabric feels smooth to touch but has a granular or pebbled appearance. Usually made in silk, worsted, and also in man-made fibres, like viscose, acetate, etc. Used mainly for men's suit, women's coats and skirts. Its characteristic appearance, of cut off-grain, makes it a preferred fabric for men's dress ties and cummerbunds. The best types are found in fine botany worsteds, firm and compact in structure with a clean finish. The weave is a special form of twilled rib weave, which in combination with the fine setting produce a faintly indented fabric surface, with indistinct regular twill lines running in opposite directions. The weave employed can be simple or complex but the general effect achieved is similar. Classic styles are made from very fine barathea qualities.
Barb	Term used to describe the very minute scales seen on fur fibres.
Barbe	Mean length of the fibres of a sliver or of a roving calculated from the proportions by mass of the fibres in the sliver or roving. The term is normally used for long staple fibres, and particularly wool.
Barcelona handkerchief	Fine twill weave silk in square pieces and dyed in solid colours. The style has originated in Spain, where it used to be in fashion to wear it on the head or neck.
Bare cloth	Fabric, the surface of which is not raised, brushed, or napped to the required degree. ? Defective fabric; a fabric having a bad cover.
Bare face	Fabric that is finished without any nap.
Barége yarn	Fine, hand-spun yarn, used for the manufacture of gauze and veils.
Bar-fagoting	Open seam stitch, employed to join together seams, and also to impart an ornamental effect to ladies and children's garments. The stitch resembles ladders or small squares.
Bargello stitch	Vertical stitch, made from left to right over a given number of threads.
Bark cloth	? Fabric, which is finished with a surface texture resembling that of the bark of a tree. Used for furniture slipcovers, draperies, etc. ? Originally the term was used to describe the thin sheets of the inner bark of certain trees, which were employed for some kinds of textile related uses, though they are hardly a textile material as they are not woven, knit or made by similar operations.
Bark crêpe	Heavy, stiff crêpe fabric, having a rough texture, somewhat similar to the bark of a tree. It is usually made from viscose or polyester and used mainly for the manufacture of eveningwear.
Barlicorn fabric	Basket weave fabric, having diminutive geometrical shapes, with regular distribution of warp ends and weft picks.
Barmen Machine	Braiding machine, which is used for plaiting of threads with each other. It is sometimes employed on warp ends also, with the carriers being controlled by a Jacquard, according to the requirements of the pattern.
Barmen lace	Narrow lace, manufactured on a type of braiding machine, in which individual carrier movements are controlled by a patterning mechanism.
Barnsley finish	Combination finish, employed on medium or heavy linen fabrics made in twill weave. The finishing process comprise bleaching, light starching, medium calendering and a final hot water treatment on rollers. After the final drying the fabrics are pressed in single folds separated by pasteboards.
Barras	Coarse linen fabric very similar to sacking; originally produced in Holland.
Barré	Fabric defect, that manifests both in woven and knit fabrics. Barré is considered as a major defect: In woven fabric, the unintentional, repetitive visual pattern of continuous bars or stripes, observed usually parallel to the weft direction. In woven fabric, the stripe-like effect where one or more weft picks are characterized by an apparent difference in colour, lustre, or physical arrangement that is repeated at intervals across the warp direction, caused probably due to mechanical faults in the loom, or variations in lustre or dye absorption etc of yarns. In knit fabric, the unintentional, horizontal streaks or bands seen in the width wise direction of the fabric, caused by differences in yarn size, tension on yarns or fabric, colour, lustre or shrinkage, from one section of the cloth to the adjacent area. In knit fabric, the unintentional, ridge or mark seen running in lengthwise direction of the fabric, caused by variations in tension during knitting process, poor quality yarns and problems during the finishing process.
Barred	Fabric defect, which manifests as unintentional bar effect produced by stripes or bars extending crosswise in woven or knitted goods.
Barred twist yarn	Fancy yarn, produced by twisting together of two, two-plied yarns, in which either one or both may be printed.
Barrége	Very sheer fabric, made from wool and silk or cotton, originally made in Barége in the Pyrenees. It is solely used for veiling. Though it drapes well, it cannot withstand strain in wear. Unsuitable fabric for clothing.
Barrier fabric	Fabric that functions as a barrier to dust, dust mites and related allergens.
Barrier material	Substance, which is applied on non-woven geo textiles, to prevent movement of fluids across the plane of the fabric. The geo fabric is saturated with an impermeable barrier material, like 'bentonite clay'.
Bar tack	Intensely concentrated, zigzag stitch, forming a band 2 to 4 mm wide by 1 to 2 cm long, used for reinforcement at points of strain, e.g. pocket openings, crotch joins of inseams, placket edges, waistband seams, cuff seams, etc.
Bar-tack machine	Sewing machine specially designed for making bar tack stitches.
Bar-warp machine	Warp lace machine, in which the pattern control is similar to that of Leavers machine.
Bar wood	Natural organic dyestuff of vegetable origin; the reddish colour natural dye is obtained from the tree 'baphia nitida'.
Baryta	Alkaline compound in its purest chemical form. It is the textile standard for 100% pure white.
Base	Term employed to describe a group of alkaline chemicals, which when combined with an acid forms a salt. Bases find extensive usage in textile processing, like soap in scouring of cotton to dissolve grease, caustic soda in mercerising of cotton to plasticise the fibres, etc.
Base cloth	Woven fabric, which is incorporated within a needle-felt material, to enhance its dimensional stability and strength. In some cases, the base cloth is useful also in facilitating the punching operation.
Basic dyes	Group of dyes characterised by their outstanding brilliance and intensity. Some of the shades produced by these dyes have such clarity of hue, which no other class of dyes can achieve. These are cationic dyes that dissociate in an aqueous medium to give a positively charged coloured ion (cation) with affinity for fibres containing acidic groups. As these dyes have no affinity for cotton, it can be applied on cotton but only with the help of a tannin mordanting. Even then fastness achieved is just moderate only. The dyes can be applied without any mordant on wool and silk, but again the results are characterised more by brightness than by fastness. Specially developed basic dyes for acrylics are quite fast. Basic dyes are suitable for acrylic fibres, suitable for wool and silk fibres, but now the usage is declining, suitable for cotton, linen, viscose rayon, and cuprammonium rayon fibres, but lacks fastness and now obsolete.
Basic fabrics	Term used to describe all those practical, sensible and efficient fabrics that are woven by plain weave, twill weave or satin weave or knitted by warp-knitting or weft-knitting.
Basic finishes	Group of treatments or processes designed to alter or improve the surface appearance, function or texture of a fabric. Finishes play a significant part in the conversion of a textile material from the griege stage to merchandise saleable to the ultimate processor or consumer
Basine	Silk fabric, in which two sets of fine warp ends float over every two weft picks and interlace with the third.
Basin waste	Silk waste consisting of cocoons that could not be completely reeled because of too frequent breaks in the thread.
Basis weight of fabric	Mass per unit area of fabric, e.g. oz/sq. yd., g/m2.
Basket cloth	Fabric woven in basket weave. Hopsack, Monk's cloth and Oxford cloth are examples of basket weave construction.
Basket huckaback	Towel fabric, featuring characteristic deep hollows woven in huckaback weave. Usually made from unbleached linen.
Basket stitch	Embroidery stitch, which resembles a series of overlapping cross-stitches. Basket stitch is employed for outlining and for filling to create a solid heavy look. ? Knitted construction, made mostly with purl loops in the pattern courses to give it a basket weave look.
Basket weave	Variation of the plain weave construction, fashioned by treating two or more warp ends and/or two or more weft picks as one unit in the weaving process. The formation resembles a plaited basket. Yarns in a basket weave are laid into the woven construction flat, and maintain a parallel relationship. Both balanced and unbalanced basket weave fabrics can be produced. They wear well, but because of their surface characteristics, the fabrics cannot withstand chafing, friction, and abrasion. Hence their usage for apparels is somewhat limited to a few shirtings. Used exhaustively as decorative fabrics and for curtains
Basque	Tight-fitting bodice for women. ? Male doublets that extend below the waist
Basque Waist	Dropped waist, which starts at or just below the natural waistline, and dips in the centre creating a "V" shape.
Bast	Strong woody fibres obtained especially from various plants.
Baste	Temporary stitches, made either by hand or machine, to hold together the garment parts in the correct position for subsequent operations.
Bastard fabric	Fabric produced as a substitute, a copy or as an inferior version of any type of standard fabric. The general implication is that the bastard fabric does not possess all of the advantageous characteristics of the cloth it claims to copy
Bastard reed	Reed, in which the dent spacing at both sides are slightly greater than in the centre.
Bastard yarn	Yarn, which is spun with a harder twist than that of the normal weft picks, but not as hard as that of regular warp ends. Usually used for manufacture of plied yarns.
Bast fibre	Natural fibre, of vegetable origin, obtained from the inner fibrous bark of the stems of dicotyledonous plants. The fibre is long, strong, soft, but somewhat woody, e.g. flax, ramie, jute, hemp, pineapple forming, and sisal. Used mainly for cordage, matting and to a very lesser extent for fabrics. The plant structure is deformed by flattening the stem, loosening the bond between the fibre bundles and the wood, and breaking the woody part into short pieces, to facilitate their removal from the fibre by scutching. The process is called 'breaking'. Breaking by means of rollers is often referred to as 'rolling'.
Batch	Term used to describe a collection of material, which is to be treated as one unit.
Batch-curing	Operation, employed for curing of durable press garments, in which one batch is charged into the curing oven at a time.
Batching	Wet processing term used to describe the process of fixing dye onto fabric. In this operation the fabric is wound onto a roller after it has passed through a dye bath and kept the fabric damp at room temperature for twenty-four hours or longer.
Bateau neck	A high, wide, straight neckline that runs straight across the front and back, meeting at the shoulders; the same depth in the front and back.
Bath	Term used to describe the essential solution in which a chemical process is carried out.
Bathrobe cloth	Thick, warm, double-faced cotton fabric, woven with a tightly twisted warp and two sets of soft weft yarns, which often are napped or sheared to produce a soft, cuddly surface. Used mainly for bathrobes, and crib blankets.
Bath sheet	Terry textile product generally made with end hems or fringes and side hems or selvedges. The size is much larger than usually provided for a bath towel.
Bath towel	Terry textile product, with end hems or fringes and side hems or selvedges, which is used to dry a person's body after bathing or swimming
Batik	Traditional method of resist-dyeing, originated Indonesia, of produce discreet patterns/designs on a fabric with the help of wax/gum-resist and cold dyes. In this process, different portions of the fabric are covered with a coating of heated wax or gum to resist the dye. The fabric is then subjected to dyeing, during which the uncoated areas of the fabric only get dyed, as the coated wax or gum resist the dye. After dyeing, the wax or gum is removed by boiling the fabric in water. The process is repeated, as many times as there are colours in the design. The fabric usually achieves a veined, streaky or mottled appearance, where the dye has gone through the cracks in the wax. The technique can be successfully adapted for fabric printing also
Batik cloth	Fabrics dyed or printed by the batik method, which are usually labelled 'batik'. The characteristically colourful designs are usually large in size and are placed centrally and often feature borders too. Used for casual dresses, shirts, beachwear, etc. shaped mesh.
Batik wax	Normally a blend of 15% sticky wax and 85% paraffin wax. The paraffin creates the crackle effect in batik; to increase crackle, the percentage of paraffin wax is increased and to decrease crackle, the percentage of sticky wax is increased.
Batt	? Term employed to designate a carded lap of fibres. ? Single or multiple sheets of fibre used in the production of non-woven fabric.
Batten	Term used to describe a machine part of a loom. Batten is employed to beat the weft picks into place after it has been loosely shot through the shed by the shuttle. See also Plain net
Battery	Term used to designate a machine part of an automatic loom. The battery holds full bobbins or pirns of weft in vertical or circular housings, or holds shuttles in a vertical housing.
Batting	Soft, bulky textile stuffing or padding material made from various fibres consisting of a continuous web of fibres formed by carding, garnetting, air laying or other means. Used for stuffing, quilting, padding or other thermal applications.
Batting integrity	Ability of a textile filling material to resist distortion or change when subjected to multiple home launderings or dry-cleanings
Battle jacket	Single-breasted, waist length jacket used by the U.S. Army, which is actually part of the set of uniforms issued to the G.I.
Baulk finish	Combination finish employed on woollen material. The process includes light milling of the woollen material, in the grease, scouring, dyeing, stentering to width and light pressing.
Baumé	Name of the scale, employed for measurement of the relative density of liquids by hydrometry. The formula expresses the relationship between relative density, and degrees Baumé, for liquids more dense than water.
Bave
Bayadère	Plain or twill woven fabric, the main feature of which are the shocking, wacky and vibrant coloured stripes in the weft direction and black coloured warp ends. The stripes can be plain or patterned. Initially made from silk, it originated in India. Used for blouses, dresses, evening wear, etc.
Bayadère costume	Set of garments that comprise top garment in shocking and dazzling striped design, trousers decorated with bright beads, glistening stoles, delicate kerchiefs, cheap but sparkling jewellery, sequins, anklets, etc. It used to be originally worn by the professional dancing girls in India.
Bayko	Metallic, coated yarn, which find usage in weaving, knitting and embroidery. In this the cotton or silk thread core is covered with a coating of cellulose acetate solution, which has in it, dispersed fine particles of metals.
BCF yarn	Bulk-textured continuous filament yarn used mainly for construction of carpets or upholstery fabrics. Mostly nylon but can also be polypropylene or polyester.
Beachwear	Clothing for wearing at a beach.
Bead	In separate element zippers, an enlarged section on the inner edge of each tape to which interlockable elements are affixed. ? In continuous element zippers, an optional enlarged section of the tape located at the outer edge of the continuous interlockable elements and against which the slider flanges bear. .
Beaded fabric	Term used to describe fabric that is embellished with beads.
Beading	Variety of insertion laces or embroidery works having rows of holes through which ribbon is laced. ? See also Buttoning
Beading lace	Machine-made, narrow, insertion lace, having a row of openwork holes designed for the insertion of a decorative ribbon, which are often done by openwork hemstitching or faggot stitch, or may have slits for inserting ribbons.
Bead wrapping fabric	In tyre textiles, the rubber-coated cross-woven fabric, which is wrapped around a rubberised bead coil.
Bead yarn	Fancy yarn, having small bead like swellings of hardened gelatine or plastic materials on its surface at regular intervals.
Beam	Large metal cylinder, having flanges on both ends. It is used for the preparation of warp ends for weaving or warp-knitting operations. A multitude of warp ends are wound parallel on the beam, in such a way, that later it permit the removal of these yarns as a warp sheet for weaving or warp knitting. Fabrics also may be wound on beam.
Beam bar	Mandrel composed of at least two beams, which feed the warp-knitting machine.
Beam dyeing	Dyeing technique employed for the dyeing of warp ends of a fabric prior to weaving. The warp ends are wound on a perforated beam. The dyeing is carried out by placing the loaded beam inside the dyeing machine and then pumping the dye bath through the warp ends or the fabric from the centre of the beam outward and then from the outside yarn surface to the centre of the beam. The direction of flow of the dye bath is alternated continuously, at pre-determined intervals during the full dyeing cycle.
Beam-warping	Operation of winding a part of the total number of ends in full width on to a warp beam.
Bearded needle	In knitting, a needle, fashioned from one piece of spring steel, providing a long terminal hook or beard that can be flexed by an action called 'pressing'. When the pressure is released, the beard returns to its original position.
Bearers	In trousers, those sections that are fastened to side seams of some styles, to take the weight of the trousers when the fronts are opened.
Bearskin ;	Woollen fabric, usually bulky and weighty and has a hairy nap on the face side. Used mainly as an overcoating fabric. ? Military hat made of the skin of a bear.
Beating	Traditional method of finishing, in which a raised wool fabric is subjected to repeated manual beating with sticks, to impart some textural change on the fabric surface. Now, it is a mechanised process.
Beating-up	Term used to describe the basic motion, involved in weaving, by which the weft pick is forced into position in a fabric. The inserted weft yarn is pushed up against the fell of the cloth by the reed. >
Beauty ad	Modelling term, which refers to a full-face photograph such as, would be used for a magazine cover or ad for cosmetics
Beaver	Hat made of beaver fur.
Beaver cloth	Thick, warm, and expensive woollen coating fabric, finished with heavy napping and fulling, in order to simulate the original beaver fur. The fabric attains a kind of luxurious appearance and a somewhat silky feel. Often light coloured fibres added to nap to increase shine. It fairly resembles kersey fabric. Usually woven in a variety of weights in single or double satin weaves from high quality woollen yarns. The fabric has the highest nap of all the napped fabrics, the height of nap varying with the fabric and its end use. Originally an English fabric, now popular in Europe and the USA, it is used for overcoats and winter jackets for men and women. It is also made from cotton, mostly with napping on both sides. The cotton beaver is used for caps, shoe linings, workwear, maritime wear, etc.
Beaverteen	Piece-dyed fabric with a very high weft sett. It has a soft, short-raised finish on the back, and is heavier than imperial sateen. Used largely as heavy trousering material.
Beck	Top-open vessel, used for holding of processing baths, e.g. wash liquor, dye liquor etc.
Becke lines	Term used to describe the lines that come into view at the border of a microscope image of a fibre, due to the refraction at the fibre edge.
Bed	In sewing machine, the part below the material being sewn. It consists of a casting, which houses and provides mounting points for the moving parts inside.
Bed-covering	Textile product used on a bed, over the sheets for warmth and/or decoration.
Bedford cord	Heavy, firmly woven hardwearing fabric, having prominent rounded cords in the lengthwise direction, with well defined sunken lines between them. First made in New Bedford, America, hence its name. The characteristic narrow warp cords effect is produced by making use of a special cord weave structure. On the face of the cords, the weave is usually plain, but other weaves may also be used. Sometimes, wadding is used to accentuate the prominence of the cords. Traditionally made from wool or worsted, but for dress purposes, made also in cotton, silk, viscose and mixtures. It is made available in various weights and qualities. Used for suiting, coating, riding breeches, uniforms. As the fabric is very strong and highly durable, it is often used for upholstery and work clothes. Light Bedford cord is used for dresses, children's clothes, etc.
Bed linen	General term used for describing all those textile articles that find usage in a bed, like sheet, pillowcase, etc., but excluding blanket. Originally these articles used to be made from linen, but now, several of fibre types are employed.
Bed sheeting	Broad term used for all woven and knit fabrics that generally find usage as mattress covers, sheeting, pillowcases, etc.
Bedspread	General term used to describe the bedcovering that is placed over the blankets and sheets for appearance and/or warmth.
Beer	Term used to describe a definite number of warp threads, usually 40. A warp is said to consist of so many beers, e.g. 2000 ends would be 50 n beers. .
Beeswax	Wax used for batik as a resist; it doesn't crack much and melts at 120?F. It is usually mixed with paraffin to create a crackling effect
Beet	Tied bundle or sheaf of flax crop or straw.
Beetled fabric	A soft, full, closed, flat surfaced and lustrous finished cellulosic fabric, particularly linen or cotton. The finish is produced by a process called beetling.
Beetling	Mechanical finishing process, in which, the fabric, usually of cotton or linen, in damp condition is wrapped around a wooden or metal beam or roller, and is pounded repeatedly by wooden or metal mallets or fallers while it passes through the machine. The spaces between warp and filling are covered up and tend to produce a high gloss to the material.
Beggar's Inkle	Traditional narrow fabric constructed in linsey-wolsey weave.
Beggar's velvet	The term used to describe a velvet fabric, woven with linen or cotton warp ends and fine cotton weft picks. The piles are developed by the weft picks.
Beige	Variable colour averaging light greyish yellowish brown. ? Term used to describe the yarn or fabric in the natural state or in undyed and unfinished state. The beige colour attained by dyeing should not be confused with this. ? Loosely woven dress fabric, made in twill weave from worsted or cotton, which has not been subjected to any scouring, bleaching, dyeing or finishing operations.
Beige yarn	Yarn, made by employing any wool in its natural colour.
Belgian ticking	Strong fabric, made from linen or linen and cotton fibres, and woven in a satin face in stripes or jacquard design. Used for bedding and upholstery. .
Bellacosa	Brocaded silk fabric, having silver/ gold thread-work on it.
Bell-bottoms	Pants with wide flaring bottoms.
Bellies	Relatively coarse quality of wool fibre, obtained from the underside of the sheep.
Bellyband	Band around or across the belly, as a girth or a band.
Belt	Strip of flexible material worn especially around the waist; a girdle employed to hold the garment in place. Belts are usually made from strongly woven or knit narrow fabrics .
Belting	General term that covers all forms of belts, and rolls of material from which belts are made up, that are designed for textile and other industrial and mechanical uses. ? In the case of tyre textiles, two or multiples of two, layers of tyre-cord fabric beneath the tread, lying at opposite angles close to the circumferential direction, with or without an additional layer with cord angle at 90° to the circumferential direction. Its purpose is to brace the carcase of a radial-ply tyre to stabilize and control its directional properties. ? Belts for industrial and mechanical purposes, are made from heavy fabrics, made from plied yarns impregnated with rubber compounds and adhesive gums. Wide ranges of constructions and widths are possible. High tenacity polyester and nylon are favoured fibres.
Belt loop	Term used to describe a garment part. A loop made of fabric or thread, which is sewn on to the waist part of the garment. The degree of fit is made adjustable by means of a belt drawn through the loop or loops.
Belwarp fabric	Fine worsted dress-fabric, made in a corkscrew twill weave and done in a clear finish.
Bemberg	Fabric made from yarns that have been subjected to bembergize finish
Bembergize	Combination finish employed on woollen and worsted yarns, to impart it a kind of high lustre. Apart from the high lustre achieved, the yarn goes finer and elongates by approximately one third of the original length. The process comprise a treatment of the yarn in a sodium bisulphate bath at a high temperature, during which, the yarn is kept under mechanical tension to prevent shrinkage, and then boiling for sometime in a weak mineral acid under minimum tension for relaxation, followed by a rinsing in water.
Benares	Lightweight woven cotton or silk fabric, produced in originally in Benares, India. Its main characteristic is the incorporation of glossy metallic threads, often in border design
Bending length	Measure of the interaction between the fabric weight and fabric stiffness, as shown by the way in which a fabric bends under its own weight. It reflects the stiffness of a fabric when bent in one plane under the force of gravity, and is a vital component of fabric drape.
Bengaline	Durable medium weight fabric, made in plain weave, with a warp-rib or corded effect, which is achieved by selecting suitable thickness and setting of warp ends and weft picks, or appropriate warp-rib weaves or a combination of both. The round and raised ribs often contain a wool or cotton wefts, which would not show. The cloth is usually 40" wide. The fabric had its origin in the Bengal area of India, and hence the name. It is mostly made from cotton, worsted, silk or man-made continuous filaments, and also in their combinations. Used for suits, millinery, trims, bouffant dresses with a tailored look and ribbons. Grosgrain and Petersham fabrics are made by cutting bengaline, to ribbon widths. Also used for curtains and draperies.
Bent-handled shears	Pair of scissors, having their blades angled, in such a way, that it can cut a fabric which is laid flat.
Benzine	Basic aromatic petrochemical, which is the raw material used in the production of a nylon polymer from which nylon fibre is spun.
Benzoate	Benzoate fibre made and marketed for mainly for the manufacture of women's wear
Berber	Term that was originally used to describe hand-spun, and hand-woven, African carpets with simple tribal motifs. However, now the term is commonly used to describe mechanically produced carpets made of natural colour wools or dyed wools, which have a homespun appearance.
Beret	Soft circular visor-less cap, made in wool, with a tight headband and a soft full flat top. Originally used by military personnel, it became popular and fashionable.
Berlin	Term used to describe a fine grade wool rags.
Berlin canvas	Canvas specially made for usage in embroidery work.
Berlin silk	Hard, round, smooth, high-twist silk yarn specially made for crocheting.
Bertha	Wide round collar covering the shoulders.
Bespoke	Term used to describe textile articles, which are made to order from an individual or from an organization.
Beta-naphthol	Chemical employed as a developer, in the application of developed dyes on cellulosic materials.
Beutanol finish	Chemical finish applied on cellulosic fabrics to enhance their pliability, hand and most importantly to make them flame-resistant, waterproof, stain-proof and dust proof. Fabrics are subjected to a number of repeated coatings with vinyl plastic. Usually the fabrics are dyeing with vat dyes precedes the coating process.
Bevel-woven fabric	Woven fabric, in which bowing of warp ends, is introduced intentionally.
BHT yellowing	A fabric defect observed occasionally on fabrics finished with butylated hydroxy toluene. The blemish manifests as an unsightly discolouration on the fabric. A volatile phenolic compound in BHT has a propensity to react with airborne nitrous compounds, which results in discolouration on the fabric.
Bias	? Any direction in the fabric, which does not exactly flow in the direction of the weft, yarn (vertical yarns) or warp yarns (horizontal yarns) of a fabric. A true bias makes an angle of 45? across the length and width of a fabric; fabric cut on a bias has maximum stretch. ? Term used to describe a diagonal line across a fabric. ? See also Cut on the bias; On the bias; True bias .
Bias-belted tyre	Tyre reinforced with layers of tyre cord fabric arranged alternately so that the main load bearing yarns lie at an angle of less than 90° to the plane in which the tyre rotates and yarns of adjacent layers cross each other.
Bias binding	Term used to describe textile materials, made by cutting a woven wide fabric, at an oblique or slanting direction to the warp and weft. Most bias bindings have regularly spaced joints determined by the width of the original wide fabric, but when bias bindings are converted from tubular knit fabric, joints are avoided. Bias bindings do stretch but do not fray, and they are thus suitable for binding seams and they conform to curved contours. Bias bindings are usually folded into the centre, but other folded patterns and flat versions are also produced.
Bias Cut	Cutting operation carried out at an oblique angle to the warp and weft, i.e. a cut across the grain of the fabric; the invention of which is attribute to Madeline Vionnet. The cut is employed to create garments that follow the body curves closely.
Bias tape	Tape produced by cutting on the bias, lengthy pieces from a wide fabric. The cut lengths are folded so that the raw edges are inside the fold. Used for binding the edges of a fabric and also for providing agility while rounding the corners of garments.
Bias weave	Diagonal weave, used in single cloth construction, in which one or more sets of warp ends extend diagonally between the selvedges. The weave is used for chair caning and tire cords. ? See also Triaxial weaving
Bi-axial fabric	Fabric, made in warp-knit construction, in which additional, substantially straight, vertical (warp) threads and horizontal (weft) threads are inserted throughout the length and width of the fabric.
Bi-component fibre	Manufactured filament fibre formed by spinning simultaneously from one spinneret and joining together of two polymers which are chemically different, physically different, or both. Fusing together, during spinning, of two filaments of dissimilar chemical compositions, result in a bi-component fibre possessing some special physical characteristics. The chemically and physically different components react differently when subjected to heat or moisture. On heating, one side of the fibre shrinks more than the other, thus giving the bi-component filament with a high degree of crimp stretchability. The nature of this crimp is similar to that given by wool and is different from the mechanically induced crimps. There are many types of bi-component fibres. ? Alternative method of production is from polymers having differing solubilities, in which, one polymer may be dissolved out later to leave ultra-fine filaments, e.g. the production of suede-like fabrics. ? See also Bi-lateral fibre; Natural bi-component fibre
Bi-component fibre texturing	Continuous filament thermoplastic yarn composed of bi-component fibres is subjected to a hot and/or wet process whereby differential shrinkage is developed.
Bi-component fibre yarn	Yarn made from bi-component fibres.
Bi-component yarn	Yarn, made from two different types of man-made staple fibre components or two different types of continuous filament components or one type of staple fibre component and another type of continuous filament component. ? There are many types of bi-component configurations. Some of the more popular compositions are: (a) two-ply staple yarns, in which the individual components are different, (b) two-ply continuous filament yarns, in which the individual components are different, (c) yarns in which a filament yarn is twisted with a staple fibre yarn, (d) filament blend yarns, where two or more single-component filaments are spun in the same operation or core-spun yarns, (e) wrapped yarns, or other core-sheath configurations.
Bi-conical package	Yarn package made in conical shape, in which the traverse length is progressively reduced, to produce tapered or rounded ends. The package is referred to as 'tapered cone' or 'pineapple cone'.
Bi-constituent fibre	Deprecated term. The preferred term is 'bi-component fibre' or 'bi-generic fibre'.
Bicorne	Cocked hat.
Big 'E'	Jeans made by Levi Strauss before 1971 in which the 'E' on the Levi tag was a capital.
Bi-generic fibre	See Bi-component fibre
Biggin	Child's cap; a nightcap.
Bight	Distance from the edge of a fabric or fabrics, at which the needle-thread penetrates in an over-edge seam construction.
Bike tards	Close-fitting, one-piece garment from the top of the torso to the hem of the shorts.
Bikini	Women's scanty two-piece swimwear; it has less material then a one-piece bathing suit.
Bikini cut mannequin	Female mannequin with a removable leg and the break or cut line is close to the pubis area and thus will be successfully hidden by the bottom of a bikini swimsuit. A more natural look for displaying abbreviated swimwear, sportswear and lingerie.
Bi-laminate fabric	Fabric formed by the bonding of two separate fabrics together.
Bi-lateral fibre	A man-made filament fibre, composed of two generic fibre types or two variants of the same generic fibre extruded simultaneously in a side-by-side relationship.
Billiard cloth	High quality merino wool fabric, with good substance and body, very even and smooth, woven in plain or two-up and one-down twill weave and heavily milled with a fibrous finish; reed set in at 144" and finished at about 72". Normally dyed in green colour and sometimes in red also, for covering billiard or card tables.
Binca cloth	Very distinct embroidery fabric, made in a wide range of colours. It is characterised by the fairly large square holes between the blocks of threads. Used as a beginner's embroidery fabric.
Binche lace	Lace fabric in which lace motifs are appliquéd to a machine-made ground net, giving it a snowflake effect. Originally made in Binche of Belgium; hence the name.
Binder	In non-woven fabrics, the adhesive material used to hold together the fibres. ? In pigment printing or dyeing, the group of products employed, which serve as cement or adhesive to hold pigments to a fabric. ? Solid ingredients in paint coating that hold the pigment particles in suspension and attach them to a substrate. Consists of resins (e.g., oils, alkyd, latex). The nature and amount of binder determine many paint properties: washability, toughness, colour retention, and adhesion, etc.
Binder warp	Additional warp end, employed in double fabrics or multiple fabrics, which join the face and the back threads of the structure.
Binder weft	Additional weft pick, employed in double fabrics or multiple fabrics, which join the face and the back threads and hold them in place.
Binding	Narrow fabric, woven, braided or knitted, which is used to protect, support, or improve the appearance of a seam or edge. There are many types of bindings.
Binding point	Method of interlacing threads, used for joining the layers of compound fabrics, like double cloth or consolidating single structures, like hopsack etc.
Bio-compatibility	Compatibility with living tissue or a living system by not being toxic or injurious.
Bio-degradable	Any material that can be broken down by bacteria in a natural way that is considered not hazardous to the environment.
Biological Oxygen Demand	Measure of pollution by oxygen-consuming organic materials in an effluent stream.
Bird's eye backing	Weft-knitted rib jacquard fabric, the reverse side of which is characterised by courses in which knit and float loops of one colour alternate with knit and float loops of another, within and between successive courses
Bird's eye defect	Fabric defect, in knit fabric. The defect is classified as major or minor, depending on the severity. The defect manifest as unintentional tucking, usually caused by a bent latch on the latch needle or by the needle not being raised to the proper height for the old loop to be cast off. Usually two small distorted stitches, side by side.
Bird's eye effect	Salt and pepper colour effect on the back of a double knit fabric.
Bird's eye fabric	? Smooth, clear-finished fabric, made with cotton, linen or viscose or blend of viscose staple and cotton. The fabric is woven on a dobby loom in small geometric patterns of uniform spots that has a centre point that suggest a bird's eye, and hence the name. The small dimples or indentations of diamond-shaped figures, each with a dot in the centre, are fashioned by the weave and colours on the surface of the fabric. Sometimes made also from worsteds. The fabric is very soft, lightweight, and absorbent. It is woven with a loosely twisted filling to increase absorbency. Used for fine quality suiting for men and women. Also 'novelty' Birdseye effects used as summer dress fabrics. ? Cotton diaper cloth made in a bird's eye weave. ? Knitted fabric, having on its face a salt and pepper effect, which is achieved by employing a special type of knitting technique.
Bird's eye weave	Weave, in which weft picks are made to float over warp ends in a set structure, which fashions a diamond shaped design having a central spot that resembles a bird's eye.
Birefringence	In anisotropic materials, the property, that manifests itself as the splitting of a light ray into components having different vibration directions, which are transmitted at different velocities.
Braided yarn	Intertwined yarn containing two or more strands
Braid-effect weave	Weave that bestows the appearance of a braid on the fabric
Biretta	Square cap with three ridges on top worn by clergymen.
Biscuit	Term sometimes used to describe a light greyish yellowish brown colour
Biscuit package	Yarn package, wound in the form of narrow cylindrical cheese. Many such cheeses of yarn are wound, on a single former, side by side but not touching each other.
Bio-polishing	Treatment of cellulose fibre substrates, with a cellulase enzyme under acid or neutral pH conditions to remove surface hairiness, decrease fabric weight and improve fabric properties.
Bi-shrinkage Yarn	A yarn containing two different types of filament, which have different shrinkages.
Bisu	Term used to describe, the waste silk that remains on the cocoons at the bottom of the basin after reeling.
Bi-voltine silk	Silk produced by bi-voltine silkworm, which produces two generations or two crops of cocoons per year.
Black	Achromatic colour of least lightness characteristically perceived to belong to objects that neither reflect nor transmit light.
Black felt	Felt, manufactured in various shades of black colour.
Blackjack Staple	Natural fibre of vegetable origin, obtained from the leaves of caryota palm. The smooth, glossy, and dark coloured, leaf fibre, find usage sometimes as substitute for horsehair fibre.
Blacklight clear	Printing process, in which specialty inks are used to design looks that are virtually colourless under normal lighting conditions but when viewed in dark it emits a distinct glow.
Black superfine	Fine grade of woollen suiting fabric, having a firm soft hand and lustrous finish, usually produced in black colour. The fairly heavy, fulled, napped and sheared fabric is used mainly for men's eveningwear.
Black wool	Term used to describe any wool that is not white, but not necessarily black. Stock that is grey or brown in colour is classed as black wool.
Black work	Embroidery work done with black coloured threads on a white fabric.
Blaky selvedge	General term used to describe, several defects related to selvedge, like usage of incorrect yarn ply or yarn count, unevenly twisted yarn, crowding of selvedge ends in the reed, poor harness timing, harness skips, poor temple setting, etc.
Blank	Term used in weaving parlance, to describe an empty intersection in the graph paper design of a weave. In the design, when the warp end goes under the weft pick, it is depicted by an empty intersection.
Blanket	Thick un-quilted fabric piece in oblong shape, used as a bed accessory, meant to keep oneself warm during sleeping. Named after Thomas Blanket, an English weaver who originally envisaged a fabric for thermal insulation. See also Blanket cloth; Conventional blanket; Flocked blanket; Non-woven blanket; Thermal blanket
Blanket cloth	General term used to describe a broad group of soft hand, dense, fulled, wide-width fabrics, finished with heavy napping on both sides. Usually made from wool, cotton, man-made fibres or their various blends, in plain or twill weave; the warmest are made from worsteds. Though originally meant for blankets, now they are extensively used for manufacturing of dressing gowns, overcoats, casual coats, shawls, stoles, rugs, etc.
Blanket mark	Fabric defect, which manifests on the fabric as a distortion of surface texture due to some area of fabric getting crimpled, rippled, wavy, pebbled, or cockled.
Blanket plaid	Fabric design comprising big, vibrantly coloured, plaid designs, such as those often found on blankets.
Blanket range	Term used to describe a length of fabric used for sampling. Woven in sections, it shows a series of filling patterns or colours, all on the same set of warp. Each of the woven section often may be only few inches long. The blanket range helps the buyer to select the design patterns and colour choices.
Blanket stitch	Overcast stitch that resembles the buttonhole stitch, but done wide apart on the edges textile articles, like blankets, which are too thick to hem.
Blazer	Long-sleeved sports jacket with lapels; often with notched collar and patched pockets.
Blazer cloth	Flannel or melton fabric, used for blazers, made mainly from wool and sometimes from wool blends or mixtures also. Traditionally a striped design, but now made in plain colours too. Usually the fabric is subjected to light milling or given slight napping on right side of fabric. The fabric is ideal for blazers, because it needs no lining.
Bleaching	Wet processing operation carried out on textile materials, in an aqueous medium either in preparation for dyeing and finishing or to obtain clean whites in finished material. Bleaching substantially improves the cleanliness of the textile material by decolourising it from the grey state, dissolving the natural pectins, waxes, small particles of foreign matter and warp sizing, and most importantly it increasing the ability of the textile material to absorb dyestuffs more readily and uniformly. Peroxide or chlorine compounds are usually used for bleaching agents.
Bleaching agent	Chemical substance, which is capable of removing the natural colouring matter, other impurities, blemishes, etc. present in textile materials. It cleans, brightens, and also assists in the removal of soils and stains from textile materials by oxidation, leaving the textile material clean and considerably lighter in colour. The common bleaches include chlorine, peroxide, and reducing agents such as sulphites
Bleaching powder	Term used to describe chlorinated lime, a chemical reagent, employed for bleaching of cellulosic fibres. ? See also Chemic
Bleeding checks	Yarn-dyed, plain weave fabric, having multi colour check designs, the colours of which can be made to run or bleed in wet treatments. The running or bleeding of colours that occur during wet processing operations cause tinting on the balance parts of the fabric. Though running or bleeding of colour is not considered a desired fabric property, in this case the defect is made to manifest as an effect of fashion statement. An immensely popular fabric, it is used extensively for casual dresses, e.g. 'Bleeding Madras Fabric'.
Blend	Term used to describe a mixture of dissimilar fibres in any fibrous assembly such as sliver, yarn or fabric. Blend is an intimate combination of fibre types before or during spinning so that individual yarns contain two or more different fibres. Polyester/cotton, cotton/viscose, etc. are examples of typical blends. ? There are many reasons to resort to blending of dissimilar fibres, and these reasons may individually or in combination: (a) ensuring economic viability is the reason, when a cheap fibre type is blended with a more expensive fibre type, to reduce the cost of the resultant fabric, (b) taking advantage of the combination properties of different fibre types is the reason, when no single fibre type is ideal, when a compromise of a blend of two or more fibre types is used by which each fibre type is made to contribute something to the whole and (c) ascribing decorative or colour effects to the fabric is the reason, when different fibre types are blended each of which has a distinctive appearance, lustre or texture, and varying affinities for dyes. ? Generally a quantity of less than 10% of a different additional fibre type, used in a blend, will have little noticeable effect. The effect above 10 % depends on the textural and handling differences between the main fibre type used and the different additional fibre type, but it is very rare that less than 15 % of the different additional fibre will show any marked difference in economy, texture, or strength improvement. Above 20 % the handle and appearance of the different additional fibre begin to be noticeable.
Blended fabric	Fabric, which has blended yarns in either the warp or the weft or in both. ? See also Mixture fabric
Blended filament yarn	Fabric, in which two dissimilar filament types, which are made in two separate fibre extrusion processes, are combined to make one filament yarn.
Blended yarn	Yarn, which contains more than one fibre type or a yarn combination in which there are dissimilar component yarn types, particularly with respect to fibre types and filament types. See also Combination yarn See also Self-blended yarn
Blending	Term used to describe a preparatory operation carried out in the blow room in the textile yarn-spinning mill, in which partial quantities of similar or dissimilar staple fibres from different lots are mixed together intimately to attain uniform results. ? Term used to describe the process of producing a blend, by mixing of different fibres in definite proportion to get an end product having the cumulative advantages of its constituents.
Blind	Term used in conjunction with a load or lot. Blind lots are not manifest ed. Usually a blind load/ lot gives a general idea of contents, but it will not be a guarantee.
Blind hem	Hemming, in which the stitches are placed between the hem allowance and the outside of the garment.
Blinding	Noticeable, undesirable loss of lustre of fibres caused by wet processing. ? In geotextile, the blocking of soil particles on its surface. Such blinding results in reduced hydraulic conductivity of the geotextile.
Blind stitch	Stitch, done either by hand or by machine, which does not go right through the fabric. The stitch would not show on the face side of the fabric.
Blind twill	Twill fabric, in which the twill lines are indistinct.
Blister	Fabric defect, which manifest as bulge, swelling or similar surface condition on either the face fabric or the backing fabric characterised by the fabric being raised from the plane of the underlying component over a limited area to give a puffy appearance. Usually observed in bonded, fused or laminated fabrics.
Blister-crêpe finish	Combination finish, usually applied on combed fine cotton fabrics to impart them a blistery surface. The finish is developed on the fabric by subjecting the fabric to partial shrinkage by the usage of caustic soda.
Blister fabric	General term to describe fabrics with a blister on the surface. The blister may be created by many different methods such as printing with caustic soda or other chemicals, by weaving together yarns under different tension, or by weaving together yarns with different shrinkage properties. ? See Relief fabric
Blistering	Formation of dome-shaped lumps in paints or varnish films resulting from local loss of adhesion and lifting of the film from the underlying surface.
Blister knit	Knitted fabric that has an irregular raised surface, that gives the impression of blisters or swellings. The blisters, which give the special surface texture, are formed during the knitting of special yarns on selected cylinder needles only. A base yarn is employed to knit on dial and cylinder needles to form the base fabric.
Blitz	Light to medium weight woven fabric, often found with a very fine crosswise rib, made from filament warp ends and spun weft picks. Often used blends are acetate/viscose and polyester/viscose.
Block	Printing block, made from wood, metal or linoleum, which are engraved with patterns. The block is employed for block printing. Some blocks are carved by hand and some are produced mechanically by photographic methods.
Block copolymer	Term used to describe chemical compounds, which when applied on textile materials, absorbs the ultraviolet in light and re-emits it in the visible spectrum, mostly in a bluish and rarely in violetish cast. ? Chemical constituents employed in detergents and washing powders for brightening the whiteness of washed textile materials. .
Block copolymer	Copolymer, in which the repeating units in the chain occur in blocks. ? See also Copolymer; Graft polymer
Block-creeling	Term used in weaving parlance to describe the process of simultaneously replenishing all the supply packages. Term is used to describe the process of laying out flat, a garment after washing and re-shaping it while still damp to regain its original size.
Blocking	Term used to describe the accidental adhesion between contacting surfaces of coated fabrics during storage or use.
Block pattern	Template containing the basic shapes of pattern, upon which design details can be superimposed.
Block printing	Method of hand-printing, making use of wood, metal or linoleum blocks. The design is carved on the blocks, one block for each colour. The dye is applied to the block, which is then pressed or hammered against the fabric.
Blonde lace	Expensive silk lace, having floral designs, with characteristic boldly defined holes in the flower heads.
Blood	Term used in connection with various fractions (1/2 blood, 3/4 blood, Full blood, etc.) to denote the percentage of merino blood in a certain sheep. The grading is broadly used for any wool, which is the same grade as wool from sheep with a blood designation.
Bright yarn	? General term used to describe man-made filaments, which are very lustrous. These contain no or only very little delustrant. Fabric defect, which sometimes crops up in fabrics made from man-made fibres. The defect manifests on the fabric surface as warp ends or weft picks of higher lustre than the adjacent yarns, which is usually caused by irregularity in the processing of yarns, like uneven distribution of delustrant, or because of accidental mixing up of yarns of different delustrant contents
Blood-red	Term used to describe the colour of blood.
Bloom	Term used to designate a type of surface paleness observed, when a coloured textile material is viewed overhand.
Bloomer	Costume for women consisting of a short skirt and long loose trousers gathered closely about the ankles. Full loose trouser gathered at the knee. Underpants gathered at the knee, worn by girls.
Blond	Term used to describe a flaxen, golden, light auburn, or pale yellowish brown colour.
Blot	Printing defect, which manifests as an area of uniform colour, shows up incorrectly, in a printed design. The defect is often caused by the colour paste accidentally falling on to the fabric, or by the contamination from printing rollers or a screen.
Blotch	Fabric defect, which manifests as an irregularly shaped, off-coloured area on the fabric, caused mostly by grease or oil.
Blotch print	Term used to describe, the broad background area of a solid colour, in a printed fabric design. The ground colour is usually dyed, not printed. The detail colours are applied by employing print rollers or print screens.
Blouse	Loose-fitting garment that covers the body from the neck to the waist and is worn especially by women.
Blouse form	Armless and headless, bust defined mannequin, which ends just below the waistline. It may be equipped with an adjustable up-and-down rod and a decorative base. It is used to display ladies blouses, sweaters and sometimes jackets.
Blouson	Garment, as a dress, having a close waistband with blousing material over it.
Blowing	Operation of blowing dry steam through a fabric, to settle it and take away the curliness from the yarns.
Blown finish	Term used to describe a group of fabrics, made in widths of 45 cm or more. They are wider than narrow fabrics like ribbons, tapes, etc.
Broadloom	Finish, developed on a fabric, usually woollen. The process includes blowing of dry steam through the woollen fabric, which is wound with an interlacing cotton fabric, on a perforated roller.
Blow-room	Term used to describe a department in a cotton-spinning mill, where the preparatory processes of opening, cleaning and blending are carried out.
Blow-room operations	Series of operations carried out in the blowroom of a spinning mill of cotton or other short staple fibres
Blue	In textile parlance, the colour having a hue of the clear sky or that of the portion of the colour spectrum lying between green and violet.
Blue bonnet	Traditional Scottish wide flat round cap made of blue wool.
Blueing	? Method employed to neutralise the slightly yellow cast of cotton fabrics, which are not fully or properly bleached. The neutralisation comprises application of a blue or reddish-blue dyestuff on the fabric. ? Term is sometimes used also to describe the dyestuff, used for the bluing process.
Bluette	Weft-faced fabric, woven 2/2 twill weave. Originally made from dyed yarns blue colour, but now piece-dyed versions also are made. Used mainly for overalls.
Bluish	In textile parlance a colour, which is somewhat blue. Having a tinge of blue.
Blue jeans	Term used to describe pants usually made of blue denim
Blue-white finish	Fabric finish, in which a small amount of bluing is applied on the fabric after bleaching. The finish helps to neutralise the slightly yellowish appearance of not fully or properly bleached cotton.
Bluff edges	Term used to describe the edges that have been finished without outside stitching.
Bluffing	Term employed, in garment manufacture, to describe the practice, of fastening down the front edge of facings on to the forepart canvas to preserve the shape of edges finished without outside stitching.
Blush	Term used to describe the very attractive creamy white colour and sheen possessed by certain cotton fibres. In textile parlance, a colour of red or rosy tint
Boa	Long fluffy scarf of fur, feathers, or delicate fabric.
Boarding	Mechanical finish, usually employed on hose or other knit garments, to confer them the desired shape, size or both. The article after scouring, bleaching and dyeing, in a moist or arid condition, is subjected to drying on a specially shaped former, either by heating the former internally or by placing it between two steam-heated platens.
Boardy	Term used to describe a board-like handle, of woven and knit fabrics, because of their solidity or tautness. In knit fabrics, this condition is usually caused by stitches being too tight or yarn being too thick.
Boater	Stiff hat usually made of braided straw with a brim, hatband, and flat crown.
Bobbin	Term used to describe the spool-like core, made of cardboard or plastic, on which yarn is wound, during various operations in spinning. It has a hole in the centre so that it may fit upon a spindle or other holding devices. ? Term used to describe the spool-like device upon which weft yarn is wound for use in a shuttle during weaving. The bobbin sets in the shuttle and carries the yarn across the loom. ? Term used to describe, the small tube-like metal receptacle, with or without flanges, that holds the under-thread of a lockstitch sewing machine. It fits into a bobbin case below the metal plate beneath the needle
Bobbinet	Fine net fabric characterised by its hexagonal meshes. Originally made by hand with bobbins, it is now a machine-made lace from various types of fibres. Used for gowns, foundations, and dresses and also as a base for embroidered and appliquéd laces.
Bobbinet Machine	Lace machine, in which the threads in brass bobbin borne in carriages, in pairs in tandem in each comb space, swing in pendulum fashion between vertical warp threads in planes at right angles to the warp sheet and progressively traverse across the whole width of the machine and return.
Bobbin lace	Hand-made lace, produced by the twisting and crossing of threads that are fed from bobbins and worked into a pattern, pricked on a parchment or a card pinned down to a pillow. As it is being worked, the lace is secured in position by the insertion of pins into the pillow.
Bobbin net	Hole-mesh fabric. Originally plain net, it is now commonly made on warp knitting machines. Used for bridal veils, mosquito nets and also as a foundation for embroidery.
Bobbling	Term used to describe the unpleasant appearance acquired by a used garment, due to regular wear and repeated refurbishing which manifest as tiny fibre-ends sticking out on all over the surface of the fabric.
Bobby socks	Term used to describe girls' short white socks reaching above the ankle.
Bodice	Term used to describe the section of a woman's garment, covering the body from neck to waist.
Bodkin	Pointed instrument for piercing holes in cloth. Needle, having a blunt point and a large eye for drawing tape, elastic, etc. through a hem, etc. Tool, used for removal of bastings, made from bone or plastic.
Body	Term employed to describe, the dense, solid, or firm hand, of certain textile fabrics. Term used to describe the area of woven fabric between the selvedges. See also Hood
Body carpet	Un-bordered carpet in piece form, which may be plain or patterned.
Body dimensions	Garment-related expression. In the case of garment construction, the set of body measurements, which are employed to develop either a sizing system or to select an appropriately sized garment.
Bobbin	Term used to describe the spool-like core, made of cardboard or plastic, on which yarn is wound, during various operations in spinning. It has a hole in the centre so that it may fit upon a spindle or other holding devices. ? Term used to describe the spool-like device upon which weft yarn is wound for use in a shuttle during weaving. The bobbin sets in the shuttle and carries the yarn across the loom. ? Term used to describe, the small tube-like metal receptacle, with or without flanges, that holds the under-thread of a lockstitch sewing machine. It fits into a bobbin case below the metal plate beneath the needle
Bobbinet	Fine net fabric characterised by its hexagonal meshes. Originally made by hand with bobbins, it is now a machine-made lace from various types of fibres. Used for gowns, foundations, and dresses and also as a base for embroidered and appliquéd laces.
Bobbinet Machine	Lace machine, in which the threads in brass bobbin borne in carriages, in pairs in tandem in each comb space, swing in pendulum fashion between vertical warp threads in planes at right angles to the warp sheet and progressively traverse across the whole width of the machine and return.
Bobbin lace	Hand-made lace, produced by the twisting and crossing of threads that are fed from bobbins and worked into a pattern, pricked on a parchment or a card pinned down to a pillow. As it is being worked, the lace is secured in position by the insertion of pins into the pillow.
Bobbin net	Hole-mesh fabric. Originally plain net, it is now commonly made on warp knitting machines. Used for bridal veils, mosquito nets and also as a foundation for embroidery.
Bobbling	Term used to describe the unpleasant appearance acquired by a used garment, due to regular wear and repeated refurbishing which manifest as tiny fibre-ends sticking out on all over the surface of the fabric.
Bodysuit	Close-fitting one-piece garment for the torso.
Body trunk mannequin	Torso mannequin form, which starts above the waistline and continues down to just below the knees and is used to show shorts, underwear, swimwear, etc.
Bohemian ticking	Very closely woven, ticking fabric, usually made in plain weave. The fabric construction is feather-proof and down-proof. Used for the manufacture of feather and down filled pillows, quilts, cushions, etc.
Boiled wool	Woven or knitted fabric, having a coarse, crêpy surface texture. The fabrics are made from wool or wool blends and the fabric texture is developed by heavy felting or by treating them in a high temperature bath.
Boiling	Practice of leaving fabric or garment containing wool or animal hair, in boiling water so that the original fabric construction is obscured by the felted surface. ? Some times used to describe boiling-off.
Boiling-off	Term used to describe an operation, which is a vital step in the wet processing and finishing of textile materials, especially cotton, linen, etc. This is a preparatory process carried out before the bleaching and dyeing. The process comprise of the boiling of textile material in a solution of caustic soda, soda ash, soap or synthetic detergents, wetting agents, etc. During boiling-off, almost all of natural gums, waxes, sizing material, if any, and other impurities from the textile materials are removed and the absorbency of the material is substantially improved. ? See also Scouring; Kiering, Degumming
Bolivia	Rich, soft, swishy, thick, firm, high quality fabric, made of wool, and often containing a small amount of special fibres, such as alpaca or mohair. A closely woven fine textured fabric, usually woven in '3 up and 3 down' twill weave, it has a cut pile surface with a diagonal pattern, and is made in light, medium and heavy weights. The piles are cut in ribs running in the warp direction. The fabric is used mainly as suiting, cloaking, etc.
Bollies	Term used to describe, the undeveloped and irregular cotton fibres, obtained from bolls that are half open and/or small.
Bolo tie	Cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie
Boll weevil	Insects that are the most serious pest confronting cotton farming.
Bolting cloth	Lightweight open fabric, with very fine and uniform meshes, which is achieved by the accurate spacing of both warp ends and weft picks, during weaving. The weave employed is usually, is simple leno or any other non-slip construction in order to ensure the uniformity of the mesh size. Mostly used for screen-printing, sieving of flour, etc.
Bolton sheeting	Medium weight, closely woven, 2/2 twill-weave sheeting fabric, employing condenser yarns as weft pick.
Bombazine	Traditional English fabric; one of the oldest fabrics known. A lustrous, dress-weight, plain or twill weave fabric made with silk warp and fine worsted weft. Imitations are made in viscose and cotton. It is normally piece-dyed in black, but also dyed to other colours. It was originally an all-silk fabric. Used mainly formal dresses, evening suits, wedding gowns, children wear, etc. Dyed in black, it is the traditional mourning cloth.
Bomber cloth	Sturdy, durable furnishing fabric, made in broken twill weave employing fine warp ends and heavy weft picks
Bomber jacket	Waist-length, zippered, woollen or leather jacket with front pockets and knitted cuffs and waistband.
Bombyx mori silk	Fine, silk fibre, white or light yellow in colour, produced by the cultivated silkworm, bombyx mori, which feeds on mulberry leaves. This type is the main source of silk in the world.
Bonded fabric	Non-woven fabric, in which the fibres are held together by a bonding material. This may be an adhesive or a bonding fibre with a low melting point. Alternatively, the material may be held together by stitching. ? Fabric composed of two or more layers, which are joined together with an adhesive, resin, foam, or fusible membrane. ? Light fabric, that is strengthened and thickened by a lining material fixed to it permanently by means of heat and pressure. ? Layered fabric, in which a face or shell fabric is joined to a backing fabric, with an adhesive that does not significantly add to the thickness of the combined fabrics.
Bonded-fibre fabric	Fabric, made from a variety of fibres used on the same principle as in felt, but bonded together chemically, because unlike wool, they do not have inherent felting properties. The structure consisting of one or more webs or masses of fibres are held together with a bonding material or by fusion. These fabrics have entered into many new areas usage, which include household clothes, cleaning pads, industrial and military protective clothing, and disposables and as interfacing and other haberdashery items
Bolton sheeting	Medium weight, closely woven, 2/2 twill-weave sheeting fabric, employing condenser yarns as weft pick.
Bombax	See under Cotton trees
Bombazine	Traditional English fabric; one of the oldest fabrics known. A lustrous, dress-weight, plain or twill weave fabric made with silk warp and fine worsted weft. Imitations are made in viscose and cotton. It is normally piece-dyed in black, but also dyed to other colours. It was originally an all-silk fabric. Used mainly formal dresses, evening suits, wedding gowns, children wear, etc. Dyed in black, it is the traditional mourning cloth.
Bomber cloth	Sturdy, durable furnishing fabric, made in broken twill weave employing fine warp ends and heavy weft picks..
Bomber jacket	Waist-length, zippered, woollen or leather jacket with front pockets and knitted cuffs and waistband.
Bombyx mori silk	Fine, silk fibre, white or light yellow in colour, produced by the cultivated silkworm, bombyx mori, which feeds on mulberry leaves. This type is the main source of silk in the world.
Bonded fabric	Non-woven fabric, in which the fibres are held together by a bonding material. This may be an adhesive or a bonding fibre with a low melting point. Alternatively, the material may be held together by stitching. ? Fabric composed of two or more layers, which are joined together with an adhesive, resin, foam, or fusible membrane ? Light fabric, that is strengthened and thickened by a lining material fixed to it permanently by means of heat and pressure. ? Layered fabric, in which a face or shell fabric is joined to a backing fabric, with an adhesive that does not significantly add to the thickness of the combined fabrics .
Bonded-fibre fabric	Fabric, made from a variety of fibres used on the same principle as in felt, but bonded together chemically, because unlike wool, they do not have inherent felting properties. The structure consisting of one or more webs or masses of fibres are held together with a bonding material or by fusion. These fabrics have entered into many new areas usage, which include household clothes, cleaning pads, industrial and military protective clothing, and disposables and as interfacing and other haberdashery items. See also Non-woven fabric
Bonded mat	Sheet of fibres held together by a chemical bonding agent. Some, not all, non-woven materials are made this way.
Bonding	Process of permanently joining together fibres or fabric layers together by employing a bonding agent, e.g. (a) two fabrics, normally a face and a lining fabric of tricot bonded into one package, (b) fabrics like delicate laces, sheer materials, or lightweight knits bonded to ultra-thin slices of foam or other materials to make easier, the handling on the cutting tables etc. Fibre finishing process, in which a continuous filament is coated with a resin, to impart it better ply security, abrasion resistance, and heat resistance. .
Bonding agent	Special adhesives, binders, or thin slices of latex foam or other materials, used for the purpose of joining together fibres or fabric layers together..
Bond strength test	Test method, employed to measure the amount of force required for taking apart layers of a bonded fabric. Test method, employed to measure the amount of force required for taking apart layers of a laminated fabric. See also Adhesion test
Bone finish	Fabric finish, in which woollen fabrics are subjected to a heavy fulling process, for imparting to the fabric, a kind of hard hand feel..
Boned bodice	See Corset top
Bone-dry weight	Term used to describe the weight of textile material, after complete removal of all its moisture.
Bonnet	Ladies' headdress, which covers the back of the head, having a brim in funnel form to shade the face. Cloth or straw hat tied under the chin and worn by women and children.
Book	Term used to describe, a bundle of hanks, of raw silk, whose total mass is usually around 2kg. Modelling term used to describe a portfolio; a ring binder for the presentation of the model's photographs.
Book cloth	Term used to describe a group of plain or embossed, pyroxylin-treated or 'starched-and-clay' cotton fabrics usually used in bookbinding. These usually include printed osnaburg, flat duck, etc. which are subjected to various treatments to make them washproof, waterproof and capable of resisting chipping, blistering, or peeling.
Booker	Woven or knit fabric, in which extra sets of yarn are introduced in lengthways or widthways or in both the ways, to improve its strength, weight and warmth. Mainly find usage as suiting, overcoating, etc.
Booker	Modelling term, used to describe a member of the staff of a modelling agency whose job it is to handle the requests from clients for models.
Book fold	Method employed for folding of fabrics. The fabric piece is doubled selvedge to selvedge, and then folded back and forth upon itself in predetermined lengths. ? See also Shoe fold
Booking	Modelling term, used to describe the process whereby the client agrees to retain the services of a particular model.
Book muslin	Inexpensive, white, heavily sized muslin-type fabric. Used for stiffening of bags, hats, wide belts, etc.
Boot	Term used to describe the section of a stocking between the knee and the heel. ? Fitted covering, made of leather or rubber, for the foot and usually reaching the ankle. Boots come in many various shapes, sizes and colours. .
Boot-cut	Term used to describe a cut style that is cut below the belly button and slightly flares from the knee to the ankle.
Boot-hose	A traditional stockings, usually without the feet part, worn in soft fashionable boots. They were worn over the silk stockings to protect them in the long boots.
Bootee	Ankle-length boot, slipper, or sock, especially an infant's knitted or crocheted sock.
Border	Term used to describe the printed fancy designs or the woven ornamental patterns along the edges of a fabric. Border designs are often employed on skirts, dresses, etc.
Bosky	Mixture fabric, made from cotton and viscose fibres, usually woven on handlooms in fancy striped patterns.
Bosom pocket	Pocket sewn inside the garment with access through a welted slit-type opening.
Boston leno	The term used to describe an unusual weave, in which two warp ends cross a central ground end.
Botanical	The term used to describe a fabric design, in which predominance is given to motifs depicting plant life.s.
Botany twill	Fabric, woven in normal to fancy twill weaves and is done with a clear finish in various weights. It is very expensive as it is made from top quality botany worsted yarns. Used as high quality suitings for men and women.
Botany wool	A generic name for fine and expensive merino wool fibre. The first exports of this type of wool had been made from the vicinity of Botany Bay in Australia, and hence the name. It is obtained from the merino sheep, which are bred for their wool only. The best quality among this wool type, is the finest of fibres, 50-100 mm long, softest and most crimpy. Used for billiard cloth and other fine quality wool and worsted fabrics where maximum softness and warmth are desired.
Bottle bobbin	Large volume bobbin, having cylindrical a barrel and with conical or flanged base. Yarn is wound on to the bobbin, for withdrawal over the nose. The package when fully wound has a cylindrical body and conical nose.
Bottle green	In textile parlance a dark green colour.
Bottom-closed shedding	Miniature bouclé effect. See under Closed shedding
Bottoming	Thorough scouring, done in preparation for bleaching, dyeing, printing or finishing. ? Process of dyeing, a substrate for subsequent topping.
Boubou	Long flowing garment worn in certain parts of Africa.
Bouché	A plain weave, fine, woollen fabric, kept in the undyed state. Used very much by the clergy in France, as a shirting material..
Bouclé	Fancy yarn having a slubby, curly or loopy effect on its surface, made by twisting together two or more yarns. The yarn displays an irregular configuration of semi-circular loop and sigmoid spirals. Bouclé yarns are made from various fibres, like wool, worsted, polyester, nylon, viscose, acrylic or blends. ? Springy, spongy novelty fabric with a clear-cut, coarse or granulated surface. The fabric, woven or knit is made from coarse, curly or slubby bouclé yarns. It has a loopy, knotty, rough surface; in the knit fabric the loops appear only on the right side. Made mainly from wool, but viscose, silk, cotton, linen, hair and their blends are also used; made in various weights, from soft lightweight to firm coat-weight. The fabric possesses some 'give' due to the elasticity of the yarn; in knit bouclé the 'give' tends to be substantial. The fabric often ravels easily. Used often for dresses, sportswear and as suiting. Used for ladies coats, suits and dresses.
Bouclé knit	Knitted fabric, with a spongy bouclé effect on the right side, achieved by the introduction of an inlaid yarn fed into the knitting machine and trapped as the knit stitch is made. Fabrics are medium weight and are usually produced from polyester, nylon and acrylic yarns. Used for sweater dresses, sweater-type tops, jackets
Bouclette	Miniature bouclé effect..
Bound resist	Method of dyeing in which the fabric, yarn or fibre is tightly tied in certain areas to prevent dye penetration
Bound-seam finish	Finish for the raw edges of a plain seam, in which another fabric encloses the raw edges of one or more seam allowances. A bound seam-finish is made by (1) encasing the raw seam allowance edge(s) in double-fold bias tape, seam binding or light weight fabric such as tricot or net. If tape or binding are used, the wider side of the tape or binding is underneath, (2) machine stitching through all thicknesses close to the edge of the binding or the raw edge of the fabric. Usually each seam allowance is encased individually; occasionally, seam allowances may be placed together and treated as one, such as in necklines. ? Compare Hong Kong seam finish
Bourdalou	Hat-ribbon used around the foot of the crown of hats.
Bourdon cord	? Cord, consisting of a central core helically covered by continuous filament yarn. It is used as a means of accentuating or outlining motifs in lace fabrics and in the manufacture of trimmings. ? See also Gimp .
Bourdonette	A cord, produced by twisting several yarns together for use as a heavy thread, which is used in lace fabrics to simulate a bourdon cord.
Bourdon Lace	A machine-made lace, on a mesh ground normally in a scroll design outlined with a heavy cord
Bourré	The term used to describe the highest grade of silk waste.
Bourette silk	Lightweight, hairy, rough surfaced silk noil fabrics, made from bourette yarns, usually in plain or twill weaves, Used mainly for blouses, shirts, soft jackets and other dresses.
Bourette yarn	Hairy silk yarn, spun from lower quality short fibres from carding waste. The yarn is lumpy, irregular and posses low elongation. The whole length of the yarn is interspersed with nubs, noil and other wastes, which produce a fancy effect with brilliant spots of colour
Bourrelet	Weft-knitted, non-Jacquard, double-jersey fabric, made on an interlock basis. The fabric is characterised by ripple stitch, corded effect or horizontal ridges on the effect side. The knitting sequence is generally a number of courses of interlock, followed by a number of courses knit on one set of needles only.
Bout	Term used to describe one complete round made in knitting.
Boutique	Originally a small shop within couture houses.
Bow	See Bowing.
Bowed filling	Fabric defect in woven fabric, which manifests as displacement of weft yarns from a line perpendicular to the selvedges and forming one or more arcs across the width of the fabric. ? Fabric defect in knit fabric, which manifests as displacement of knitted courses from a line perpendicular to the edges and forming one or more arcs across the width of the fabric.
Bowing	Fabric defect in woven fabric, which manifests as formation of a curvature in warp yarns or weft yarns in the fabric. It is termed as 'warp-bowed' or 'weft-bowed', according to which set of threads has formed the curve. The defect may be considered major or minor, depending on its severity; however, in solid colour fabrics not very critical. ? Fabric defect in knit fabric, which manifests as formation a curvature in the courses, during knitting or subsequent operations. The distortion is usually caused by the take-up mechanism of the knitting machine or through malfunctions in stentering. The defect may be considered major or minor, depending on its severity; in solid colour fabrics, the defect may not be very critical. ? See also Skewness
Bowking	Traditional scouring process, in which the impurities in the textile material are removed by boiling it in a solution of lime or soap.
Bowl	Term used to describe, one of a pair of large rollers, forming a nip. ? Term used to describe, a cylinder, driving a take-up package by frictional contact. ? Term used to describe, an open vessel, for such wet treatments as wool scouring, crabbing, etc
Bowler	A derby hat.
Bow-string hemp	See Sansevieria
Bow tie	Men's short necktie, tied in the shape of a bow. It is part of a formal dress, usually the tuxedo.
Box cloth	All-wool fabric, having a fibrous surface and firm handle. Surface is completely covered with fibres so that no thread shows through. It is woven in a variety of weaves, depending on the weight required and end use. Used for riding apparels, overcoats, billiards cloth, etc.
Box coat	Heavy, loose overcoat usually fitted at the shoulders.
Box-dyeing	Method of fabric dyeing. The fabric is run in single piece, in rope form, through the dye bath and up and over oval shaped slatted reels, which cause the fabric to move further with each revolution. .
Boxer shorts	Underwear; short pants
Boxing gloves	Term used to describe a pair of leather mittens, heavily padded on the back; to be worn during boxing.
Box leather	Smooth, top quality, boarded leather, in which the surface is broken up with parallel creases. It is very expensive and used for shoes and handbags.
Box loom	Loom, having two or more shuttles, which is employed for weaving of fabrics containing weft yarns of different sizes, twists or colours.
Box mark	See Shuttle mark.
Box spinning	Spinning method for viscose process yarn, in which a revolving cylindrical pot or container running at high speed is employed; the package being built up in the inside of the container
Box Stain	See Shuttle mark.
Boy-leg	Shorts, undergarments or swimwear having close fitting leg that reaches half way down the thigh.
Bra	See Brassiere
Bracelet	Ornamental band or chain worn around the wrist.
Bracelet form	Bra form that ends at the hips rather than below the bustline or at the waistline. It can also be used to show lingerie and slips.
Bradford spinning system	See under Worsted spinning systems
Braf checks	Fabric, having characteristic checks designs of squares produced by swapping of two coloured warps and two undyed wefts..
Bra form mannequin	Headless and armless bust defined mannequin, with or without shoulders, which ends just below the bustline. For long-line bras and bracelets it is possible to get longer bra forms that continue down to the waistline or slightly below.
Braid	Term used to describe, flat, round, tubular or solid construction of narrow fabric, made by intertwining or plaiting a single set of yarns to form a definite pattern. Used for trimming, binding, etc.
Braid, Cored	See Cored braid
Braid, diamond	See Diamond braid
Braided fabric	Narrow fabric, having a structure produced by the interlacing of several ends of yarns in such a manner, that the paths of the yarns are not parallel to the fabric axis, i.e. yarns are interlaced and diagonally plaited. Used for cords, shoelaces, braids, etc. for coats and uniforms. ? See also Ribbon
Braided rope	Cylindrical rope, produced by braiding or plaiting a few or several strands together, according to a definite pattern
Braided rug	Textile floor covering made by sewing together of braided cords.
Braided yarn	Intertwined yarn containing two or more strands
Braid-effect weave	Weave that bestows the appearance of a braid on the fabric
Braid, hollow	See Hollow braid
Braiding	Method of interlacing carried out by hand or machine. Flat, tubular or solid braid constructions are formed by interlacing three or more threads in such a way, that they cross one another in a diagonal formation. The method is employed for the manufacture of braided rugs, shoelaces, fabrics, etc.
Braid, plain Neck Cap	See Plain braid
Braid, solid	See Solid braid
Braid, twill	See Twill braid
Braid wool	Term used in wool-grading to designate a lustre wool, which, when compared with merino stock, is lower in quality. Used for medium and low quality clothing, carpets, robes, blankets, and low priced uniform fabrics.
Brandenburg coat	Traditional loose overcoat with turned-back cuffs; the sleeves are made one in with the rest of the garment
Brassard	Cloth band worn around the upper arm usually bearing an identifying mark
Brass bobbin	Couple of machined brass discs, in a lace machine, riveted at the hub to form a container for binding threads.
Brassiere	Women's close-fitting undergarment with cups for bust support. It was originally made of two handkerchiefs and a narrow ribbon
Brassiere cloth	Term used to describe a group of strong medium to heavy fabrics, woven or knit, specially made for the production of brassieres and corsets. They are made from cotton, silk and synthetic yarns and in various colours
Brattice cloth	Coarse cotton or jute fabric, made in plain weave and often impregnated with chemicals to increase gas and vapour absorption. Used in many industries mainly for screens, ventilators, etc. When employed in mines, the fabric is often coated type.
Brawny flannel	Heavy cotton flannel fabric normally over 10oz, having a hand feel almost similar to felt. Used for jackets, coat linings, bathrobes, and heavy wear work shirts
read-and-butter cotton	Term used to describe, medium quality cotton fibres, which enjoy steady and recurrent demand
Bread-and-butter cotton	Term used to describe, medium quality cotton fibres, which enjoy steady and recurrent demand.
Break	In a coat, the point where the lapel starts to roll over on a coat, usually at the top buttonhole. Fibre defect. The weak spot in a wool fibre, normally caused due to infections, deficiencies in food or water.
Breaker fabric	In cross-ply tyres, one or more extra layers of tyre-cord fabric, that lies between the crown of the carcase and the tread of a tyre. The breaker fabric may sometimes extend as far as the shoulder of the tyre.
Break factor	See Lea Count Strength Product
Breaking	See under Bast fibre
Breaking extension	Percentage extension achieved at maximum load.
Breaking force	See Tensile strength at break
Breaking length	Length of a specimen, usually of yarn, whose mass is equal to the breaking force. .
Breaking Machine	Machine used for the continuous softening of stiff fabrics. The fabric is drawn under tension over the edges of bars in knife-edge machine, or round rollers implanted with studs.
Breaking strength	Maximum tensile force, recorded in extending a test specimen to breaking point. ? See also Tensile strength at break
Breaking stress	Maximum stress, developed in a specimen when stretched to rupture. The force is usually related to the area of the unstrained specimen. If the actual stress, defined in terms of the area of the strained specimen, is used, then its maximum value is called the 'actual breaking stress'.
Break mark	Fabric defect, observed in silk fabrics. The defect manifests as areas having lighter shade spots on the surface of the fabric, caused by unintentional mechanical chafing which split small portions from the surface of the silk filaments.
Breakout	See Smash
Break spinning	See Open-end spinning
Breast beam	Machine part in a loom. The bar situated in the front part of the loom, over which the woven fabric travels before going backward to the cloth roll.
Breathability	Ability of coated or laminated fabric to transfer water vapour from one of its surfaces through the material to the other surface. ? See also MVTR
Breathable Coating	Term used to describe a water proofing finish, applied on a fabric by employing the coating method. The finished fabric, repels water, but allows water vapour and thus perspiration too, to pass through, making the garment produced from the fabric, very comfortable to wear. The fabrics are usually used for garments for active wear, winter sports, etc
Breathe	See under Air-conditioned fabric
Bred stitch	Embroidery pattern, in which the design appears identically on both the face and back of the fabric
Breech wool	See Britch wool
Breton lace	Open net lace embroidered by hand or machine. Heavy, brightly coloured yarns are mostly employed for the embroidery
Bribe	See Fents
Brick red	Term used to describe the colour of moderate reddish brown
Brick stitch	Embroidery motif, done by flat couching stitch, which resembles a series of bricks
Brided rug	Textile floor covering of braided cords sewn together.
Brides Lace	Lace design, in which there is no net ground, but the objects in lace are joined by connecting bars or legs
Bridge-top stop	In zippers, the part affixed immediately above the chain, holding the tops of the two stringers together and preventing the slider from leaving the chain
Bridle	Narrow strip of fabric, which is attached to the interlining along the roll of the coat lapel to hold and control it
Briefs	Short snug pants or underpants; term usually used in plural
Brier stitch	Embroidery design, done by using the featherstitch
Brighteners	Term used to describe chemical compounds, which when applied on textile materials, absorbs the ultraviolet in light and re-emits it in the visible spectrum, mostly in a bluish and rarely in violetish cast. Chemical constituents employed in detergents and washing powders for brightening the whiteness of washed textile materials. .
Brightening agent	See Optical brightener
Bright fibre	Term used to describe man-made fibres, whose natural lustre has not been significantly reduced by delustring. The term 'clear' is commonly used to denote the absence of deslustrant in synthetic fibres, whereas 'bright' denote the presence of a very small amount of delustrant, insufficient to reduce the lustre of the fibre significantly. See also Delustred fibre
Bright lace	Furnishing lace, in which openwork effects within a wale are developed without distorting the warp threads.
Bright material	Term used to describe a group of textile materials, whose natural lustre has not been significantly reduced by delustring. See also Delustred fibre
Brighton	Fabric, usually cotton, having a typical honeycomb effect, but the fabric is not reversible. The fabric is woven in a made in a cellular weave, and the honeycomb effect is developed more prominently on the face but in a less regular manner making use of large and small cells. Usually made in cotton and wool fibres and used for coatings, dress fabrics, etc.
Bright pick	Fabric defect that occasionally crops up in finished fabrics. The defect manifests on the fabric surface as tight weft picks showing up very clearly and unpleasantly bright, which is usually caused by excessive or uneven tension during winding or weaving operations. The incidence is more in fabrics made with continuous filament weft picks.
Bright silk	Term used to describe, thrown silk, which has been degummed and dyed
Bright yarn	General term used to describe man-made filaments, which are very lustrous. These contain no or only very little delustrant. Fabric defect, which sometimes crops up in fabrics made from man-made fibres. The defect manifests on the fabric surface as warp ends or weft picks of higher lustre than the adjacent yarns, which is usually caused by irregularity in the processing of yarns, like uneven distribution of delustrant, or because of accidental mixing up of yarns of different delustrant contents
Brilliantine	Weft-faced, glossy fabric, made with fine cotton warp ends and mohair or lustre worsted weft picks. A yarn dyed fabric, normally woven in plain or twill weaves, and occasionally in jacquard designs. Though lightweight, it is a very durable fabric. Used for summer dresses, linings etc.
Brin	Term used to designate a single filament of natural silk, resulting from the degumming of the bave. The silkworm always produces two of these filaments simultaneously, which are bound together by a gelatinous natural gum, and form the silk, and are called bave
Bri-nylon	Hardwearing polyamide fibre. As it is not absorbent fibre, the fabric made from this fibre, washes easily and dries quickly. Bri-nylon finds usage mainly in the manufacture of lingerie, nightwear, lightweight knitwear, and carpets. The surface can be brushed to form a short pile
Brise bise	Lace curtaining, designed to be hung horizontally across the lower portion of a window, close to the frame, provision usually being made for the insertion of a curtain rod or wire.
Bristle	General term, used to designate, any short, hard, coarse fibre
Britches	Term occasionally used to refer breeches or trousers
Britch wool	Wool fibre, obtained from the lower thighs or hindquarters of the sheep. Usually it is the coarsest type found in the fleece. Though the fibre is substantially long, it is very irregular and of little value. Used as cheap suiting and in the making of windbreakers, ski cloth, and carpets.
Brittany cloth	Fabric, made from cotton, linen, or blends of these, and done with a lustrous finish. Originally made in Brittany, France, and hence the name. Used for shirts, dresses, etc
Broadcloth	Tightly woven, fine, lustrous fabric, made in plain weave, having a characteristic thin rib effect imbedded in one direction, normally weft wise. The ribs are finer than those in poplin and have more picks. Usually it has a high cover factor. Made mainly from cotton or cotton/polyester blends, but can be of any fibre, especially silk and wool. Used often for men's shirts. Cotton broadcloth is a lightweight fabric of poplin type, used extensively for shirting. When made in wool, in plain or twill weave, it is very different from the cotton variety. The fabric is fine and supple with a smooth napped face, closely sheared and polished, producing a silky gloss. It is form fitting and drapes well. It comes in a variety of colours and weights. ? Heavy hardwearing cloth made from Merino wool yarns. It is heavily milled and finished. One of the oldest types of woollen cloth, it is usually woven in 90 inch loom and finished to a width of 56 inch.
Broadfalls	Tightly woven, fine, lustrous fabric, made in plain weave, having a characteristic thin rib effect imbedded in one direction, normally weft wise. The ribs are finer than those in poplin and have more picks. Usually it has a high cover factor. Made mainly from cotton or cotton/polyester blends, but can be of any fibre, especially silk and wool. Used often for men's shirts. Cotton broadcloth is a lightweight fabric of poplin type, used extensively for shirting. When made in wool, in plain or twill weave, it is very different from the cotton variety. The fabric is fine and supple with a smooth napped face, closely sheared and polished, producing a silky gloss. It is form fitting and drapes well. It comes in a variety of colours and weights. ? Heavy hardwearing cloth made from Merino wool yarns. It is heavily milled and finished. One of the oldest types of woollen cloth, it is usually woven in 90 inch loom and finished to a width of 56 inch.
Broadfalls	Breeches or trousers having the wide falling front flap, such as those of sailors. ? See Split fall
Broad goods	Term used to describe a group of fabrics, made in widths of 45 cm or more. They are wider than narrow fabrics like ribbons, tapes, etc.
Broadloom	Term generally refers to carpet, rather than apparel fabrics that are tufted wider than 54 inch. Most broadloom carpets today are in widths of 6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 feet.
Broad Rib Fabric	See under Rib fabric; Weft-knit
Broadtail	Flat, lustrous, slightly wavy fur; it is the pelt of a young unborn Persian lamb.
Broad wools	Wool fibre that has no crimp or elasticity
Brocade	Exquisitely figured thick fabric, having self-coloured or multicoloured, all-over raised patterns of floral or other designs, sometimes with gold, silver or other coloured metallic threads, and made on Jacquard or dobby loom. The name derived from French meaning to 'ornament'. The pattern may be satin on a twill ground or twill on a satin ground. The ground fabric, against which the designs are formed, is of a weave of simple character, on which the figures stand out. The figure is developed by floating the warp ends, the weft picks, or both, and interlaced in a more or less irregular order. The name has developed from the Latin word 'brocade', which means to figure. The figures in brocade are rather loose, while in damask the figure threads are actually bound into the material. Most brocade fabrics have rich, heavy, elaborate design effects, while some are made with a crispy effect. The fabrics are most often reversible. The motifs may be of flowers, foliage, scrollwork, pastoral scenes, or other designs. Though brocade is made mainly from silk, viscose, cotton, but all others may be used. It is made into a wide variety of weights, and is used for many purposes, including clothing, church vestments, state robes, eveningwear, draperies, interior furnishings, and upholstery.
Bristle	General term, used to designate, any short, hard, coarse fibre.
Britches	Term occasionally used to refer breeches or trousers.
Britch wool	Wool fibre, obtained from the lower thighs or hindquarters of the sheep. Usually it is the coarsest type found in the fleece. Though the fibre is substantially long, it is very irregular and of little value. Used as cheap suiting and in the making of windbreakers, ski cloth, and carpets.
Brittany cloth	Fabric, made from cotton, linen, or blends of these, and done with a lustrous finish. Originally made in Brittany, France, and hence the name. Used for shirts, dresses, etc.
Broadcloth	Tightly woven, fine, lustrous fabric, made in plain weave, having a characteristic thin rib effect imbedded in one direction, normally weft wise. The ribs are finer than those in poplin and have more picks. Usually it has a high cover factor. Made mainly from cotton or cotton/polyester blends, but can be of any fibre, especially silk and wool. Used often for men's shirts. Cotton broadcloth is a lightweight fabric of poplin type, used extensively for shirting. When made in wool, in plain or twill weave, it is very different from the cotton variety. The fabric is fine and supple with a smooth napped face, closely sheared and polished, producing a silky gloss. It is form fitting and drapes well. It comes in a variety of colours and weights. ? Heavy hardwearing cloth made from Merino wool yarns. It is heavily milled and finished. One of the oldest types of woollen cloth, it is usually woven in 90 inch loom and finished to a width of 56 inch.
Broadfalls	Breeches or trousers having the wide falling front flap, such as those of sailors. ? See Split fall
Broad goods	Term used to describe a group of fabrics, made in widths of 45 cm or more. They are wider than narrow fabrics like ribbons, tapes, etc.
Broadloom	Term generally refers to carpet, rather than apparel fabrics that are tufted wider than 54 inch. Most broadloom carpets today are in widths of 6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 feet.
Broad Rib Fabric	See under Rib fabric; Weft-knit
Broadtail	Flat, lustrous, slightly wavy fur; it is the pelt of a young unborn Persian lamb.
Broad wools	Wool fibre that has no crimp or elasticity.
Brocade	Exquisitely figured thick fabric, having self-coloured or multicoloured, all-over raised patterns of floral or other designs, sometimes with gold, silver or other coloured metallic threads, and made on Jacquard or dobby loom. The name derived from French meaning to 'ornament'. The pattern may be satin on a twill ground or twill on a satin ground. The ground fabric, against which the designs are formed, is of a weave of simple character, on which the figures stand out. The figure is developed by floating the warp ends, the weft picks, or both, and interlaced in a more or less irregular order. The name has developed from the Latin word 'brocade', which means to figure. The figures in brocade are rather loose, while in damask the figure threads are actually bound into the material. Most brocade fabrics have rich, heavy, elaborate design effects, while some are made with a crispy effect. The fabrics are most often reversible. The motifs may be of flowers, foliage, scrollwork, pastoral scenes, or other designs. Though brocade is made mainly from silk, viscose, cotton, but all others may be used. It is made into a wide variety of weights, and is used for many purposes, including clothing, church vestments, state robes, eveningwear, draperies, interior furnishings, and upholstery.
Brocade velvet	Velvet fabric, in which the piles are sheared at different heights to form floral and other designs; usually an expensive fabric. Plainer designs in dark colours are used for men's jackets.
Brocading	Method of designing and developing of Jacquard fabrics by interspersing gold or silver threads.
Brocantine fabric	Brocade fabric, having raised patterns woven in simulation of raised embroidery. Usually made from fine silk or wool in monochrome colours.
Brocatelle fabric	Heavy, luxurious fabric, with Jacquard design, puffed up or blistered, making it very noticeable, and it also has a heavy width wise rib. It is woven in silk, viscose, cotton, and synthetics. True brocatelle is a double weave made of silk and linen warp ends and a silk and linen weft picks. The pattern is padded out into high relief by the warp ends in a satin weave against a closely woven background structure. Two or more weft ends are used and, in the better qualities, there is an extra binder warp. Heavy yarns used are plain and mercerised cotton, viscose, and linen. Used for eveningwear, drapery, furnishing, upholstery, etc.
Brocatine	See Brocantine.
Broché fabric	Brocade fabric that is figured by additional threads introduced by means of swivel weave. Characterised by the raised designs on the surface of fabric, often introduced with the warp.
Broderie anglaise	High quality, plain weave fabric, in which shaped holes like leaves, and round holes are punched and then embroidered. The fabric creases easily. Usually expensive fabric, it is made from cotton, polyester or blends of it. Mostly produced in white or plain colours with self-colour embroidery; some are embroidered in contrasting colours too. A few are produced with border designs, scalloped edges etc.
Brogan	Heavy, coarse work shoe reaching to the ankle; usually with perforations and usually a wing tip
Brogue	Stout, rough shoe originally produced in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands; the heavy shoe is often made with a hobnailed sole,
Broken checks	Check patterned fabric, characterised with its irregular square checks.
Broken colour pattern	Fabric defect, in woven fabrics, usually caused by a coloured yarn out of place on the frame.
Broken crow	See Crow twill
Broken ends	See End-out
Broken face	Sateen fabric, designed in a way such that the weave effect appears to be broken up.
Broken filaments	Yarn defect, in which individual filament of multi-filament yarn is ruptured, usually due to mechanical abrasion.
Broken pattern	Fabric defect, in which the pattern in the fabric does not appear in agreement with the intended design; usually caused by some kind of malfunctioning of the machine, or by some slip-up on the part of the operator.
Broken pick	Fabric defect, which manifests as one or more missing weft picks from a portion of a woven width of fabric. The unseemly discontinuity in weft direction is caused by a break or cut in the weft pick.
Broken selvedge	See Cut selvedge
Broken twill	Term used to describe a variety of herringbone twill weaves, in which the twill line changes its direction. The continuity of the twill line is broken, by employing variable move numbers. The weave, in which the diagonal twill is intentionally interrupted to form a random design, achieved prominence when it was innovatively utilized by Wrangler Company during 1964 in their famous jean types. In a true broken twills at the point where the direction of twill line changes, if the warp yarn is on the surface, the next thread on the surface will be a weft yarn ensuring a clear break. The broken twill designs can vary from the simplest to the most complicated. Broken twill fabrics in cotton are sometimes subjected to napping or brushing to develop certain types of suede effects.
Broken weave	See Crack mark.
Broker	Person who buys or sells merchandise for other individuals and earns a commission or profit based upon a percent of product.
Bronze colour	In textile parlance a moderate yellowish brown colour.
Bronzed fabric	Fabric that has a bronzy metallic texture. Used for interior decoration and theatre costumes.
Bronziness	When it occurs accidentally during dyeing it is a dyeing defect, whereas when it is produced intentionally during dyeing it is an attractive dyeing effect. . Dyeing defect, which manifests as an unseemly metallic sheen, which develops on a textile material, as a surface coating, often during dyeing into very deeper shades. The effect is usually caused by excessive concentration of colorant on the surface of the substrate. . Occasionally the effect is deliberately produced as a fashion statement in some very dark shades of indigo and sulphur black.
Bronzing	See under Oxidised oil staining
Broomstick	Skirt or dress made from crinkled material with numerous pleats.
Brown colour	In textile parlance any of a group of colours between red and yellow in hue, of medium to low lightness, and of moderate to low saturation.
Brown lace	Lace, as in the condition in which it leaves the machine, i.e. lace before it has been subjected to any bleaching, dyeing, or finishing treatments.
Bruges	Satin fabric, woven with silk warps and hard-twist cotton wefts.
Bruges lace	Bar lace that is very similar in appearance to Honiton lace. It is produced as a tape with fine threads. Coarse types are used for curtains, bedcovers and tablecloths.
Bruise	Fabric defect, which manifests as an area that differs from the adjacent normal fabric, often caused due to the area getting subjected to some kind of impact or pressure.
Brunette	High quality woollen fabric normally dyed in a variety of colours. Used for tunics, hosiery etc. . In textile parlance, colour of dark-brown or black.
Brushed acrylic	Group of light to medium weight woven fabrics, often printed having a brushed effect on one or both sides. Used for dresses, warm shirts, children's wear etc.
Brushed acrylic knit	Thick, wool-like acrylic fabric, with the right side brushed into a furry surface. Used for dressing gowns, sleeping bags, baby coats, zip-front casual jackets, toys, collars, cuffs etc.
Brushed cotton	Plain or printed cotton fabric slightly brushed on one side to add warmth. This additional warmth makes it very suitable for children's clothes, winter blouses and shirts. An inexpensive fabric; it creases easily but washes well. Does not wear as well as unbrushed cotton. The brushing process may be applied to the right or wrong side of the fabric. Extremely inflammable, so not used for nightdresses for children or elderly people.
Brushed denim	Denim weave fabric usually all-cotton, having a brushed face side. It has a much softer hand-feel and appearance than conventional denims.
Brushed fabric	Fabric that has been finished by brushing, during which the fibres on the fabric surface get raised. The slightly fuzzy surface, thus produced, bestows warmth and softness to the fabric.
Brushed nylon	Strong, hardwearing nylon jersey brushed on the right side to make it warm and cosy. Inclined to build up static more than most nylon due to the brushing. It is much warmer than plain nylon jersey but is not particularly an attractive fabric, so its use is confined to nightwear, and sheets. Does not crease, washes easily and dries quickly. White fabrics adopt a grey tone unless washed separately.
Brushed polyester	A fine soft fabric with a brushed surface resembling velveteen in appearance.
Brushed wool	Term used in the pulled-wool parlance to describe woollen fibres, subjected to scrubbing or brushing, to remove burrs, shives, grit dirt, and other foreign matter. The treatment is given to the wool when it is on the pelt. ? Knitted or woven woollen fabric, which has been brushed, napped or teaseled. Used for garments, scarves, sweaters, trimmings, etc.
Brushed yarn	Yarn subjected to the mechanical finishing process of brushing to raise the surface hairs in order to achieve greater bulk and softer texture. Bouclé yarns are usually subjected to brushing.
Brush fibres	Rigid, coarse fibre, obtained from various plants, and used usually for the production of various kinds of brushes.
Brushing	Mechanical finishing process, applied on knit or woven fabrics, in which a nap is raised on the surface of the fabric, by passing the fabric over one or more revolving circular brushes. When brushed, the fabric acquires a slightly fuzzy surface, which impart a warm and soft feel to the fabric. Though the process is somewhat similar to napping, brushing is usually a less vigorous process. A vast range of fabrics made of cotton, wool and various man-made fibres, are subjected to brushing. Usually such fabrics are made in loose constructions to allow the yarns abrade easily.
Brush stroke	Term used to describe a print style, in which the colours are made to appear as if they had been applied with a brush.
Brussels carpet	Broad term comprising a wide range of loop-pile carpets woven on Wilton looms over un-bladed wires. The variety and colour patterns of carpeting under the name vary considerably.
Brussels edge	Needlepoint lace, in which edging is employed for finishing.
Brussels lace	Fine linen thread lace, in which the motifs are made as bobbin lace and then appliquéd onto a mesh ground. However, now it is being made in all fibres and machine-made motifs and meshes are being increasingly used.
Brussels net	Net fabric, characterised its hexagonal meshes.
Brynie cloth	Net-like fabric produced on Raschel knitting machine; the fabric resembles a fisherman's net. Used along with cold weather apparel as a vest worn next to the skin and beneath thermal underwear to create additional insulation.
Bubble	See Blister
Buck	In a pressing machine, the lower, static working surface, which incorporates the shape or contour onto which the garment is laid.
Buck article	Any clothing item or accessory of made of buckskin.
Bucket spinning	See Box spinning
Bucking	See Bowking
Buckinghamshire lace	Very fine, hand-made lace, named after its place of origin. It is characterised by a diamond mesh ground, often narrow, and usually used only for trimmings.
Buckram	Stiff scrim fabric often made in open sett plain weave, from plied yarns of linen or cotton. Fabric is subjected to impregnation with fillers and stiffeners. Name derived from Bokhara, city in southern USSR, where it was first made. Used as lining, interfacing, and for waistbands and bookbinding. Also used in millinery, as it can be easily shaped by moistening. . Fabric, consisting of two stiffened fabrics bonded together, the fabrics being not necessarily of identical construction.
Buckskin	White or pinky-beige leather, which originally used to come from the elk and deer, but now also obtained from sheep. Strong but supple, the leather is used for clothes, shoes, gloves, belts, etc.
Buckskin fabric	Fabric, comparable in appearance to, but heavier than, a doeskin fabric. It is made from fine merino wool, closely sett, heavily milled, dressed, and closely cut.
Buff	Garment, as a uniform, made of buff leather.
Buff colour	Light to moderate orange yellow colour.
Buffalo check	Fabric, usually made in twill weave, and having bold check patterns, with blocks of two or more contrasting colours, often with a preference for red and black.
Buffalo cloth	Heavy fabric, made in twill weave, and finished with considerable nap. Used mainly for winter wear, now it is being replaced to a great extent, by mackinaw cloth.
Buffalo wool	Rare wool fibre, which is very fine and grows among the coarse hair on the buffalo. Used in high quality felt hats and shawls.
Buffer solution	Solution that resists change in pH; contains either a weak acid and a soluble ionic salt of the acid or a weak base and a soluble ionic salt of the base.
Buffing fabric	Term used to describe an assortment of cotton fabrics, employed for buffing and polishing of metal and plastic articles.
Buggy	Term used to describe the lining, from the neck down across the back, of an otherwise, unlined coat.
Builder	Term used to describe a neutral or gently alkaline constituent that is introduced in to detergents or soaps to soften the wash water and to increase the cleaning power.
Builder fabric	Square-woven heavy cotton duck made from very heavy ply yarns. Used formerly in the carcase of rubber-tread tyres.
Build-up	Degree of shade-depth enhancement exhibited by any given dyestuff on any given fibre type.
Bulgarian cloth	Cream coloured cotton fabric embroidered with tinsel and coloured silks.
Bulge ratio	See Swell ratio
Bulk classing	Term used when fleece wools of different brands and descriptions, but of similar type, yield, etc., are emptied out of their containers (bales) bulked together and rebaled under another or various brands into large lines. Grading and pooling of small lots of wool from a number of owners into standard lines.
Bulk density	Apparent mass per unit volume.
Bulked yarn	Yarn that has been treated with mechanical, physical or chemical means, to make it noticeably more voluminous and bulkier. The yarn thus produced has greater covering power, or apparent volume, than that of a conventional yarn of equal linear density and of the same basic material with normal twist. Some bulking processes introduce into the yarns the additional property of stretch also. . In staple yarns, the increased bulk may be obtained by the use of bi-component fibres or by blending together, during yarn spinning, fibres of high and low potential shrinkage. During subsequent hot and/or wet processing, the greater contraction of the high-shrinkage fibres causes the yarn to contract longitudinally and the low-shrinkage fibres to buckle, thus increasing the bulkiness of the yarn. . In continuous filament yarns, the increased bulk may be obtained by any one of the texturing processes. .See also Bulking
Bulking	Operation by which each individual fibre of a yarn, is made to deviate from a linear path, resulting in the creation of air spaces between the fibres; the yarns are altered to make them fluff, curl, or crimp up to give them a bulked appearance. The bulked fibres acquire diminished packing density. Fabrics made from bulked yarn, acquire improved loft. Bulked yarns give soft, pleasant, fluffy, opaque looks and hands to many woven and knit fabrics.
Bulk sample	In sampling of bulk material, one or more portions which are taken from the material that does not consist of separately identifiable units. .In sampling of bulk material, one or more portions which are taken from the material, which can be identified after sampling as separate or composed units. . Compare Discrete sample
Bulk shrinkage	The term used to describe the measure of potential stretch and power of stretch-yarns or a measure of bulk of textured-set yarns.
Bulky yarn	Yarn formed from inherently bulky fibres such as man-made fibres that are hollow along part or all of their length, or . Yarn formed from fibres that cannot be closely packed because of their cross-sectional shapes, fibre alignment, stiffness, resilience, or natural crimp. . See also Bulked yarn
Bulky-weight yarns	Yarns in this category can range from 500 to 1000 yards per pound. These yarns are used for heavy fabrics such as coats, blankets, and heavy bulky outdoor sweaters.
Bull denim	Piece-dyed fabric in a 3 x 1 twill weave, made from coarse yarns. Weights can vary from 9oz/sq yard up to the standard 14oz/sq yard. Bull Denim is essentially a denim fabric without usage of indigo.
Bullion cord	Highly twisted assembly of yarns, which may be spirally covered with continuous filament yarns.
Bullion fringe	Fringe, made from golden or silvery metallic cords, for use on uniforms.
Bullion lace	Lace, made from golden or silvery threads.
Bullion stitch	Decorative stitch, done by twisting a needle around a thread numerous times before inserting it into the cloth. Short bullion stitches are sometimes called 'knots'.
Bumblebee cotton	Term used to describe, very short staple cotton fibres.
Bumped top	Package, made by press-packing layers of coiled sliver, usually achieved by vacuum packing.
Bump-grey	Fabric intended for use specifically as back-grey.
Bumping	In weaving, a condition in which, the beat-up is so severe that the cloth tension reduces to zero during part of the beating action; the condition produces high warp tension peaks, which increases the end breakage rate. See Planking
Bumps	See Bump-grey
Bump seam	Printing defect, which manifest as light coloured width-wise mark, caused by a stitching in the back-grey.
Bump yarn	Term used to describe, a coarse waste yarn, made from cotton waste.
Bunch	Yarn defect, in which a yarn segment, not over 6mm in length that shows an abrupt increase in diameter caused by more fibres getting matted at the particular place.
Bunch yarn	See Flake yarn
Bundle	Collection of sufficient pieces of cut fabric, to make up several garments. The size of the bundle is limited by weight and the number of pieces required for each garment. ? Group of similar garment parts, temporarily kept together for convenience of handling. ? See also Conventional bundle system; Progressive bundle system
Bundle stitch	Term used to describe a sequence of parallel stitches, put on a fabric and joined together at the centre.
Bunting	Soft, open-weave cotton or woollen fabric, which resembles a scrim. The fabric resembles cheesecloth in texture. Usually dyed or printed in plain bright colours and often the colours may not be given fixing treatment. Name derived from German 'bunt', meaning bright. Used for cheap short-life flags, ceremonial flags and decorations; it is unsuitable for clothing.
Burgundy	In textile parlance a reddish purple colour.
Buried pile yarn	In a coated pile yarn floor covering, the portions of the pile tuft elements that remain after the tuft legs have been removed by shearing.
Burin	Cutting tool, used by a hand engraver to incise lines on a copper cylinder or steel die used in printing.
Burl	General term used to describe, a group of fabric defects, which include, small knots, lumps, burrs, etc. present on the surface of a fabric.
Burlap	Heavy, open construction, hardwearing, plain weave fabric, made of jute or allied coarse yarns in plain weave. The fabric may shrink. Used for carpet backing, upholstery webbing, drapery, and inexpensive packaging including grain bags, wall coverings, etc.
Burl dyeing	Process of covering coloured specks and blemishes, mostly on woollens and worsteds, by the use of special colour inks, which come in many colours and shades; it is a hand operation. ? Low temperature colouring or inking of cellulosic impurities in worsted fabrics.
Burling	Removal of loose threads, knots, slubs, burrs, and other extraneous materials from the surface of a fabric by clipping or picking. The impurity is removed usually by using a burling iron, a type of tweezer, without damaging the fabric.
Burl mark	Fabric defect caused by improper burling operation. When burling is carried out on a fabric, using a burling tool, to remove a slub or an extra piece of yarn, sometimes it leaves an open place in the fabric surface, which often considered as major defect.
Burning behaviour	Term used to describe all the changes that take place when materials or products are exposed to a specified ignition source.
Burning test	Method of determining fibre identity by subjecting a sample to burning and observing its burning behaviour.
Burnishing	Method of polishing fabrics, by making use of rollers.
Burnoose	Arabian one-piece hooded cloak.
Burnt-out fabric	Specially woven, patterned, plain coloured fabric, having a brocade-like pattern effect, which has been developed through the application of a chemical, instead of colour, during the burn-out printing process. Usually sulphuric acid mixed into a colourless print paste, is the most common chemical used. Many simulated eyelet effects can be created using this method. In these instances, the chemical destroys the fibre and creates a hole in the fabric in a specific design, where the chemical comes in contact with the fabric. The fabric is then over-printed with a simulated embroidery stitch to create the eyelet effect. Burn-out effects can also be created on velvets made of blended fibres, in which the ground fabric is of one fibre like polyester, and the pile may be of a cellulosic fibre like viscose or acetate. In this case, when the chemical is printed in a certain pattern, it destroys the pile in those areas where the chemical comes in contact with the fabric, but leaves the ground fabric unharmed. When mixed fibres are used for weaving, only certain parts of the design are burnt out and they become transparent while the rest remains opaque, creating very attractive designs. The fabrics are often sheer and lightweight and are used for blouses, dresses and curtains.
Burnt-out printing	A printing technique, used on fabrics made from paired yarns of different fibres. In this method, the design is printed on the fabric with certain chemicals, so that only one kind of yarn from the design printed on the fabric is burnt out.
Burr	The term used to describe the minute seed particles of cotton, carried through into the finished goods.
Burr Extracting	Method of extracting burrs or vegetable seed parts, which are found in wools. Burr extraction may be carried out by mechanical means employing burr crushers, beaters, etc. or by chemical means employing sulphuric acid treatment.
Burring	See Burr extracting
Burry wool	Term used to describe wool that is contaminated with vegetable impurities adhering to the fleece.
Burse	Purse.
Bursting	Fabric defect, in knitted fabric, which manifests as a small hole caused by rupture of a yarn due to the high tension built up, during knitting. See also Cutting
Bursting strength	Term used to describe, the ability of a knit fabric to resist the rupture by pressure, which is expressed as units of weight. ? Term used to describe, the force or pressure required to rupture a textile by distending it with a force, applied at right angles to the plane of the fabric, under specified conditions.
Bursting strength tester	Mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic instrument, which is employed to measure the strength of a fabric's resistance to pressure.
Busby	Military full-dress fur hat with a pendant bag on one side usually of the colour or regimental facings.
Bush jacket	Long cotton jacket resembling a shirt and having four patch pockets and a belt.
Bush shirt	Loose-fitting shirt with patch pockets, usually made in cotton.
Business suit	Men's or women's suit consisting of matching coat and trousers and sometimes a vest.
Buskin	Laced boot reaching halfway or more to the knee.
Bust	Term used to describe the shaped form of male or female, on which clothes are worked on, inspected or displayed. ? See Bust girth
Bustier	Tight-fitting, often strapless top worn as a brassiere or outer garment.
Bust-girth	In body measurements, the circumference of the body over the fullest part of the breasts and parallel to the floor. ? Compare Chest girth
Bustle	Top quality tweed fabric in which, a single colour yarn is alternated with another yarn made of two colours. The alternated yarns are twisted together before weaving. The fabric is named after the Scottish town of Bannockburn that has long been the centre of an area producing this type of fabric, which is used for manufacture of suits and coats.
Bar	Fabric defect, which manifests as a bar effect that has developed a different colour from the adjacent fabric. The fabric or weft picks, which were normal prior to the weaving, might have got damaged or got contaminated during or subsequent to, the dyeing and finishing operations.
Baracan	Popular skirt shape, it is technically a pad, which is worn under the skirt and served as a base for the skirt material to be pleated or looped.
Bust-point to bust-point	In body measurements, the distance across the front from the apex of one breast to the apex of the other.
Busy printing	Ingenious technique of printing, in which though the print design covers large areas of the fabric, there are no areas of a single colour or any geometric patterning. The predominance of numerous lines in the design is its main characteristic.
Buta	Floral motif, much used in Indian textile designing, and traditionally rendered as a flowering plant with a curling bud at the top. The motif is also sometimes reduced to a floral pattern designed within the form of the plant.
Butcher cloth	Sturdy, medium to heavy plain weave fabric, made from linen and a variety of fibres, including viscose, cotton, polyester and their blends, often simulating real linen. It wears and launders well, sheds dirt and is exceptionally durable. Originally made in France from homespun uneven linen yarns having lot of thick and thin places and used mainly for making aprons for butchers. Used for overalls, protective coats, aprons, tablecloths, interfacing etc.
Butcher's linen	See Butcher cloth.
Butcher wool	See Pulled wool
Buti	Very popular and commonly used motif in Indian textile designs; actually it is a miniature of buta.
Butter cloth	See Cheese cloth
Butter Muslin	An open weave, very soft, cotton fabric. This comparatively cheaper fabric is used as straining cloth in the dairy industry and is also an ideal ironing cloth for the laundry industry
Butternut	The term used to describe the colour of a light yellowish brown.
Butterscotch	Term used to describe the colour of a moderate yellowish brown.
Buttery colour cotton	Cotton fibres that possess an inherent creamy colour.
Butt-fitting	Hollow metal tube in square shape, having a setscrew that is set into the mannequin's butt or upper thigh. It receives the butt rod which angles up from the metal, glass or plastic mannequin base and holds the mannequin erect.
Butting	Operation of levelling the root ends of flax straw at any stage of processing by vibrating it upright on a flat surface, either by hand or mechanically.
Button	Disc, knob or similar object, usually affixed to the garment, which when forced through a narrow opening called buttonhole, fastens one part of a garment to another part of the garment. Sometimes, buttons are attached to a garment also as a means of decoration.
Button breaker	See Breaking machine
Button-down collar	Progeny of the British shirt collar attached-polo shirt. It goes great with a four-in-hand knot or a bow tie and it evokes a relaxed, Ivy League attitude.
Button face	Term used to describe the portion of a button, which would be exposed, after attaching to the substrate.
Buttonhole	Hole provided in a garment, through which a button is passed to hold the garment in the correct position.
Buttonhole stand	Distance from the finished edge of a garment to the eye of the buttonhole.
Buttonhole stitch	Closely done vertical stitch that is secured with a loop at the top. Buttonhole stitch, when done in a row offer a firm finish with a ridge along the looped tops. The stitch is used mainly for buttonhole finishing.
Buttoning	Fabric defect, which manifests as small balls of fibre, which develop on warp ends, during weaving.
Button performance	Performance specifications for buttons, which are usually guided by internationally approved standard performance specifications. Generally, the main performance characteristics, which are tested on buttons, are: resistance to washing liquor, to dry cleaning solvents, to ironing, to water, chlorine water, to seawater, and the impact test.
Button stand	Term used to describe the distance from the finished edge of the garment to the centre of the button.
Button-through placket	Quality feature where a true eyelet and button closure are added to a sleeve placket.
Button-through sleeve placket	Small placket located on the sleeve, by the cuff, which contains a single button closure.
Butt seam	Term used to describe a seam that is sewn with both the fabric edges abutting.
Butylated hydroxy toluene	Chemical, which find usage in textile processing as a preservative and anti-oxidant.
Buzz-fuzz cotton	Term used to describe, exceptionally short-length cotton fibres.
Byrd cloth	Light or medium weight, tightly woven fabric with high pick count in a characteristic two-up and two-down twill construction. Made from fine-combed cotton yarns, it is supple but very strong. The fabric is wind-resistant and water-repellent, and used for mainly for rainwear and sportswear.

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Textile Dictionary

Word	Short description
Babushka	Triangularly folded kerchief, used as headscarf.
Baby blue colour	In textile parlance a pale blue colour.
Baby combing wool fibre	Exclusive, chosen fine wool fibres having staple lengths between 5 to 6.25 cm. High-grade worsted yarns are spun from this stock, by employing the Worsted spinning, French system.
Baby cord Synonym: Pin cord	Corduroy fabric, having very finer needle cords than those usually employed for extra soft styles of garments.
Baby flannel	Lightweight, fluffy, flannel fabric usually made of cotton, wool or in combination of both. Usually woven in plain or twill weave; used mainly for children's wear.
Baby lace	Narrow, delicate lace edgings usually used on garments for infants and children.
Baby pique	Term used to describe a very small pique knit.
Baby sharkskin	Flat and supple shirting fabric, made from combed cotton yarns in a cross weave pattern.
Back-and-fore stitch	Hand-stitch, employed for sewing the linings and pockets. The stitch involves taking a back and then a running stitch before the needle is removed.
Back beam	Beam or shaft at the back of the loom, on which warp yarns are wound for weaving.
Back breakpoint	Term related to garment sizing. In anatomy, location on the back of the body where the arm separates from the body.
Back-chroming Synonym: Back-dyeing	After-treatment, employed on dyed materials, for enhancement of colourfastness, which includes the application of a chrome mordant after dyeing.
Back-coating	Adhesive-type substance, applied to the back of a fabric for enhancement of the body of the fabric and/or its stiffness.
Back drape	Length of material, attached either at the shoulder or at the waist, that flows over the back to floor length. In some cases it is removable.
Back-dyeing	See Back-chroming
Backed cloth	Fabric in satin or twill weave designed with an additional set of extra warp or weft added for weigh and warmth. Used for dress goods, suitings and skirtings. .
Backed cloth weave	Weave used for reversible fabric, in which single warp end and double weft picks are employed without any binder yarn.
Backed fabric	Woven or knit fabric, in which extra sets of yarn are introduced in lengthways or widthways or in both the ways, to improve its strength, weight and warmth. Mainly find usage as suiting, overcoating, etc.
Back-filling Synonym: Back-sizing	Finishing process employed usually on low grade, cheap fabrics, to beef up their appearance, hand and increase in weight. The process includes application of varying amounts of fillers, like cornstarch, China clay, tallow etc. on the backside of the fabric. Other starches are often added when deemed necessary. During application care is taken to prevent the filling starch from working to the face of the fabric. Also the filling compound is carefully coloured to resemble closely to the shade of the fabric itself.
Back grey	During the process of roller printing, the cloth, that is sandwiched between the blanket and the fabric to be printed. This sandwiched cloth, soak up any printing paste that might infiltrate through the fabric being printed, and ensure sharp prints by providing supple backing to the fabric being printed. ? During the process of screen-printing, the cloth, that is employed to support and maintain stability of the fabric being printed. The back grey and the fabric being printed are gummed together prior to the combined fabric itself being gummed to the printing table conveyor belt. ? See also Bump grey
Backing	Reinforcing layer of fabric other material adhered to the reverse side of a fabric; it stabilizes the fabric and give it body to support embroidery. There are two types of backing; 'tear away backing' and 'cut away backing', with different levels of stability. ? In a pile yarn floor covering, the fabric into which, the pile yarns are inserted; in other words, materials in a pile yarn floor covering, other than the pile yarns.
Backing-fabric seam impression	Printing defect, which is classified a major defect. During printing, the backing cloth is used to cushion the fabric that is being printed, and if there is a joining seam in the backing cloth, that may cause an impression on the printed fabric.
Backing, primary	See Primary backing.
Backing, secondary	See Secondary backing
Backing, warp	See Warp backing
Backing, weft	See Weft backing.
Backing yarn	In pile fabrics, the base yarn that holds in place, the piles shaped by the wadding yarn, together with the warp ends and weft picks.
Back loop	Knit loop; the constituent parts of which include a simple open loop passed through the loop below it, away from the viewer.
Graphic	See also Knitted loop
Backpack	Utilitarian camping pack, made from a sturdy fabric like nylon or polyester canvas, usually supported by an aluminium frame to provide proper support for carrying items and carried on the back. ? Bag made from many varieties of tough fabric, worn on the back and attached to the body by shoulder straps; used often by students to carry books.
Backpack	Utilitarian camping pack, made from a sturdy fabric like nylon or polyester canvas, usually supported by an aluminium frame to provide proper support for carrying items and carried on the back. ? Bag made from many varieties of tough fabric, worn on the back and attached to the body by shoulder straps; used often by students to carry books.
Back pleats	Tiny folds in the material on the back of a garment that allow for more room and comfort.
Back rise	In a garment, the distance from crutch to centre back of waistline.
Backside Synonym: Wrong side	Reverse side, of a fabric, as opposed to face side.
Back-sizing	See Back-filling
Backstitch	Strong and versatile hand-stitch, employed to seam garment parts. The stitch is so named because, the needle, on emerging, goes back to be inserted at the end of the previous stitch.
Back strap	In garment, a strap, placed across its back at the waist, usually fitted with a buckle, or other method of adjustable fastening, and used to adjust the fit of the garment, within limits, to the wearer's requirements.
Back-tacking	Reverse sewing, employed at the beginning and end of a seam, for reinforcement.
Back-tanning Synonym: Back-tracking	After-treatment, in which either natural or synthetic tanning agents, are applied on a dyed or printed silk or polyamide material, to improve wet fastness of the dyeing or printing.
Back-tracking	See Back tanning
Back-twisting	Term used to describe the process of re-twisting of a yarn in the opposite of the original direction of the formerly set twist.
Back warp	Additional sets of warp ends, which are woven into the back of a compound fabric. In double, triple or quadruple fabrics the back-warps form the back of the goods along with the back-filling.
Back washer	Machine used for washing of carded wool to remove all remaining impurities. It is also used to dry the tops after washing, by passing them over steam-heated cylinders, or perforated cylinders through which hot air is forced
Back-washing	I? Removal of oils, which have been put into worsted stock during blending, oiling and mixing operations when the mix was made up. ? Scouring process for dyed or undyed wool slivers or tops, during the course of production worsteds. It is carried out before or after the gilling and combing, dependent on the manufacturing system employed.
Back weft	Term used to describe the additional sets of weft picks, woven into the back of certain fabrics. The back wefts are employed to improve the strength, weight and warmth of the fabric or to highlight the surface design on it.
Back width Synonym: Cross back width	Body measurement, the distance from back break point to back break point.
Back-winding	Operation of rewinding, of yarn from one type of package to another more suitable package for the next process. Operation of unravelling, of yarn from knit fabric and then winding it as suitable packages for any reuse or rework.
Back-wrap	Wraparound garment, like a skirt, that fastens in the back.
Back yoke	Piece of fabric, which connects the back of a garment to the shoulders, which allows the garment to lay flat and drape nicely. Fitted or shaped piece of fabric at the top of a skirt.
Bactericide	See under Anti-bacterial agents
Bacteriostat	See under Anti-bacterial agents
Bad cast	Yarn defect, considered as major. The abrupt increase in the diameter of raw silk yarns, usually occurring during reeling operation due to improper joining of filaments.
Bad cover	Fabric defect, in which the spaces between adjacent threads in the fabric surface appear more pronounced than ideal. The degree of cover, achieved is adversely affected by imperfect loom setting, wrong count of reed, or faulty construction of yarns used. ? Defect in finished fabric. The defect manifests as insufficient surface cover achieved, or the underlying structure not properly concealed to the degree required, by the finishing materials used.
Badla	Flat metallic wire, often in silver-gilt, used for brocading and embroidery.
Bad listing	See Cut selvedge
Bad odour	Fabric defect, which manifests in a variety of objectionable odours often noted in unfinished or finished fabrics. Usually it is caused by some chemical action, which has not been properly controlled during application, washing, scouring, bleaching, dyeing, fulling, etc.
Bad temple	See Temple mark
Bagasse	Crushed stalks of the sugar cane after the sugar has been extracted.
Bag cloth	Fabric woven in a rather light and open structure from inferior quality yarns, made exclusively for manufacturing of bags, or sacks to hold dry goods such as flour, beans, lentils, etc. It is usually heavily sized to prevent the contents from coming through.
Bagging Synonym: Tacking	Practise of sewing together of both the selvedges of a fabric that has been folded lengthwise, with the face side in. This causes ballooning of the fabric, during its wet processing and thereby reduces rope marking and also protects the face of the fabric in other finishing operations. Bagging also helps in preventing wrinkles and selvedge curling.
Bagging fabric Synonym: Gunny	Very heavy, loosely woven fabric made from heavy tight-twisted roving, largely consisting of reworked and waste fibres, principally cotton and jute. Used for bale covering, manufacture of bags, etc.
Bagging-out	Practise of joining the facings and/or linings to the outer fabric of a garment by sewing them together, face to face in the form of a bag and then turning the garment out, to the right side.
Baggy Cloth	See Wavy cloth
Baggy selvedge	See Slack selvedge.
Baghdad wool	Dark wool type obtained from in and neighbouring areas of Mesopotamia. Used mainly for carpets.
Bagheera velvet	Piece-dyed velvet fabric, with uncut piles. The rough surface makes it largely wrinkle proof. Used mainly for outerwear
Bagwig	Traditional wig with the back hair enclosed in a small silk bag.
Bail Synonym: Lug	In zippers, the portion or portions of slider to which the pull or pulls are attached.
Bainin	Loosely constructed, hand-woven fabric made from homespun wool. Used for coats, skirts, stoles, etc.
Baize Synonym: Baze	A plain-woven, coarse short napped woollen felt fabric. Usually heavily filled and piece-dyed and the surface has a long produced by raising. Used for the production of wall coverings, table covers and screens.
Baking	Dry-heat treatments employed on dry fabric.
Baking Soda	Commercial name for sodium bicarbonate.
Baku straw	Exclusive, lightweight, fine straw having a characteristic dull appearance. It is obtained from the fibres of the 'buri palm'.
Balaclava	Knitted cap, which covers the head and neck
Balance	Garment related term, which describes the adjustment of relation of one section of a garment to another, in harmony with the natural attitude of the figure, especially that of the back and front lengths.
Balanced crêpe	A crêpe fabric, woven with alternate yarns of 'S' and 'Z' crêpe twists in both warp ends and weft picks.
Balanced crimp	Fabric, woven with an equal degree of crimp in the warp ends and weft picks.
Balanced fabric leaves	Woven of fabric, in which the number of warp ends per unit width is equal to the number of weft picks per unit length and both yarns are of the same count, e.g. a fabric woven with 2/40s yarns in both warp ends and weft picks, and having a pick count of 60 square, i.e. 60 individual threads running each way in the goods. ? See also Square cloth
Balanced stripes	Balanced stripes
Balanced twill Synonym: Even-sided twill; Equally flush twill	Twill weave fabric, in which the floats in both warp and weft directions span equal numbers of crosswise yarns.
Balanced twist	GreyYarn or cord, in which a combination of single yarn twists and plied yarn twists are manoeuvred in such a way, that the yarn or cord will not have any propensity for kinkling, doubling or twisting on itself when held in the form of an open loop or suspended without tension.
Balanced weave plants	Weave, in which the normal float is equal in warp and weft directions, and warp and weft floats are evenly divided between two sides of fabric.
LacBalanced yarns	Yarn spun in balanced twist.
Balance marks	In garments, the notches, nips or threads made on its different parts, which help to preserve the balance of the garments by serving as guides during assembly. These markings are generally put at side seams, hind arm and forearm seams and elsewhere as necessary.
Balance of count	See under Balanced fabric
Balance wheel Synonym: Hand wheel	In sewing machine, the pulley, that incorporates counter balance to stabilise the driven shaft of the machine.
Balagny cloak	Traditional French cloak or cape with wide collar.
Balanced Stripes	Fabric design made of stripes, which are even in width and spacing.
Balbriggan hosiery	Lightweight, fabric made on a circular knitting machine. Originally made in and around Balbriggan, Ireland, hence the name. The fabric is usually made from cotton, and it may have a slight fleece on the wrong side. Used mainly for sportswear, underwear and pyjamas.
Baldachin	Silk fabric richly embroidered with silk and gold yarns.
Baldric	Belt, usually ornamented, worn over one shoulder to support a sword or bugle.
Bale	Compressed package of staple fibres, usually cotton, wool, etc. Standard size and weight of a bale vary in different parts of the world. Most common form is the farm bale weighing between 100 and 200 kg. ? Term is also used to describe a package of yarns or fabrics, in a bag or sack.
Bale breaker	Machine employed in the blow-room of a spinning mill to break the bales of ginned cotton or other staple fibres.
Bale-breaking	Operation comprising of taking out layers of compressed cotton or other staple fibres from a bale and feed into a bale breaker machine, in which the tearing action of two coarse spiked rollers moving in opposite directions, opens up the layers to give substantially more open mass of tufts.
Bale-dyeing	Low cost method of dyeing in ambient temperature, without prior scouring or singeing. The method is mostly employed for dyeing of imitation chambray, as the sized warp yarns take up dye readily while the weft yarns containing some wax resist the dye. ? Term is also used sometimes, to describe the dyeing of loose stock, of synthetic polymer fibre, in the form of an unpacked bale.
Balibuntal straw	Fine, lightweight, glossy straw obtained from unopened palm leaf stems.
Baling	Process of compressing and packing of ginned cotton into bales, to be sent to mills to be spun into yarns.
Balk	AFabric defect, which manifests as an incomplete pattern in striped or plaid fabrics; usually caused by carelessness of designing depart
Ball	Bundle of fibres, tops, slivers, or yarns made into the shape of a ball or an egg. Cotton, silk, viscose, wool and their blends are often sold in this form to the consumers.
Ballerina neckline	Low neckline that is usually used in strapless or spaghetti strapped dresses.
Ballerina skirt	Ball gown that reach only to the mid calf or above the ankles.
Ballet toe	Textile fibres are primarily categorized into natural fibres and man-made fibres.
Ballet toe	In knitting, the reverse toe, in which the toe yarn on the upper side covers the ends of the toes only, and the toe is usually extended and more pointed.
BBall fall	Term used to describe the measure of the viscosity of a liquid, expressed as the time in seconds required for a standard sphere to fall through a column of liquid of standard length under standard conditions
Ball gown	Full-length skirt that that begins at the waist and reaches down to the ankles, usually made in satin or silk. The skirt waist is seamed and can be of various styles
Balling up	See Fuzz ball
Ballistic tearing strength	Force, required for extending a tear over a given length of fabric established from the energy absorbed in tearing at high speeds. It is usually conducted at shock loads using falling pendulum.
Balloon cloth	Closely woven high quality cotton fabric made from fine, combed yarns, in plain weave. It has uniform breaking strength in all directions. Constructions generally range from 92 x 108 to 116 x 128 with yarn counts from 60s to 100s. The uses include balloons, ready-made shirts, artificial flowers, typewriter ribbons, etc. When vulcanised, the cloth is used mainly for air cells in planes and barrage balloons.
Ballooning	Term used to describe the manifestation of semi-circled paths taken by yarns running at high speed during various operations like spinning, doubling, winding, etc. ? Incidence of deliberate or accidental entrapment of air, by a fabric during wet processing.
Ballooning eye	Yarn-guide, that forms the apex of a yarn balloon that manifests during the running of a yarn at high speed.
Ballotini	Very small reflective glass beads, which are sometimes incorporated into fabric as accessory.
Ball-warping	Winding of a group of warp ends in the form of a twistless rope and then making it into a ball, cheese or cake.
Balmoral	Sturdy, heavy, twill weave, woollen fabric of British in origin. Usually feature stripes in red, black, and grey colours.
Balsa fibre	Natural silky fibre of vegetable origin, obtained from the seed covering of the corkwood tree, 'ochroma lagopus', found in South America. The fibres find usage as stuffing for pillows.
Balustre fabric	Traditional golden fabric of very high quality, which had its origin in Vienna, Austria.
Bamboo	Giant woody grass 'bambusa', often reaching a height of forty feet or more, found in the tropical and subtropical regions. The fibres closely resemble those from straws in many of their characteristics. The average length of fibres stand between softwood and hardwood fibres.
Banana fibre	See Plantain fibre
Band	Close-fitting strip that confines material at the waist, neck, or cuff of clothing ? Term used to describe the weft-wise area in a fabric that extends across the full width and is different from the rest of the fabric.
Bandage cloth	Thin, very loosely woven cotton fabric. It looks like gauze and is normally in plain weave, bleached and sterilised. Sometimes made in linen also. Fabric is made available in rolls of various widths or in cut squares or other shapes in bundles, which find very wide usage in hospital needs.
Bandana	Cotton handkerchief fabric, having stylised discharge or resist printed patterns including spots, in bright colours, usually in red or navy, on white or dark ground.
Bandeau	Fillet or band especially made for the hair.
Banded laces	Group of narrow laces, in the form of bands or strips, which are used for trimming of garments. There are many types.
Bandhani	Process of patterning cloth by tie-and-dye, in which the design is reserved on the undyed cloth by tying small spots very tightly with thread to protect them from the dye. It is especially popular in the northern parts of India.
Banding fabrics	Group of woven, knit, or braided narrow fabrics, tapes or webbings. Used for manufacture of hatbands, neckbands, trimmings, and also as tying band for securing bundles, etc.
Band knife	Mechanical device, the main part of which is a mechanically driven endless moving blade, which passes through a slot in a table. The machine is used for cutting all together, many layers of fabric.
Bandolier	Belt worn over the shoulder and across the breast.
Bandle	Coarse, homespun, narrow linen fabric made on hand looms.
Band warping	See Pattern warping
Bane yarns	Group of yarns, usually man-made types, in its extruded form without any other yarn wrapped around it or other types of uncovered yarns.
Bangkok hat	Measure around base of the neck (the lowest point of the neck). Number of inches equals the neck size you should order.
Bangle	Stiff ornamental bracelet or anklet slipped or clasped on.
Bang Off	See Fine filling bar
Baniyan	Men's simple indoor jacket of Indian origin made from inexpensive cotton fabric.
Bank	Creel, which holds the package of sliver or yarn, employed to help increase the speed of unwinding.
Banner cloth	See Bunting
Bannockburn	Top quality tweed fabric in which, a single colour yarn is alternated with another yarn made of two colours. The alternated yarns are twisted together before weaving. The fabric is named after the Scottish town of Bannockburn that has long been the centre of an area producing this type of fabric, which is used for manufacture of suits and coats.
Bar	Fabric defect, which manifests as a bar effect that has developed a different colour from the adjacent fabric. The fabric or weft picks, which were normal prior to the weaving, might have got damaged or got contaminated during or subsequent to, the dyeing and finishing operations.
Baracan	Heavy, closely woven warp ribbed fabric, made with hard-twist worsted warp ends and weft picks. Sometimes, it is also made with silk or wool warp ends and mohair weft picks forming weft ribs. ? See also Camelot baracane
Barathea	Rich, soft-looking but hardwearing, fine textured fabric, having a slightly pebbled surface. It is closely woven, in plain or novelty twill weave, with slight diagonal-weave appearance and broken-rib effect. The fabric feels smooth to touch but has a granular or pebbled appearance. Usually made in silk, worsted, and also in man-made fibres, like viscose, acetate, etc. Used mainly for men's suit, women's coats and skirts. Its characteristic appearance, of cut off-grain, makes it a preferred fabric for men's dress ties and cummerbunds. The best types are found in fine botany worsteds, firm and compact in structure with a clean finish. The weave is a special form of twilled rib weave, which in combination with the fine setting produce a faintly indented fabric surface, with indistinct regular twill lines running in opposite directions. The weave employed can be simple or complex but the general effect achieved is similar. Classic styles are made from very fine barathea qualities.
Barb	Term used to describe the very minute scales seen on fur fibres.
Barbe	Mean length of the fibres of a sliver or of a roving calculated from the proportions by mass of the fibres in the sliver or roving. The term is normally used for long staple fibres, and particularly wool.
Barcelona handkerchief	Fine twill weave silk in square pieces and dyed in solid colours. The style has originated in Spain, where it used to be in fashion to wear it on the head or neck.
Bare cloth	Fabric, the surface of which is not raised, brushed, or napped to the required degree. ? Defective fabric; a fabric having a bad cover.
Bare face	Fabric that is finished without any nap.
Barége yarn	Fine, hand-spun yarn, used for the manufacture of gauze and veils.
Bar-fagoting	Open seam stitch, employed to join together seams, and also to impart an ornamental effect to ladies and children's garments. The stitch resembles ladders or small squares.
Bargello stitch	Vertical stitch, made from left to right over a given number of threads.
Bark cloth	? Fabric, which is finished with a surface texture resembling that of the bark of a tree. Used for furniture slipcovers, draperies, etc. ? Originally the term was used to describe the thin sheets of the inner bark of certain trees, which were employed for some kinds of textile related uses, though they are hardly a textile material as they are not woven, knit or made by similar operations.
Bark crêpe	Heavy, stiff crêpe fabric, having a rough texture, somewhat similar to the bark of a tree. It is usually made from viscose or polyester and used mainly for the manufacture of eveningwear.
Barlicorn fabric	Basket weave fabric, having diminutive geometrical shapes, with regular distribution of warp ends and weft picks.
Barmen Machine	Braiding machine, which is used for plaiting of threads with each other. It is sometimes employed on warp ends also, with the carriers being controlled by a Jacquard, according to the requirements of the pattern.
Barmen lace	Narrow lace, manufactured on a type of braiding machine, in which individual carrier movements are controlled by a patterning mechanism.
Barnsley finish	Combination finish, employed on medium or heavy linen fabrics made in twill weave. The finishing process comprise bleaching, light starching, medium calendering and a final hot water treatment on rollers. After the final drying the fabrics are pressed in single folds separated by pasteboards.
Barras	Coarse linen fabric very similar to sacking; originally produced in Holland.
Barré	Fabric defect, that manifests both in woven and knit fabrics. Barré is considered as a major defect: In woven fabric, the unintentional, repetitive visual pattern of continuous bars or stripes, observed usually parallel to the weft direction. In woven fabric, the stripe-like effect where one or more weft picks are characterized by an apparent difference in colour, lustre, or physical arrangement that is repeated at intervals across the warp direction, caused probably due to mechanical faults in the loom, or variations in lustre or dye absorption etc of yarns. In knit fabric, the unintentional, horizontal streaks or bands seen in the width wise direction of the fabric, caused by differences in yarn size, tension on yarns or fabric, colour, lustre or shrinkage, from one section of the cloth to the adjacent area. In knit fabric, the unintentional, ridge or mark seen running in lengthwise direction of the fabric, caused by variations in tension during knitting process, poor quality yarns and problems during the finishing process.
Barred	Fabric defect, which manifests as unintentional bar effect produced by stripes or bars extending crosswise in woven or knitted goods.
Barred twist yarn	Fancy yarn, produced by twisting together of two, two-plied yarns, in which either one or both may be printed.
Barrége	Very sheer fabric, made from wool and silk or cotton, originally made in Barége in the Pyrenees. It is solely used for veiling. Though it drapes well, it cannot withstand strain in wear. Unsuitable fabric for clothing.
Barrier fabric	Fabric that functions as a barrier to dust, dust mites and related allergens.
Barrier material	Substance, which is applied on non-woven geo textiles, to prevent movement of fluids across the plane of the fabric. The geo fabric is saturated with an impermeable barrier material, like 'bentonite clay'.
Bar tack	Intensely concentrated, zigzag stitch, forming a band 2 to 4 mm wide by 1 to 2 cm long, used for reinforcement at points of strain, e.g. pocket openings, crotch joins of inseams, placket edges, waistband seams, cuff seams, etc.
Bar-tack machine	Sewing machine specially designed for making bar tack stitches.
Bar-warp machine	Warp lace machine, in which the pattern control is similar to that of Leavers machine.
Bar wood	Natural organic dyestuff of vegetable origin; the reddish colour natural dye is obtained from the tree 'baphia nitida'.
Baryta	Alkaline compound in its purest chemical form. It is the textile standard for 100% pure white.
Base	Term employed to describe a group of alkaline chemicals, which when combined with an acid forms a salt. Bases find extensive usage in textile processing, like soap in scouring of cotton to dissolve grease, caustic soda in mercerising of cotton to plasticise the fibres, etc.
Base cloth	Woven fabric, which is incorporated within a needle-felt material, to enhance its dimensional stability and strength. In some cases, the base cloth is useful also in facilitating the punching operation.
Basic dyes	Group of dyes characterised by their outstanding brilliance and intensity. Some of the shades produced by these dyes have such clarity of hue, which no other class of dyes can achieve. These are cationic dyes that dissociate in an aqueous medium to give a positively charged coloured ion (cation) with affinity for fibres containing acidic groups. As these dyes have no affinity for cotton, it can be applied on cotton but only with the help of a tannin mordanting. Even then fastness achieved is just moderate only. The dyes can be applied without any mordant on wool and silk, but again the results are characterised more by brightness than by fastness. Specially developed basic dyes for acrylics are quite fast. Basic dyes are suitable for acrylic fibres, suitable for wool and silk fibres, but now the usage is declining, suitable for cotton, linen, viscose rayon, and cuprammonium rayon fibres, but lacks fastness and now obsolete.
Basic fabrics	Term used to describe all those practical, sensible and efficient fabrics that are woven by plain weave, twill weave or satin weave or knitted by warp-knitting or weft-knitting.
Basic finishes	Group of treatments or processes designed to alter or improve the surface appearance, function or texture of a fabric. Finishes play a significant part in the conversion of a textile material from the griege stage to merchandise saleable to the ultimate processor or consumer
Basine	Silk fabric, in which two sets of fine warp ends float over every two weft picks and interlace with the third.
Basin waste	Silk waste consisting of cocoons that could not be completely reeled because of too frequent breaks in the thread.
Basis weight of fabric	Mass per unit area of fabric, e.g. oz/sq. yd., g/m2.
Basket cloth	Fabric woven in basket weave. Hopsack, Monk's cloth and Oxford cloth are examples of basket weave construction.
Basket huckaback	Towel fabric, featuring characteristic deep hollows woven in huckaback weave. Usually made from unbleached linen.
Basket stitch	Embroidery stitch, which resembles a series of overlapping cross-stitches. Basket stitch is employed for outlining and for filling to create a solid heavy look. ? Knitted construction, made mostly with purl loops in the pattern courses to give it a basket weave look.
Basket weave	Variation of the plain weave construction, fashioned by treating two or more warp ends and/or two or more weft picks as one unit in the weaving process. The formation resembles a plaited basket. Yarns in a basket weave are laid into the woven construction flat, and maintain a parallel relationship. Both balanced and unbalanced basket weave fabrics can be produced. They wear well, but because of their surface characteristics, the fabrics cannot withstand chafing, friction, and abrasion. Hence their usage for apparels is somewhat limited to a few shirtings. Used exhaustively as decorative fabrics and for curtains
Basque	Tight-fitting bodice for women. ? Male doublets that extend below the waist
Basque Waist	Dropped waist, which starts at or just below the natural waistline, and dips in the centre creating a "V" shape.
Bast	Strong woody fibres obtained especially from various plants.
Baste	Temporary stitches, made either by hand or machine, to hold together the garment parts in the correct position for subsequent operations.
Bastard fabric	Fabric produced as a substitute, a copy or as an inferior version of any type of standard fabric. The general implication is that the bastard fabric does not possess all of the advantageous characteristics of the cloth it claims to copy
Bastard reed	Reed, in which the dent spacing at both sides are slightly greater than in the centre.
Bastard yarn	Yarn, which is spun with a harder twist than that of the normal weft picks, but not as hard as that of regular warp ends. Usually used for manufacture of plied yarns.
Bast fibre	Natural fibre, of vegetable origin, obtained from the inner fibrous bark of the stems of dicotyledonous plants. The fibre is long, strong, soft, but somewhat woody, e.g. flax, ramie, jute, hemp, pineapple forming, and sisal. Used mainly for cordage, matting and to a very lesser extent for fabrics. The plant structure is deformed by flattening the stem, loosening the bond between the fibre bundles and the wood, and breaking the woody part into short pieces, to facilitate their removal from the fibre by scutching. The process is called 'breaking'. Breaking by means of rollers is often referred to as 'rolling'.
Batch	Term used to describe a collection of material, which is to be treated as one unit.
Batch-curing	Operation, employed for curing of durable press garments, in which one batch is charged into the curing oven at a time.
Batching	Wet processing term used to describe the process of fixing dye onto fabric. In this operation the fabric is wound onto a roller after it has passed through a dye bath and kept the fabric damp at room temperature for twenty-four hours or longer.
Bateau neck	A high, wide, straight neckline that runs straight across the front and back, meeting at the shoulders; the same depth in the front and back.
Bath	Term used to describe the essential solution in which a chemical process is carried out.
Bathrobe cloth	Thick, warm, double-faced cotton fabric, woven with a tightly twisted warp and two sets of soft weft yarns, which often are napped or sheared to produce a soft, cuddly surface. Used mainly for bathrobes, and crib blankets.
Bath sheet	Terry textile product generally made with end hems or fringes and side hems or selvedges. The size is much larger than usually provided for a bath towel.
Bath towel	Terry textile product, with end hems or fringes and side hems or selvedges, which is used to dry a person's body after bathing or swimming
Batik	Traditional method of resist-dyeing, originated Indonesia, of produce discreet patterns/designs on a fabric with the help of wax/gum-resist and cold dyes. In this process, different portions of the fabric are covered with a coating of heated wax or gum to resist the dye. The fabric is then subjected to dyeing, during which the uncoated areas of the fabric only get dyed, as the coated wax or gum resist the dye. After dyeing, the wax or gum is removed by boiling the fabric in water. The process is repeated, as many times as there are colours in the design. The fabric usually achieves a veined, streaky or mottled appearance, where the dye has gone through the cracks in the wax. The technique can be successfully adapted for fabric printing also
Batik cloth	Fabrics dyed or printed by the batik method, which are usually labelled 'batik'. The characteristically colourful designs are usually large in size and are placed centrally and often feature borders too. Used for casual dresses, shirts, beachwear, etc. shaped mesh.
Batik wax	Normally a blend of 15% sticky wax and 85% paraffin wax. The paraffin creates the crackle effect in batik; to increase crackle, the percentage of paraffin wax is increased and to decrease crackle, the percentage of sticky wax is increased.
Batt	? Term employed to designate a carded lap of fibres. ? Single or multiple sheets of fibre used in the production of non-woven fabric.
Batten	Term used to describe a machine part of a loom. Batten is employed to beat the weft picks into place after it has been loosely shot through the shed by the shuttle. See also Plain net
Battery	Term used to designate a machine part of an automatic loom. The battery holds full bobbins or pirns of weft in vertical or circular housings, or holds shuttles in a vertical housing.
Batting	Soft, bulky textile stuffing or padding material made from various fibres consisting of a continuous web of fibres formed by carding, garnetting, air laying or other means. Used for stuffing, quilting, padding or other thermal applications.
Batting integrity	Ability of a textile filling material to resist distortion or change when subjected to multiple home launderings or dry-cleanings
Battle jacket	Single-breasted, waist length jacket used by the U.S. Army, which is actually part of the set of uniforms issued to the G.I.
Baulk finish	Combination finish employed on woollen material. The process includes light milling of the woollen material, in the grease, scouring, dyeing, stentering to width and light pressing.
Baumé	Name of the scale, employed for measurement of the relative density of liquids by hydrometry. The formula expresses the relationship between relative density, and degrees Baumé, for liquids more dense than water.
Bave
Bayadère	Plain or twill woven fabric, the main feature of which are the shocking, wacky and vibrant coloured stripes in the weft direction and black coloured warp ends. The stripes can be plain or patterned. Initially made from silk, it originated in India. Used for blouses, dresses, evening wear, etc.
Bayadère costume	Set of garments that comprise top garment in shocking and dazzling striped design, trousers decorated with bright beads, glistening stoles, delicate kerchiefs, cheap but sparkling jewellery, sequins, anklets, etc. It used to be originally worn by the professional dancing girls in India.
Bayko	Metallic, coated yarn, which find usage in weaving, knitting and embroidery. In this the cotton or silk thread core is covered with a coating of cellulose acetate solution, which has in it, dispersed fine particles of metals.
BCF yarn	Bulk-textured continuous filament yarn used mainly for construction of carpets or upholstery fabrics. Mostly nylon but can also be polypropylene or polyester.
Beachwear	Clothing for wearing at a beach.
Bead	In separate element zippers, an enlarged section on the inner edge of each tape to which interlockable elements are affixed. ? In continuous element zippers, an optional enlarged section of the tape located at the outer edge of the continuous interlockable elements and against which the slider flanges bear. .
Beaded fabric	Term used to describe fabric that is embellished with beads.
Beading	Variety of insertion laces or embroidery works having rows of holes through which ribbon is laced. ? See also Buttoning
Beading lace	Machine-made, narrow, insertion lace, having a row of openwork holes designed for the insertion of a decorative ribbon, which are often done by openwork hemstitching or faggot stitch, or may have slits for inserting ribbons.
Bead wrapping fabric	In tyre textiles, the rubber-coated cross-woven fabric, which is wrapped around a rubberised bead coil.
Bead yarn	Fancy yarn, having small bead like swellings of hardened gelatine or plastic materials on its surface at regular intervals.
Beam	Large metal cylinder, having flanges on both ends. It is used for the preparation of warp ends for weaving or warp-knitting operations. A multitude of warp ends are wound parallel on the beam, in such a way, that later it permit the removal of these yarns as a warp sheet for weaving or warp knitting. Fabrics also may be wound on beam.
Beam bar	Mandrel composed of at least two beams, which feed the warp-knitting machine.
Beam dyeing	Dyeing technique employed for the dyeing of warp ends of a fabric prior to weaving. The warp ends are wound on a perforated beam. The dyeing is carried out by placing the loaded beam inside the dyeing machine and then pumping the dye bath through the warp ends or the fabric from the centre of the beam outward and then from the outside yarn surface to the centre of the beam. The direction of flow of the dye bath is alternated continuously, at pre-determined intervals during the full dyeing cycle.
Beam-warping	Operation of winding a part of the total number of ends in full width on to a warp beam.
Bearded needle	In knitting, a needle, fashioned from one piece of spring steel, providing a long terminal hook or beard that can be flexed by an action called 'pressing'. When the pressure is released, the beard returns to its original position.
Bearers	In trousers, those sections that are fastened to side seams of some styles, to take the weight of the trousers when the fronts are opened.
Bearskin ;	Woollen fabric, usually bulky and weighty and has a hairy nap on the face side. Used mainly as an overcoating fabric. ? Military hat made of the skin of a bear.
Beating	Traditional method of finishing, in which a raised wool fabric is subjected to repeated manual beating with sticks, to impart some textural change on the fabric surface. Now, it is a mechanised process.
Beating-up	Term used to describe the basic motion, involved in weaving, by which the weft pick is forced into position in a fabric. The inserted weft yarn is pushed up against the fell of the cloth by the reed. >
Beauty ad	Modelling term, which refers to a full-face photograph such as, would be used for a magazine cover or ad for cosmetics
Beaver	Hat made of beaver fur.
Beaver cloth	Thick, warm, and expensive woollen coating fabric, finished with heavy napping and fulling, in order to simulate the original beaver fur. The fabric attains a kind of luxurious appearance and a somewhat silky feel. Often light coloured fibres added to nap to increase shine. It fairly resembles kersey fabric. Usually woven in a variety of weights in single or double satin weaves from high quality woollen yarns. The fabric has the highest nap of all the napped fabrics, the height of nap varying with the fabric and its end use. Originally an English fabric, now popular in Europe and the USA, it is used for overcoats and winter jackets for men and women. It is also made from cotton, mostly with napping on both sides. The cotton beaver is used for caps, shoe linings, workwear, maritime wear, etc.
Beaverteen	Piece-dyed fabric with a very high weft sett. It has a soft, short-raised finish on the back, and is heavier than imperial sateen. Used largely as heavy trousering material.
Beck	Top-open vessel, used for holding of processing baths, e.g. wash liquor, dye liquor etc.
Becke lines	Term used to describe the lines that come into view at the border of a microscope image of a fibre, due to the refraction at the fibre edge.
Bed	In sewing machine, the part below the material being sewn. It consists of a casting, which houses and provides mounting points for the moving parts inside.
Bed-covering	Textile product used on a bed, over the sheets for warmth and/or decoration.
Bedford cord	Heavy, firmly woven hardwearing fabric, having prominent rounded cords in the lengthwise direction, with well defined sunken lines between them. First made in New Bedford, America, hence its name. The characteristic narrow warp cords effect is produced by making use of a special cord weave structure. On the face of the cords, the weave is usually plain, but other weaves may also be used. Sometimes, wadding is used to accentuate the prominence of the cords. Traditionally made from wool or worsted, but for dress purposes, made also in cotton, silk, viscose and mixtures. It is made available in various weights and qualities. Used for suiting, coating, riding breeches, uniforms. As the fabric is very strong and highly durable, it is often used for upholstery and work clothes. Light Bedford cord is used for dresses, children's clothes, etc.
Bed linen	General term used for describing all those textile articles that find usage in a bed, like sheet, pillowcase, etc., but excluding blanket. Originally these articles used to be made from linen, but now, several of fibre types are employed.
Bed sheeting	Broad term used for all woven and knit fabrics that generally find usage as mattress covers, sheeting, pillowcases, etc.
Bedspread	General term used to describe the bedcovering that is placed over the blankets and sheets for appearance and/or warmth.
Beer	Term used to describe a definite number of warp threads, usually 40. A warp is said to consist of so many beers, e.g. 2000 ends would be 50 n beers. .
Beeswax	Wax used for batik as a resist; it doesn't crack much and melts at 120?F. It is usually mixed with paraffin to create a crackling effect
Beet	Tied bundle or sheaf of flax crop or straw.
Beetled fabric	A soft, full, closed, flat surfaced and lustrous finished cellulosic fabric, particularly linen or cotton. The finish is produced by a process called beetling.
Beetling	Mechanical finishing process, in which, the fabric, usually of cotton or linen, in damp condition is wrapped around a wooden or metal beam or roller, and is pounded repeatedly by wooden or metal mallets or fallers while it passes through the machine. The spaces between warp and filling are covered up and tend to produce a high gloss to the material.
Beggar's Inkle	Traditional narrow fabric constructed in linsey-wolsey weave.
Beggar's velvet	The term used to describe a velvet fabric, woven with linen or cotton warp ends and fine cotton weft picks. The piles are developed by the weft picks.
Beige	Variable colour averaging light greyish yellowish brown. ? Term used to describe the yarn or fabric in the natural state or in undyed and unfinished state. The beige colour attained by dyeing should not be confused with this. ? Loosely woven dress fabric, made in twill weave from worsted or cotton, which has not been subjected to any scouring, bleaching, dyeing or finishing operations.
Beige yarn	Yarn, made by employing any wool in its natural colour.
Belgian ticking	Strong fabric, made from linen or linen and cotton fibres, and woven in a satin face in stripes or jacquard design. Used for bedding and upholstery. .
Bellacosa	Brocaded silk fabric, having silver/ gold thread-work on it.
Bell-bottoms	Pants with wide flaring bottoms.
Bellies	Relatively coarse quality of wool fibre, obtained from the underside of the sheep.
Bellyband	Band around or across the belly, as a girth or a band.
Belt	Strip of flexible material worn especially around the waist; a girdle employed to hold the garment in place. Belts are usually made from strongly woven or knit narrow fabrics .
Belting	General term that covers all forms of belts, and rolls of material from which belts are made up, that are designed for textile and other industrial and mechanical uses. ? In the case of tyre textiles, two or multiples of two, layers of tyre-cord fabric beneath the tread, lying at opposite angles close to the circumferential direction, with or without an additional layer with cord angle at 90° to the circumferential direction. Its purpose is to brace the carcase of a radial-ply tyre to stabilize and control its directional properties. ? Belts for industrial and mechanical purposes, are made from heavy fabrics, made from plied yarns impregnated with rubber compounds and adhesive gums. Wide ranges of constructions and widths are possible. High tenacity polyester and nylon are favoured fibres.
Belt loop	Term used to describe a garment part. A loop made of fabric or thread, which is sewn on to the waist part of the garment. The degree of fit is made adjustable by means of a belt drawn through the loop or loops.
Belwarp fabric	Fine worsted dress-fabric, made in a corkscrew twill weave and done in a clear finish.
Bemberg	Fabric made from yarns that have been subjected to bembergize finish
Bembergize	Combination finish employed on woollen and worsted yarns, to impart it a kind of high lustre. Apart from the high lustre achieved, the yarn goes finer and elongates by approximately one third of the original length. The process comprise a treatment of the yarn in a sodium bisulphate bath at a high temperature, during which, the yarn is kept under mechanical tension to prevent shrinkage, and then boiling for sometime in a weak mineral acid under minimum tension for relaxation, followed by a rinsing in water.
Benares	Lightweight woven cotton or silk fabric, produced in originally in Benares, India. Its main characteristic is the incorporation of glossy metallic threads, often in border design
Bending length	Measure of the interaction between the fabric weight and fabric stiffness, as shown by the way in which a fabric bends under its own weight. It reflects the stiffness of a fabric when bent in one plane under the force of gravity, and is a vital component of fabric drape.
Bengaline	Durable medium weight fabric, made in plain weave, with a warp-rib or corded effect, which is achieved by selecting suitable thickness and setting of warp ends and weft picks, or appropriate warp-rib weaves or a combination of both. The round and raised ribs often contain a wool or cotton wefts, which would not show. The cloth is usually 40" wide. The fabric had its origin in the Bengal area of India, and hence the name. It is mostly made from cotton, worsted, silk or man-made continuous filaments, and also in their combinations. Used for suits, millinery, trims, bouffant dresses with a tailored look and ribbons. Grosgrain and Petersham fabrics are made by cutting bengaline, to ribbon widths. Also used for curtains and draperies.
Bent-handled shears	Pair of scissors, having their blades angled, in such a way, that it can cut a fabric which is laid flat.
Benzine	Basic aromatic petrochemical, which is the raw material used in the production of a nylon polymer from which nylon fibre is spun.
Benzoate	Benzoate fibre made and marketed for mainly for the manufacture of women's wear
Berber	Term that was originally used to describe hand-spun, and hand-woven, African carpets with simple tribal motifs. However, now the term is commonly used to describe mechanically produced carpets made of natural colour wools or dyed wools, which have a homespun appearance.
Beret	Soft circular visor-less cap, made in wool, with a tight headband and a soft full flat top. Originally used by military personnel, it became popular and fashionable.
Berlin	Term used to describe a fine grade wool rags.
Berlin canvas	Canvas specially made for usage in embroidery work.
Berlin silk	Hard, round, smooth, high-twist silk yarn specially made for crocheting.
Bertha	Wide round collar covering the shoulders.
Bespoke	Term used to describe textile articles, which are made to order from an individual or from an organization.
Beta-naphthol	Chemical employed as a developer, in the application of developed dyes on cellulosic materials.
Beutanol finish	Chemical finish applied on cellulosic fabrics to enhance their pliability, hand and most importantly to make them flame-resistant, waterproof, stain-proof and dust proof. Fabrics are subjected to a number of repeated coatings with vinyl plastic. Usually the fabrics are dyeing with vat dyes precedes the coating process.
Bevel-woven fabric	Woven fabric, in which bowing of warp ends, is introduced intentionally.
BHT yellowing	A fabric defect observed occasionally on fabrics finished with butylated hydroxy toluene. The blemish manifests as an unsightly discolouration on the fabric. A volatile phenolic compound in BHT has a propensity to react with airborne nitrous compounds, which results in discolouration on the fabric.
Bias	? Any direction in the fabric, which does not exactly flow in the direction of the weft, yarn (vertical yarns) or warp yarns (horizontal yarns) of a fabric. A true bias makes an angle of 45? across the length and width of a fabric; fabric cut on a bias has maximum stretch. ? Term used to describe a diagonal line across a fabric. ? See also Cut on the bias; On the bias; True bias .
Bias-belted tyre	Tyre reinforced with layers of tyre cord fabric arranged alternately so that the main load bearing yarns lie at an angle of less than 90° to the plane in which the tyre rotates and yarns of adjacent layers cross each other.
Bias binding	Term used to describe textile materials, made by cutting a woven wide fabric, at an oblique or slanting direction to the warp and weft. Most bias bindings have regularly spaced joints determined by the width of the original wide fabric, but when bias bindings are converted from tubular knit fabric, joints are avoided. Bias bindings do stretch but do not fray, and they are thus suitable for binding seams and they conform to curved contours. Bias bindings are usually folded into the centre, but other folded patterns and flat versions are also produced.
Bias Cut	Cutting operation carried out at an oblique angle to the warp and weft, i.e. a cut across the grain of the fabric; the invention of which is attribute to Madeline Vionnet. The cut is employed to create garments that follow the body curves closely.
Bias tape	Tape produced by cutting on the bias, lengthy pieces from a wide fabric. The cut lengths are folded so that the raw edges are inside the fold. Used for binding the edges of a fabric and also for providing agility while rounding the corners of garments.
Bias weave	Diagonal weave, used in single cloth construction, in which one or more sets of warp ends extend diagonally between the selvedges. The weave is used for chair caning and tire cords. ? See also Triaxial weaving
Bi-axial fabric	Fabric, made in warp-knit construction, in which additional, substantially straight, vertical (warp) threads and horizontal (weft) threads are inserted throughout the length and width of the fabric.
Bi-component fibre	Manufactured filament fibre formed by spinning simultaneously from one spinneret and joining together of two polymers which are chemically different, physically different, or both. Fusing together, during spinning, of two filaments of dissimilar chemical compositions, result in a bi-component fibre possessing some special physical characteristics. The chemically and physically different components react differently when subjected to heat or moisture. On heating, one side of the fibre shrinks more than the other, thus giving the bi-component filament with a high degree of crimp stretchability. The nature of this crimp is similar to that given by wool and is different from the mechanically induced crimps. There are many types of bi-component fibres. ? Alternative method of production is from polymers having differing solubilities, in which, one polymer may be dissolved out later to leave ultra-fine filaments, e.g. the production of suede-like fabrics. ? See also Bi-lateral fibre; Natural bi-component fibre
Bi-component fibre texturing	Continuous filament thermoplastic yarn composed of bi-component fibres is subjected to a hot and/or wet process whereby differential shrinkage is developed.
Bi-component fibre yarn	Yarn made from bi-component fibres.
Bi-component yarn	Yarn, made from two different types of man-made staple fibre components or two different types of continuous filament components or one type of staple fibre component and another type of continuous filament component. ? There are many types of bi-component configurations. Some of the more popular compositions are: (a) two-ply staple yarns, in which the individual components are different, (b) two-ply continuous filament yarns, in which the individual components are different, (c) yarns in which a filament yarn is twisted with a staple fibre yarn, (d) filament blend yarns, where two or more single-component filaments are spun in the same operation or core-spun yarns, (e) wrapped yarns, or other core-sheath configurations.
Bi-conical package	Yarn package made in conical shape, in which the traverse length is progressively reduced, to produce tapered or rounded ends. The package is referred to as 'tapered cone' or 'pineapple cone'.
Bi-constituent fibre	Deprecated term. The preferred term is 'bi-component fibre' or 'bi-generic fibre'.
Bicorne	Cocked hat.
Big 'E'	Jeans made by Levi Strauss before 1971 in which the 'E' on the Levi tag was a capital.
Bi-generic fibre	See Bi-component fibre
Biggin	Child's cap; a nightcap.
Bight	Distance from the edge of a fabric or fabrics, at which the needle-thread penetrates in an over-edge seam construction.
Bike tards	Close-fitting, one-piece garment from the top of the torso to the hem of the shorts.
Bikini	Women's scanty two-piece swimwear; it has less material then a one-piece bathing suit.
Bikini cut mannequin	Female mannequin with a removable leg and the break or cut line is close to the pubis area and thus will be successfully hidden by the bottom of a bikini swimsuit. A more natural look for displaying abbreviated swimwear, sportswear and lingerie.
Bi-laminate fabric	Fabric formed by the bonding of two separate fabrics together.
Bi-lateral fibre	A man-made filament fibre, composed of two generic fibre types or two variants of the same generic fibre extruded simultaneously in a side-by-side relationship.
Billiard cloth	High quality merino wool fabric, with good substance and body, very even and smooth, woven in plain or two-up and one-down twill weave and heavily milled with a fibrous finish; reed set in at 144" and finished at about 72". Normally dyed in green colour and sometimes in red also, for covering billiard or card tables.
Binca cloth	Very distinct embroidery fabric, made in a wide range of colours. It is characterised by the fairly large square holes between the blocks of threads. Used as a beginner's embroidery fabric.
Binche lace	Lace fabric in which lace motifs are appliquéd to a machine-made ground net, giving it a snowflake effect. Originally made in Binche of Belgium; hence the name.
Binder	In non-woven fabrics, the adhesive material used to hold together the fibres. ? In pigment printing or dyeing, the group of products employed, which serve as cement or adhesive to hold pigments to a fabric. ? Solid ingredients in paint coating that hold the pigment particles in suspension and attach them to a substrate. Consists of resins (e.g., oils, alkyd, latex). The nature and amount of binder determine many paint properties: washability, toughness, colour retention, and adhesion, etc.
Binder warp	Additional warp end, employed in double fabrics or multiple fabrics, which join the face and the back threads of the structure.
Binder weft	Additional weft pick, employed in double fabrics or multiple fabrics, which join the face and the back threads and hold them in place.
Binding	Narrow fabric, woven, braided or knitted, which is used to protect, support, or improve the appearance of a seam or edge. There are many types of bindings.
Binding point	Method of interlacing threads, used for joining the layers of compound fabrics, like double cloth or consolidating single structures, like hopsack etc.
Bio-compatibility	Compatibility with living tissue or a living system by not being toxic or injurious.
Bio-degradable	Any material that can be broken down by bacteria in a natural way that is considered not hazardous to the environment.
Biological Oxygen Demand	Measure of pollution by oxygen-consuming organic materials in an effluent stream.
Bird's eye backing	Weft-knitted rib jacquard fabric, the reverse side of which is characterised by courses in which knit and float loops of one colour alternate with knit and float loops of another, within and between successive courses
Bird's eye defect	Fabric defect, in knit fabric. The defect is classified as major or minor, depending on the severity. The defect manifest as unintentional tucking, usually caused by a bent latch on the latch needle or by the needle not being raised to the proper height for the old loop to be cast off. Usually two small distorted stitches, side by side.
Bird's eye effect	Salt and pepper colour effect on the back of a double knit fabric.
Bird's eye fabric	? Smooth, clear-finished fabric, made with cotton, linen or viscose or blend of viscose staple and cotton. The fabric is woven on a dobby loom in small geometric patterns of uniform spots that has a centre point that suggest a bird's eye, and hence the name. The small dimples or indentations of diamond-shaped figures, each with a dot in the centre, are fashioned by the weave and colours on the surface of the fabric. Sometimes made also from worsteds. The fabric is very soft, lightweight, and absorbent. It is woven with a loosely twisted filling to increase absorbency. Used for fine quality suiting for men and women. Also 'novelty' Birdseye effects used as summer dress fabrics. ? Cotton diaper cloth made in a bird's eye weave. ? Knitted fabric, having on its face a salt and pepper effect, which is achieved by employing a special type of knitting technique.
Bird's eye weave	Weave, in which weft picks are made to float over warp ends in a set structure, which fashions a diamond shaped design having a central spot that resembles a bird's eye.
Birefringence	In anisotropic materials, the property, that manifests itself as the splitting of a light ray into components having different vibration directions, which are transmitted at different velocities.
Braided yarn	Intertwined yarn containing two or more strands
Braid-effect weave	Weave that bestows the appearance of a braid on the fabric
Biretta	Square cap with three ridges on top worn by clergymen.
Biscuit	Term sometimes used to describe a light greyish yellowish brown colour
Biscuit package	Yarn package, wound in the form of narrow cylindrical cheese. Many such cheeses of yarn are wound, on a single former, side by side but not touching each other.
Bio-polishing	Treatment of cellulose fibre substrates, with a cellulase enzyme under acid or neutral pH conditions to remove surface hairiness, decrease fabric weight and improve fabric properties.
Bi-shrinkage Yarn	A yarn containing two different types of filament, which have different shrinkages.
Bisu	Term used to describe, the waste silk that remains on the cocoons at the bottom of the basin after reeling.
Bi-voltine silk	Silk produced by bi-voltine silkworm, which produces two generations or two crops of cocoons per year.
Black	Achromatic colour of least lightness characteristically perceived to belong to objects that neither reflect nor transmit light.
Black felt	Felt, manufactured in various shades of black colour.
Blackjack Staple	Natural fibre of vegetable origin, obtained from the leaves of caryota palm. The smooth, glossy, and dark coloured, leaf fibre, find usage sometimes as substitute for horsehair fibre.
Blacklight clear	Printing process, in which specialty inks are used to design looks that are virtually colourless under normal lighting conditions but when viewed in dark it emits a distinct glow.
Black superfine	Fine grade of woollen suiting fabric, having a firm soft hand and lustrous finish, usually produced in black colour. The fairly heavy, fulled, napped and sheared fabric is used mainly for men's eveningwear.
Black wool	Term used to describe any wool that is not white, but not necessarily black. Stock that is grey or brown in colour is classed as black wool.
Black work	Embroidery work done with black coloured threads on a white fabric.
Blaky selvedge	General term used to describe, several defects related to selvedge, like usage of incorrect yarn ply or yarn count, unevenly twisted yarn, crowding of selvedge ends in the reed, poor harness timing, harness skips, poor temple setting, etc.
Blank	Term used in weaving parlance, to describe an empty intersection in the graph paper design of a weave. In the design, when the warp end goes under the weft pick, it is depicted by an empty intersection.
Blanket	Thick un-quilted fabric piece in oblong shape, used as a bed accessory, meant to keep oneself warm during sleeping. Named after Thomas Blanket, an English weaver who originally envisaged a fabric for thermal insulation. See also Blanket cloth; Conventional blanket; Flocked blanket; Non-woven blanket; Thermal blanket
Blanket cloth	General term used to describe a broad group of soft hand, dense, fulled, wide-width fabrics, finished with heavy napping on both sides. Usually made from wool, cotton, man-made fibres or their various blends, in plain or twill weave; the warmest are made from worsteds. Though originally meant for blankets, now they are extensively used for manufacturing of dressing gowns, overcoats, casual coats, shawls, stoles, rugs, etc.
Blanket mark	Fabric defect, which manifests on the fabric as a distortion of surface texture due to some area of fabric getting crimpled, rippled, wavy, pebbled, or cockled.
Blanket plaid	Fabric design comprising big, vibrantly coloured, plaid designs, such as those often found on blankets.
Blanket range	Term used to describe a length of fabric used for sampling. Woven in sections, it shows a series of filling patterns or colours, all on the same set of warp. Each of the woven section often may be only few inches long. The blanket range helps the buyer to select the design patterns and colour choices.
Blanket stitch	Overcast stitch that resembles the buttonhole stitch, but done wide apart on the edges textile articles, like blankets, which are too thick to hem.
Blazer	Long-sleeved sports jacket with lapels; often with notched collar and patched pockets.
Blazer cloth	Flannel or melton fabric, used for blazers, made mainly from wool and sometimes from wool blends or mixtures also. Traditionally a striped design, but now made in plain colours too. Usually the fabric is subjected to light milling or given slight napping on right side of fabric. The fabric is ideal for blazers, because it needs no lining.
Bleaching	Wet processing operation carried out on textile materials, in an aqueous medium either in preparation for dyeing and finishing or to obtain clean whites in finished material. Bleaching substantially improves the cleanliness of the textile material by decolourising it from the grey state, dissolving the natural pectins, waxes, small particles of foreign matter and warp sizing, and most importantly it increasing the ability of the textile material to absorb dyestuffs more readily and uniformly. Peroxide or chlorine compounds are usually used for bleaching agents.
Bleaching agent	Chemical substance, which is capable of removing the natural colouring matter, other impurities, blemishes, etc. present in textile materials. It cleans, brightens, and also assists in the removal of soils and stains from textile materials by oxidation, leaving the textile material clean and considerably lighter in colour. The common bleaches include chlorine, peroxide, and reducing agents such as sulphites
Bleaching powder	Term used to describe chlorinated lime, a chemical reagent, employed for bleaching of cellulosic fibres. ? See also Chemic
Bleeding checks	Yarn-dyed, plain weave fabric, having multi colour check designs, the colours of which can be made to run or bleed in wet treatments. The running or bleeding of colours that occur during wet processing operations cause tinting on the balance parts of the fabric. Though running or bleeding of colour is not considered a desired fabric property, in this case the defect is made to manifest as an effect of fashion statement. An immensely popular fabric, it is used extensively for casual dresses, e.g. 'Bleeding Madras Fabric'.
Blend	Term used to describe a mixture of dissimilar fibres in any fibrous assembly such as sliver, yarn or fabric. Blend is an intimate combination of fibre types before or during spinning so that individual yarns contain two or more different fibres. Polyester/cotton, cotton/viscose, etc. are examples of typical blends. ? There are many reasons to resort to blending of dissimilar fibres, and these reasons may individually or in combination: (a) ensuring economic viability is the reason, when a cheap fibre type is blended with a more expensive fibre type, to reduce the cost of the resultant fabric, (b) taking advantage of the combination properties of different fibre types is the reason, when no single fibre type is ideal, when a compromise of a blend of two or more fibre types is used by which each fibre type is made to contribute something to the whole and (c) ascribing decorative or colour effects to the fabric is the reason, when different fibre types are blended each of which has a distinctive appearance, lustre or texture, and varying affinities for dyes. ? Generally a quantity of less than 10% of a different additional fibre type, used in a blend, will have little noticeable effect. The effect above 10 % depends on the textural and handling differences between the main fibre type used and the different additional fibre type, but it is very rare that less than 15 % of the different additional fibre will show any marked difference in economy, texture, or strength improvement. Above 20 % the handle and appearance of the different additional fibre begin to be noticeable.
Blended fabric	Fabric, which has blended yarns in either the warp or the weft or in both. ? See also Mixture fabric
Blended filament yarn	Fabric, in which two dissimilar filament types, which are made in two separate fibre extrusion processes, are combined to make one filament yarn.
Blended yarn	Yarn, which contains more than one fibre type or a yarn combination in which there are dissimilar component yarn types, particularly with respect to fibre types and filament types. See also Combination yarn See also Self-blended yarn
Blending	Term used to describe a preparatory operation carried out in the blow room in the textile yarn-spinning mill, in which partial quantities of similar or dissimilar staple fibres from different lots are mixed together intimately to attain uniform results. ? Term used to describe the process of producing a blend, by mixing of different fibres in definite proportion to get an end product having the cumulative advantages of its constituents.
Blind	Term used in conjunction with a load or lot. Blind lots are not manifest ed. Usually a blind load/ lot gives a general idea of contents, but it will not be a guarantee.
Blind hem	Hemming, in which the stitches are placed between the hem allowance and the outside of the garment.
Blinding	Noticeable, undesirable loss of lustre of fibres caused by wet processing. ? In geotextile, the blocking of soil particles on its surface. Such blinding results in reduced hydraulic conductivity of the geotextile.
Blind stitch	Stitch, done either by hand or by machine, which does not go right through the fabric. The stitch would not show on the face side of the fabric.
Blind twill	Twill fabric, in which the twill lines are indistinct.
Blister	Fabric defect, which manifest as bulge, swelling or similar surface condition on either the face fabric or the backing fabric characterised by the fabric being raised from the plane of the underlying component over a limited area to give a puffy appearance. Usually observed in bonded, fused or laminated fabrics.
Blister-crêpe finish	Combination finish, usually applied on combed fine cotton fabrics to impart them a blistery surface. The finish is developed on the fabric by subjecting the fabric to partial shrinkage by the usage of caustic soda.
Blister fabric	General term to describe fabrics with a blister on the surface. The blister may be created by many different methods such as printing with caustic soda or other chemicals, by weaving together yarns under different tension, or by weaving together yarns with different shrinkage properties. ? See Relief fabric
Blistering	Formation of dome-shaped lumps in paints or varnish films resulting from local loss of adhesion and lifting of the film from the underlying surface.
Blister knit	Knitted fabric that has an irregular raised surface, that gives the impression of blisters or swellings. The blisters, which give the special surface texture, are formed during the knitting of special yarns on selected cylinder needles only. A base yarn is employed to knit on dial and cylinder needles to form the base fabric.
Blitz	Light to medium weight woven fabric, often found with a very fine crosswise rib, made from filament warp ends and spun weft picks. Often used blends are acetate/viscose and polyester/viscose.
Block	Printing block, made from wood, metal or linoleum, which are engraved with patterns. The block is employed for block printing. Some blocks are carved by hand and some are produced mechanically by photographic methods.
Block copolymer	Term used to describe chemical compounds, which when applied on textile materials, absorbs the ultraviolet in light and re-emits it in the visible spectrum, mostly in a bluish and rarely in violetish cast. ? Chemical constituents employed in detergents and washing powders for brightening the whiteness of washed textile materials. .
Block copolymer	Copolymer, in which the repeating units in the chain occur in blocks. ? See also Copolymer; Graft polymer
Block-creeling	Term used in weaving parlance to describe the process of simultaneously replenishing all the supply packages. Term is used to describe the process of laying out flat, a garment after washing and re-shaping it while still damp to regain its original size.
Blocking	Term used to describe the accidental adhesion between contacting surfaces of coated fabrics during storage or use.
Block pattern	Template containing the basic shapes of pattern, upon which design details can be superimposed.
Block printing	Method of hand-printing, making use of wood, metal or linoleum blocks. The design is carved on the blocks, one block for each colour. The dye is applied to the block, which is then pressed or hammered against the fabric.
Blonde lace	Expensive silk lace, having floral designs, with characteristic boldly defined holes in the flower heads.
Blood	Term used in connection with various fractions (1/2 blood, 3/4 blood, Full blood, etc.) to denote the percentage of merino blood in a certain sheep. The grading is broadly used for any wool, which is the same grade as wool from sheep with a blood designation.
Bright yarn	? General term used to describe man-made filaments, which are very lustrous. These contain no or only very little delustrant. Fabric defect, which sometimes crops up in fabrics made from man-made fibres. The defect manifests on the fabric surface as warp ends or weft picks of higher lustre than the adjacent yarns, which is usually caused by irregularity in the processing of yarns, like uneven distribution of delustrant, or because of accidental mixing up of yarns of different delustrant contents
Blood-red	Term used to describe the colour of blood.
Bloom	Term used to designate a type of surface paleness observed, when a coloured textile material is viewed overhand.
Bloomer	Costume for women consisting of a short skirt and long loose trousers gathered closely about the ankles. Full loose trouser gathered at the knee. Underpants gathered at the knee, worn by girls.
Blond	Term used to describe a flaxen, golden, light auburn, or pale yellowish brown colour.
Blot	Printing defect, which manifests as an area of uniform colour, shows up incorrectly, in a printed design. The defect is often caused by the colour paste accidentally falling on to the fabric, or by the contamination from printing rollers or a screen.
Blotch	Fabric defect, which manifests as an irregularly shaped, off-coloured area on the fabric, caused mostly by grease or oil.
Blotch print	Term used to describe, the broad background area of a solid colour, in a printed fabric design. The ground colour is usually dyed, not printed. The detail colours are applied by employing print rollers or print screens.
Blouse	Loose-fitting garment that covers the body from the neck to the waist and is worn especially by women.
Blouse form	Armless and headless, bust defined mannequin, which ends just below the waistline. It may be equipped with an adjustable up-and-down rod and a decorative base. It is used to display ladies blouses, sweaters and sometimes jackets.
Blouson	Garment, as a dress, having a close waistband with blousing material over it.
Blowing	Operation of blowing dry steam through a fabric, to settle it and take away the curliness from the yarns.
Blown finish	Term used to describe a group of fabrics, made in widths of 45 cm or more. They are wider than narrow fabrics like ribbons, tapes, etc.
Broadloom	Finish, developed on a fabric, usually woollen. The process includes blowing of dry steam through the woollen fabric, which is wound with an interlacing cotton fabric, on a perforated roller.
Blow-room	Term used to describe a department in a cotton-spinning mill, where the preparatory processes of opening, cleaning and blending are carried out.
Blow-room operations	Series of operations carried out in the blowroom of a spinning mill of cotton or other short staple fibres
Blue	In textile parlance, the colour having a hue of the clear sky or that of the portion of the colour spectrum lying between green and violet.
Blue bonnet	Traditional Scottish wide flat round cap made of blue wool.
Blueing	? Method employed to neutralise the slightly yellow cast of cotton fabrics, which are not fully or properly bleached. The neutralisation comprises application of a blue or reddish-blue dyestuff on the fabric. ? Term is sometimes used also to describe the dyestuff, used for the bluing process.
Bluette	Weft-faced fabric, woven 2/2 twill weave. Originally made from dyed yarns blue colour, but now piece-dyed versions also are made. Used mainly for overalls.
Bluish	In textile parlance a colour, which is somewhat blue. Having a tinge of blue.
Blue jeans	Term used to describe pants usually made of blue denim
Blue-white finish	Fabric finish, in which a small amount of bluing is applied on the fabric after bleaching. The finish helps to neutralise the slightly yellowish appearance of not fully or properly bleached cotton.
Bluff edges	Term used to describe the edges that have been finished without outside stitching.
Bluffing	Term employed, in garment manufacture, to describe the practice, of fastening down the front edge of facings on to the forepart canvas to preserve the shape of edges finished without outside stitching.
Blush	Term used to describe the very attractive creamy white colour and sheen possessed by certain cotton fibres. In textile parlance, a colour of red or rosy tint
Boa	Long fluffy scarf of fur, feathers, or delicate fabric.
Boarding	Mechanical finish, usually employed on hose or other knit garments, to confer them the desired shape, size or both. The article after scouring, bleaching and dyeing, in a moist or arid condition, is subjected to drying on a specially shaped former, either by heating the former internally or by placing it between two steam-heated platens.
Boardy	Term used to describe a board-like handle, of woven and knit fabrics, because of their solidity or tautness. In knit fabrics, this condition is usually caused by stitches being too tight or yarn being too thick.
Boater	Stiff hat usually made of braided straw with a brim, hatband, and flat crown.
Bobbin	Term used to describe the spool-like core, made of cardboard or plastic, on which yarn is wound, during various operations in spinning. It has a hole in the centre so that it may fit upon a spindle or other holding devices. ? Term used to describe the spool-like device upon which weft yarn is wound for use in a shuttle during weaving. The bobbin sets in the shuttle and carries the yarn across the loom. ? Term used to describe, the small tube-like metal receptacle, with or without flanges, that holds the under-thread of a lockstitch sewing machine. It fits into a bobbin case below the metal plate beneath the needle
Bobbinet	Fine net fabric characterised by its hexagonal meshes. Originally made by hand with bobbins, it is now a machine-made lace from various types of fibres. Used for gowns, foundations, and dresses and also as a base for embroidered and appliquéd laces.
Bobbinet Machine	Lace machine, in which the threads in brass bobbin borne in carriages, in pairs in tandem in each comb space, swing in pendulum fashion between vertical warp threads in planes at right angles to the warp sheet and progressively traverse across the whole width of the machine and return.
Bobbin lace	Hand-made lace, produced by the twisting and crossing of threads that are fed from bobbins and worked into a pattern, pricked on a parchment or a card pinned down to a pillow. As it is being worked, the lace is secured in position by the insertion of pins into the pillow.
Bobbin net	Hole-mesh fabric. Originally plain net, it is now commonly made on warp knitting machines. Used for bridal veils, mosquito nets and also as a foundation for embroidery.
Bobbling	Term used to describe the unpleasant appearance acquired by a used garment, due to regular wear and repeated refurbishing which manifest as tiny fibre-ends sticking out on all over the surface of the fabric.
Bobby socks	Term used to describe girls' short white socks reaching above the ankle.
Bodice	Term used to describe the section of a woman's garment, covering the body from neck to waist.
Bodkin	Pointed instrument for piercing holes in cloth. Needle, having a blunt point and a large eye for drawing tape, elastic, etc. through a hem, etc. Tool, used for removal of bastings, made from bone or plastic.
Body	Term employed to describe, the dense, solid, or firm hand, of certain textile fabrics. Term used to describe the area of woven fabric between the selvedges. See also Hood
Body carpet	Un-bordered carpet in piece form, which may be plain or patterned.
Body dimensions	Garment-related expression. In the case of garment construction, the set of body measurements, which are employed to develop either a sizing system or to select an appropriately sized garment.
Bobbin	Term used to describe the spool-like core, made of cardboard or plastic, on which yarn is wound, during various operations in spinning. It has a hole in the centre so that it may fit upon a spindle or other holding devices. ? Term used to describe the spool-like device upon which weft yarn is wound for use in a shuttle during weaving. The bobbin sets in the shuttle and carries the yarn across the loom. ? Term used to describe, the small tube-like metal receptacle, with or without flanges, that holds the under-thread of a lockstitch sewing machine. It fits into a bobbin case below the metal plate beneath the needle
Bobbinet	Fine net fabric characterised by its hexagonal meshes. Originally made by hand with bobbins, it is now a machine-made lace from various types of fibres. Used for gowns, foundations, and dresses and also as a base for embroidered and appliquéd laces.
Bobbinet Machine	Lace machine, in which the threads in brass bobbin borne in carriages, in pairs in tandem in each comb space, swing in pendulum fashion between vertical warp threads in planes at right angles to the warp sheet and progressively traverse across the whole width of the machine and return.
Bobbin lace	Hand-made lace, produced by the twisting and crossing of threads that are fed from bobbins and worked into a pattern, pricked on a parchment or a card pinned down to a pillow. As it is being worked, the lace is secured in position by the insertion of pins into the pillow.
Bobbin net	Hole-mesh fabric. Originally plain net, it is now commonly made on warp knitting machines. Used for bridal veils, mosquito nets and also as a foundation for embroidery.
Bobbling	Term used to describe the unpleasant appearance acquired by a used garment, due to regular wear and repeated refurbishing which manifest as tiny fibre-ends sticking out on all over the surface of the fabric.
Bodysuit	Close-fitting one-piece garment for the torso.
Body trunk mannequin	Torso mannequin form, which starts above the waistline and continues down to just below the knees and is used to show shorts, underwear, swimwear, etc.
Bohemian ticking	Very closely woven, ticking fabric, usually made in plain weave. The fabric construction is feather-proof and down-proof. Used for the manufacture of feather and down filled pillows, quilts, cushions, etc.
Boiled wool	Woven or knitted fabric, having a coarse, crêpy surface texture. The fabrics are made from wool or wool blends and the fabric texture is developed by heavy felting or by treating them in a high temperature bath.
Boiling	Practice of leaving fabric or garment containing wool or animal hair, in boiling water so that the original fabric construction is obscured by the felted surface. ? Some times used to describe boiling-off.
Boiling-off	Term used to describe an operation, which is a vital step in the wet processing and finishing of textile materials, especially cotton, linen, etc. This is a preparatory process carried out before the bleaching and dyeing. The process comprise of the boiling of textile material in a solution of caustic soda, soda ash, soap or synthetic detergents, wetting agents, etc. During boiling-off, almost all of natural gums, waxes, sizing material, if any, and other impurities from the textile materials are removed and the absorbency of the material is substantially improved. ? See also Scouring; Kiering, Degumming
Bolivia	Rich, soft, swishy, thick, firm, high quality fabric, made of wool, and often containing a small amount of special fibres, such as alpaca or mohair. A closely woven fine textured fabric, usually woven in '3 up and 3 down' twill weave, it has a cut pile surface with a diagonal pattern, and is made in light, medium and heavy weights. The piles are cut in ribs running in the warp direction. The fabric is used mainly as suiting, cloaking, etc.
Bollies	Term used to describe, the undeveloped and irregular cotton fibres, obtained from bolls that are half open and/or small.
Bolo tie	Cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie
Boll weevil	Insects that are the most serious pest confronting cotton farming.
Bolting cloth	Lightweight open fabric, with very fine and uniform meshes, which is achieved by the accurate spacing of both warp ends and weft picks, during weaving. The weave employed is usually, is simple leno or any other non-slip construction in order to ensure the uniformity of the mesh size. Mostly used for screen-printing, sieving of flour, etc.
Bolton sheeting	Medium weight, closely woven, 2/2 twill-weave sheeting fabric, employing condenser yarns as weft pick.
Bombazine	Traditional English fabric; one of the oldest fabrics known. A lustrous, dress-weight, plain or twill weave fabric made with silk warp and fine worsted weft. Imitations are made in viscose and cotton. It is normally piece-dyed in black, but also dyed to other colours. It was originally an all-silk fabric. Used mainly formal dresses, evening suits, wedding gowns, children wear, etc. Dyed in black, it is the traditional mourning cloth.
Bomber cloth	Sturdy, durable furnishing fabric, made in broken twill weave employing fine warp ends and heavy weft picks
Bomber jacket	Waist-length, zippered, woollen or leather jacket with front pockets and knitted cuffs and waistband.
Bombyx mori silk	Fine, silk fibre, white or light yellow in colour, produced by the cultivated silkworm, bombyx mori, which feeds on mulberry leaves. This type is the main source of silk in the world.
Bonded fabric	Non-woven fabric, in which the fibres are held together by a bonding material. This may be an adhesive or a bonding fibre with a low melting point. Alternatively, the material may be held together by stitching. ? Fabric composed of two or more layers, which are joined together with an adhesive, resin, foam, or fusible membrane. ? Light fabric, that is strengthened and thickened by a lining material fixed to it permanently by means of heat and pressure. ? Layered fabric, in which a face or shell fabric is joined to a backing fabric, with an adhesive that does not significantly add to the thickness of the combined fabrics.
Bonded-fibre fabric	Fabric, made from a variety of fibres used on the same principle as in felt, but bonded together chemically, because unlike wool, they do not have inherent felting properties. The structure consisting of one or more webs or masses of fibres are held together with a bonding material or by fusion. These fabrics have entered into many new areas usage, which include household clothes, cleaning pads, industrial and military protective clothing, and disposables and as interfacing and other haberdashery items
Bolton sheeting	Medium weight, closely woven, 2/2 twill-weave sheeting fabric, employing condenser yarns as weft pick.
Bombax	See under Cotton trees
Bombazine	Traditional English fabric; one of the oldest fabrics known. A lustrous, dress-weight, plain or twill weave fabric made with silk warp and fine worsted weft. Imitations are made in viscose and cotton. It is normally piece-dyed in black, but also dyed to other colours. It was originally an all-silk fabric. Used mainly formal dresses, evening suits, wedding gowns, children wear, etc. Dyed in black, it is the traditional mourning cloth.
Bomber cloth	Sturdy, durable furnishing fabric, made in broken twill weave employing fine warp ends and heavy weft picks..
Bomber jacket	Waist-length, zippered, woollen or leather jacket with front pockets and knitted cuffs and waistband.
Bombyx mori silk	Fine, silk fibre, white or light yellow in colour, produced by the cultivated silkworm, bombyx mori, which feeds on mulberry leaves. This type is the main source of silk in the world.
Bonded fabric	Non-woven fabric, in which the fibres are held together by a bonding material. This may be an adhesive or a bonding fibre with a low melting point. Alternatively, the material may be held together by stitching. ? Fabric composed of two or more layers, which are joined together with an adhesive, resin, foam, or fusible membrane ? Light fabric, that is strengthened and thickened by a lining material fixed to it permanently by means of heat and pressure. ? Layered fabric, in which a face or shell fabric is joined to a backing fabric, with an adhesive that does not significantly add to the thickness of the combined fabrics .
Bonded-fibre fabric	Fabric, made from a variety of fibres used on the same principle as in felt, but bonded together chemically, because unlike wool, they do not have inherent felting properties. The structure consisting of one or more webs or masses of fibres are held together with a bonding material or by fusion. These fabrics have entered into many new areas usage, which include household clothes, cleaning pads, industrial and military protective clothing, and disposables and as interfacing and other haberdashery items. See also Non-woven fabric
Bonded mat	Sheet of fibres held together by a chemical bonding agent. Some, not all, non-woven materials are made this way.
Bonding	Process of permanently joining together fibres or fabric layers together by employing a bonding agent, e.g. (a) two fabrics, normally a face and a lining fabric of tricot bonded into one package, (b) fabrics like delicate laces, sheer materials, or lightweight knits bonded to ultra-thin slices of foam or other materials to make easier, the handling on the cutting tables etc. Fibre finishing process, in which a continuous filament is coated with a resin, to impart it better ply security, abrasion resistance, and heat resistance. .
Bonding agent	Special adhesives, binders, or thin slices of latex foam or other materials, used for the purpose of joining together fibres or fabric layers together..
Bond strength test	Test method, employed to measure the amount of force required for taking apart layers of a bonded fabric. Test method, employed to measure the amount of force required for taking apart layers of a laminated fabric. See also Adhesion test
Bone finish	Fabric finish, in which woollen fabrics are subjected to a heavy fulling process, for imparting to the fabric, a kind of hard hand feel..
Boned bodice	See Corset top
Bone-dry weight	Term used to describe the weight of textile material, after complete removal of all its moisture.
Bonnet	Ladies' headdress, which covers the back of the head, having a brim in funnel form to shade the face. Cloth or straw hat tied under the chin and worn by women and children.
Book	Term used to describe, a bundle of hanks, of raw silk, whose total mass is usually around 2kg. Modelling term used to describe a portfolio; a ring binder for the presentation of the model's photographs.
Book cloth	Term used to describe a group of plain or embossed, pyroxylin-treated or 'starched-and-clay' cotton fabrics usually used in bookbinding. These usually include printed osnaburg, flat duck, etc. which are subjected to various treatments to make them washproof, waterproof and capable of resisting chipping, blistering, or peeling.
Booker	Woven or knit fabric, in which extra sets of yarn are introduced in lengthways or widthways or in both the ways, to improve its strength, weight and warmth. Mainly find usage as suiting, overcoating, etc.
Booker	Modelling term, used to describe a member of the staff of a modelling agency whose job it is to handle the requests from clients for models.
Book fold	Method employed for folding of fabrics. The fabric piece is doubled selvedge to selvedge, and then folded back and forth upon itself in predetermined lengths. ? See also Shoe fold
Booking	Modelling term, used to describe the process whereby the client agrees to retain the services of a particular model.
Book muslin	Inexpensive, white, heavily sized muslin-type fabric. Used for stiffening of bags, hats, wide belts, etc.
Boot	Term used to describe the section of a stocking between the knee and the heel. ? Fitted covering, made of leather or rubber, for the foot and usually reaching the ankle. Boots come in many various shapes, sizes and colours. .
Boot-cut	Term used to describe a cut style that is cut below the belly button and slightly flares from the knee to the ankle.
Boot-hose	A traditional stockings, usually without the feet part, worn in soft fashionable boots. They were worn over the silk stockings to protect them in the long boots.
Bootee	Ankle-length boot, slipper, or sock, especially an infant's knitted or crocheted sock.
Border	Term used to describe the printed fancy designs or the woven ornamental patterns along the edges of a fabric. Border designs are often employed on skirts, dresses, etc.
Bosky	Mixture fabric, made from cotton and viscose fibres, usually woven on handlooms in fancy striped patterns.
Bosom pocket	Pocket sewn inside the garment with access through a welted slit-type opening.
Boston leno	The term used to describe an unusual weave, in which two warp ends cross a central ground end.
Botanical	The term used to describe a fabric design, in which predominance is given to motifs depicting plant life.s.
Botany twill	Fabric, woven in normal to fancy twill weaves and is done with a clear finish in various weights. It is very expensive as it is made from top quality botany worsted yarns. Used as high quality suitings for men and women.
Botany wool	A generic name for fine and expensive merino wool fibre. The first exports of this type of wool had been made from the vicinity of Botany Bay in Australia, and hence the name. It is obtained from the merino sheep, which are bred for their wool only. The best quality among this wool type, is the finest of fibres, 50-100 mm long, softest and most crimpy. Used for billiard cloth and other fine quality wool and worsted fabrics where maximum softness and warmth are desired.
Bottle bobbin	Large volume bobbin, having cylindrical a barrel and with conical or flanged base. Yarn is wound on to the bobbin, for withdrawal over the nose. The package when fully wound has a cylindrical body and conical nose.
Bottle green	In textile parlance a dark green colour.
Bottom-closed shedding	Miniature bouclé effect. See under Closed shedding
Bottoming	Thorough scouring, done in preparation for bleaching, dyeing, printing or finishing. ? Process of dyeing, a substrate for subsequent topping.
Boubou	Long flowing garment worn in certain parts of Africa.
Bouché	A plain weave, fine, woollen fabric, kept in the undyed state. Used very much by the clergy in France, as a shirting material..
Bouclé	Fancy yarn having a slubby, curly or loopy effect on its surface, made by twisting together two or more yarns. The yarn displays an irregular configuration of semi-circular loop and sigmoid spirals. Bouclé yarns are made from various fibres, like wool, worsted, polyester, nylon, viscose, acrylic or blends. ? Springy, spongy novelty fabric with a clear-cut, coarse or granulated surface. The fabric, woven or knit is made from coarse, curly or slubby bouclé yarns. It has a loopy, knotty, rough surface; in the knit fabric the loops appear only on the right side. Made mainly from wool, but viscose, silk, cotton, linen, hair and their blends are also used; made in various weights, from soft lightweight to firm coat-weight. The fabric possesses some 'give' due to the elasticity of the yarn; in knit bouclé the 'give' tends to be substantial. The fabric often ravels easily. Used often for dresses, sportswear and as suiting. Used for ladies coats, suits and dresses.
Bouclé knit	Knitted fabric, with a spongy bouclé effect on the right side, achieved by the introduction of an inlaid yarn fed into the knitting machine and trapped as the knit stitch is made. Fabrics are medium weight and are usually produced from polyester, nylon and acrylic yarns. Used for sweater dresses, sweater-type tops, jackets
Bouclette	Miniature bouclé effect..
Bound resist	Method of dyeing in which the fabric, yarn or fibre is tightly tied in certain areas to prevent dye penetration
Bound-seam finish	Finish for the raw edges of a plain seam, in which another fabric encloses the raw edges of one or more seam allowances. A bound seam-finish is made by (1) encasing the raw seam allowance edge(s) in double-fold bias tape, seam binding or light weight fabric such as tricot or net. If tape or binding are used, the wider side of the tape or binding is underneath, (2) machine stitching through all thicknesses close to the edge of the binding or the raw edge of the fabric. Usually each seam allowance is encased individually; occasionally, seam allowances may be placed together and treated as one, such as in necklines. ? Compare Hong Kong seam finish
Bourdalou	Hat-ribbon used around the foot of the crown of hats.
Bourdon cord	? Cord, consisting of a central core helically covered by continuous filament yarn. It is used as a means of accentuating or outlining motifs in lace fabrics and in the manufacture of trimmings. ? See also Gimp .
Bourdonette	A cord, produced by twisting several yarns together for use as a heavy thread, which is used in lace fabrics to simulate a bourdon cord.
Bourdon Lace	A machine-made lace, on a mesh ground normally in a scroll design outlined with a heavy cord
Bourré	The term used to describe the highest grade of silk waste.
Bourette silk	Lightweight, hairy, rough surfaced silk noil fabrics, made from bourette yarns, usually in plain or twill weaves, Used mainly for blouses, shirts, soft jackets and other dresses.
Bourette yarn	Hairy silk yarn, spun from lower quality short fibres from carding waste. The yarn is lumpy, irregular and posses low elongation. The whole length of the yarn is interspersed with nubs, noil and other wastes, which produce a fancy effect with brilliant spots of colour
Bourrelet	Weft-knitted, non-Jacquard, double-jersey fabric, made on an interlock basis. The fabric is characterised by ripple stitch, corded effect or horizontal ridges on the effect side. The knitting sequence is generally a number of courses of interlock, followed by a number of courses knit on one set of needles only.
Bout	Term used to describe one complete round made in knitting.
Boutique	Originally a small shop within couture houses.
Bow	See Bowing.
Bowed filling	Fabric defect in woven fabric, which manifests as displacement of weft yarns from a line perpendicular to the selvedges and forming one or more arcs across the width of the fabric. ? Fabric defect in knit fabric, which manifests as displacement of knitted courses from a line perpendicular to the edges and forming one or more arcs across the width of the fabric.
Bowing	Fabric defect in woven fabric, which manifests as formation of a curvature in warp yarns or weft yarns in the fabric. It is termed as 'warp-bowed' or 'weft-bowed', according to which set of threads has formed the curve. The defect may be considered major or minor, depending on its severity; however, in solid colour fabrics not very critical. ? Fabric defect in knit fabric, which manifests as formation a curvature in the courses, during knitting or subsequent operations. The distortion is usually caused by the take-up mechanism of the knitting machine or through malfunctions in stentering. The defect may be considered major or minor, depending on its severity; in solid colour fabrics, the defect may not be very critical. ? See also Skewness
Bowking	Traditional scouring process, in which the impurities in the textile material are removed by boiling it in a solution of lime or soap.
Bowl	Term used to describe, one of a pair of large rollers, forming a nip. ? Term used to describe, a cylinder, driving a take-up package by frictional contact. ? Term used to describe, an open vessel, for such wet treatments as wool scouring, crabbing, etc
Bowler	A derby hat.
Bow-string hemp	See Sansevieria
Bow tie	Men's short necktie, tied in the shape of a bow. It is part of a formal dress, usually the tuxedo.
Box cloth	All-wool fabric, having a fibrous surface and firm handle. Surface is completely covered with fibres so that no thread shows through. It is woven in a variety of weaves, depending on the weight required and end use. Used for riding apparels, overcoats, billiards cloth, etc.
Box coat	Heavy, loose overcoat usually fitted at the shoulders.
Box-dyeing	Method of fabric dyeing. The fabric is run in single piece, in rope form, through the dye bath and up and over oval shaped slatted reels, which cause the fabric to move further with each revolution. .
Boxer shorts	Underwear; short pants
Boxing gloves	Term used to describe a pair of leather mittens, heavily padded on the back; to be worn during boxing.
Box leather	Smooth, top quality, boarded leather, in which the surface is broken up with parallel creases. It is very expensive and used for shoes and handbags.
Box loom	Loom, having two or more shuttles, which is employed for weaving of fabrics containing weft yarns of different sizes, twists or colours.
Box mark	See Shuttle mark.
Box spinning	Spinning method for viscose process yarn, in which a revolving cylindrical pot or container running at high speed is employed; the package being built up in the inside of the container
Box Stain	See Shuttle mark.
Boy-leg	Shorts, undergarments or swimwear having close fitting leg that reaches half way down the thigh.
Bra	See Brassiere
Bracelet	Ornamental band or chain worn around the wrist.
Bracelet form	Bra form that ends at the hips rather than below the bustline or at the waistline. It can also be used to show lingerie and slips.
Bradford spinning system	See under Worsted spinning systems
Braf checks	Fabric, having characteristic checks designs of squares produced by swapping of two coloured warps and two undyed wefts..
Bra form mannequin	Headless and armless bust defined mannequin, with or without shoulders, which ends just below the bustline. For long-line bras and bracelets it is possible to get longer bra forms that continue down to the waistline or slightly below.
Braid	Term used to describe, flat, round, tubular or solid construction of narrow fabric, made by intertwining or plaiting a single set of yarns to form a definite pattern. Used for trimming, binding, etc.
Braid, Cored	See Cored braid
Braid, diamond	See Diamond braid
Braided fabric	Narrow fabric, having a structure produced by the interlacing of several ends of yarns in such a manner, that the paths of the yarns are not parallel to the fabric axis, i.e. yarns are interlaced and diagonally plaited. Used for cords, shoelaces, braids, etc. for coats and uniforms. ? See also Ribbon
Braided rope	Cylindrical rope, produced by braiding or plaiting a few or several strands together, according to a definite pattern
Braided rug	Textile floor covering made by sewing together of braided cords.
Braided yarn	Intertwined yarn containing two or more strands
Braid-effect weave	Weave that bestows the appearance of a braid on the fabric
Braid, hollow	See Hollow braid
Braiding	Method of interlacing carried out by hand or machine. Flat, tubular or solid braid constructions are formed by interlacing three or more threads in such a way, that they cross one another in a diagonal formation. The method is employed for the manufacture of braided rugs, shoelaces, fabrics, etc.
Braid, plain Neck Cap	See Plain braid
Braid, solid	See Solid braid
Braid, twill	See Twill braid
Braid wool	Term used in wool-grading to designate a lustre wool, which, when compared with merino stock, is lower in quality. Used for medium and low quality clothing, carpets, robes, blankets, and low priced uniform fabrics.
Brandenburg coat	Traditional loose overcoat with turned-back cuffs; the sleeves are made one in with the rest of the garment
Brassard	Cloth band worn around the upper arm usually bearing an identifying mark
Brass bobbin	Couple of machined brass discs, in a lace machine, riveted at the hub to form a container for binding threads.
Brassiere	Women's close-fitting undergarment with cups for bust support. It was originally made of two handkerchiefs and a narrow ribbon
Brassiere cloth	Term used to describe a group of strong medium to heavy fabrics, woven or knit, specially made for the production of brassieres and corsets. They are made from cotton, silk and synthetic yarns and in various colours
Brattice cloth	Coarse cotton or jute fabric, made in plain weave and often impregnated with chemicals to increase gas and vapour absorption. Used in many industries mainly for screens, ventilators, etc. When employed in mines, the fabric is often coated type.
Brawny flannel	Heavy cotton flannel fabric normally over 10oz, having a hand feel almost similar to felt. Used for jackets, coat linings, bathrobes, and heavy wear work shirts
read-and-butter cotton	Term used to describe, medium quality cotton fibres, which enjoy steady and recurrent demand
Bread-and-butter cotton	Term used to describe, medium quality cotton fibres, which enjoy steady and recurrent demand.
Break	In a coat, the point where the lapel starts to roll over on a coat, usually at the top buttonhole. Fibre defect. The weak spot in a wool fibre, normally caused due to infections, deficiencies in food or water.
Breaker fabric	In cross-ply tyres, one or more extra layers of tyre-cord fabric, that lies between the crown of the carcase and the tread of a tyre. The breaker fabric may sometimes extend as far as the shoulder of the tyre.
Break factor	See Lea Count Strength Product
Breaking	See under Bast fibre
Breaking extension	Percentage extension achieved at maximum load.
Breaking force	See Tensile strength at break
Breaking length	Length of a specimen, usually of yarn, whose mass is equal to the breaking force. .
Breaking Machine	Machine used for the continuous softening of stiff fabrics. The fabric is drawn under tension over the edges of bars in knife-edge machine, or round rollers implanted with studs.
Breaking strength	Maximum tensile force, recorded in extending a test specimen to breaking point. ? See also Tensile strength at break
Breaking stress	Maximum stress, developed in a specimen when stretched to rupture. The force is usually related to the area of the unstrained specimen. If the actual stress, defined in terms of the area of the strained specimen, is used, then its maximum value is called the 'actual breaking stress'.
Break mark	Fabric defect, observed in silk fabrics. The defect manifests as areas having lighter shade spots on the surface of the fabric, caused by unintentional mechanical chafing which split small portions from the surface of the silk filaments.
Breakout	See Smash
Break spinning	See Open-end spinning
Breast beam	Machine part in a loom. The bar situated in the front part of the loom, over which the woven fabric travels before going backward to the cloth roll.
Breathability	Ability of coated or laminated fabric to transfer water vapour from one of its surfaces through the material to the other surface. ? See also MVTR
Breathable Coating	Term used to describe a water proofing finish, applied on a fabric by employing the coating method. The finished fabric, repels water, but allows water vapour and thus perspiration too, to pass through, making the garment produced from the fabric, very comfortable to wear. The fabrics are usually used for garments for active wear, winter sports, etc
Breathe	See under Air-conditioned fabric
Bred stitch	Embroidery pattern, in which the design appears identically on both the face and back of the fabric
Breech wool	See Britch wool
Breton lace	Open net lace embroidered by hand or machine. Heavy, brightly coloured yarns are mostly employed for the embroidery
Bribe	See Fents
Brick red	Term used to describe the colour of moderate reddish brown
Brick stitch	Embroidery motif, done by flat couching stitch, which resembles a series of bricks
Brided rug	Textile floor covering of braided cords sewn together.
Brides Lace	Lace design, in which there is no net ground, but the objects in lace are joined by connecting bars or legs
Bridge-top stop	In zippers, the part affixed immediately above the chain, holding the tops of the two stringers together and preventing the slider from leaving the chain
Bridle	Narrow strip of fabric, which is attached to the interlining along the roll of the coat lapel to hold and control it
Briefs	Short snug pants or underpants; term usually used in plural
Brier stitch	Embroidery design, done by using the featherstitch
Brighteners	Term used to describe chemical compounds, which when applied on textile materials, absorbs the ultraviolet in light and re-emits it in the visible spectrum, mostly in a bluish and rarely in violetish cast. Chemical constituents employed in detergents and washing powders for brightening the whiteness of washed textile materials. .
Brightening agent	See Optical brightener
Bright fibre	Term used to describe man-made fibres, whose natural lustre has not been significantly reduced by delustring. The term 'clear' is commonly used to denote the absence of deslustrant in synthetic fibres, whereas 'bright' denote the presence of a very small amount of delustrant, insufficient to reduce the lustre of the fibre significantly. See also Delustred fibre
Bright lace	Furnishing lace, in which openwork effects within a wale are developed without distorting the warp threads.
Bright material	Term used to describe a group of textile materials, whose natural lustre has not been significantly reduced by delustring. See also Delustred fibre
Brighton	Fabric, usually cotton, having a typical honeycomb effect, but the fabric is not reversible. The fabric is woven in a made in a cellular weave, and the honeycomb effect is developed more prominently on the face but in a less regular manner making use of large and small cells. Usually made in cotton and wool fibres and used for coatings, dress fabrics, etc.
Bright pick	Fabric defect that occasionally crops up in finished fabrics. The defect manifests on the fabric surface as tight weft picks showing up very clearly and unpleasantly bright, which is usually caused by excessive or uneven tension during winding or weaving operations. The incidence is more in fabrics made with continuous filament weft picks.
Bright silk	Term used to describe, thrown silk, which has been degummed and dyed
Bright yarn	General term used to describe man-made filaments, which are very lustrous. These contain no or only very little delustrant. Fabric defect, which sometimes crops up in fabrics made from man-made fibres. The defect manifests on the fabric surface as warp ends or weft picks of higher lustre than the adjacent yarns, which is usually caused by irregularity in the processing of yarns, like uneven distribution of delustrant, or because of accidental mixing up of yarns of different delustrant contents
Brilliantine	Weft-faced, glossy fabric, made with fine cotton warp ends and mohair or lustre worsted weft picks. A yarn dyed fabric, normally woven in plain or twill weaves, and occasionally in jacquard designs. Though lightweight, it is a very durable fabric. Used for summer dresses, linings etc.
Brin	Term used to designate a single filament of natural silk, resulting from the degumming of the bave. The silkworm always produces two of these filaments simultaneously, which are bound together by a gelatinous natural gum, and form the silk, and are called bave
Bri-nylon	Hardwearing polyamide fibre. As it is not absorbent fibre, the fabric made from this fibre, washes easily and dries quickly. Bri-nylon finds usage mainly in the manufacture of lingerie, nightwear, lightweight knitwear, and carpets. The surface can be brushed to form a short pile
Brise bise	Lace curtaining, designed to be hung horizontally across the lower portion of a window, close to the frame, provision usually being made for the insertion of a curtain rod or wire.
Bristle	General term, used to designate, any short, hard, coarse fibre
Britches	Term occasionally used to refer breeches or trousers
Britch wool	Wool fibre, obtained from the lower thighs or hindquarters of the sheep. Usually it is the coarsest type found in the fleece. Though the fibre is substantially long, it is very irregular and of little value. Used as cheap suiting and in the making of windbreakers, ski cloth, and carpets.
Brittany cloth	Fabric, made from cotton, linen, or blends of these, and done with a lustrous finish. Originally made in Brittany, France, and hence the name. Used for shirts, dresses, etc
Broadcloth	Tightly woven, fine, lustrous fabric, made in plain weave, having a characteristic thin rib effect imbedded in one direction, normally weft wise. The ribs are finer than those in poplin and have more picks. Usually it has a high cover factor. Made mainly from cotton or cotton/polyester blends, but can be of any fibre, especially silk and wool. Used often for men's shirts. Cotton broadcloth is a lightweight fabric of poplin type, used extensively for shirting. When made in wool, in plain or twill weave, it is very different from the cotton variety. The fabric is fine and supple with a smooth napped face, closely sheared and polished, producing a silky gloss. It is form fitting and drapes well. It comes in a variety of colours and weights. ? Heavy hardwearing cloth made from Merino wool yarns. It is heavily milled and finished. One of the oldest types of woollen cloth, it is usually woven in 90 inch loom and finished to a width of 56 inch.
Broadfalls	Tightly woven, fine, lustrous fabric, made in plain weave, having a characteristic thin rib effect imbedded in one direction, normally weft wise. The ribs are finer than those in poplin and have more picks. Usually it has a high cover factor. Made mainly from cotton or cotton/polyester blends, but can be of any fibre, especially silk and wool. Used often for men's shirts. Cotton broadcloth is a lightweight fabric of poplin type, used extensively for shirting. When made in wool, in plain or twill weave, it is very different from the cotton variety. The fabric is fine and supple with a smooth napped face, closely sheared and polished, producing a silky gloss. It is form fitting and drapes well. It comes in a variety of colours and weights. ? Heavy hardwearing cloth made from Merino wool yarns. It is heavily milled and finished. One of the oldest types of woollen cloth, it is usually woven in 90 inch loom and finished to a width of 56 inch.
Broadfalls	Breeches or trousers having the wide falling front flap, such as those of sailors. ? See Split fall
Broad goods	Term used to describe a group of fabrics, made in widths of 45 cm or more. They are wider than narrow fabrics like ribbons, tapes, etc.
Broadloom	Term generally refers to carpet, rather than apparel fabrics that are tufted wider than 54 inch. Most broadloom carpets today are in widths of 6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 feet.
Broad Rib Fabric	See under Rib fabric; Weft-knit
Broadtail	Flat, lustrous, slightly wavy fur; it is the pelt of a young unborn Persian lamb.
Broad wools	Wool fibre that has no crimp or elasticity
Brocade	Exquisitely figured thick fabric, having self-coloured or multicoloured, all-over raised patterns of floral or other designs, sometimes with gold, silver or other coloured metallic threads, and made on Jacquard or dobby loom. The name derived from French meaning to 'ornament'. The pattern may be satin on a twill ground or twill on a satin ground. The ground fabric, against which the designs are formed, is of a weave of simple character, on which the figures stand out. The figure is developed by floating the warp ends, the weft picks, or both, and interlaced in a more or less irregular order. The name has developed from the Latin word 'brocade', which means to figure. The figures in brocade are rather loose, while in damask the figure threads are actually bound into the material. Most brocade fabrics have rich, heavy, elaborate design effects, while some are made with a crispy effect. The fabrics are most often reversible. The motifs may be of flowers, foliage, scrollwork, pastoral scenes, or other designs. Though brocade is made mainly from silk, viscose, cotton, but all others may be used. It is made into a wide variety of weights, and is used for many purposes, including clothing, church vestments, state robes, eveningwear, draperies, interior furnishings, and upholstery.
Bristle	General term, used to designate, any short, hard, coarse fibre.
Britches	Term occasionally used to refer breeches or trousers.
Britch wool	Wool fibre, obtained from the lower thighs or hindquarters of the sheep. Usually it is the coarsest type found in the fleece. Though the fibre is substantially long, it is very irregular and of little value. Used as cheap suiting and in the making of windbreakers, ski cloth, and carpets.
Brittany cloth	Fabric, made from cotton, linen, or blends of these, and done with a lustrous finish. Originally made in Brittany, France, and hence the name. Used for shirts, dresses, etc.
Broadcloth	Tightly woven, fine, lustrous fabric, made in plain weave, having a characteristic thin rib effect imbedded in one direction, normally weft wise. The ribs are finer than those in poplin and have more picks. Usually it has a high cover factor. Made mainly from cotton or cotton/polyester blends, but can be of any fibre, especially silk and wool. Used often for men's shirts. Cotton broadcloth is a lightweight fabric of poplin type, used extensively for shirting. When made in wool, in plain or twill weave, it is very different from the cotton variety. The fabric is fine and supple with a smooth napped face, closely sheared and polished, producing a silky gloss. It is form fitting and drapes well. It comes in a variety of colours and weights. ? Heavy hardwearing cloth made from Merino wool yarns. It is heavily milled and finished. One of the oldest types of woollen cloth, it is usually woven in 90 inch loom and finished to a width of 56 inch.
Broadfalls	Breeches or trousers having the wide falling front flap, such as those of sailors. ? See Split fall
Broad goods	Term used to describe a group of fabrics, made in widths of 45 cm or more. They are wider than narrow fabrics like ribbons, tapes, etc.
Broadloom	Term generally refers to carpet, rather than apparel fabrics that are tufted wider than 54 inch. Most broadloom carpets today are in widths of 6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 feet.
Broad Rib Fabric	See under Rib fabric; Weft-knit
Broadtail	Flat, lustrous, slightly wavy fur; it is the pelt of a young unborn Persian lamb.
Broad wools	Wool fibre that has no crimp or elasticity.
Brocade	Exquisitely figured thick fabric, having self-coloured or multicoloured, all-over raised patterns of floral or other designs, sometimes with gold, silver or other coloured metallic threads, and made on Jacquard or dobby loom. The name derived from French meaning to 'ornament'. The pattern may be satin on a twill ground or twill on a satin ground. The ground fabric, against which the designs are formed, is of a weave of simple character, on which the figures stand out. The figure is developed by floating the warp ends, the weft picks, or both, and interlaced in a more or less irregular order. The name has developed from the Latin word 'brocade', which means to figure. The figures in brocade are rather loose, while in damask the figure threads are actually bound into the material. Most brocade fabrics have rich, heavy, elaborate design effects, while some are made with a crispy effect. The fabrics are most often reversible. The motifs may be of flowers, foliage, scrollwork, pastoral scenes, or other designs. Though brocade is made mainly from silk, viscose, cotton, but all others may be used. It is made into a wide variety of weights, and is used for many purposes, including clothing, church vestments, state robes, eveningwear, draperies, interior furnishings, and upholstery.
Brocade velvet	Velvet fabric, in which the piles are sheared at different heights to form floral and other designs; usually an expensive fabric. Plainer designs in dark colours are used for men's jackets.
Brocading	Method of designing and developing of Jacquard fabrics by interspersing gold or silver threads.
Brocantine fabric	Brocade fabric, having raised patterns woven in simulation of raised embroidery. Usually made from fine silk or wool in monochrome colours.
Brocatelle fabric	Heavy, luxurious fabric, with Jacquard design, puffed up or blistered, making it very noticeable, and it also has a heavy width wise rib. It is woven in silk, viscose, cotton, and synthetics. True brocatelle is a double weave made of silk and linen warp ends and a silk and linen weft picks. The pattern is padded out into high relief by the warp ends in a satin weave against a closely woven background structure. Two or more weft ends are used and, in the better qualities, there is an extra binder warp. Heavy yarns used are plain and mercerised cotton, viscose, and linen. Used for eveningwear, drapery, furnishing, upholstery, etc.
Brocatine	See Brocantine.
Broché fabric	Brocade fabric that is figured by additional threads introduced by means of swivel weave. Characterised by the raised designs on the surface of fabric, often introduced with the warp.
Broderie anglaise	High quality, plain weave fabric, in which shaped holes like leaves, and round holes are punched and then embroidered. The fabric creases easily. Usually expensive fabric, it is made from cotton, polyester or blends of it. Mostly produced in white or plain colours with self-colour embroidery; some are embroidered in contrasting colours too. A few are produced with border designs, scalloped edges etc.
Brogan	Heavy, coarse work shoe reaching to the ankle; usually with perforations and usually a wing tip
Brogue	Stout, rough shoe originally produced in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands; the heavy shoe is often made with a hobnailed sole,
Broken checks	Check patterned fabric, characterised with its irregular square checks.
Broken colour pattern	Fabric defect, in woven fabrics, usually caused by a coloured yarn out of place on the frame.
Broken crow	See Crow twill
Broken ends	See End-out
Broken face	Sateen fabric, designed in a way such that the weave effect appears to be broken up.
Broken filaments	Yarn defect, in which individual filament of multi-filament yarn is ruptured, usually due to mechanical abrasion.
Broken pattern	Fabric defect, in which the pattern in the fabric does not appear in agreement with the intended design; usually caused by some kind of malfunctioning of the machine, or by some slip-up on the part of the operator.
Broken pick	Fabric defect, which manifests as one or more missing weft picks from a portion of a woven width of fabric. The unseemly discontinuity in weft direction is caused by a break or cut in the weft pick.
Broken selvedge	See Cut selvedge
Broken twill	Term used to describe a variety of herringbone twill weaves, in which the twill line changes its direction. The continuity of the twill line is broken, by employing variable move numbers. The weave, in which the diagonal twill is intentionally interrupted to form a random design, achieved prominence when it was innovatively utilized by Wrangler Company during 1964 in their famous jean types. In a true broken twills at the point where the direction of twill line changes, if the warp yarn is on the surface, the next thread on the surface will be a weft yarn ensuring a clear break. The broken twill designs can vary from the simplest to the most complicated. Broken twill fabrics in cotton are sometimes subjected to napping or brushing to develop certain types of suede effects.
Broken weave	See Crack mark.
Broker	Person who buys or sells merchandise for other individuals and earns a commission or profit based upon a percent of product.
Bronze colour	In textile parlance a moderate yellowish brown colour.
Bronzed fabric	Fabric that has a bronzy metallic texture. Used for interior decoration and theatre costumes.
Bronziness	When it occurs accidentally during dyeing it is a dyeing defect, whereas when it is produced intentionally during dyeing it is an attractive dyeing effect. . Dyeing defect, which manifests as an unseemly metallic sheen, which develops on a textile material, as a surface coating, often during dyeing into very deeper shades. The effect is usually caused by excessive concentration of colorant on the surface of the substrate. . Occasionally the effect is deliberately produced as a fashion statement in some very dark shades of indigo and sulphur black.
Bronzing	See under Oxidised oil staining
Broomstick	Skirt or dress made from crinkled material with numerous pleats.
Brown colour	In textile parlance any of a group of colours between red and yellow in hue, of medium to low lightness, and of moderate to low saturation.
Brown lace	Lace, as in the condition in which it leaves the machine, i.e. lace before it has been subjected to any bleaching, dyeing, or finishing treatments.
Bruges	Satin fabric, woven with silk warps and hard-twist cotton wefts.
Bruges lace	Bar lace that is very similar in appearance to Honiton lace. It is produced as a tape with fine threads. Coarse types are used for curtains, bedcovers and tablecloths.
Bruise	Fabric defect, which manifests as an area that differs from the adjacent normal fabric, often caused due to the area getting subjected to some kind of impact or pressure.
Brunette	High quality woollen fabric normally dyed in a variety of colours. Used for tunics, hosiery etc. . In textile parlance, colour of dark-brown or black.
Brushed acrylic	Group of light to medium weight woven fabrics, often printed having a brushed effect on one or both sides. Used for dresses, warm shirts, children's wear etc.
Brushed acrylic knit	Thick, wool-like acrylic fabric, with the right side brushed into a furry surface. Used for dressing gowns, sleeping bags, baby coats, zip-front casual jackets, toys, collars, cuffs etc.
Brushed cotton	Plain or printed cotton fabric slightly brushed on one side to add warmth. This additional warmth makes it very suitable for children's clothes, winter blouses and shirts. An inexpensive fabric; it creases easily but washes well. Does not wear as well as unbrushed cotton. The brushing process may be applied to the right or wrong side of the fabric. Extremely inflammable, so not used for nightdresses for children or elderly people.
Brushed denim	Denim weave fabric usually all-cotton, having a brushed face side. It has a much softer hand-feel and appearance than conventional denims.
Brushed fabric	Fabric that has been finished by brushing, during which the fibres on the fabric surface get raised. The slightly fuzzy surface, thus produced, bestows warmth and softness to the fabric.
Brushed nylon	Strong, hardwearing nylon jersey brushed on the right side to make it warm and cosy. Inclined to build up static more than most nylon due to the brushing. It is much warmer than plain nylon jersey but is not particularly an attractive fabric, so its use is confined to nightwear, and sheets. Does not crease, washes easily and dries quickly. White fabrics adopt a grey tone unless washed separately.
Brushed polyester	A fine soft fabric with a brushed surface resembling velveteen in appearance.
Brushed wool	Term used in the pulled-wool parlance to describe woollen fibres, subjected to scrubbing or brushing, to remove burrs, shives, grit dirt, and other foreign matter. The treatment is given to the wool when it is on the pelt. ? Knitted or woven woollen fabric, which has been brushed, napped or teaseled. Used for garments, scarves, sweaters, trimmings, etc.
Brushed yarn	Yarn subjected to the mechanical finishing process of brushing to raise the surface hairs in order to achieve greater bulk and softer texture. Bouclé yarns are usually subjected to brushing.
Brush fibres	Rigid, coarse fibre, obtained from various plants, and used usually for the production of various kinds of brushes.
Brushing	Mechanical finishing process, applied on knit or woven fabrics, in which a nap is raised on the surface of the fabric, by passing the fabric over one or more revolving circular brushes. When brushed, the fabric acquires a slightly fuzzy surface, which impart a warm and soft feel to the fabric. Though the process is somewhat similar to napping, brushing is usually a less vigorous process. A vast range of fabrics made of cotton, wool and various man-made fibres, are subjected to brushing. Usually such fabrics are made in loose constructions to allow the yarns abrade easily.
Brush stroke	Term used to describe a print style, in which the colours are made to appear as if they had been applied with a brush.
Brussels carpet	Broad term comprising a wide range of loop-pile carpets woven on Wilton looms over un-bladed wires. The variety and colour patterns of carpeting under the name vary considerably.
Brussels edge	Needlepoint lace, in which edging is employed for finishing.
Brussels lace	Fine linen thread lace, in which the motifs are made as bobbin lace and then appliquéd onto a mesh ground. However, now it is being made in all fibres and machine-made motifs and meshes are being increasingly used.
Brussels net	Net fabric, characterised its hexagonal meshes.
Brynie cloth	Net-like fabric produced on Raschel knitting machine; the fabric resembles a fisherman's net. Used along with cold weather apparel as a vest worn next to the skin and beneath thermal underwear to create additional insulation.
Bubble	See Blister
Buck	In a pressing machine, the lower, static working surface, which incorporates the shape or contour onto which the garment is laid.
Buck article	Any clothing item or accessory of made of buckskin.
Bucket spinning	See Box spinning
Bucking	See Bowking
Buckinghamshire lace	Very fine, hand-made lace, named after its place of origin. It is characterised by a diamond mesh ground, often narrow, and usually used only for trimmings.
Buckram	Stiff scrim fabric often made in open sett plain weave, from plied yarns of linen or cotton. Fabric is subjected to impregnation with fillers and stiffeners. Name derived from Bokhara, city in southern USSR, where it was first made. Used as lining, interfacing, and for waistbands and bookbinding. Also used in millinery, as it can be easily shaped by moistening. . Fabric, consisting of two stiffened fabrics bonded together, the fabrics being not necessarily of identical construction.
Buckskin	White or pinky-beige leather, which originally used to come from the elk and deer, but now also obtained from sheep. Strong but supple, the leather is used for clothes, shoes, gloves, belts, etc.
Buckskin fabric	Fabric, comparable in appearance to, but heavier than, a doeskin fabric. It is made from fine merino wool, closely sett, heavily milled, dressed, and closely cut.
Buff	Garment, as a uniform, made of buff leather.
Buff colour	Light to moderate orange yellow colour.
Buffalo check	Fabric, usually made in twill weave, and having bold check patterns, with blocks of two or more contrasting colours, often with a preference for red and black.
Buffalo cloth	Heavy fabric, made in twill weave, and finished with considerable nap. Used mainly for winter wear, now it is being replaced to a great extent, by mackinaw cloth.
Buffalo wool	Rare wool fibre, which is very fine and grows among the coarse hair on the buffalo. Used in high quality felt hats and shawls.
Buffer solution	Solution that resists change in pH; contains either a weak acid and a soluble ionic salt of the acid or a weak base and a soluble ionic salt of the base.
Buffing fabric	Term used to describe an assortment of cotton fabrics, employed for buffing and polishing of metal and plastic articles.
Buggy	Term used to describe the lining, from the neck down across the back, of an otherwise, unlined coat.
Builder	Term used to describe a neutral or gently alkaline constituent that is introduced in to detergents or soaps to soften the wash water and to increase the cleaning power.
Builder fabric	Square-woven heavy cotton duck made from very heavy ply yarns. Used formerly in the carcase of rubber-tread tyres.
Build-up	Degree of shade-depth enhancement exhibited by any given dyestuff on any given fibre type.
Bulgarian cloth	Cream coloured cotton fabric embroidered with tinsel and coloured silks.
Bulge ratio	See Swell ratio
Bulk classing	Term used when fleece wools of different brands and descriptions, but of similar type, yield, etc., are emptied out of their containers (bales) bulked together and rebaled under another or various brands into large lines. Grading and pooling of small lots of wool from a number of owners into standard lines.
Bulk density	Apparent mass per unit volume.
Bulked yarn	Yarn that has been treated with mechanical, physical or chemical means, to make it noticeably more voluminous and bulkier. The yarn thus produced has greater covering power, or apparent volume, than that of a conventional yarn of equal linear density and of the same basic material with normal twist. Some bulking processes introduce into the yarns the additional property of stretch also. . In staple yarns, the increased bulk may be obtained by the use of bi-component fibres or by blending together, during yarn spinning, fibres of high and low potential shrinkage. During subsequent hot and/or wet processing, the greater contraction of the high-shrinkage fibres causes the yarn to contract longitudinally and the low-shrinkage fibres to buckle, thus increasing the bulkiness of the yarn. . In continuous filament yarns, the increased bulk may be obtained by any one of the texturing processes. .See also Bulking
Bulking	Operation by which each individual fibre of a yarn, is made to deviate from a linear path, resulting in the creation of air spaces between the fibres; the yarns are altered to make them fluff, curl, or crimp up to give them a bulked appearance. The bulked fibres acquire diminished packing density. Fabrics made from bulked yarn, acquire improved loft. Bulked yarns give soft, pleasant, fluffy, opaque looks and hands to many woven and knit fabrics.
Bulk sample	In sampling of bulk material, one or more portions which are taken from the material that does not consist of separately identifiable units. .In sampling of bulk material, one or more portions which are taken from the material, which can be identified after sampling as separate or composed units. . Compare Discrete sample
Bulk shrinkage	The term used to describe the measure of potential stretch and power of stretch-yarns or a measure of bulk of textured-set yarns.
Bulky yarn	Yarn formed from inherently bulky fibres such as man-made fibres that are hollow along part or all of their length, or . Yarn formed from fibres that cannot be closely packed because of their cross-sectional shapes, fibre alignment, stiffness, resilience, or natural crimp. . See also Bulked yarn
Bulky-weight yarns	Yarns in this category can range from 500 to 1000 yards per pound. These yarns are used for heavy fabrics such as coats, blankets, and heavy bulky outdoor sweaters.
Bull denim	Piece-dyed fabric in a 3 x 1 twill weave, made from coarse yarns. Weights can vary from 9oz/sq yard up to the standard 14oz/sq yard. Bull Denim is essentially a denim fabric without usage of indigo.
Bullion cord	Highly twisted assembly of yarns, which may be spirally covered with continuous filament yarns.
Bullion fringe	Fringe, made from golden or silvery metallic cords, for use on uniforms.
Bullion lace	Lace, made from golden or silvery threads.
Bullion stitch	Decorative stitch, done by twisting a needle around a thread numerous times before inserting it into the cloth. Short bullion stitches are sometimes called 'knots'.
Bumblebee cotton	Term used to describe, very short staple cotton fibres.
Bumped top	Package, made by press-packing layers of coiled sliver, usually achieved by vacuum packing.
Bump-grey	Fabric intended for use specifically as back-grey.
Bumping	In weaving, a condition in which, the beat-up is so severe that the cloth tension reduces to zero during part of the beating action; the condition produces high warp tension peaks, which increases the end breakage rate. See Planking
Bumps	See Bump-grey
Bump seam	Printing defect, which manifest as light coloured width-wise mark, caused by a stitching in the back-grey.
Bump yarn	Term used to describe, a coarse waste yarn, made from cotton waste.
Bunch	Yarn defect, in which a yarn segment, not over 6mm in length that shows an abrupt increase in diameter caused by more fibres getting matted at the particular place.
Bunch yarn	See Flake yarn
Bundle	Collection of sufficient pieces of cut fabric, to make up several garments. The size of the bundle is limited by weight and the number of pieces required for each garment. ? Group of similar garment parts, temporarily kept together for convenience of handling. ? See also Conventional bundle system; Progressive bundle system
Bundle stitch	Term used to describe a sequence of parallel stitches, put on a fabric and joined together at the centre.
Bunting	Soft, open-weave cotton or woollen fabric, which resembles a scrim. The fabric resembles cheesecloth in texture. Usually dyed or printed in plain bright colours and often the colours may not be given fixing treatment. Name derived from German 'bunt', meaning bright. Used for cheap short-life flags, ceremonial flags and decorations; it is unsuitable for clothing.
Burgundy	In textile parlance a reddish purple colour.
Buried pile yarn	In a coated pile yarn floor covering, the portions of the pile tuft elements that remain after the tuft legs have been removed by shearing.
Burin	Cutting tool, used by a hand engraver to incise lines on a copper cylinder or steel die used in printing.
Burl	General term used to describe, a group of fabric defects, which include, small knots, lumps, burrs, etc. present on the surface of a fabric.
Burlap	Heavy, open construction, hardwearing, plain weave fabric, made of jute or allied coarse yarns in plain weave. The fabric may shrink. Used for carpet backing, upholstery webbing, drapery, and inexpensive packaging including grain bags, wall coverings, etc.
Burl dyeing	Process of covering coloured specks and blemishes, mostly on woollens and worsteds, by the use of special colour inks, which come in many colours and shades; it is a hand operation. ? Low temperature colouring or inking of cellulosic impurities in worsted fabrics.
Burling	Removal of loose threads, knots, slubs, burrs, and other extraneous materials from the surface of a fabric by clipping or picking. The impurity is removed usually by using a burling iron, a type of tweezer, without damaging the fabric.
Burl mark	Fabric defect caused by improper burling operation. When burling is carried out on a fabric, using a burling tool, to remove a slub or an extra piece of yarn, sometimes it leaves an open place in the fabric surface, which often considered as major defect.
Burning behaviour	Term used to describe all the changes that take place when materials or products are exposed to a specified ignition source.
Burning test	Method of determining fibre identity by subjecting a sample to burning and observing its burning behaviour.
Burnishing	Method of polishing fabrics, by making use of rollers.
Burnoose	Arabian one-piece hooded cloak.
Burnt-out fabric	Specially woven, patterned, plain coloured fabric, having a brocade-like pattern effect, which has been developed through the application of a chemical, instead of colour, during the burn-out printing process. Usually sulphuric acid mixed into a colourless print paste, is the most common chemical used. Many simulated eyelet effects can be created using this method. In these instances, the chemical destroys the fibre and creates a hole in the fabric in a specific design, where the chemical comes in contact with the fabric. The fabric is then over-printed with a simulated embroidery stitch to create the eyelet effect. Burn-out effects can also be created on velvets made of blended fibres, in which the ground fabric is of one fibre like polyester, and the pile may be of a cellulosic fibre like viscose or acetate. In this case, when the chemical is printed in a certain pattern, it destroys the pile in those areas where the chemical comes in contact with the fabric, but leaves the ground fabric unharmed. When mixed fibres are used for weaving, only certain parts of the design are burnt out and they become transparent while the rest remains opaque, creating very attractive designs. The fabrics are often sheer and lightweight and are used for blouses, dresses and curtains.
Burnt-out printing	A printing technique, used on fabrics made from paired yarns of different fibres. In this method, the design is printed on the fabric with certain chemicals, so that only one kind of yarn from the design printed on the fabric is burnt out.
Burr	The term used to describe the minute seed particles of cotton, carried through into the finished goods.
Burr Extracting	Method of extracting burrs or vegetable seed parts, which are found in wools. Burr extraction may be carried out by mechanical means employing burr crushers, beaters, etc. or by chemical means employing sulphuric acid treatment.
Burring	See Burr extracting
Burry wool	Term used to describe wool that is contaminated with vegetable impurities adhering to the fleece.
Burse	Purse.
Bursting	Fabric defect, in knitted fabric, which manifests as a small hole caused by rupture of a yarn due to the high tension built up, during knitting. See also Cutting
Bursting strength	Term used to describe, the ability of a knit fabric to resist the rupture by pressure, which is expressed as units of weight. ? Term used to describe, the force or pressure required to rupture a textile by distending it with a force, applied at right angles to the plane of the fabric, under specified conditions.
Bursting strength tester	Mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic instrument, which is employed to measure the strength of a fabric's resistance to pressure.
Busby	Military full-dress fur hat with a pendant bag on one side usually of the colour or regimental facings.
Bush jacket	Long cotton jacket resembling a shirt and having four patch pockets and a belt.
Bush shirt	Loose-fitting shirt with patch pockets, usually made in cotton.
Business suit	Men's or women's suit consisting of matching coat and trousers and sometimes a vest.
Buskin	Laced boot reaching halfway or more to the knee.
Bust	Term used to describe the shaped form of male or female, on which clothes are worked on, inspected or displayed. ? See Bust girth
Bustier	Tight-fitting, often strapless top worn as a brassiere or outer garment.
Bust-girth	In body measurements, the circumference of the body over the fullest part of the breasts and parallel to the floor. ? Compare Chest girth
Bustle	Top quality tweed fabric in which, a single colour yarn is alternated with another yarn made of two colours. The alternated yarns are twisted together before weaving. The fabric is named after the Scottish town of Bannockburn that has long been the centre of an area producing this type of fabric, which is used for manufacture of suits and coats.
Bar	Fabric defect, which manifests as a bar effect that has developed a different colour from the adjacent fabric. The fabric or weft picks, which were normal prior to the weaving, might have got damaged or got contaminated during or subsequent to, the dyeing and finishing operations.
Baracan	Popular skirt shape, it is technically a pad, which is worn under the skirt and served as a base for the skirt material to be pleated or looped.
Bust-point to bust-point	In body measurements, the distance across the front from the apex of one breast to the apex of the other.
Busy printing	Ingenious technique of printing, in which though the print design covers large areas of the fabric, there are no areas of a single colour or any geometric patterning. The predominance of numerous lines in the design is its main characteristic.
Buta	Floral motif, much used in Indian textile designing, and traditionally rendered as a flowering plant with a curling bud at the top. The motif is also sometimes reduced to a floral pattern designed within the form of the plant.
Butcher cloth	Sturdy, medium to heavy plain weave fabric, made from linen and a variety of fibres, including viscose, cotton, polyester and their blends, often simulating real linen. It wears and launders well, sheds dirt and is exceptionally durable. Originally made in France from homespun uneven linen yarns having lot of thick and thin places and used mainly for making aprons for butchers. Used for overalls, protective coats, aprons, tablecloths, interfacing etc.
Butcher's linen	See Butcher cloth.
Butcher wool	See Pulled wool
Buti	Very popular and commonly used motif in Indian textile designs; actually it is a miniature of buta.
Butter cloth	See Cheese cloth
Butter Muslin	An open weave, very soft, cotton fabric. This comparatively cheaper fabric is used as straining cloth in the dairy industry and is also an ideal ironing cloth for the laundry industry
Butternut	The term used to describe the colour of a light yellowish brown.
Butterscotch	Term used to describe the colour of a moderate yellowish brown.
Buttery colour cotton	Cotton fibres that possess an inherent creamy colour.
Butt-fitting	Hollow metal tube in square shape, having a setscrew that is set into the mannequin's butt or upper thigh. It receives the butt rod which angles up from the metal, glass or plastic mannequin base and holds the mannequin erect.
Butting	Operation of levelling the root ends of flax straw at any stage of processing by vibrating it upright on a flat surface, either by hand or mechanically.
Button	Disc, knob or similar object, usually affixed to the garment, which when forced through a narrow opening called buttonhole, fastens one part of a garment to another part of the garment. Sometimes, buttons are attached to a garment also as a means of decoration.
Button breaker	See Breaking machine
Button-down collar	Progeny of the British shirt collar attached-polo shirt. It goes great with a four-in-hand knot or a bow tie and it evokes a relaxed, Ivy League attitude.
Button face	Term used to describe the portion of a button, which would be exposed, after attaching to the substrate.
Buttonhole	Hole provided in a garment, through which a button is passed to hold the garment in the correct position.
Buttonhole stand	Distance from the finished edge of a garment to the eye of the buttonhole.
Buttonhole stitch	Closely done vertical stitch that is secured with a loop at the top. Buttonhole stitch, when done in a row offer a firm finish with a ridge along the looped tops. The stitch is used mainly for buttonhole finishing.
Buttoning	Fabric defect, which manifests as small balls of fibre, which develop on warp ends, during weaving.
Button performance	Performance specifications for buttons, which are usually guided by internationally approved standard performance specifications. Generally, the main performance characteristics, which are tested on buttons, are: resistance to washing liquor, to dry cleaning solvents, to ironing, to water, chlorine water, to seawater, and the impact test.
Button stand	Term used to describe the distance from the finished edge of the garment to the centre of the button.
Button-through placket	Quality feature where a true eyelet and button closure are added to a sleeve placket.
Button-through sleeve placket	Small placket located on the sleeve, by the cuff, which contains a single button closure.
Butt seam	Term used to describe a seam that is sewn with both the fabric edges abutting.
Butylated hydroxy toluene	Chemical, which find usage in textile processing as a preservative and anti-oxidant.
Buzz-fuzz cotton	Term used to describe, exceptionally short-length cotton fibres.
Byrd cloth	Light or medium weight, tightly woven fabric with high pick count in a characteristic two-up and two-down twill construction. Made from fine-combed cotton yarns, it is supple but very strong. The fabric is wind-resistant and water-repellent, and used for mainly for rainwear and sportswear.

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Textile Dictionary

Word	Short description
Babushka	Triangularly folded kerchief, used as headscarf.
Baby blue colour	In textile parlance a pale blue colour.
Baby combing wool fibre	Exclusive, chosen fine wool fibres having staple lengths between 5 to 6.25 cm. High-grade worsted yarns are spun from this stock, by employing the Worsted spinning, French system.
Baby cord Synonym: Pin cord	Corduroy fabric, having very finer needle cords than those usually employed for extra soft styles of garments.
Baby flannel	Lightweight, fluffy, flannel fabric usually made of cotton, wool or in combination of both. Usually woven in plain or twill weave; used mainly for children's wear.
Baby lace	Narrow, delicate lace edgings usually used on garments for infants and children.
Baby pique	Term used to describe a very small pique knit.
Baby sharkskin	Flat and supple shirting fabric, made from combed cotton yarns in a cross weave pattern.
Back-and-fore stitch	Hand-stitch, employed for sewing the linings and pockets. The stitch involves taking a back and then a running stitch before the needle is removed.
Back beam	Beam or shaft at the back of the loom, on which warp yarns are wound for weaving.
Back breakpoint	Term related to garment sizing. In anatomy, location on the back of the body where the arm separates from the body.
Back-chroming Synonym: Back-dyeing	After-treatment, employed on dyed materials, for enhancement of colourfastness, which includes the application of a chrome mordant after dyeing.
Back-coating	Adhesive-type substance, applied to the back of a fabric for enhancement of the body of the fabric and/or its stiffness.
Back drape	Length of material, attached either at the shoulder or at the waist, that flows over the back to floor length. In some cases it is removable.
Back-dyeing	See Back-chroming
Backed cloth	Fabric in satin or twill weave designed with an additional set of extra warp or weft added for weigh and warmth. Used for dress goods, suitings and skirtings. .
Backed cloth weave	Weave used for reversible fabric, in which single warp end and double weft picks are employed without any binder yarn.
Backed fabric	Woven or knit fabric, in which extra sets of yarn are introduced in lengthways or widthways or in both the ways, to improve its strength, weight and warmth. Mainly find usage as suiting, overcoating, etc.
Back-filling Synonym: Back-sizing	Finishing process employed usually on low grade, cheap fabrics, to beef up their appearance, hand and increase in weight. The process includes application of varying amounts of fillers, like cornstarch, China clay, tallow etc. on the backside of the fabric. Other starches are often added when deemed necessary. During application care is taken to prevent the filling starch from working to the face of the fabric. Also the filling compound is carefully coloured to resemble closely to the shade of the fabric itself.
Back grey	During the process of roller printing, the cloth, that is sandwiched between the blanket and the fabric to be printed. This sandwiched cloth, soak up any printing paste that might infiltrate through the fabric being printed, and ensure sharp prints by providing supple backing to the fabric being printed. ? During the process of screen-printing, the cloth, that is employed to support and maintain stability of the fabric being printed. The back grey and the fabric being printed are gummed together prior to the combined fabric itself being gummed to the printing table conveyor belt. ? See also Bump grey
Backing	Reinforcing layer of fabric other material adhered to the reverse side of a fabric; it stabilizes the fabric and give it body to support embroidery. There are two types of backing; 'tear away backing' and 'cut away backing', with different levels of stability. ? In a pile yarn floor covering, the fabric into which, the pile yarns are inserted; in other words, materials in a pile yarn floor covering, other than the pile yarns.
Backing-fabric seam impression	Printing defect, which is classified a major defect. During printing, the backing cloth is used to cushion the fabric that is being printed, and if there is a joining seam in the backing cloth, that may cause an impression on the printed fabric.
Backing, primary	See Primary backing.
Backing, secondary	See Secondary backing
Backing, warp	See Warp backing
Backing, weft	See Weft backing.
Backing yarn	In pile fabrics, the base yarn that holds in place, the piles shaped by the wadding yarn, together with the warp ends and weft picks.
Back loop	Knit loop; the constituent parts of which include a simple open loop passed through the loop below it, away from the viewer.
Graphic	See also Knitted loop
Backpack	Utilitarian camping pack, made from a sturdy fabric like nylon or polyester canvas, usually supported by an aluminium frame to provide proper support for carrying items and carried on the back. ? Bag made from many varieties of tough fabric, worn on the back and attached to the body by shoulder straps; used often by students to carry books.
Backpack	Utilitarian camping pack, made from a sturdy fabric like nylon or polyester canvas, usually supported by an aluminium frame to provide proper support for carrying items and carried on the back. ? Bag made from many varieties of tough fabric, worn on the back and attached to the body by shoulder straps; used often by students to carry books.
Back pleats	Tiny folds in the material on the back of a garment that allow for more room and comfort.
Back rise	In a garment, the distance from crutch to centre back of waistline.
Backside Synonym: Wrong side	Reverse side, of a fabric, as opposed to face side.
Back-sizing	See Back-filling
Backstitch	Strong and versatile hand-stitch, employed to seam garment parts. The stitch is so named because, the needle, on emerging, goes back to be inserted at the end of the previous stitch.
Back strap	In garment, a strap, placed across its back at the waist, usually fitted with a buckle, or other method of adjustable fastening, and used to adjust the fit of the garment, within limits, to the wearer's requirements.
Back-tacking	Reverse sewing, employed at the beginning and end of a seam, for reinforcement.
Back-tanning Synonym: Back-tracking	After-treatment, in which either natural or synthetic tanning agents, are applied on a dyed or printed silk or polyamide material, to improve wet fastness of the dyeing or printing.
Back-tracking	See Back tanning
Back-twisting	Term used to describe the process of re-twisting of a yarn in the opposite of the original direction of the formerly set twist.
Back warp	Additional sets of warp ends, which are woven into the back of a compound fabric. In double, triple or quadruple fabrics the back-warps form the back of the goods along with the back-filling.
Back washer	Machine used for washing of carded wool to remove all remaining impurities. It is also used to dry the tops after washing, by passing them over steam-heated cylinders, or perforated cylinders through which hot air is forced
Back-washing	I? Removal of oils, which have been put into worsted stock during blending, oiling and mixing operations when the mix was made up. ? Scouring process for dyed or undyed wool slivers or tops, during the course of production worsteds. It is carried out before or after the gilling and combing, dependent on the manufacturing system employed.
Back weft	Term used to describe the additional sets of weft picks, woven into the back of certain fabrics. The back wefts are employed to improve the strength, weight and warmth of the fabric or to highlight the surface design on it.
Back width Synonym: Cross back width	Body measurement, the distance from back break point to back break point.
Back-winding	Operation of rewinding, of yarn from one type of package to another more suitable package for the next process. Operation of unravelling, of yarn from knit fabric and then winding it as suitable packages for any reuse or rework.
Back-wrap	Wraparound garment, like a skirt, that fastens in the back.
Back yoke	Piece of fabric, which connects the back of a garment to the shoulders, which allows the garment to lay flat and drape nicely. Fitted or shaped piece of fabric at the top of a skirt.
Bactericide	See under Anti-bacterial agents
Bacteriostat	See under Anti-bacterial agents
Bad cast	Yarn defect, considered as major. The abrupt increase in the diameter of raw silk yarns, usually occurring during reeling operation due to improper joining of filaments.
Bad cover	Fabric defect, in which the spaces between adjacent threads in the fabric surface appear more pronounced than ideal. The degree of cover, achieved is adversely affected by imperfect loom setting, wrong count of reed, or faulty construction of yarns used. ? Defect in finished fabric. The defect manifests as insufficient surface cover achieved, or the underlying structure not properly concealed to the degree required, by the finishing materials used.
Badla	Flat metallic wire, often in silver-gilt, used for brocading and embroidery.
Bad listing	See Cut selvedge
Bad odour	Fabric defect, which manifests in a variety of objectionable odours often noted in unfinished or finished fabrics. Usually it is caused by some chemical action, which has not been properly controlled during application, washing, scouring, bleaching, dyeing, fulling, etc.
Bad temple	See Temple mark
Bagasse	Crushed stalks of the sugar cane after the sugar has been extracted.
Bag cloth	Fabric woven in a rather light and open structure from inferior quality yarns, made exclusively for manufacturing of bags, or sacks to hold dry goods such as flour, beans, lentils, etc. It is usually heavily sized to prevent the contents from coming through.
Bagging Synonym: Tacking	Practise of sewing together of both the selvedges of a fabric that has been folded lengthwise, with the face side in. This causes ballooning of the fabric, during its wet processing and thereby reduces rope marking and also protects the face of the fabric in other finishing operations. Bagging also helps in preventing wrinkles and selvedge curling.
Bagging fabric Synonym: Gunny	Very heavy, loosely woven fabric made from heavy tight-twisted roving, largely consisting of reworked and waste fibres, principally cotton and jute. Used for bale covering, manufacture of bags, etc.
Bagging-out	Practise of joining the facings and/or linings to the outer fabric of a garment by sewing them together, face to face in the form of a bag and then turning the garment out, to the right side.
Baggy Cloth	See Wavy cloth
Baggy selvedge	See Slack selvedge.
Baghdad wool	Dark wool type obtained from in and neighbouring areas of Mesopotamia. Used mainly for carpets.
Bagheera velvet	Piece-dyed velvet fabric, with uncut piles. The rough surface makes it largely wrinkle proof. Used mainly for outerwear
Bagwig	Traditional wig with the back hair enclosed in a small silk bag.
Bail Synonym: Lug	In zippers, the portion or portions of slider to which the pull or pulls are attached.
Bainin	Loosely constructed, hand-woven fabric made from homespun wool. Used for coats, skirts, stoles, etc.
Baize Synonym: Baze	A plain-woven, coarse short napped woollen felt fabric. Usually heavily filled and piece-dyed and the surface has a long produced by raising. Used for the production of wall coverings, table covers and screens.
Baking	Dry-heat treatments employed on dry fabric.
Baking Soda	Commercial name for sodium bicarbonate.
Baku straw	Exclusive, lightweight, fine straw having a characteristic dull appearance. It is obtained from the fibres of the 'buri palm'.
Balaclava	Knitted cap, which covers the head and neck
Balance	Garment related term, which describes the adjustment of relation of one section of a garment to another, in harmony with the natural attitude of the figure, especially that of the back and front lengths.
Balanced crêpe	A crêpe fabric, woven with alternate yarns of 'S' and 'Z' crêpe twists in both warp ends and weft picks.
Balanced crimp	Fabric, woven with an equal degree of crimp in the warp ends and weft picks.
Balanced fabric leaves	Woven of fabric, in which the number of warp ends per unit width is equal to the number of weft picks per unit length and both yarns are of the same count, e.g. a fabric woven with 2/40s yarns in both warp ends and weft picks, and having a pick count of 60 square, i.e. 60 individual threads running each way in the goods. ? See also Square cloth
Balanced stripes	Balanced stripes
Balanced twill Synonym: Even-sided twill; Equally flush twill	Twill weave fabric, in which the floats in both warp and weft directions span equal numbers of crosswise yarns.
Balanced twist	GreyYarn or cord, in which a combination of single yarn twists and plied yarn twists are manoeuvred in such a way, that the yarn or cord will not have any propensity for kinkling, doubling or twisting on itself when held in the form of an open loop or suspended without tension.
Balanced weave plants	Weave, in which the normal float is equal in warp and weft directions, and warp and weft floats are evenly divided between two sides of fabric.
LacBalanced yarns	Yarn spun in balanced twist.
Balance marks	In garments, the notches, nips or threads made on its different parts, which help to preserve the balance of the garments by serving as guides during assembly. These markings are generally put at side seams, hind arm and forearm seams and elsewhere as necessary.
Balance of count	See under Balanced fabric
Balance wheel Synonym: Hand wheel	In sewing machine, the pulley, that incorporates counter balance to stabilise the driven shaft of the machine.
Balagny cloak	Traditional French cloak or cape with wide collar.
Balanced Stripes	Fabric design made of stripes, which are even in width and spacing.
Balbriggan hosiery	Lightweight, fabric made on a circular knitting machine. Originally made in and around Balbriggan, Ireland, hence the name. The fabric is usually made from cotton, and it may have a slight fleece on the wrong side. Used mainly for sportswear, underwear and pyjamas.
Baldachin	Silk fabric richly embroidered with silk and gold yarns.
Baldric	Belt, usually ornamented, worn over one shoulder to support a sword or bugle.
Bale	Compressed package of staple fibres, usually cotton, wool, etc. Standard size and weight of a bale vary in different parts of the world. Most common form is the farm bale weighing between 100 and 200 kg. ? Term is also used to describe a package of yarns or fabrics, in a bag or sack.
Bale breaker	Machine employed in the blow-room of a spinning mill to break the bales of ginned cotton or other staple fibres.
Bale-breaking	Operation comprising of taking out layers of compressed cotton or other staple fibres from a bale and feed into a bale breaker machine, in which the tearing action of two coarse spiked rollers moving in opposite directions, opens up the layers to give substantially more open mass of tufts.
Bale-dyeing	Low cost method of dyeing in ambient temperature, without prior scouring or singeing. The method is mostly employed for dyeing of imitation chambray, as the sized warp yarns take up dye readily while the weft yarns containing some wax resist the dye. ? Term is also used sometimes, to describe the dyeing of loose stock, of synthetic polymer fibre, in the form of an unpacked bale.
Balibuntal straw	Fine, lightweight, glossy straw obtained from unopened palm leaf stems.
Baling	Process of compressing and packing of ginned cotton into bales, to be sent to mills to be spun into yarns.
Balk	AFabric defect, which manifests as an incomplete pattern in striped or plaid fabrics; usually caused by carelessness of designing depart
Ball	Bundle of fibres, tops, slivers, or yarns made into the shape of a ball or an egg. Cotton, silk, viscose, wool and their blends are often sold in this form to the consumers.
Ballerina neckline	Low neckline that is usually used in strapless or spaghetti strapped dresses.
Ballerina skirt	Ball gown that reach only to the mid calf or above the ankles.
Ballet toe	Textile fibres are primarily categorized into natural fibres and man-made fibres.
Ballet toe	In knitting, the reverse toe, in which the toe yarn on the upper side covers the ends of the toes only, and the toe is usually extended and more pointed.
BBall fall	Term used to describe the measure of the viscosity of a liquid, expressed as the time in seconds required for a standard sphere to fall through a column of liquid of standard length under standard conditions
Ball gown	Full-length skirt that that begins at the waist and reaches down to the ankles, usually made in satin or silk. The skirt waist is seamed and can be of various styles
Balling up	See Fuzz ball
Ballistic tearing strength	Force, required for extending a tear over a given length of fabric established from the energy absorbed in tearing at high speeds. It is usually conducted at shock loads using falling pendulum.
Balloon cloth	Closely woven high quality cotton fabric made from fine, combed yarns, in plain weave. It has uniform breaking strength in all directions. Constructions generally range from 92 x 108 to 116 x 128 with yarn counts from 60s to 100s. The uses include balloons, ready-made shirts, artificial flowers, typewriter ribbons, etc. When vulcanised, the cloth is used mainly for air cells in planes and barrage balloons.
Ballooning	Term used to describe the manifestation of semi-circled paths taken by yarns running at high speed during various operations like spinning, doubling, winding, etc. ? Incidence of deliberate or accidental entrapment of air, by a fabric during wet processing.
Ballooning eye	Yarn-guide, that forms the apex of a yarn balloon that manifests during the running of a yarn at high speed.
Ballotini	Very small reflective glass beads, which are sometimes incorporated into fabric as accessory.
Ball-warping	Winding of a group of warp ends in the form of a twistless rope and then making it into a ball, cheese or cake.
Balmoral	Sturdy, heavy, twill weave, woollen fabric of British in origin. Usually feature stripes in red, black, and grey colours.
Balsa fibre	Natural silky fibre of vegetable origin, obtained from the seed covering of the corkwood tree, 'ochroma lagopus', found in South America. The fibres find usage as stuffing for pillows.
Balustre fabric	Traditional golden fabric of very high quality, which had its origin in Vienna, Austria.
Bamboo	Giant woody grass 'bambusa', often reaching a height of forty feet or more, found in the tropical and subtropical regions. The fibres closely resemble those from straws in many of their characteristics. The average length of fibres stand between softwood and hardwood fibres.
Banana fibre	See Plantain fibre
Band	Close-fitting strip that confines material at the waist, neck, or cuff of clothing ? Term used to describe the weft-wise area in a fabric that extends across the full width and is different from the rest of the fabric.
Bandage cloth	Thin, very loosely woven cotton fabric. It looks like gauze and is normally in plain weave, bleached and sterilised. Sometimes made in linen also. Fabric is made available in rolls of various widths or in cut squares or other shapes in bundles, which find very wide usage in hospital needs.
Bandana	Cotton handkerchief fabric, having stylised discharge or resist printed patterns including spots, in bright colours, usually in red or navy, on white or dark ground.
Bandeau	Fillet or band especially made for the hair.
Banded laces	Group of narrow laces, in the form of bands or strips, which are used for trimming of garments. There are many types.
Bandhani	Process of patterning cloth by tie-and-dye, in which the design is reserved on the undyed cloth by tying small spots very tightly with thread to protect them from the dye. It is especially popular in the northern parts of India.
Banding fabrics	Group of woven, knit, or braided narrow fabrics, tapes or webbings. Used for manufacture of hatbands, neckbands, trimmings, and also as tying band for securing bundles, etc.
Band knife	Mechanical device, the main part of which is a mechanically driven endless moving blade, which passes through a slot in a table. The machine is used for cutting all together, many layers of fabric.
Bandolier	Belt worn over the shoulder and across the breast.
Bandle	Coarse, homespun, narrow linen fabric made on hand looms.
Band warping	See Pattern warping
Bane yarns	Group of yarns, usually man-made types, in its extruded form without any other yarn wrapped around it or other types of uncovered yarns.
Bangkok hat	Measure around base of the neck (the lowest point of the neck). Number of inches equals the neck size you should order.
Bangle	Stiff ornamental bracelet or anklet slipped or clasped on.
Bang Off	See Fine filling bar
Baniyan	Men's simple indoor jacket of Indian origin made from inexpensive cotton fabric.
Bank	Creel, which holds the package of sliver or yarn, employed to help increase the speed of unwinding.
Banner cloth	See Bunting
Bannockburn	Top quality tweed fabric in which, a single colour yarn is alternated with another yarn made of two colours. The alternated yarns are twisted together before weaving. The fabric is named after the Scottish town of Bannockburn that has long been the centre of an area producing this type of fabric, which is used for manufacture of suits and coats.
Bar	Fabric defect, which manifests as a bar effect that has developed a different colour from the adjacent fabric. The fabric or weft picks, which were normal prior to the weaving, might have got damaged or got contaminated during or subsequent to, the dyeing and finishing operations.
Baracan	Heavy, closely woven warp ribbed fabric, made with hard-twist worsted warp ends and weft picks. Sometimes, it is also made with silk or wool warp ends and mohair weft picks forming weft ribs. ? See also Camelot baracane
Barathea	Rich, soft-looking but hardwearing, fine textured fabric, having a slightly pebbled surface. It is closely woven, in plain or novelty twill weave, with slight diagonal-weave appearance and broken-rib effect. The fabric feels smooth to touch but has a granular or pebbled appearance. Usually made in silk, worsted, and also in man-made fibres, like viscose, acetate, etc. Used mainly for men's suit, women's coats and skirts. Its characteristic appearance, of cut off-grain, makes it a preferred fabric for men's dress ties and cummerbunds. The best types are found in fine botany worsteds, firm and compact in structure with a clean finish. The weave is a special form of twilled rib weave, which in combination with the fine setting produce a faintly indented fabric surface, with indistinct regular twill lines running in opposite directions. The weave employed can be simple or complex but the general effect achieved is similar. Classic styles are made from very fine barathea qualities.
Barb	Term used to describe the very minute scales seen on fur fibres.
Barbe	Mean length of the fibres of a sliver or of a roving calculated from the proportions by mass of the fibres in the sliver or roving. The term is normally used for long staple fibres, and particularly wool.
Barcelona handkerchief	Fine twill weave silk in square pieces and dyed in solid colours. The style has originated in Spain, where it used to be in fashion to wear it on the head or neck.
Bare cloth	Fabric, the surface of which is not raised, brushed, or napped to the required degree. ? Defective fabric; a fabric having a bad cover.
Bare face	Fabric that is finished without any nap.
Barége yarn	Fine, hand-spun yarn, used for the manufacture of gauze and veils.
Bar-fagoting	Open seam stitch, employed to join together seams, and also to impart an ornamental effect to ladies and children's garments. The stitch resembles ladders or small squares.
Bargello stitch	Vertical stitch, made from left to right over a given number of threads.
Bark cloth	? Fabric, which is finished with a surface texture resembling that of the bark of a tree. Used for furniture slipcovers, draperies, etc. ? Originally the term was used to describe the thin sheets of the inner bark of certain trees, which were employed for some kinds of textile related uses, though they are hardly a textile material as they are not woven, knit or made by similar operations.
Bark crêpe	Heavy, stiff crêpe fabric, having a rough texture, somewhat similar to the bark of a tree. It is usually made from viscose or polyester and used mainly for the manufacture of eveningwear.
Barlicorn fabric	Basket weave fabric, having diminutive geometrical shapes, with regular distribution of warp ends and weft picks.
Barmen Machine	Braiding machine, which is used for plaiting of threads with each other. It is sometimes employed on warp ends also, with the carriers being controlled by a Jacquard, according to the requirements of the pattern.
Barmen lace	Narrow lace, manufactured on a type of braiding machine, in which individual carrier movements are controlled by a patterning mechanism.
Barnsley finish	Combination finish, employed on medium or heavy linen fabrics made in twill weave. The finishing process comprise bleaching, light starching, medium calendering and a final hot water treatment on rollers. After the final drying the fabrics are pressed in single folds separated by pasteboards.
Barras	Coarse linen fabric very similar to sacking; originally produced in Holland.
Barré	Fabric defect, that manifests both in woven and knit fabrics. Barré is considered as a major defect: In woven fabric, the unintentional, repetitive visual pattern of continuous bars or stripes, observed usually parallel to the weft direction. In woven fabric, the stripe-like effect where one or more weft picks are characterized by an apparent difference in colour, lustre, or physical arrangement that is repeated at intervals across the warp direction, caused probably due to mechanical faults in the loom, or variations in lustre or dye absorption etc of yarns. In knit fabric, the unintentional, horizontal streaks or bands seen in the width wise direction of the fabric, caused by differences in yarn size, tension on yarns or fabric, colour, lustre or shrinkage, from one section of the cloth to the adjacent area. In knit fabric, the unintentional, ridge or mark seen running in lengthwise direction of the fabric, caused by variations in tension during knitting process, poor quality yarns and problems during the finishing process.
Barred	Fabric defect, which manifests as unintentional bar effect produced by stripes or bars extending crosswise in woven or knitted goods.
Barred twist yarn	Fancy yarn, produced by twisting together of two, two-plied yarns, in which either one or both may be printed.
Barrége	Very sheer fabric, made from wool and silk or cotton, originally made in Barége in the Pyrenees. It is solely used for veiling. Though it drapes well, it cannot withstand strain in wear. Unsuitable fabric for clothing.
Barrier fabric	Fabric that functions as a barrier to dust, dust mites and related allergens.
Barrier material	Substance, which is applied on non-woven geo textiles, to prevent movement of fluids across the plane of the fabric. The geo fabric is saturated with an impermeable barrier material, like 'bentonite clay'.
Bar tack	Intensely concentrated, zigzag stitch, forming a band 2 to 4 mm wide by 1 to 2 cm long, used for reinforcement at points of strain, e.g. pocket openings, crotch joins of inseams, placket edges, waistband seams, cuff seams, etc.
Bar-tack machine	Sewing machine specially designed for making bar tack stitches.
Bar-warp machine	Warp lace machine, in which the pattern control is similar to that of Leavers machine.
Bar wood	Natural organic dyestuff of vegetable origin; the reddish colour natural dye is obtained from the tree 'baphia nitida'.
Baryta	Alkaline compound in its purest chemical form. It is the textile standard for 100% pure white.
Base	Term employed to describe a group of alkaline chemicals, which when combined with an acid forms a salt. Bases find extensive usage in textile processing, like soap in scouring of cotton to dissolve grease, caustic soda in mercerising of cotton to plasticise the fibres, etc.
Base cloth	Woven fabric, which is incorporated within a needle-felt material, to enhance its dimensional stability and strength. In some cases, the base cloth is useful also in facilitating the punching operation.
Basic dyes	Group of dyes characterised by their outstanding brilliance and intensity. Some of the shades produced by these dyes have such clarity of hue, which no other class of dyes can achieve. These are cationic dyes that dissociate in an aqueous medium to give a positively charged coloured ion (cation) with affinity for fibres containing acidic groups. As these dyes have no affinity for cotton, it can be applied on cotton but only with the help of a tannin mordanting. Even then fastness achieved is just moderate only. The dyes can be applied without any mordant on wool and silk, but again the results are characterised more by brightness than by fastness. Specially developed basic dyes for acrylics are quite fast. Basic dyes are suitable for acrylic fibres, suitable for wool and silk fibres, but now the usage is declining, suitable for cotton, linen, viscose rayon, and cuprammonium rayon fibres, but lacks fastness and now obsolete.
Basic fabrics	Term used to describe all those practical, sensible and efficient fabrics that are woven by plain weave, twill weave or satin weave or knitted by warp-knitting or weft-knitting.
Basic finishes	Group of treatments or processes designed to alter or improve the surface appearance, function or texture of a fabric. Finishes play a significant part in the conversion of a textile material from the griege stage to merchandise saleable to the ultimate processor or consumer
Basine	Silk fabric, in which two sets of fine warp ends float over every two weft picks and interlace with the third.
Basin waste	Silk waste consisting of cocoons that could not be completely reeled because of too frequent breaks in the thread.
Basis weight of fabric	Mass per unit area of fabric, e.g. oz/sq. yd., g/m2.
Basket cloth	Fabric woven in basket weave. Hopsack, Monk's cloth and Oxford cloth are examples of basket weave construction.
Basket huckaback	Towel fabric, featuring characteristic deep hollows woven in huckaback weave. Usually made from unbleached linen.
Basket stitch	Embroidery stitch, which resembles a series of overlapping cross-stitches. Basket stitch is employed for outlining and for filling to create a solid heavy look. ? Knitted construction, made mostly with purl loops in the pattern courses to give it a basket weave look.
Basket weave	Variation of the plain weave construction, fashioned by treating two or more warp ends and/or two or more weft picks as one unit in the weaving process. The formation resembles a plaited basket. Yarns in a basket weave are laid into the woven construction flat, and maintain a parallel relationship. Both balanced and unbalanced basket weave fabrics can be produced. They wear well, but because of their surface characteristics, the fabrics cannot withstand chafing, friction, and abrasion. Hence their usage for apparels is somewhat limited to a few shirtings. Used exhaustively as decorative fabrics and for curtains
Basque	Tight-fitting bodice for women. ? Male doublets that extend below the waist
Basque Waist	Dropped waist, which starts at or just below the natural waistline, and dips in the centre creating a "V" shape.
Bast	Strong woody fibres obtained especially from various plants.
Baste	Temporary stitches, made either by hand or machine, to hold together the garment parts in the correct position for subsequent operations.
Bastard fabric	Fabric produced as a substitute, a copy or as an inferior version of any type of standard fabric. The general implication is that the bastard fabric does not possess all of the advantageous characteristics of the cloth it claims to copy
Bastard reed	Reed, in which the dent spacing at both sides are slightly greater than in the centre.
Bastard yarn	Yarn, which is spun with a harder twist than that of the normal weft picks, but not as hard as that of regular warp ends. Usually used for manufacture of plied yarns.
Bast fibre	Natural fibre, of vegetable origin, obtained from the inner fibrous bark of the stems of dicotyledonous plants. The fibre is long, strong, soft, but somewhat woody, e.g. flax, ramie, jute, hemp, pineapple forming, and sisal. Used mainly for cordage, matting and to a very lesser extent for fabrics. The plant structure is deformed by flattening the stem, loosening the bond between the fibre bundles and the wood, and breaking the woody part into short pieces, to facilitate their removal from the fibre by scutching. The process is called 'breaking'. Breaking by means of rollers is often referred to as 'rolling'.
Batch	Term used to describe a collection of material, which is to be treated as one unit.
Batch-curing	Operation, employed for curing of durable press garments, in which one batch is charged into the curing oven at a time.
Batching	Wet processing term used to describe the process of fixing dye onto fabric. In this operation the fabric is wound onto a roller after it has passed through a dye bath and kept the fabric damp at room temperature for twenty-four hours or longer.
Bateau neck	A high, wide, straight neckline that runs straight across the front and back, meeting at the shoulders; the same depth in the front and back.
Bath	Term used to describe the essential solution in which a chemical process is carried out.
Bathrobe cloth	Thick, warm, double-faced cotton fabric, woven with a tightly twisted warp and two sets of soft weft yarns, which often are napped or sheared to produce a soft, cuddly surface. Used mainly for bathrobes, and crib blankets.
Bath sheet	Terry textile product generally made with end hems or fringes and side hems or selvedges. The size is much larger than usually provided for a bath towel.
Bath towel	Terry textile product, with end hems or fringes and side hems or selvedges, which is used to dry a person's body after bathing or swimming
Batik	Traditional method of resist-dyeing, originated Indonesia, of produce discreet patterns/designs on a fabric with the help of wax/gum-resist and cold dyes. In this process, different portions of the fabric are covered with a coating of heated wax or gum to resist the dye. The fabric is then subjected to dyeing, during which the uncoated areas of the fabric only get dyed, as the coated wax or gum resist the dye. After dyeing, the wax or gum is removed by boiling the fabric in water. The process is repeated, as many times as there are colours in the design. The fabric usually achieves a veined, streaky or mottled appearance, where the dye has gone through the cracks in the wax. The technique can be successfully adapted for fabric printing also
Batik cloth	Fabrics dyed or printed by the batik method, which are usually labelled 'batik'. The characteristically colourful designs are usually large in size and are placed centrally and often feature borders too. Used for casual dresses, shirts, beachwear, etc. shaped mesh.
Batik wax	Normally a blend of 15% sticky wax and 85% paraffin wax. The paraffin creates the crackle effect in batik; to increase crackle, the percentage of paraffin wax is increased and to decrease crackle, the percentage of sticky wax is increased.
Batt	? Term employed to designate a carded lap of fibres. ? Single or multiple sheets of fibre used in the production of non-woven fabric.
Batten	Term used to describe a machine part of a loom. Batten is employed to beat the weft picks into place after it has been loosely shot through the shed by the shuttle. See also Plain net
Battery	Term used to designate a machine part of an automatic loom. The battery holds full bobbins or pirns of weft in vertical or circular housings, or holds shuttles in a vertical housing.
Batting	Soft, bulky textile stuffing or padding material made from various fibres consisting of a continuous web of fibres formed by carding, garnetting, air laying or other means. Used for stuffing, quilting, padding or other thermal applications.
Batting integrity	Ability of a textile filling material to resist distortion or change when subjected to multiple home launderings or dry-cleanings
Battle jacket	Single-breasted, waist length jacket used by the U.S. Army, which is actually part of the set of uniforms issued to the G.I.
Baulk finish	Combination finish employed on woollen material. The process includes light milling of the woollen material, in the grease, scouring, dyeing, stentering to width and light pressing.
Baumé	Name of the scale, employed for measurement of the relative density of liquids by hydrometry. The formula expresses the relationship between relative density, and degrees Baumé, for liquids more dense than water.
Bave
Bayadère	Plain or twill woven fabric, the main feature of which are the shocking, wacky and vibrant coloured stripes in the weft direction and black coloured warp ends. The stripes can be plain or patterned. Initially made from silk, it originated in India. Used for blouses, dresses, evening wear, etc.
Bayadère costume	Set of garments that comprise top garment in shocking and dazzling striped design, trousers decorated with bright beads, glistening stoles, delicate kerchiefs, cheap but sparkling jewellery, sequins, anklets, etc. It used to be originally worn by the professional dancing girls in India.
Bayko	Metallic, coated yarn, which find usage in weaving, knitting and embroidery. In this the cotton or silk thread core is covered with a coating of cellulose acetate solution, which has in it, dispersed fine particles of metals.
BCF yarn	Bulk-textured continuous filament yarn used mainly for construction of carpets or upholstery fabrics. Mostly nylon but can also be polypropylene or polyester.
Beachwear	Clothing for wearing at a beach.
Bead	In separate element zippers, an enlarged section on the inner edge of each tape to which interlockable elements are affixed. ? In continuous element zippers, an optional enlarged section of the tape located at the outer edge of the continuous interlockable elements and against which the slider flanges bear. .
Beaded fabric	Term used to describe fabric that is embellished with beads.
Beading	Variety of insertion laces or embroidery works having rows of holes through which ribbon is laced. ? See also Buttoning
Beading lace	Machine-made, narrow, insertion lace, having a row of openwork holes designed for the insertion of a decorative ribbon, which are often done by openwork hemstitching or faggot stitch, or may have slits for inserting ribbons.
Bead wrapping fabric	In tyre textiles, the rubber-coated cross-woven fabric, which is wrapped around a rubberised bead coil.
Bead yarn	Fancy yarn, having small bead like swellings of hardened gelatine or plastic materials on its surface at regular intervals.
Beam	Large metal cylinder, having flanges on both ends. It is used for the preparation of warp ends for weaving or warp-knitting operations. A multitude of warp ends are wound parallel on the beam, in such a way, that later it permit the removal of these yarns as a warp sheet for weaving or warp knitting. Fabrics also may be wound on beam.
Beam bar	Mandrel composed of at least two beams, which feed the warp-knitting machine.
Beam dyeing	Dyeing technique employed for the dyeing of warp ends of a fabric prior to weaving. The warp ends are wound on a perforated beam. The dyeing is carried out by placing the loaded beam inside the dyeing machine and then pumping the dye bath through the warp ends or the fabric from the centre of the beam outward and then from the outside yarn surface to the centre of the beam. The direction of flow of the dye bath is alternated continuously, at pre-determined intervals during the full dyeing cycle.
Beam-warping	Operation of winding a part of the total number of ends in full width on to a warp beam.
Bearded needle	In knitting, a needle, fashioned from one piece of spring steel, providing a long terminal hook or beard that can be flexed by an action called 'pressing'. When the pressure is released, the beard returns to its original position.
Bearers	In trousers, those sections that are fastened to side seams of some styles, to take the weight of the trousers when the fronts are opened.
Bearskin ;	Woollen fabric, usually bulky and weighty and has a hairy nap on the face side. Used mainly as an overcoating fabric. ? Military hat made of the skin of a bear.
Beating	Traditional method of finishing, in which a raised wool fabric is subjected to repeated manual beating with sticks, to impart some textural change on the fabric surface. Now, it is a mechanised process.
Beating-up	Term used to describe the basic motion, involved in weaving, by which the weft pick is forced into position in a fabric. The inserted weft yarn is pushed up against the fell of the cloth by the reed. >
Beauty ad	Modelling term, which refers to a full-face photograph such as, would be used for a magazine cover or ad for cosmetics
Beaver	Hat made of beaver fur.
Beaver cloth	Thick, warm, and expensive woollen coating fabric, finished with heavy napping and fulling, in order to simulate the original beaver fur. The fabric attains a kind of luxurious appearance and a somewhat silky feel. Often light coloured fibres added to nap to increase shine. It fairly resembles kersey fabric. Usually woven in a variety of weights in single or double satin weaves from high quality woollen yarns. The fabric has the highest nap of all the napped fabrics, the height of nap varying with the fabric and its end use. Originally an English fabric, now popular in Europe and the USA, it is used for overcoats and winter jackets for men and women. It is also made from cotton, mostly with napping on both sides. The cotton beaver is used for caps, shoe linings, workwear, maritime wear, etc.
Beaverteen	Piece-dyed fabric with a very high weft sett. It has a soft, short-raised finish on the back, and is heavier than imperial sateen. Used largely as heavy trousering material.
Beck	Top-open vessel, used for holding of processing baths, e.g. wash liquor, dye liquor etc.
Becke lines	Term used to describe the lines that come into view at the border of a microscope image of a fibre, due to the refraction at the fibre edge.
Bed	In sewing machine, the part below the material being sewn. It consists of a casting, which houses and provides mounting points for the moving parts inside.
Bed-covering	Textile product used on a bed, over the sheets for warmth and/or decoration.
Bedford cord	Heavy, firmly woven hardwearing fabric, having prominent rounded cords in the lengthwise direction, with well defined sunken lines between them. First made in New Bedford, America, hence its name. The characteristic narrow warp cords effect is produced by making use of a special cord weave structure. On the face of the cords, the weave is usually plain, but other weaves may also be used. Sometimes, wadding is used to accentuate the prominence of the cords. Traditionally made from wool or worsted, but for dress purposes, made also in cotton, silk, viscose and mixtures. It is made available in various weights and qualities. Used for suiting, coating, riding breeches, uniforms. As the fabric is very strong and highly durable, it is often used for upholstery and work clothes. Light Bedford cord is used for dresses, children's clothes, etc.
Bed linen	General term used for describing all those textile articles that find usage in a bed, like sheet, pillowcase, etc., but excluding blanket. Originally these articles used to be made from linen, but now, several of fibre types are employed.
Bed sheeting	Broad term used for all woven and knit fabrics that generally find usage as mattress covers, sheeting, pillowcases, etc.
Bedspread	General term used to describe the bedcovering that is placed over the blankets and sheets for appearance and/or warmth.
Beer	Term used to describe a definite number of warp threads, usually 40. A warp is said to consist of so many beers, e.g. 2000 ends would be 50 n beers. .
Beeswax	Wax used for batik as a resist; it doesn't crack much and melts at 120?F. It is usually mixed with paraffin to create a crackling effect
Beet	Tied bundle or sheaf of flax crop or straw.
Beetled fabric	A soft, full, closed, flat surfaced and lustrous finished cellulosic fabric, particularly linen or cotton. The finish is produced by a process called beetling.
Beetling	Mechanical finishing process, in which, the fabric, usually of cotton or linen, in damp condition is wrapped around a wooden or metal beam or roller, and is pounded repeatedly by wooden or metal mallets or fallers while it passes through the machine. The spaces between warp and filling are covered up and tend to produce a high gloss to the material.
Beggar's Inkle	Traditional narrow fabric constructed in linsey-wolsey weave.
Beggar's velvet	The term used to describe a velvet fabric, woven with linen or cotton warp ends and fine cotton weft picks. The piles are developed by the weft picks.
Beige	Variable colour averaging light greyish yellowish brown. ? Term used to describe the yarn or fabric in the natural state or in undyed and unfinished state. The beige colour attained by dyeing should not be confused with this. ? Loosely woven dress fabric, made in twill weave from worsted or cotton, which has not been subjected to any scouring, bleaching, dyeing or finishing operations.
Beige yarn	Yarn, made by employing any wool in its natural colour.
Belgian ticking	Strong fabric, made from linen or linen and cotton fibres, and woven in a satin face in stripes or jacquard design. Used for bedding and upholstery. .
Bellacosa	Brocaded silk fabric, having silver/ gold thread-work on it.
Bell-bottoms	Pants with wide flaring bottoms.
Bellies	Relatively coarse quality of wool fibre, obtained from the underside of the sheep.
Bellyband	Band around or across the belly, as a girth or a band.
Belt	Strip of flexible material worn especially around the waist; a girdle employed to hold the garment in place. Belts are usually made from strongly woven or knit narrow fabrics .
Belting	General term that covers all forms of belts, and rolls of material from which belts are made up, that are designed for textile and other industrial and mechanical uses. ? In the case of tyre textiles, two or multiples of two, layers of tyre-cord fabric beneath the tread, lying at opposite angles close to the circumferential direction, with or without an additional layer with cord angle at 90° to the circumferential direction. Its purpose is to brace the carcase of a radial-ply tyre to stabilize and control its directional properties. ? Belts for industrial and mechanical purposes, are made from heavy fabrics, made from plied yarns impregnated with rubber compounds and adhesive gums. Wide ranges of constructions and widths are possible. High tenacity polyester and nylon are favoured fibres.
Belt loop	Term used to describe a garment part. A loop made of fabric or thread, which is sewn on to the waist part of the garment. The degree of fit is made adjustable by means of a belt drawn through the loop or loops.
Belwarp fabric	Fine worsted dress-fabric, made in a corkscrew twill weave and done in a clear finish.
Bemberg	Fabric made from yarns that have been subjected to bembergize finish
Bembergize	Combination finish employed on woollen and worsted yarns, to impart it a kind of high lustre. Apart from the high lustre achieved, the yarn goes finer and elongates by approximately one third of the original length. The process comprise a treatment of the yarn in a sodium bisulphate bath at a high temperature, during which, the yarn is kept under mechanical tension to prevent shrinkage, and then boiling for sometime in a weak mineral acid under minimum tension for relaxation, followed by a rinsing in water.
Benares	Lightweight woven cotton or silk fabric, produced in originally in Benares, India. Its main characteristic is the incorporation of glossy metallic threads, often in border design
Bending length	Measure of the interaction between the fabric weight and fabric stiffness, as shown by the way in which a fabric bends under its own weight. It reflects the stiffness of a fabric when bent in one plane under the force of gravity, and is a vital component of fabric drape.
Bengaline	Durable medium weight fabric, made in plain weave, with a warp-rib or corded effect, which is achieved by selecting suitable thickness and setting of warp ends and weft picks, or appropriate warp-rib weaves or a combination of both. The round and raised ribs often contain a wool or cotton wefts, which would not show. The cloth is usually 40" wide. The fabric had its origin in the Bengal area of India, and hence the name. It is mostly made from cotton, worsted, silk or man-made continuous filaments, and also in their combinations. Used for suits, millinery, trims, bouffant dresses with a tailored look and ribbons. Grosgrain and Petersham fabrics are made by cutting bengaline, to ribbon widths. Also used for curtains and draperies.
Bent-handled shears	Pair of scissors, having their blades angled, in such a way, that it can cut a fabric which is laid flat.
Benzine	Basic aromatic petrochemical, which is the raw material used in the production of a nylon polymer from which nylon fibre is spun.
Benzoate	Benzoate fibre made and marketed for mainly for the manufacture of women's wear
Berber	Term that was originally used to describe hand-spun, and hand-woven, African carpets with simple tribal motifs. However, now the term is commonly used to describe mechanically produced carpets made of natural colour wools or dyed wools, which have a homespun appearance.
Beret	Soft circular visor-less cap, made in wool, with a tight headband and a soft full flat top. Originally used by military personnel, it became popular and fashionable.
Berlin	Term used to describe a fine grade wool rags.
Berlin canvas	Canvas specially made for usage in embroidery work.
Berlin silk	Hard, round, smooth, high-twist silk yarn specially made for crocheting.
Bertha	Wide round collar covering the shoulders.
Bespoke	Term used to describe textile articles, which are made to order from an individual or from an organization.
Beta-naphthol	Chemical employed as a developer, in the application of developed dyes on cellulosic materials.
Beutanol finish	Chemical finish applied on cellulosic fabrics to enhance their pliability, hand and most importantly to make them flame-resistant, waterproof, stain-proof and dust proof. Fabrics are subjected to a number of repeated coatings with vinyl plastic. Usually the fabrics are dyeing with vat dyes precedes the coating process.
Bevel-woven fabric	Woven fabric, in which bowing of warp ends, is introduced intentionally.
BHT yellowing	A fabric defect observed occasionally on fabrics finished with butylated hydroxy toluene. The blemish manifests as an unsightly discolouration on the fabric. A volatile phenolic compound in BHT has a propensity to react with airborne nitrous compounds, which results in discolouration on the fabric.
Bias	? Any direction in the fabric, which does not exactly flow in the direction of the weft, yarn (vertical yarns) or warp yarns (horizontal yarns) of a fabric. A true bias makes an angle of 45? across the length and width of a fabric; fabric cut on a bias has maximum stretch. ? Term used to describe a diagonal line across a fabric. ? See also Cut on the bias; On the bias; True bias .
Bias-belted tyre	Tyre reinforced with layers of tyre cord fabric arranged alternately so that the main load bearing yarns lie at an angle of less than 90° to the plane in which the tyre rotates and yarns of adjacent layers cross each other.
Bias binding	Term used to describe textile materials, made by cutting a woven wide fabric, at an oblique or slanting direction to the warp and weft. Most bias bindings have regularly spaced joints determined by the width of the original wide fabric, but when bias bindings are converted from tubular knit fabric, joints are avoided. Bias bindings do stretch but do not fray, and they are thus suitable for binding seams and they conform to curved contours. Bias bindings are usually folded into the centre, but other folded patterns and flat versions are also produced.
Bias Cut	Cutting operation carried out at an oblique angle to the warp and weft, i.e. a cut across the grain of the fabric; the invention of which is attribute to Madeline Vionnet. The cut is employed to create garments that follow the body curves closely.
Bias tape	Tape produced by cutting on the bias, lengthy pieces from a wide fabric. The cut lengths are folded so that the raw edges are inside the fold. Used for binding the edges of a fabric and also for providing agility while rounding the corners of garments.
Bias weave	Diagonal weave, used in single cloth construction, in which one or more sets of warp ends extend diagonally between the selvedges. The weave is used for chair caning and tire cords. ? See also Triaxial weaving
Bi-axial fabric	Fabric, made in warp-knit construction, in which additional, substantially straight, vertical (warp) threads and horizontal (weft) threads are inserted throughout the length and width of the fabric.
Bi-component fibre	Manufactured filament fibre formed by spinning simultaneously from one spinneret and joining together of two polymers which are chemically different, physically different, or both. Fusing together, during spinning, of two filaments of dissimilar chemical compositions, result in a bi-component fibre possessing some special physical characteristics. The chemically and physically different components react differently when subjected to heat or moisture. On heating, one side of the fibre shrinks more than the other, thus giving the bi-component filament with a high degree of crimp stretchability. The nature of this crimp is similar to that given by wool and is different from the mechanically induced crimps. There are many types of bi-component fibres. ? Alternative method of production is from polymers having differing solubilities, in which, one polymer may be dissolved out later to leave ultra-fine filaments, e.g. the production of suede-like fabrics. ? See also Bi-lateral fibre; Natural bi-component fibre
Bi-component fibre texturing	Continuous filament thermoplastic yarn composed of bi-component fibres is subjected to a hot and/or wet process whereby differential shrinkage is developed.
Bi-component fibre yarn	Yarn made from bi-component fibres.
Bi-component yarn	Yarn, made from two different types of man-made staple fibre components or two different types of continuous filament components or one type of staple fibre component and another type of continuous filament component. ? There are many types of bi-component configurations. Some of the more popular compositions are: (a) two-ply staple yarns, in which the individual components are different, (b) two-ply continuous filament yarns, in which the individual components are different, (c) yarns in which a filament yarn is twisted with a staple fibre yarn, (d) filament blend yarns, where two or more single-component filaments are spun in the same operation or core-spun yarns, (e) wrapped yarns, or other core-sheath configurations.
Bi-conical package	Yarn package made in conical shape, in which the traverse length is progressively reduced, to produce tapered or rounded ends. The package is referred to as 'tapered cone' or 'pineapple cone'.
Bi-constituent fibre	Deprecated term. The preferred term is 'bi-component fibre' or 'bi-generic fibre'.
Bicorne	Cocked hat.
Big 'E'	Jeans made by Levi Strauss before 1971 in which the 'E' on the Levi tag was a capital.
Bi-generic fibre	See Bi-component fibre
Biggin	Child's cap; a nightcap.
Bight	Distance from the edge of a fabric or fabrics, at which the needle-thread penetrates in an over-edge seam construction.
Bike tards	Close-fitting, one-piece garment from the top of the torso to the hem of the shorts.
Bikini	Women's scanty two-piece swimwear; it has less material then a one-piece bathing suit.
Bikini cut mannequin	Female mannequin with a removable leg and the break or cut line is close to the pubis area and thus will be successfully hidden by the bottom of a bikini swimsuit. A more natural look for displaying abbreviated swimwear, sportswear and lingerie.
Bi-laminate fabric	Fabric formed by the bonding of two separate fabrics together.
Bi-lateral fibre	A man-made filament fibre, composed of two generic fibre types or two variants of the same generic fibre extruded simultaneously in a side-by-side relationship.
Billiard cloth	High quality merino wool fabric, with good substance and body, very even and smooth, woven in plain or two-up and one-down twill weave and heavily milled with a fibrous finish; reed set in at 144" and finished at about 72". Normally dyed in green colour and sometimes in red also, for covering billiard or card tables.
Binca cloth	Very distinct embroidery fabric, made in a wide range of colours. It is characterised by the fairly large square holes between the blocks of threads. Used as a beginner's embroidery fabric.
Binche lace	Lace fabric in which lace motifs are appliquéd to a machine-made ground net, giving it a snowflake effect. Originally made in Binche of Belgium; hence the name.
Binder	In non-woven fabrics, the adhesive material used to hold together the fibres. ? In pigment printing or dyeing, the group of products employed, which serve as cement or adhesive to hold pigments to a fabric. ? Solid ingredients in paint coating that hold the pigment particles in suspension and attach them to a substrate. Consists of resins (e.g., oils, alkyd, latex). The nature and amount of binder determine many paint properties: washability, toughness, colour retention, and adhesion, etc.
Binder warp	Additional warp end, employed in double fabrics or multiple fabrics, which join the face and the back threads of the structure.
Binder weft	Additional weft pick, employed in double fabrics or multiple fabrics, which join the face and the back threads and hold them in place.
Binding	Narrow fabric, woven, braided or knitted, which is used to protect, support, or improve the appearance of a seam or edge. There are many types of bindings.
Binding point	Method of interlacing threads, used for joining the layers of compound fabrics, like double cloth or consolidating single structures, like hopsack etc.
Bio-compatibility	Compatibility with living tissue or a living system by not being toxic or injurious.
Bio-degradable	Any material that can be broken down by bacteria in a natural way that is considered not hazardous to the environment.
Biological Oxygen Demand	Measure of pollution by oxygen-consuming organic materials in an effluent stream.
Bird's eye backing	Weft-knitted rib jacquard fabric, the reverse side of which is characterised by courses in which knit and float loops of one colour alternate with knit and float loops of another, within and between successive courses
Bird's eye defect	Fabric defect, in knit fabric. The defect is classified as major or minor, depending on the severity. The defect manifest as unintentional tucking, usually caused by a bent latch on the latch needle or by the needle not being raised to the proper height for the old loop to be cast off. Usually two small distorted stitches, side by side.
Bird's eye effect	Salt and pepper colour effect on the back of a double knit fabric.
Bird's eye fabric	? Smooth, clear-finished fabric, made with cotton, linen or viscose or blend of viscose staple and cotton. The fabric is woven on a dobby loom in small geometric patterns of uniform spots that has a centre point that suggest a bird's eye, and hence the name. The small dimples or indentations of diamond-shaped figures, each with a dot in the centre, are fashioned by the weave and colours on the surface of the fabric. Sometimes made also from worsteds. The fabric is very soft, lightweight, and absorbent. It is woven with a loosely twisted filling to increase absorbency. Used for fine quality suiting for men and women. Also 'novelty' Birdseye effects used as summer dress fabrics. ? Cotton diaper cloth made in a bird's eye weave. ? Knitted fabric, having on its face a salt and pepper effect, which is achieved by employing a special type of knitting technique.
Bird's eye weave	Weave, in which weft picks are made to float over warp ends in a set structure, which fashions a diamond shaped design having a central spot that resembles a bird's eye.
Birefringence	In anisotropic materials, the property, that manifests itself as the splitting of a light ray into components having different vibration directions, which are transmitted at different velocities.
Braided yarn	Intertwined yarn containing two or more strands
Braid-effect weave	Weave that bestows the appearance of a braid on the fabric
Biretta	Square cap with three ridges on top worn by clergymen.
Biscuit	Term sometimes used to describe a light greyish yellowish brown colour
Biscuit package	Yarn package, wound in the form of narrow cylindrical cheese. Many such cheeses of yarn are wound, on a single former, side by side but not touching each other.
Bio-polishing	Treatment of cellulose fibre substrates, with a cellulase enzyme under acid or neutral pH conditions to remove surface hairiness, decrease fabric weight and improve fabric properties.
Bi-shrinkage Yarn	A yarn containing two different types of filament, which have different shrinkages.
Bisu	Term used to describe, the waste silk that remains on the cocoons at the bottom of the basin after reeling.
Bi-voltine silk	Silk produced by bi-voltine silkworm, which produces two generations or two crops of cocoons per year.
Black	Achromatic colour of least lightness characteristically perceived to belong to objects that neither reflect nor transmit light.
Black felt	Felt, manufactured in various shades of black colour.
Blackjack Staple	Natural fibre of vegetable origin, obtained from the leaves of caryota palm. The smooth, glossy, and dark coloured, leaf fibre, find usage sometimes as substitute for horsehair fibre.
Blacklight clear	Printing process, in which specialty inks are used to design looks that are virtually colourless under normal lighting conditions but when viewed in dark it emits a distinct glow.
Black superfine	Fine grade of woollen suiting fabric, having a firm soft hand and lustrous finish, usually produced in black colour. The fairly heavy, fulled, napped and sheared fabric is used mainly for men's eveningwear.
Black wool	Term used to describe any wool that is not white, but not necessarily black. Stock that is grey or brown in colour is classed as black wool.
Black work	Embroidery work done with black coloured threads on a white fabric.
Blaky selvedge	General term used to describe, several defects related to selvedge, like usage of incorrect yarn ply or yarn count, unevenly twisted yarn, crowding of selvedge ends in the reed, poor harness timing, harness skips, poor temple setting, etc.
Blank	Term used in weaving parlance, to describe an empty intersection in the graph paper design of a weave. In the design, when the warp end goes under the weft pick, it is depicted by an empty intersection.
Blanket	Thick un-quilted fabric piece in oblong shape, used as a bed accessory, meant to keep oneself warm during sleeping. Named after Thomas Blanket, an English weaver who originally envisaged a fabric for thermal insulation. See also Blanket cloth; Conventional blanket; Flocked blanket; Non-woven blanket; Thermal blanket
Blanket cloth	General term used to describe a broad group of soft hand, dense, fulled, wide-width fabrics, finished with heavy napping on both sides. Usually made from wool, cotton, man-made fibres or their various blends, in plain or twill weave; the warmest are made from worsteds. Though originally meant for blankets, now they are extensively used for manufacturing of dressing gowns, overcoats, casual coats, shawls, stoles, rugs, etc.
Blanket mark	Fabric defect, which manifests on the fabric as a distortion of surface texture due to some area of fabric getting crimpled, rippled, wavy, pebbled, or cockled.
Blanket plaid	Fabric design comprising big, vibrantly coloured, plaid designs, such as those often found on blankets.
Blanket range	Term used to describe a length of fabric used for sampling. Woven in sections, it shows a series of filling patterns or colours, all on the same set of warp. Each of the woven section often may be only few inches long. The blanket range helps the buyer to select the design patterns and colour choices.
Blanket stitch	Overcast stitch that resembles the buttonhole stitch, but done wide apart on the edges textile articles, like blankets, which are too thick to hem.
Blazer	Long-sleeved sports jacket with lapels; often with notched collar and patched pockets.
Blazer cloth	Flannel or melton fabric, used for blazers, made mainly from wool and sometimes from wool blends or mixtures also. Traditionally a striped design, but now made in plain colours too. Usually the fabric is subjected to light milling or given slight napping on right side of fabric. The fabric is ideal for blazers, because it needs no lining.
Bleaching	Wet processing operation carried out on textile materials, in an aqueous medium either in preparation for dyeing and finishing or to obtain clean whites in finished material. Bleaching substantially improves the cleanliness of the textile material by decolourising it from the grey state, dissolving the natural pectins, waxes, small particles of foreign matter and warp sizing, and most importantly it increasing the ability of the textile material to absorb dyestuffs more readily and uniformly. Peroxide or chlorine compounds are usually used for bleaching agents.
Bleaching agent	Chemical substance, which is capable of removing the natural colouring matter, other impurities, blemishes, etc. present in textile materials. It cleans, brightens, and also assists in the removal of soils and stains from textile materials by oxidation, leaving the textile material clean and considerably lighter in colour. The common bleaches include chlorine, peroxide, and reducing agents such as sulphites
Bleaching powder	Term used to describe chlorinated lime, a chemical reagent, employed for bleaching of cellulosic fibres. ? See also Chemic
Bleeding checks	Yarn-dyed, plain weave fabric, having multi colour check designs, the colours of which can be made to run or bleed in wet treatments. The running or bleeding of colours that occur during wet processing operations cause tinting on the balance parts of the fabric. Though running or bleeding of colour is not considered a desired fabric property, in this case the defect is made to manifest as an effect of fashion statement. An immensely popular fabric, it is used extensively for casual dresses, e.g. 'Bleeding Madras Fabric'.
Blend	Term used to describe a mixture of dissimilar fibres in any fibrous assembly such as sliver, yarn or fabric. Blend is an intimate combination of fibre types before or during spinning so that individual yarns contain two or more different fibres. Polyester/cotton, cotton/viscose, etc. are examples of typical blends. ? There are many reasons to resort to blending of dissimilar fibres, and these reasons may individually or in combination: (a) ensuring economic viability is the reason, when a cheap fibre type is blended with a more expensive fibre type, to reduce the cost of the resultant fabric, (b) taking advantage of the combination properties of different fibre types is the reason, when no single fibre type is ideal, when a compromise of a blend of two or more fibre types is used by which each fibre type is made to contribute something to the whole and (c) ascribing decorative or colour effects to the fabric is the reason, when different fibre types are blended each of which has a distinctive appearance, lustre or texture, and varying affinities for dyes. ? Generally a quantity of less than 10% of a different additional fibre type, used in a blend, will have little noticeable effect. The effect above 10 % depends on the textural and handling differences between the main fibre type used and the different additional fibre type, but it is very rare that less than 15 % of the different additional fibre will show any marked difference in economy, texture, or strength improvement. Above 20 % the handle and appearance of the different additional fibre begin to be noticeable.
Blended fabric	Fabric, which has blended yarns in either the warp or the weft or in both. ? See also Mixture fabric
Blended filament yarn	Fabric, in which two dissimilar filament types, which are made in two separate fibre extrusion processes, are combined to make one filament yarn.
Blended yarn	Yarn, which contains more than one fibre type or a yarn combination in which there are dissimilar component yarn types, particularly with respect to fibre types and filament types. See also Combination yarn See also Self-blended yarn
Blending	Term used to describe a preparatory operation carried out in the blow room in the textile yarn-spinning mill, in which partial quantities of similar or dissimilar staple fibres from different lots are mixed together intimately to attain uniform results. ? Term used to describe the process of producing a blend, by mixing of different fibres in definite proportion to get an end product having the cumulative advantages of its constituents.
Blind	Term used in conjunction with a load or lot. Blind lots are not manifest ed. Usually a blind load/ lot gives a general idea of contents, but it will not be a guarantee.
Blind hem	Hemming, in which the stitches are placed between the hem allowance and the outside of the garment.
Blinding	Noticeable, undesirable loss of lustre of fibres caused by wet processing. ? In geotextile, the blocking of soil particles on its surface. Such blinding results in reduced hydraulic conductivity of the geotextile.
Blind stitch	Stitch, done either by hand or by machine, which does not go right through the fabric. The stitch would not show on the face side of the fabric.
Blind twill	Twill fabric, in which the twill lines are indistinct.
Blister	Fabric defect, which manifest as bulge, swelling or similar surface condition on either the face fabric or the backing fabric characterised by the fabric being raised from the plane of the underlying component over a limited area to give a puffy appearance. Usually observed in bonded, fused or laminated fabrics.
Blister-crêpe finish	Combination finish, usually applied on combed fine cotton fabrics to impart them a blistery surface. The finish is developed on the fabric by subjecting the fabric to partial shrinkage by the usage of caustic soda.
Blister fabric	General term to describe fabrics with a blister on the surface. The blister may be created by many different methods such as printing with caustic soda or other chemicals, by weaving together yarns under different tension, or by weaving together yarns with different shrinkage properties. ? See Relief fabric
Blistering	Formation of dome-shaped lumps in paints or varnish films resulting from local loss of adhesion and lifting of the film from the underlying surface.
Blister knit	Knitted fabric that has an irregular raised surface, that gives the impression of blisters or swellings. The blisters, which give the special surface texture, are formed during the knitting of special yarns on selected cylinder needles only. A base yarn is employed to knit on dial and cylinder needles to form the base fabric.
Blitz	Light to medium weight woven fabric, often found with a very fine crosswise rib, made from filament warp ends and spun weft picks. Often used blends are acetate/viscose and polyester/viscose.
Block	Printing block, made from wood, metal or linoleum, which are engraved with patterns. The block is employed for block printing. Some blocks are carved by hand and some are produced mechanically by photographic methods.
Block copolymer	Term used to describe chemical compounds, which when applied on textile materials, absorbs the ultraviolet in light and re-emits it in the visible spectrum, mostly in a bluish and rarely in violetish cast. ? Chemical constituents employed in detergents and washing powders for brightening the whiteness of washed textile materials. .
Block copolymer	Copolymer, in which the repeating units in the chain occur in blocks. ? See also Copolymer; Graft polymer
Block-creeling	Term used in weaving parlance to describe the process of simultaneously replenishing all the supply packages. Term is used to describe the process of laying out flat, a garment after washing and re-shaping it while still damp to regain its original size.
Blocking	Term used to describe the accidental adhesion between contacting surfaces of coated fabrics during storage or use.
Block pattern	Template containing the basic shapes of pattern, upon which design details can be superimposed.
Block printing	Method of hand-printing, making use of wood, metal or linoleum blocks. The design is carved on the blocks, one block for each colour. The dye is applied to the block, which is then pressed or hammered against the fabric.
Blonde lace	Expensive silk lace, having floral designs, with characteristic boldly defined holes in the flower heads.
Blood	Term used in connection with various fractions (1/2 blood, 3/4 blood, Full blood, etc.) to denote the percentage of merino blood in a certain sheep. The grading is broadly used for any wool, which is the same grade as wool from sheep with a blood designation.
Bright yarn	? General term used to describe man-made filaments, which are very lustrous. These contain no or only very little delustrant. Fabric defect, which sometimes crops up in fabrics made from man-made fibres. The defect manifests on the fabric surface as warp ends or weft picks of higher lustre than the adjacent yarns, which is usually caused by irregularity in the processing of yarns, like uneven distribution of delustrant, or because of accidental mixing up of yarns of different delustrant contents
Blood-red	Term used to describe the colour of blood.
Bloom	Term used to designate a type of surface paleness observed, when a coloured textile material is viewed overhand.
Bloomer	Costume for women consisting of a short skirt and long loose trousers gathered closely about the ankles. Full loose trouser gathered at the knee. Underpants gathered at the knee, worn by girls.
Blond	Term used to describe a flaxen, golden, light auburn, or pale yellowish brown colour.
Blot	Printing defect, which manifests as an area of uniform colour, shows up incorrectly, in a printed design. The defect is often caused by the colour paste accidentally falling on to the fabric, or by the contamination from printing rollers or a screen.
Blotch	Fabric defect, which manifests as an irregularly shaped, off-coloured area on the fabric, caused mostly by grease or oil.
Blotch print	Term used to describe, the broad background area of a solid colour, in a printed fabric design. The ground colour is usually dyed, not printed. The detail colours are applied by employing print rollers or print screens.
Blouse	Loose-fitting garment that covers the body from the neck to the waist and is worn especially by women.
Blouse form	Armless and headless, bust defined mannequin, which ends just below the waistline. It may be equipped with an adjustable up-and-down rod and a decorative base. It is used to display ladies blouses, sweaters and sometimes jackets.
Blouson	Garment, as a dress, having a close waistband with blousing material over it.
Blowing	Operation of blowing dry steam through a fabric, to settle it and take away the curliness from the yarns.
Blown finish	Term used to describe a group of fabrics, made in widths of 45 cm or more. They are wider than narrow fabrics like ribbons, tapes, etc.
Broadloom	Finish, developed on a fabric, usually woollen. The process includes blowing of dry steam through the woollen fabric, which is wound with an interlacing cotton fabric, on a perforated roller.
Blow-room	Term used to describe a department in a cotton-spinning mill, where the preparatory processes of opening, cleaning and blending are carried out.
Blow-room operations	Series of operations carried out in the blowroom of a spinning mill of cotton or other short staple fibres
Blue	In textile parlance, the colour having a hue of the clear sky or that of the portion of the colour spectrum lying between green and violet.
Blue bonnet	Traditional Scottish wide flat round cap made of blue wool.
Blueing	? Method employed to neutralise the slightly yellow cast of cotton fabrics, which are not fully or properly bleached. The neutralisation comprises application of a blue or reddish-blue dyestuff on the fabric. ? Term is sometimes used also to describe the dyestuff, used for the bluing process.
Bluette	Weft-faced fabric, woven 2/2 twill weave. Originally made from dyed yarns blue colour, but now piece-dyed versions also are made. Used mainly for overalls.
Bluish	In textile parlance a colour, which is somewhat blue. Having a tinge of blue.
Blue jeans	Term used to describe pants usually made of blue denim
Blue-white finish	Fabric finish, in which a small amount of bluing is applied on the fabric after bleaching. The finish helps to neutralise the slightly yellowish appearance of not fully or properly bleached cotton.
Bluff edges	Term used to describe the edges that have been finished without outside stitching.
Bluffing	Term employed, in garment manufacture, to describe the practice, of fastening down the front edge of facings on to the forepart canvas to preserve the shape of edges finished without outside stitching.
Blush	Term used to describe the very attractive creamy white colour and sheen possessed by certain cotton fibres. In textile parlance, a colour of red or rosy tint
Boa	Long fluffy scarf of fur, feathers, or delicate fabric.
Boarding	Mechanical finish, usually employed on hose or other knit garments, to confer them the desired shape, size or both. The article after scouring, bleaching and dyeing, in a moist or arid condition, is subjected to drying on a specially shaped former, either by heating the former internally or by placing it between two steam-heated platens.
Boardy	Term used to describe a board-like handle, of woven and knit fabrics, because of their solidity or tautness. In knit fabrics, this condition is usually caused by stitches being too tight or yarn being too thick.
Boater	Stiff hat usually made of braided straw with a brim, hatband, and flat crown.
Bobbin	Term used to describe the spool-like core, made of cardboard or plastic, on which yarn is wound, during various operations in spinning. It has a hole in the centre so that it may fit upon a spindle or other holding devices. ? Term used to describe the spool-like device upon which weft yarn is wound for use in a shuttle during weaving. The bobbin sets in the shuttle and carries the yarn across the loom. ? Term used to describe, the small tube-like metal receptacle, with or without flanges, that holds the under-thread of a lockstitch sewing machine. It fits into a bobbin case below the metal plate beneath the needle
Bobbinet	Fine net fabric characterised by its hexagonal meshes. Originally made by hand with bobbins, it is now a machine-made lace from various types of fibres. Used for gowns, foundations, and dresses and also as a base for embroidered and appliquéd laces.
Bobbinet Machine	Lace machine, in which the threads in brass bobbin borne in carriages, in pairs in tandem in each comb space, swing in pendulum fashion between vertical warp threads in planes at right angles to the warp sheet and progressively traverse across the whole width of the machine and return.
Bobbin lace	Hand-made lace, produced by the twisting and crossing of threads that are fed from bobbins and worked into a pattern, pricked on a parchment or a card pinned down to a pillow. As it is being worked, the lace is secured in position by the insertion of pins into the pillow.
Bobbin net	Hole-mesh fabric. Originally plain net, it is now commonly made on warp knitting machines. Used for bridal veils, mosquito nets and also as a foundation for embroidery.
Bobbling	Term used to describe the unpleasant appearance acquired by a used garment, due to regular wear and repeated refurbishing which manifest as tiny fibre-ends sticking out on all over the surface of the fabric.
Bobby socks	Term used to describe girls' short white socks reaching above the ankle.
Bodice	Term used to describe the section of a woman's garment, covering the body from neck to waist.
Bodkin	Pointed instrument for piercing holes in cloth. Needle, having a blunt point and a large eye for drawing tape, elastic, etc. through a hem, etc. Tool, used for removal of bastings, made from bone or plastic.
Body	Term employed to describe, the dense, solid, or firm hand, of certain textile fabrics. Term used to describe the area of woven fabric between the selvedges. See also Hood
Body carpet	Un-bordered carpet in piece form, which may be plain or patterned.
Body dimensions	Garment-related expression. In the case of garment construction, the set of body measurements, which are employed to develop either a sizing system or to select an appropriately sized garment.
Bobbin	Term used to describe the spool-like core, made of cardboard or plastic, on which yarn is wound, during various operations in spinning. It has a hole in the centre so that it may fit upon a spindle or other holding devices. ? Term used to describe the spool-like device upon which weft yarn is wound for use in a shuttle during weaving. The bobbin sets in the shuttle and carries the yarn across the loom. ? Term used to describe, the small tube-like metal receptacle, with or without flanges, that holds the under-thread of a lockstitch sewing machine. It fits into a bobbin case below the metal plate beneath the needle
Bobbinet	Fine net fabric characterised by its hexagonal meshes. Originally made by hand with bobbins, it is now a machine-made lace from various types of fibres. Used for gowns, foundations, and dresses and also as a base for embroidered and appliquéd laces.
Bobbinet Machine	Lace machine, in which the threads in brass bobbin borne in carriages, in pairs in tandem in each comb space, swing in pendulum fashion between vertical warp threads in planes at right angles to the warp sheet and progressively traverse across the whole width of the machine and return.
Bobbin lace	Hand-made lace, produced by the twisting and crossing of threads that are fed from bobbins and worked into a pattern, pricked on a parchment or a card pinned down to a pillow. As it is being worked, the lace is secured in position by the insertion of pins into the pillow.
Bobbin net	Hole-mesh fabric. Originally plain net, it is now commonly made on warp knitting machines. Used for bridal veils, mosquito nets and also as a foundation for embroidery.
Bobbling	Term used to describe the unpleasant appearance acquired by a used garment, due to regular wear and repeated refurbishing which manifest as tiny fibre-ends sticking out on all over the surface of the fabric.
Bodysuit	Close-fitting one-piece garment for the torso.
Body trunk mannequin	Torso mannequin form, which starts above the waistline and continues down to just below the knees and is used to show shorts, underwear, swimwear, etc.
Bohemian ticking	Very closely woven, ticking fabric, usually made in plain weave. The fabric construction is feather-proof and down-proof. Used for the manufacture of feather and down filled pillows, quilts, cushions, etc.
Boiled wool	Woven or knitted fabric, having a coarse, crêpy surface texture. The fabrics are made from wool or wool blends and the fabric texture is developed by heavy felting or by treating them in a high temperature bath.
Boiling	Practice of leaving fabric or garment containing wool or animal hair, in boiling water so that the original fabric construction is obscured by the felted surface. ? Some times used to describe boiling-off.
Boiling-off	Term used to describe an operation, which is a vital step in the wet processing and finishing of textile materials, especially cotton, linen, etc. This is a preparatory process carried out before the bleaching and dyeing. The process comprise of the boiling of textile material in a solution of caustic soda, soda ash, soap or synthetic detergents, wetting agents, etc. During boiling-off, almost all of natural gums, waxes, sizing material, if any, and other impurities from the textile materials are removed and the absorbency of the material is substantially improved. ? See also Scouring; Kiering, Degumming
Bolivia	Rich, soft, swishy, thick, firm, high quality fabric, made of wool, and often containing a small amount of special fibres, such as alpaca or mohair. A closely woven fine textured fabric, usually woven in '3 up and 3 down' twill weave, it has a cut pile surface with a diagonal pattern, and is made in light, medium and heavy weights. The piles are cut in ribs running in the warp direction. The fabric is used mainly as suiting, cloaking, etc.
Bollies	Term used to describe, the undeveloped and irregular cotton fibres, obtained from bolls that are half open and/or small.
Bolo tie	Cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie
Boll weevil	Insects that are the most serious pest confronting cotton farming.
Bolting cloth	Lightweight open fabric, with very fine and uniform meshes, which is achieved by the accurate spacing of both warp ends and weft picks, during weaving. The weave employed is usually, is simple leno or any other non-slip construction in order to ensure the uniformity of the mesh size. Mostly used for screen-printing, sieving of flour, etc.
Bolton sheeting	Medium weight, closely woven, 2/2 twill-weave sheeting fabric, employing condenser yarns as weft pick.
Bombazine	Traditional English fabric; one of the oldest fabrics known. A lustrous, dress-weight, plain or twill weave fabric made with silk warp and fine worsted weft. Imitations are made in viscose and cotton. It is normally piece-dyed in black, but also dyed to other colours. It was originally an all-silk fabric. Used mainly formal dresses, evening suits, wedding gowns, children wear, etc. Dyed in black, it is the traditional mourning cloth.
Bomber cloth	Sturdy, durable furnishing fabric, made in broken twill weave employing fine warp ends and heavy weft picks
Bomber jacket	Waist-length, zippered, woollen or leather jacket with front pockets and knitted cuffs and waistband.
Bombyx mori silk	Fine, silk fibre, white or light yellow in colour, produced by the cultivated silkworm, bombyx mori, which feeds on mulberry leaves. This type is the main source of silk in the world.
Bonded fabric	Non-woven fabric, in which the fibres are held together by a bonding material. This may be an adhesive or a bonding fibre with a low melting point. Alternatively, the material may be held together by stitching. ? Fabric composed of two or more layers, which are joined together with an adhesive, resin, foam, or fusible membrane. ? Light fabric, that is strengthened and thickened by a lining material fixed to it permanently by means of heat and pressure. ? Layered fabric, in which a face or shell fabric is joined to a backing fabric, with an adhesive that does not significantly add to the thickness of the combined fabrics.
Bonded-fibre fabric	Fabric, made from a variety of fibres used on the same principle as in felt, but bonded together chemically, because unlike wool, they do not have inherent felting properties. The structure consisting of one or more webs or masses of fibres are held together with a bonding material or by fusion. These fabrics have entered into many new areas usage, which include household clothes, cleaning pads, industrial and military protective clothing, and disposables and as interfacing and other haberdashery items
Bolton sheeting	Medium weight, closely woven, 2/2 twill-weave sheeting fabric, employing condenser yarns as weft pick.
Bombax	See under Cotton trees
Bombazine	Traditional English fabric; one of the oldest fabrics known. A lustrous, dress-weight, plain or twill weave fabric made with silk warp and fine worsted weft. Imitations are made in viscose and cotton. It is normally piece-dyed in black, but also dyed to other colours. It was originally an all-silk fabric. Used mainly formal dresses, evening suits, wedding gowns, children wear, etc. Dyed in black, it is the traditional mourning cloth.
Bomber cloth	Sturdy, durable furnishing fabric, made in broken twill weave employing fine warp ends and heavy weft picks..
Bomber jacket	Waist-length, zippered, woollen or leather jacket with front pockets and knitted cuffs and waistband.
Bombyx mori silk	Fine, silk fibre, white or light yellow in colour, produced by the cultivated silkworm, bombyx mori, which feeds on mulberry leaves. This type is the main source of silk in the world.
Bonded fabric	Non-woven fabric, in which the fibres are held together by a bonding material. This may be an adhesive or a bonding fibre with a low melting point. Alternatively, the material may be held together by stitching. ? Fabric composed of two or more layers, which are joined together with an adhesive, resin, foam, or fusible membrane ? Light fabric, that is strengthened and thickened by a lining material fixed to it permanently by means of heat and pressure. ? Layered fabric, in which a face or shell fabric is joined to a backing fabric, with an adhesive that does not significantly add to the thickness of the combined fabrics .
Bonded-fibre fabric	Fabric, made from a variety of fibres used on the same principle as in felt, but bonded together chemically, because unlike wool, they do not have inherent felting properties. The structure consisting of one or more webs or masses of fibres are held together with a bonding material or by fusion. These fabrics have entered into many new areas usage, which include household clothes, cleaning pads, industrial and military protective clothing, and disposables and as interfacing and other haberdashery items. See also Non-woven fabric
Bonded mat	Sheet of fibres held together by a chemical bonding agent. Some, not all, non-woven materials are made this way.
Bonding	Process of permanently joining together fibres or fabric layers together by employing a bonding agent, e.g. (a) two fabrics, normally a face and a lining fabric of tricot bonded into one package, (b) fabrics like delicate laces, sheer materials, or lightweight knits bonded to ultra-thin slices of foam or other materials to make easier, the handling on the cutting tables etc. Fibre finishing process, in which a continuous filament is coated with a resin, to impart it better ply security, abrasion resistance, and heat resistance. .
Bonding agent	Special adhesives, binders, or thin slices of latex foam or other materials, used for the purpose of joining together fibres or fabric layers together..
Bond strength test	Test method, employed to measure the amount of force required for taking apart layers of a bonded fabric. Test method, employed to measure the amount of force required for taking apart layers of a laminated fabric. See also Adhesion test
Bone finish	Fabric finish, in which woollen fabrics are subjected to a heavy fulling process, for imparting to the fabric, a kind of hard hand feel..
Boned bodice	See Corset top
Bone-dry weight	Term used to describe the weight of textile material, after complete removal of all its moisture.
Bonnet	Ladies' headdress, which covers the back of the head, having a brim in funnel form to shade the face. Cloth or straw hat tied under the chin and worn by women and children.
Book	Term used to describe, a bundle of hanks, of raw silk, whose total mass is usually around 2kg. Modelling term used to describe a portfolio; a ring binder for the presentation of the model's photographs.
Book cloth	Term used to describe a group of plain or embossed, pyroxylin-treated or 'starched-and-clay' cotton fabrics usually used in bookbinding. These usually include printed osnaburg, flat duck, etc. which are subjected to various treatments to make them washproof, waterproof and capable of resisting chipping, blistering, or peeling.
Booker	Woven or knit fabric, in which extra sets of yarn are introduced in lengthways or widthways or in both the ways, to improve its strength, weight and warmth. Mainly find usage as suiting, overcoating, etc.
Booker	Modelling term, used to describe a member of the staff of a modelling agency whose job it is to handle the requests from clients for models.
Book fold	Method employed for folding of fabrics. The fabric piece is doubled selvedge to selvedge, and then folded back and forth upon itself in predetermined lengths. ? See also Shoe fold
Booking	Modelling term, used to describe the process whereby the client agrees to retain the services of a particular model.
Book muslin	Inexpensive, white, heavily sized muslin-type fabric. Used for stiffening of bags, hats, wide belts, etc.
Boot	Term used to describe the section of a stocking between the knee and the heel. ? Fitted covering, made of leather or rubber, for the foot and usually reaching the ankle. Boots come in many various shapes, sizes and colours. .
Boot-cut	Term used to describe a cut style that is cut below the belly button and slightly flares from the knee to the ankle.
Boot-hose	A traditional stockings, usually without the feet part, worn in soft fashionable boots. They were worn over the silk stockings to protect them in the long boots.
Bootee	Ankle-length boot, slipper, or sock, especially an infant's knitted or crocheted sock.
Border	Term used to describe the printed fancy designs or the woven ornamental patterns along the edges of a fabric. Border designs are often employed on skirts, dresses, etc.
Bosky	Mixture fabric, made from cotton and viscose fibres, usually woven on handlooms in fancy striped patterns.
Bosom pocket	Pocket sewn inside the garment with access through a welted slit-type opening.
Boston leno	The term used to describe an unusual weave, in which two warp ends cross a central ground end.
Botanical	The term used to describe a fabric design, in which predominance is given to motifs depicting plant life.s.
Botany twill	Fabric, woven in normal to fancy twill weaves and is done with a clear finish in various weights. It is very expensive as it is made from top quality botany worsted yarns. Used as high quality suitings for men and women.
Botany wool	A generic name for fine and expensive merino wool fibre. The first exports of this type of wool had been made from the vicinity of Botany Bay in Australia, and hence the name. It is obtained from the merino sheep, which are bred for their wool only. The best quality among this wool type, is the finest of fibres, 50-100 mm long, softest and most crimpy. Used for billiard cloth and other fine quality wool and worsted fabrics where maximum softness and warmth are desired.
Bottle bobbin	Large volume bobbin, having cylindrical a barrel and with conical or flanged base. Yarn is wound on to the bobbin, for withdrawal over the nose. The package when fully wound has a cylindrical body and conical nose.
Bottle green	In textile parlance a dark green colour.
Bottom-closed shedding	Miniature bouclé effect. See under Closed shedding
Bottoming	Thorough scouring, done in preparation for bleaching, dyeing, printing or finishing. ? Process of dyeing, a substrate for subsequent topping.
Boubou	Long flowing garment worn in certain parts of Africa.
Bouché	A plain weave, fine, woollen fabric, kept in the undyed state. Used very much by the clergy in France, as a shirting material..
Bouclé	Fancy yarn having a slubby, curly or loopy effect on its surface, made by twisting together two or more yarns. The yarn displays an irregular configuration of semi-circular loop and sigmoid spirals. Bouclé yarns are made from various fibres, like wool, worsted, polyester, nylon, viscose, acrylic or blends. ? Springy, spongy novelty fabric with a clear-cut, coarse or granulated surface. The fabric, woven or knit is made from coarse, curly or slubby bouclé yarns. It has a loopy, knotty, rough surface; in the knit fabric the loops appear only on the right side. Made mainly from wool, but viscose, silk, cotton, linen, hair and their blends are also used; made in various weights, from soft lightweight to firm coat-weight. The fabric possesses some 'give' due to the elasticity of the yarn; in knit bouclé the 'give' tends to be substantial. The fabric often ravels easily. Used often for dresses, sportswear and as suiting. Used for ladies coats, suits and dresses.
Bouclé knit	Knitted fabric, with a spongy bouclé effect on the right side, achieved by the introduction of an inlaid yarn fed into the knitting machine and trapped as the knit stitch is made. Fabrics are medium weight and are usually produced from polyester, nylon and acrylic yarns. Used for sweater dresses, sweater-type tops, jackets
Bouclette	Miniature bouclé effect..
Bound resist	Method of dyeing in which the fabric, yarn or fibre is tightly tied in certain areas to prevent dye penetration
Bound-seam finish	Finish for the raw edges of a plain seam, in which another fabric encloses the raw edges of one or more seam allowances. A bound seam-finish is made by (1) encasing the raw seam allowance edge(s) in double-fold bias tape, seam binding or light weight fabric such as tricot or net. If tape or binding are used, the wider side of the tape or binding is underneath, (2) machine stitching through all thicknesses close to the edge of the binding or the raw edge of the fabric. Usually each seam allowance is encased individually; occasionally, seam allowances may be placed together and treated as one, such as in necklines. ? Compare Hong Kong seam finish
Bourdalou	Hat-ribbon used around the foot of the crown of hats.
Bourdon cord	? Cord, consisting of a central core helically covered by continuous filament yarn. It is used as a means of accentuating or outlining motifs in lace fabrics and in the manufacture of trimmings. ? See also Gimp .
Bourdonette	A cord, produced by twisting several yarns together for use as a heavy thread, which is used in lace fabrics to simulate a bourdon cord.
Bourdon Lace	A machine-made lace, on a mesh ground normally in a scroll design outlined with a heavy cord
Bourré	The term used to describe the highest grade of silk waste.
Bourette silk	Lightweight, hairy, rough surfaced silk noil fabrics, made from bourette yarns, usually in plain or twill weaves, Used mainly for blouses, shirts, soft jackets and other dresses.
Bourette yarn	Hairy silk yarn, spun from lower quality short fibres from carding waste. The yarn is lumpy, irregular and posses low elongation. The whole length of the yarn is interspersed with nubs, noil and other wastes, which produce a fancy effect with brilliant spots of colour
Bourrelet	Weft-knitted, non-Jacquard, double-jersey fabric, made on an interlock basis. The fabric is characterised by ripple stitch, corded effect or horizontal ridges on the effect side. The knitting sequence is generally a number of courses of interlock, followed by a number of courses knit on one set of needles only.
Bout	Term used to describe one complete round made in knitting.
Boutique	Originally a small shop within couture houses.
Bow	See Bowing.
Bowed filling	Fabric defect in woven fabric, which manifests as displacement of weft yarns from a line perpendicular to the selvedges and forming one or more arcs across the width of the fabric. ? Fabric defect in knit fabric, which manifests as displacement of knitted courses from a line perpendicular to the edges and forming one or more arcs across the width of the fabric.
Bowing	Fabric defect in woven fabric, which manifests as formation of a curvature in warp yarns or weft yarns in the fabric. It is termed as 'warp-bowed' or 'weft-bowed', according to which set of threads has formed the curve. The defect may be considered major or minor, depending on its severity; however, in solid colour fabrics not very critical. ? Fabric defect in knit fabric, which manifests as formation a curvature in the courses, during knitting or subsequent operations. The distortion is usually caused by the take-up mechanism of the knitting machine or through malfunctions in stentering. The defect may be considered major or minor, depending on its severity; in solid colour fabrics, the defect may not be very critical. ? See also Skewness
Bowking	Traditional scouring process, in which the impurities in the textile material are removed by boiling it in a solution of lime or soap.
Bowl	Term used to describe, one of a pair of large rollers, forming a nip. ? Term used to describe, a cylinder, driving a take-up package by frictional contact. ? Term used to describe, an open vessel, for such wet treatments as wool scouring, crabbing, etc
Bowler	A derby hat.
Bow-string hemp	See Sansevieria
Bow tie	Men's short necktie, tied in the shape of a bow. It is part of a formal dress, usually the tuxedo.
Box cloth	All-wool fabric, having a fibrous surface and firm handle. Surface is completely covered with fibres so that no thread shows through. It is woven in a variety of weaves, depending on the weight required and end use. Used for riding apparels, overcoats, billiards cloth, etc.
Box coat	Heavy, loose overcoat usually fitted at the shoulders.
Box-dyeing	Method of fabric dyeing. The fabric is run in single piece, in rope form, through the dye bath and up and over oval shaped slatted reels, which cause the fabric to move further with each revolution. .
Boxer shorts	Underwear; short pants
Boxing gloves	Term used to describe a pair of leather mittens, heavily padded on the back; to be worn during boxing.
Box leather	Smooth, top quality, boarded leather, in which the surface is broken up with parallel creases. It is very expensive and used for shoes and handbags.
Box loom	Loom, having two or more shuttles, which is employed for weaving of fabrics containing weft yarns of different sizes, twists or colours.
Box mark	See Shuttle mark.
Box spinning	Spinning method for viscose process yarn, in which a revolving cylindrical pot or container running at high speed is employed; the package being built up in the inside of the container
Box Stain	See Shuttle mark.
Boy-leg	Shorts, undergarments or swimwear having close fitting leg that reaches half way down the thigh.
Bra	See Brassiere
Bracelet	Ornamental band or chain worn around the wrist.
Bracelet form	Bra form that ends at the hips rather than below the bustline or at the waistline. It can also be used to show lingerie and slips.
Bradford spinning system	See under Worsted spinning systems
Braf checks	Fabric, having characteristic checks designs of squares produced by swapping of two coloured warps and two undyed wefts..
Bra form mannequin	Headless and armless bust defined mannequin, with or without shoulders, which ends just below the bustline. For long-line bras and bracelets it is possible to get longer bra forms that continue down to the waistline or slightly below.
Braid	Term used to describe, flat, round, tubular or solid construction of narrow fabric, made by intertwining or plaiting a single set of yarns to form a definite pattern. Used for trimming, binding, etc.
Braid, Cored	See Cored braid
Braid, diamond	See Diamond braid
Braided fabric	Narrow fabric, having a structure produced by the interlacing of several ends of yarns in such a manner, that the paths of the yarns are not parallel to the fabric axis, i.e. yarns are interlaced and diagonally plaited. Used for cords, shoelaces, braids, etc. for coats and uniforms. ? See also Ribbon
Braided rope	Cylindrical rope, produced by braiding or plaiting a few or several strands together, according to a definite pattern
Braided rug	Textile floor covering made by sewing together of braided cords.
Braided yarn	Intertwined yarn containing two or more strands
Braid-effect weave	Weave that bestows the appearance of a braid on the fabric
Braid, hollow	See Hollow braid
Braiding	Method of interlacing carried out by hand or machine. Flat, tubular or solid braid constructions are formed by interlacing three or more threads in such a way, that they cross one another in a diagonal formation. The method is employed for the manufacture of braided rugs, shoelaces, fabrics, etc.
Braid, plain Neck Cap	See Plain braid
Braid, solid	See Solid braid
Braid, twill	See Twill braid
Braid wool	Term used in wool-grading to designate a lustre wool, which, when compared with merino stock, is lower in quality. Used for medium and low quality clothing, carpets, robes, blankets, and low priced uniform fabrics.
Brandenburg coat	Traditional loose overcoat with turned-back cuffs; the sleeves are made one in with the rest of the garment
Brassard	Cloth band worn around the upper arm usually bearing an identifying mark
Brass bobbin	Couple of machined brass discs, in a lace machine, riveted at the hub to form a container for binding threads.
Brassiere	Women's close-fitting undergarment with cups for bust support. It was originally made of two handkerchiefs and a narrow ribbon
Brassiere cloth	Term used to describe a group of strong medium to heavy fabrics, woven or knit, specially made for the production of brassieres and corsets. They are made from cotton, silk and synthetic yarns and in various colours
Brattice cloth	Coarse cotton or jute fabric, made in plain weave and often impregnated with chemicals to increase gas and vapour absorption. Used in many industries mainly for screens, ventilators, etc. When employed in mines, the fabric is often coated type.
Brawny flannel	Heavy cotton flannel fabric normally over 10oz, having a hand feel almost similar to felt. Used for jackets, coat linings, bathrobes, and heavy wear work shirts
read-and-butter cotton	Term used to describe, medium quality cotton fibres, which enjoy steady and recurrent demand
Bread-and-butter cotton	Term used to describe, medium quality cotton fibres, which enjoy steady and recurrent demand.
Break	In a coat, the point where the lapel starts to roll over on a coat, usually at the top buttonhole. Fibre defect. The weak spot in a wool fibre, normally caused due to infections, deficiencies in food or water.
Breaker fabric	In cross-ply tyres, one or more extra layers of tyre-cord fabric, that lies between the crown of the carcase and the tread of a tyre. The breaker fabric may sometimes extend as far as the shoulder of the tyre.
Break factor	See Lea Count Strength Product
Breaking	See under Bast fibre
Breaking extension	Percentage extension achieved at maximum load.
Breaking force	See Tensile strength at break
Breaking length	Length of a specimen, usually of yarn, whose mass is equal to the breaking force. .
Breaking Machine	Machine used for the continuous softening of stiff fabrics. The fabric is drawn under tension over the edges of bars in knife-edge machine, or round rollers implanted with studs.
Breaking strength	Maximum tensile force, recorded in extending a test specimen to breaking point. ? See also Tensile strength at break
Breaking stress	Maximum stress, developed in a specimen when stretched to rupture. The force is usually related to the area of the unstrained specimen. If the actual stress, defined in terms of the area of the strained specimen, is used, then its maximum value is called the 'actual breaking stress'.
Break mark	Fabric defect, observed in silk fabrics. The defect manifests as areas having lighter shade spots on the surface of the fabric, caused by unintentional mechanical chafing which split small portions from the surface of the silk filaments.
Breakout	See Smash
Break spinning	See Open-end spinning
Breast beam	Machine part in a loom. The bar situated in the front part of the loom, over which the woven fabric travels before going backward to the cloth roll.
Breathability	Ability of coated or laminated fabric to transfer water vapour from one of its surfaces through the material to the other surface. ? See also MVTR
Breathable Coating	Term used to describe a water proofing finish, applied on a fabric by employing the coating method. The finished fabric, repels water, but allows water vapour and thus perspiration too, to pass through, making the garment produced from the fabric, very comfortable to wear. The fabrics are usually used for garments for active wear, winter sports, etc
Breathe	See under Air-conditioned fabric
Bred stitch	Embroidery pattern, in which the design appears identically on both the face and back of the fabric
Breech wool	See Britch wool
Breton lace	Open net lace embroidered by hand or machine. Heavy, brightly coloured yarns are mostly employed for the embroidery
Bribe	See Fents
Brick red	Term used to describe the colour of moderate reddish brown
Brick stitch	Embroidery motif, done by flat couching stitch, which resembles a series of bricks
Brided rug	Textile floor covering of braided cords sewn together.
Brides Lace	Lace design, in which there is no net ground, but the objects in lace are joined by connecting bars or legs
Bridge-top stop	In zippers, the part affixed immediately above the chain, holding the tops of the two stringers together and preventing the slider from leaving the chain
Bridle	Narrow strip of fabric, which is attached to the interlining along the roll of the coat lapel to hold and control it
Briefs	Short snug pants or underpants; term usually used in plural
Brier stitch	Embroidery design, done by using the featherstitch
Brighteners	Term used to describe chemical compounds, which when applied on textile materials, absorbs the ultraviolet in light and re-emits it in the visible spectrum, mostly in a bluish and rarely in violetish cast. Chemical constituents employed in detergents and washing powders for brightening the whiteness of washed textile materials. .
Brightening agent	See Optical brightener
Bright fibre	Term used to describe man-made fibres, whose natural lustre has not been significantly reduced by delustring. The term 'clear' is commonly used to denote the absence of deslustrant in synthetic fibres, whereas 'bright' denote the presence of a very small amount of delustrant, insufficient to reduce the lustre of the fibre significantly. See also Delustred fibre
Bright lace	Furnishing lace, in which openwork effects within a wale are developed without distorting the warp threads.
Bright material	Term used to describe a group of textile materials, whose natural lustre has not been significantly reduced by delustring. See also Delustred fibre
Brighton	Fabric, usually cotton, having a typical honeycomb effect, but the fabric is not reversible. The fabric is woven in a made in a cellular weave, and the honeycomb effect is developed more prominently on the face but in a less regular manner making use of large and small cells. Usually made in cotton and wool fibres and used for coatings, dress fabrics, etc.
Bright pick	Fabric defect that occasionally crops up in finished fabrics. The defect manifests on the fabric surface as tight weft picks showing up very clearly and unpleasantly bright, which is usually caused by excessive or uneven tension during winding or weaving operations. The incidence is more in fabrics made with continuous filament weft picks.
Bright silk	Term used to describe, thrown silk, which has been degummed and dyed
Bright yarn	General term used to describe man-made filaments, which are very lustrous. These contain no or only very little delustrant. Fabric defect, which sometimes crops up in fabrics made from man-made fibres. The defect manifests on the fabric surface as warp ends or weft picks of higher lustre than the adjacent yarns, which is usually caused by irregularity in the processing of yarns, like uneven distribution of delustrant, or because of accidental mixing up of yarns of different delustrant contents
Brilliantine	Weft-faced, glossy fabric, made with fine cotton warp ends and mohair or lustre worsted weft picks. A yarn dyed fabric, normally woven in plain or twill weaves, and occasionally in jacquard designs. Though lightweight, it is a very durable fabric. Used for summer dresses, linings etc.
Brin	Term used to designate a single filament of natural silk, resulting from the degumming of the bave. The silkworm always produces two of these filaments simultaneously, which are bound together by a gelatinous natural gum, and form the silk, and are called bave
Bri-nylon	Hardwearing polyamide fibre. As it is not absorbent fibre, the fabric made from this fibre, washes easily and dries quickly. Bri-nylon finds usage mainly in the manufacture of lingerie, nightwear, lightweight knitwear, and carpets. The surface can be brushed to form a short pile
Brise bise	Lace curtaining, designed to be hung horizontally across the lower portion of a window, close to the frame, provision usually being made for the insertion of a curtain rod or wire.
Bristle	General term, used to designate, any short, hard, coarse fibre
Britches	Term occasionally used to refer breeches or trousers
Britch wool	Wool fibre, obtained from the lower thighs or hindquarters of the sheep. Usually it is the coarsest type found in the fleece. Though the fibre is substantially long, it is very irregular and of little value. Used as cheap suiting and in the making of windbreakers, ski cloth, and carpets.
Brittany cloth	Fabric, made from cotton, linen, or blends of these, and done with a lustrous finish. Originally made in Brittany, France, and hence the name. Used for shirts, dresses, etc
Broadcloth	Tightly woven, fine, lustrous fabric, made in plain weave, having a characteristic thin rib effect imbedded in one direction, normally weft wise. The ribs are finer than those in poplin and have more picks. Usually it has a high cover factor. Made mainly from cotton or cotton/polyester blends, but can be of any fibre, especially silk and wool. Used often for men's shirts. Cotton broadcloth is a lightweight fabric of poplin type, used extensively for shirting. When made in wool, in plain or twill weave, it is very different from the cotton variety. The fabric is fine and supple with a smooth napped face, closely sheared and polished, producing a silky gloss. It is form fitting and drapes well. It comes in a variety of colours and weights. ? Heavy hardwearing cloth made from Merino wool yarns. It is heavily milled and finished. One of the oldest types of woollen cloth, it is usually woven in 90 inch loom and finished to a width of 56 inch.
Broadfalls	Tightly woven, fine, lustrous fabric, made in plain weave, having a characteristic thin rib effect imbedded in one direction, normally weft wise. The ribs are finer than those in poplin and have more picks. Usually it has a high cover factor. Made mainly from cotton or cotton/polyester blends, but can be of any fibre, especially silk and wool. Used often for men's shirts. Cotton broadcloth is a lightweight fabric of poplin type, used extensively for shirting. When made in wool, in plain or twill weave, it is very different from the cotton variety. The fabric is fine and supple with a smooth napped face, closely sheared and polished, producing a silky gloss. It is form fitting and drapes well. It comes in a variety of colours and weights. ? Heavy hardwearing cloth made from Merino wool yarns. It is heavily milled and finished. One of the oldest types of woollen cloth, it is usually woven in 90 inch loom and finished to a width of 56 inch.
Broadfalls	Breeches or trousers having the wide falling front flap, such as those of sailors. ? See Split fall
Broad goods	Term used to describe a group of fabrics, made in widths of 45 cm or more. They are wider than narrow fabrics like ribbons, tapes, etc.
Broadloom	Term generally refers to carpet, rather than apparel fabrics that are tufted wider than 54 inch. Most broadloom carpets today are in widths of 6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 feet.
Broad Rib Fabric	See under Rib fabric; Weft-knit
Broadtail	Flat, lustrous, slightly wavy fur; it is the pelt of a young unborn Persian lamb.
Broad wools	Wool fibre that has no crimp or elasticity
Brocade	Exquisitely figured thick fabric, having self-coloured or multicoloured, all-over raised patterns of floral or other designs, sometimes with gold, silver or other coloured metallic threads, and made on Jacquard or dobby loom. The name derived from French meaning to 'ornament'. The pattern may be satin on a twill ground or twill on a satin ground. The ground fabric, against which the designs are formed, is of a weave of simple character, on which the figures stand out. The figure is developed by floating the warp ends, the weft picks, or both, and interlaced in a more or less irregular order. The name has developed from the Latin word 'brocade', which means to figure. The figures in brocade are rather loose, while in damask the figure threads are actually bound into the material. Most brocade fabrics have rich, heavy, elaborate design effects, while some are made with a crispy effect. The fabrics are most often reversible. The motifs may be of flowers, foliage, scrollwork, pastoral scenes, or other designs. Though brocade is made mainly from silk, viscose, cotton, but all others may be used. It is made into a wide variety of weights, and is used for many purposes, including clothing, church vestments, state robes, eveningwear, draperies, interior furnishings, and upholstery.
Bristle	General term, used to designate, any short, hard, coarse fibre.
Britches	Term occasionally used to refer breeches or trousers.
Britch wool	Wool fibre, obtained from the lower thighs or hindquarters of the sheep. Usually it is the coarsest type found in the fleece. Though the fibre is substantially long, it is very irregular and of little value. Used as cheap suiting and in the making of windbreakers, ski cloth, and carpets.
Brittany cloth	Fabric, made from cotton, linen, or blends of these, and done with a lustrous finish. Originally made in Brittany, France, and hence the name. Used for shirts, dresses, etc.
Broadcloth	Tightly woven, fine, lustrous fabric, made in plain weave, having a characteristic thin rib effect imbedded in one direction, normally weft wise. The ribs are finer than those in poplin and have more picks. Usually it has a high cover factor. Made mainly from cotton or cotton/polyester blends, but can be of any fibre, especially silk and wool. Used often for men's shirts. Cotton broadcloth is a lightweight fabric of poplin type, used extensively for shirting. When made in wool, in plain or twill weave, it is very different from the cotton variety. The fabric is fine and supple with a smooth napped face, closely sheared and polished, producing a silky gloss. It is form fitting and drapes well. It comes in a variety of colours and weights. ? Heavy hardwearing cloth made from Merino wool yarns. It is heavily milled and finished. One of the oldest types of woollen cloth, it is usually woven in 90 inch loom and finished to a width of 56 inch.
Broadfalls	Breeches or trousers having the wide falling front flap, such as those of sailors. ? See Split fall
Broad goods	Term used to describe a group of fabrics, made in widths of 45 cm or more. They are wider than narrow fabrics like ribbons, tapes, etc.
Broadloom	Term generally refers to carpet, rather than apparel fabrics that are tufted wider than 54 inch. Most broadloom carpets today are in widths of 6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 feet.
Broad Rib Fabric	See under Rib fabric; Weft-knit
Broadtail	Flat, lustrous, slightly wavy fur; it is the pelt of a young unborn Persian lamb.
Broad wools	Wool fibre that has no crimp or elasticity.
Brocade	Exquisitely figured thick fabric, having self-coloured or multicoloured, all-over raised patterns of floral or other designs, sometimes with gold, silver or other coloured metallic threads, and made on Jacquard or dobby loom. The name derived from French meaning to 'ornament'. The pattern may be satin on a twill ground or twill on a satin ground. The ground fabric, against which the designs are formed, is of a weave of simple character, on which the figures stand out. The figure is developed by floating the warp ends, the weft picks, or both, and interlaced in a more or less irregular order. The name has developed from the Latin word 'brocade', which means to figure. The figures in brocade are rather loose, while in damask the figure threads are actually bound into the material. Most brocade fabrics have rich, heavy, elaborate design effects, while some are made with a crispy effect. The fabrics are most often reversible. The motifs may be of flowers, foliage, scrollwork, pastoral scenes, or other designs. Though brocade is made mainly from silk, viscose, cotton, but all others may be used. It is made into a wide variety of weights, and is used for many purposes, including clothing, church vestments, state robes, eveningwear, draperies, interior furnishings, and upholstery.
Brocade velvet	Velvet fabric, in which the piles are sheared at different heights to form floral and other designs; usually an expensive fabric. Plainer designs in dark colours are used for men's jackets.
Brocading	Method of designing and developing of Jacquard fabrics by interspersing gold or silver threads.
Brocantine fabric	Brocade fabric, having raised patterns woven in simulation of raised embroidery. Usually made from fine silk or wool in monochrome colours.
Brocatelle fabric	Heavy, luxurious fabric, with Jacquard design, puffed up or blistered, making it very noticeable, and it also has a heavy width wise rib. It is woven in silk, viscose, cotton, and synthetics. True brocatelle is a double weave made of silk and linen warp ends and a silk and linen weft picks. The pattern is padded out into high relief by the warp ends in a satin weave against a closely woven background structure. Two or more weft ends are used and, in the better qualities, there is an extra binder warp. Heavy yarns used are plain and mercerised cotton, viscose, and linen. Used for eveningwear, drapery, furnishing, upholstery, etc.
Brocatine	See Brocantine.
Broché fabric	Brocade fabric that is figured by additional threads introduced by means of swivel weave. Characterised by the raised designs on the surface of fabric, often introduced with the warp.
Broderie anglaise	High quality, plain weave fabric, in which shaped holes like leaves, and round holes are punched and then embroidered. The fabric creases easily. Usually expensive fabric, it is made from cotton, polyester or blends of it. Mostly produced in white or plain colours with self-colour embroidery; some are embroidered in contrasting colours too. A few are produced with border designs, scalloped edges etc.
Brogan	Heavy, coarse work shoe reaching to the ankle; usually with perforations and usually a wing tip
Brogue	Stout, rough shoe originally produced in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands; the heavy shoe is often made with a hobnailed sole,
Broken checks	Check patterned fabric, characterised with its irregular square checks.
Broken colour pattern	Fabric defect, in woven fabrics, usually caused by a coloured yarn out of place on the frame.
Broken crow	See Crow twill
Broken ends	See End-out
Broken face	Sateen fabric, designed in a way such that the weave effect appears to be broken up.
Broken filaments	Yarn defect, in which individual filament of multi-filament yarn is ruptured, usually due to mechanical abrasion.
Broken pattern	Fabric defect, in which the pattern in the fabric does not appear in agreement with the intended design; usually caused by some kind of malfunctioning of the machine, or by some slip-up on the part of the operator.
Broken pick	Fabric defect, which manifests as one or more missing weft picks from a portion of a woven width of fabric. The unseemly discontinuity in weft direction is caused by a break or cut in the weft pick.
Broken selvedge	See Cut selvedge
Broken twill	Term used to describe a variety of herringbone twill weaves, in which the twill line changes its direction. The continuity of the twill line is broken, by employing variable move numbers. The weave, in which the diagonal twill is intentionally interrupted to form a random design, achieved prominence when it was innovatively utilized by Wrangler Company during 1964 in their famous jean types. In a true broken twills at the point where the direction of twill line changes, if the warp yarn is on the surface, the next thread on the surface will be a weft yarn ensuring a clear break. The broken twill designs can vary from the simplest to the most complicated. Broken twill fabrics in cotton are sometimes subjected to napping or brushing to develop certain types of suede effects.
Broken weave	See Crack mark.
Broker	Person who buys or sells merchandise for other individuals and earns a commission or profit based upon a percent of product.
Bronze colour	In textile parlance a moderate yellowish brown colour.
Bronzed fabric	Fabric that has a bronzy metallic texture. Used for interior decoration and theatre costumes.
Bronziness	When it occurs accidentally during dyeing it is a dyeing defect, whereas when it is produced intentionally during dyeing it is an attractive dyeing effect. . Dyeing defect, which manifests as an unseemly metallic sheen, which develops on a textile material, as a surface coating, often during dyeing into very deeper shades. The effect is usually caused by excessive concentration of colorant on the surface of the substrate. . Occasionally the effect is deliberately produced as a fashion statement in some very dark shades of indigo and sulphur black.
Bronzing	See under Oxidised oil staining
Broomstick	Skirt or dress made from crinkled material with numerous pleats.
Brown colour	In textile parlance any of a group of colours between red and yellow in hue, of medium to low lightness, and of moderate to low saturation.
Brown lace	Lace, as in the condition in which it leaves the machine, i.e. lace before it has been subjected to any bleaching, dyeing, or finishing treatments.
Bruges	Satin fabric, woven with silk warps and hard-twist cotton wefts.
Bruges lace	Bar lace that is very similar in appearance to Honiton lace. It is produced as a tape with fine threads. Coarse types are used for curtains, bedcovers and tablecloths.
Bruise	Fabric defect, which manifests as an area that differs from the adjacent normal fabric, often caused due to the area getting subjected to some kind of impact or pressure.
Brunette	High quality woollen fabric normally dyed in a variety of colours. Used for tunics, hosiery etc. . In textile parlance, colour of dark-brown or black.
Brushed acrylic	Group of light to medium weight woven fabrics, often printed having a brushed effect on one or both sides. Used for dresses, warm shirts, children's wear etc.
Brushed acrylic knit	Thick, wool-like acrylic fabric, with the right side brushed into a furry surface. Used for dressing gowns, sleeping bags, baby coats, zip-front casual jackets, toys, collars, cuffs etc.
Brushed cotton	Plain or printed cotton fabric slightly brushed on one side to add warmth. This additional warmth makes it very suitable for children's clothes, winter blouses and shirts. An inexpensive fabric; it creases easily but washes well. Does not wear as well as unbrushed cotton. The brushing process may be applied to the right or wrong side of the fabric. Extremely inflammable, so not used for nightdresses for children or elderly people.
Brushed denim	Denim weave fabric usually all-cotton, having a brushed face side. It has a much softer hand-feel and appearance than conventional denims.
Brushed fabric	Fabric that has been finished by brushing, during which the fibres on the fabric surface get raised. The slightly fuzzy surface, thus produced, bestows warmth and softness to the fabric.
Brushed nylon	Strong, hardwearing nylon jersey brushed on the right side to make it warm and cosy. Inclined to build up static more than most nylon due to the brushing. It is much warmer than plain nylon jersey but is not particularly an attractive fabric, so its use is confined to nightwear, and sheets. Does not crease, washes easily and dries quickly. White fabrics adopt a grey tone unless washed separately.
Brushed polyester	A fine soft fabric with a brushed surface resembling velveteen in appearance.
Brushed wool	Term used in the pulled-wool parlance to describe woollen fibres, subjected to scrubbing or brushing, to remove burrs, shives, grit dirt, and other foreign matter. The treatment is given to the wool when it is on the pelt. ? Knitted or woven woollen fabric, which has been brushed, napped or teaseled. Used for garments, scarves, sweaters, trimmings, etc.
Brushed yarn	Yarn subjected to the mechanical finishing process of brushing to raise the surface hairs in order to achieve greater bulk and softer texture. Bouclé yarns are usually subjected to brushing.
Brush fibres	Rigid, coarse fibre, obtained from various plants, and used usually for the production of various kinds of brushes.
Brushing	Mechanical finishing process, applied on knit or woven fabrics, in which a nap is raised on the surface of the fabric, by passing the fabric over one or more revolving circular brushes. When brushed, the fabric acquires a slightly fuzzy surface, which impart a warm and soft feel to the fabric. Though the process is somewhat similar to napping, brushing is usually a less vigorous process. A vast range of fabrics made of cotton, wool and various man-made fibres, are subjected to brushing. Usually such fabrics are made in loose constructions to allow the yarns abrade easily.
Brush stroke	Term used to describe a print style, in which the colours are made to appear as if they had been applied with a brush.
Brussels carpet	Broad term comprising a wide range of loop-pile carpets woven on Wilton looms over un-bladed wires. The variety and colour patterns of carpeting under the name vary considerably.
Brussels edge	Needlepoint lace, in which edging is employed for finishing.
Brussels lace	Fine linen thread lace, in which the motifs are made as bobbin lace and then appliquéd onto a mesh ground. However, now it is being made in all fibres and machine-made motifs and meshes are being increasingly used.
Brussels net	Net fabric, characterised its hexagonal meshes.
Brynie cloth	Net-like fabric produced on Raschel knitting machine; the fabric resembles a fisherman's net. Used along with cold weather apparel as a vest worn next to the skin and beneath thermal underwear to create additional insulation.
Bubble	See Blister
Buck	In a pressing machine, the lower, static working surface, which incorporates the shape or contour onto which the garment is laid.
Buck article	Any clothing item or accessory of made of buckskin.
Bucket spinning	See Box spinning
Bucking	See Bowking
Buckinghamshire lace	Very fine, hand-made lace, named after its place of origin. It is characterised by a diamond mesh ground, often narrow, and usually used only for trimmings.
Buckram	Stiff scrim fabric often made in open sett plain weave, from plied yarns of linen or cotton. Fabric is subjected to impregnation with fillers and stiffeners. Name derived from Bokhara, city in southern USSR, where it was first made. Used as lining, interfacing, and for waistbands and bookbinding. Also used in millinery, as it can be easily shaped by moistening. . Fabric, consisting of two stiffened fabrics bonded together, the fabrics being not necessarily of identical construction.
Buckskin	White or pinky-beige leather, which originally used to come from the elk and deer, but now also obtained from sheep. Strong but supple, the leather is used for clothes, shoes, gloves, belts, etc.
Buckskin fabric	Fabric, comparable in appearance to, but heavier than, a doeskin fabric. It is made from fine merino wool, closely sett, heavily milled, dressed, and closely cut.
Buff	Garment, as a uniform, made of buff leather.
Buff colour	Light to moderate orange yellow colour.
Buffalo check	Fabric, usually made in twill weave, and having bold check patterns, with blocks of two or more contrasting colours, often with a preference for red and black.
Buffalo cloth	Heavy fabric, made in twill weave, and finished with considerable nap. Used mainly for winter wear, now it is being replaced to a great extent, by mackinaw cloth.
Buffalo wool	Rare wool fibre, which is very fine and grows among the coarse hair on the buffalo. Used in high quality felt hats and shawls.
Buffer solution	Solution that resists change in pH; contains either a weak acid and a soluble ionic salt of the acid or a weak base and a soluble ionic salt of the base.
Buffing fabric	Term used to describe an assortment of cotton fabrics, employed for buffing and polishing of metal and plastic articles.
Buggy	Term used to describe the lining, from the neck down across the back, of an otherwise, unlined coat.
Builder	Term used to describe a neutral or gently alkaline constituent that is introduced in to detergents or soaps to soften the wash water and to increase the cleaning power.
Builder fabric	Square-woven heavy cotton duck made from very heavy ply yarns. Used formerly in the carcase of rubber-tread tyres.
Build-up	Degree of shade-depth enhancement exhibited by any given dyestuff on any given fibre type.
Bulgarian cloth	Cream coloured cotton fabric embroidered with tinsel and coloured silks.
Bulge ratio	See Swell ratio
Bulk classing	Term used when fleece wools of different brands and descriptions, but of similar type, yield, etc., are emptied out of their containers (bales) bulked together and rebaled under another or various brands into large lines. Grading and pooling of small lots of wool from a number of owners into standard lines.
Bulk density	Apparent mass per unit volume.
Bulked yarn	Yarn that has been treated with mechanical, physical or chemical means, to make it noticeably more voluminous and bulkier. The yarn thus produced has greater covering power, or apparent volume, than that of a conventional yarn of equal linear density and of the same basic material with normal twist. Some bulking processes introduce into the yarns the additional property of stretch also. . In staple yarns, the increased bulk may be obtained by the use of bi-component fibres or by blending together, during yarn spinning, fibres of high and low potential shrinkage. During subsequent hot and/or wet processing, the greater contraction of the high-shrinkage fibres causes the yarn to contract longitudinally and the low-shrinkage fibres to buckle, thus increasing the bulkiness of the yarn. . In continuous filament yarns, the increased bulk may be obtained by any one of the texturing processes. .See also Bulking
Bulking	Operation by which each individual fibre of a yarn, is made to deviate from a linear path, resulting in the creation of air spaces between the fibres; the yarns are altered to make them fluff, curl, or crimp up to give them a bulked appearance. The bulked fibres acquire diminished packing density. Fabrics made from bulked yarn, acquire improved loft. Bulked yarns give soft, pleasant, fluffy, opaque looks and hands to many woven and knit fabrics.
Bulk sample	In sampling of bulk material, one or more portions which are taken from the material that does not consist of separately identifiable units. .In sampling of bulk material, one or more portions which are taken from the material, which can be identified after sampling as separate or composed units. . Compare Discrete sample
Bulk shrinkage	The term used to describe the measure of potential stretch and power of stretch-yarns or a measure of bulk of textured-set yarns.
Bulky yarn	Yarn formed from inherently bulky fibres such as man-made fibres that are hollow along part or all of their length, or . Yarn formed from fibres that cannot be closely packed because of their cross-sectional shapes, fibre alignment, stiffness, resilience, or natural crimp. . See also Bulked yarn
Bulky-weight yarns	Yarns in this category can range from 500 to 1000 yards per pound. These yarns are used for heavy fabrics such as coats, blankets, and heavy bulky outdoor sweaters.
Bull denim	Piece-dyed fabric in a 3 x 1 twill weave, made from coarse yarns. Weights can vary from 9oz/sq yard up to the standard 14oz/sq yard. Bull Denim is essentially a denim fabric without usage of indigo.
Bullion cord	Highly twisted assembly of yarns, which may be spirally covered with continuous filament yarns.
Bullion fringe	Fringe, made from golden or silvery metallic cords, for use on uniforms.
Bullion lace	Lace, made from golden or silvery threads.
Bullion stitch	Decorative stitch, done by twisting a needle around a thread numerous times before inserting it into the cloth. Short bullion stitches are sometimes called 'knots'.
Bumblebee cotton	Term used to describe, very short staple cotton fibres.
Bumped top	Package, made by press-packing layers of coiled sliver, usually achieved by vacuum packing.
Bump-grey	Fabric intended for use specifically as back-grey.
Bumping	In weaving, a condition in which, the beat-up is so severe that the cloth tension reduces to zero during part of the beating action; the condition produces high warp tension peaks, which increases the end breakage rate. See Planking
Bumps	See Bump-grey
Bump seam	Printing defect, which manifest as light coloured width-wise mark, caused by a stitching in the back-grey.
Bump yarn	Term used to describe, a coarse waste yarn, made from cotton waste.
Bunch	Yarn defect, in which a yarn segment, not over 6mm in length that shows an abrupt increase in diameter caused by more fibres getting matted at the particular place.
Bunch yarn	See Flake yarn
Bundle	Collection of sufficient pieces of cut fabric, to make up several garments. The size of the bundle is limited by weight and the number of pieces required for each garment. ? Group of similar garment parts, temporarily kept together for convenience of handling. ? See also Conventional bundle system; Progressive bundle system
Bundle stitch	Term used to describe a sequence of parallel stitches, put on a fabric and joined together at the centre.
Bunting	Soft, open-weave cotton or woollen fabric, which resembles a scrim. The fabric resembles cheesecloth in texture. Usually dyed or printed in plain bright colours and often the colours may not be given fixing treatment. Name derived from German 'bunt', meaning bright. Used for cheap short-life flags, ceremonial flags and decorations; it is unsuitable for clothing.
Burgundy	In textile parlance a reddish purple colour.
Buried pile yarn	In a coated pile yarn floor covering, the portions of the pile tuft elements that remain after the tuft legs have been removed by shearing.
Burin	Cutting tool, used by a hand engraver to incise lines on a copper cylinder or steel die used in printing.
Burl	General term used to describe, a group of fabric defects, which include, small knots, lumps, burrs, etc. present on the surface of a fabric.
Burlap	Heavy, open construction, hardwearing, plain weave fabric, made of jute or allied coarse yarns in plain weave. The fabric may shrink. Used for carpet backing, upholstery webbing, drapery, and inexpensive packaging including grain bags, wall coverings, etc.
Burl dyeing	Process of covering coloured specks and blemishes, mostly on woollens and worsteds, by the use of special colour inks, which come in many colours and shades; it is a hand operation. ? Low temperature colouring or inking of cellulosic impurities in worsted fabrics.
Burling	Removal of loose threads, knots, slubs, burrs, and other extraneous materials from the surface of a fabric by clipping or picking. The impurity is removed usually by using a burling iron, a type of tweezer, without damaging the fabric.
Burl mark	Fabric defect caused by improper burling operation. When burling is carried out on a fabric, using a burling tool, to remove a slub or an extra piece of yarn, sometimes it leaves an open place in the fabric surface, which often considered as major defect.
Burning behaviour	Term used to describe all the changes that take place when materials or products are exposed to a specified ignition source.
Burning test	Method of determining fibre identity by subjecting a sample to burning and observing its burning behaviour.
Burnishing	Method of polishing fabrics, by making use of rollers.
Burnoose	Arabian one-piece hooded cloak.
Burnt-out fabric	Specially woven, patterned, plain coloured fabric, having a brocade-like pattern effect, which has been developed through the application of a chemical, instead of colour, during the burn-out printing process. Usually sulphuric acid mixed into a colourless print paste, is the most common chemical used. Many simulated eyelet effects can be created using this method. In these instances, the chemical destroys the fibre and creates a hole in the fabric in a specific design, where the chemical comes in contact with the fabric. The fabric is then over-printed with a simulated embroidery stitch to create the eyelet effect. Burn-out effects can also be created on velvets made of blended fibres, in which the ground fabric is of one fibre like polyester, and the pile may be of a cellulosic fibre like viscose or acetate. In this case, when the chemical is printed in a certain pattern, it destroys the pile in those areas where the chemical comes in contact with the fabric, but leaves the ground fabric unharmed. When mixed fibres are used for weaving, only certain parts of the design are burnt out and they become transparent while the rest remains opaque, creating very attractive designs. The fabrics are often sheer and lightweight and are used for blouses, dresses and curtains.
Burnt-out printing	A printing technique, used on fabrics made from paired yarns of different fibres. In this method, the design is printed on the fabric with certain chemicals, so that only one kind of yarn from the design printed on the fabric is burnt out.
Burr	The term used to describe the minute seed particles of cotton, carried through into the finished goods.
Burr Extracting	Method of extracting burrs or vegetable seed parts, which are found in wools. Burr extraction may be carried out by mechanical means employing burr crushers, beaters, etc. or by chemical means employing sulphuric acid treatment.
Burring	See Burr extracting
Burry wool	Term used to describe wool that is contaminated with vegetable impurities adhering to the fleece.
Burse	Purse.
Bursting	Fabric defect, in knitted fabric, which manifests as a small hole caused by rupture of a yarn due to the high tension built up, during knitting. See also Cutting
Bursting strength	Term used to describe, the ability of a knit fabric to resist the rupture by pressure, which is expressed as units of weight. ? Term used to describe, the force or pressure required to rupture a textile by distending it with a force, applied at right angles to the plane of the fabric, under specified conditions.
Bursting strength tester	Mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic instrument, which is employed to measure the strength of a fabric's resistance to pressure.
Busby	Military full-dress fur hat with a pendant bag on one side usually of the colour or regimental facings.
Bush jacket	Long cotton jacket resembling a shirt and having four patch pockets and a belt.
Bush shirt	Loose-fitting shirt with patch pockets, usually made in cotton.
Business suit	Men's or women's suit consisting of matching coat and trousers and sometimes a vest.
Buskin	Laced boot reaching halfway or more to the knee.
Bust	Term used to describe the shaped form of male or female, on which clothes are worked on, inspected or displayed. ? See Bust girth
Bustier	Tight-fitting, often strapless top worn as a brassiere or outer garment.
Bust-girth	In body measurements, the circumference of the body over the fullest part of the breasts and parallel to the floor. ? Compare Chest girth
Bustle	Top quality tweed fabric in which, a single colour yarn is alternated with another yarn made of two colours. The alternated yarns are twisted together before weaving. The fabric is named after the Scottish town of Bannockburn that has long been the centre of an area producing this type of fabric, which is used for manufacture of suits and coats.
Bar	Fabric defect, which manifests as a bar effect that has developed a different colour from the adjacent fabric. The fabric or weft picks, which were normal prior to the weaving, might have got damaged or got contaminated during or subsequent to, the dyeing and finishing operations.
Baracan	Popular skirt shape, it is technically a pad, which is worn under the skirt and served as a base for the skirt material to be pleated or looped.
Bust-point to bust-point	In body measurements, the distance across the front from the apex of one breast to the apex of the other.
Busy printing	Ingenious technique of printing, in which though the print design covers large areas of the fabric, there are no areas of a single colour or any geometric patterning. The predominance of numerous lines in the design is its main characteristic.
Buta	Floral motif, much used in Indian textile designing, and traditionally rendered as a flowering plant with a curling bud at the top. The motif is also sometimes reduced to a floral pattern designed within the form of the plant.
Butcher cloth	Sturdy, medium to heavy plain weave fabric, made from linen and a variety of fibres, including viscose, cotton, polyester and their blends, often simulating real linen. It wears and launders well, sheds dirt and is exceptionally durable. Originally made in France from homespun uneven linen yarns having lot of thick and thin places and used mainly for making aprons for butchers. Used for overalls, protective coats, aprons, tablecloths, interfacing etc.
Butcher's linen	See Butcher cloth.
Butcher wool	See Pulled wool
Buti	Very popular and commonly used motif in Indian textile designs; actually it is a miniature of buta.
Butter cloth	See Cheese cloth
Butter Muslin	An open weave, very soft, cotton fabric. This comparatively cheaper fabric is used as straining cloth in the dairy industry and is also an ideal ironing cloth for the laundry industry
Butternut	The term used to describe the colour of a light yellowish brown.
Butterscotch	Term used to describe the colour of a moderate yellowish brown.
Buttery colour cotton	Cotton fibres that possess an inherent creamy colour.
Butt-fitting	Hollow metal tube in square shape, having a setscrew that is set into the mannequin's butt or upper thigh. It receives the butt rod which angles up from the metal, glass or plastic mannequin base and holds the mannequin erect.
Butting	Operation of levelling the root ends of flax straw at any stage of processing by vibrating it upright on a flat surface, either by hand or mechanically.
Button	Disc, knob or similar object, usually affixed to the garment, which when forced through a narrow opening called buttonhole, fastens one part of a garment to another part of the garment. Sometimes, buttons are attached to a garment also as a means of decoration.
Button breaker	See Breaking machine
Button-down collar	Progeny of the British shirt collar attached-polo shirt. It goes great with a four-in-hand knot or a bow tie and it evokes a relaxed, Ivy League attitude.
Button face	Term used to describe the portion of a button, which would be exposed, after attaching to the substrate.
Buttonhole	Hole provided in a garment, through which a button is passed to hold the garment in the correct position.
Buttonhole stand	Distance from the finished edge of a garment to the eye of the buttonhole.
Buttonhole stitch	Closely done vertical stitch that is secured with a loop at the top. Buttonhole stitch, when done in a row offer a firm finish with a ridge along the looped tops. The stitch is used mainly for buttonhole finishing.
Buttoning	Fabric defect, which manifests as small balls of fibre, which develop on warp ends, during weaving.
Button performance	Performance specifications for buttons, which are usually guided by internationally approved standard performance specifications. Generally, the main performance characteristics, which are tested on buttons, are: resistance to washing liquor, to dry cleaning solvents, to ironing, to water, chlorine water, to seawater, and the impact test.
Button stand	Term used to describe the distance from the finished edge of the garment to the centre of the button.
Button-through placket	Quality feature where a true eyelet and button closure are added to a sleeve placket.
Button-through sleeve placket	Small placket located on the sleeve, by the cuff, which contains a single button closure.
Butt seam	Term used to describe a seam that is sewn with both the fabric edges abutting.
Butylated hydroxy toluene	Chemical, which find usage in textile processing as a preservative and anti-oxidant.
Buzz-fuzz cotton	Term used to describe, exceptionally short-length cotton fibres.
Byrd cloth	Light or medium weight, tightly woven fabric with high pick count in a characteristic two-up and two-down twill construction. Made from fine-combed cotton yarns, it is supple but very strong. The fabric is wind-resistant and water-repellent, and used for mainly for rainwear and sportswear.

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