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Textiles / Textile Definition: Definitions for the Clothing & Textile Industry
Textile Industry Fashion Care Labels Definition List Fashion Industry News Machinery Directory
A textile is any kind of woven, knitted, knotted (as in macrame) or tufted cloth, or a non-woven fabric (a cloth made of fibers that have been bonded into a fabric, e.g. felt).
Textile also refers to the yarns, threads and wools that can be spun, woven, tufted, tied and otherwise used to manufacture cloth. The production of textiles is an ancient art, whose speed and scale of production has been altered almost beyond recognition by mass-production and the introduction of modern manufacturing techniques. An ancient Roman weaver would have no problem recognizing a plain weave, twill, or satin.
Many textiles have been in use for millennia, while others use artificial fibers and are recent inventions. The range of fibers has increased in the last 100 years. The first synthetics were made in the 1920s and 1930s.
Textiles can be made from a variety of materials. The following is a partial list of the materials that can be used to make textiles.
Animal origin
Angora rabbit hair
Camel hair
Vicuana hair
Wool : divided into woollen and worsted
Vegetable
Bark cloth has various uses, and is used in sheets.
Coir: the fiber from coconuts.
Grass, rush and straw
Hemp (mostly used in rope making)
Kapok
Nettle: processed in a similar manner to flax.
Seaweed: a water soluble fiber (alginate) is produced. This is used as a holding fiber in the production of certain textiles: when the cloth is finished the alginate is dissolved, leaving an open area.
Derived from plant products
- Paper
Mineral
Asbestos: now has very limited uses.
Glass fibers can be used in the manufacture of textiles for insulation and other purposes.
Metal fiber, metal wire and metal foil have some uses in textiles, either on their own or with other materials (see, for example, goldwork embroidery).
A vast range of man-made fibers can be used in textile manufacture, including:
Spandex, tactel, lycra and other 'stretch' fabrics
Polypropylene (comes under various common trade names such as Olefin or Herculon)
Ways of making textiles
Braiding/plaiting
Crochet
usually by hand.
Embroidery
threads which are added to the surface of
a finished textile.
Felt
fibers are matted together to produce a
cloth.
Knitting
by hand or on
knitting machines.
Knotting, including macrame: used in making nets.
Lace
again both hand made and machine made.
Pile fabrics
carpets and some rugs
Velvet, velveteen, plush fabrics and similar have a secondary set of yarns which provide a pile.
Weaving the cloth is prepared on a loom, of which there are a number of types. Some weaving is still done by hand, but the vast majority is machine made.
Processes
Bleaching
where the natural or original
color of the textile is
removed with bleach.
Dyeing
adding color to textiles:
there is a vast range of
dyes, natural
and synthetic, some of which
require mordants.
Waterproofing and other finishing.
Starching
Uses of textiles
Textiles have been used in almost every possible context where their properties are useful. In cleaning
Bags and other means of carrying objects
Balloons, kites, sails, parachutes and other transport use. Early airplanes used cloth as part of the construction.
Flags
Furnishings, including towels and table cloths
Industrial and scientific uses, including filtering
Nets
Rugs and carpets
Tents
Towels
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