Fabric Glossary – Armbrüster Fabric Wholesale
Natural fibers and cellulose fibers
Acetate
Semi-synthetic fiber based on cellulose with a silky sheen and fluid drape. Often used for elegant linings and shiny surfaces.
Alpaca
Soft, warming animal fiber from the alpaca, lighter than sheep's wool and pleasant to the touch.
Angora
Fine, very soft fiber from the angora rabbit. Light, fluffy and strongly warming.
Cotton
Plant fiber from the seed hairs of the cotton plant. Soft, breathable, skin-friendly and extremely versatile.
Bourette (Bourette silk)
Silk made from short leftover fibers. Matte, slightly textured and with irregular structure.
Cupro
Cellulose fiber from cotton short fibers. Silky feel, flowing and breathable, often as high-quality lining or dress fabric.
Hemp
Robust plant fiber, durable and breathable, similar in feel to linen.
Jute
Coarse, inexpensive plant fiber. Robust and more suitable for bags and interiors.
Camel hair
Soft, warming luxury animal fiber from the camel, typical for high-quality coats.
Cashmere
Very fine, soft luxury fiber from the cashmere goat. Light, warm and especially high-quality.
Linen
Plant fiber from the flax stem. Cool, absorbent and breathable, with a natural look and a tendency to crease. Pure linen consists of 100 percent linen, half linen is a linen-cotton blend.
Lyocell
Environmentally friendly cellulose fiber (often under the brand name Tencel). Soft, strong and with a beautiful drape.
Merino
Particularly fine, soft wool from the merino sheep. Hardly scratchy and pleasant to wear directly on the skin.
Modal
Advanced cellulose fiber from beech wood. Very soft, more shape-retaining and colorfast than classic viscose.
Mohair
Shiny, light and durable fiber from the angora goat, often for voluminous knitted fabrics.
Ramie (Chinese grass)
Shiny, strong plant fiber with a linen-like character.
Silk
Fine, luxurious animal fiber from the silk moth. Shiny, flowing and elegant.
Tussah silk (wild silk)
Coarser, natural colored silk with a lively, irregular structure.
Vigogne (Vicuña)
Extremely fine, rare luxury fiber of the vicuña. Especially soft and high-quality.
Viscose
Regenerated cellulose fiber made from wood. Soft, flowing, absorbent and pleasant to the skin, with a modern drape.
Wool
Animal fiber from sheep. Warming, retains its shape and has good moisture behavior.
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Cotton and woven fabrics (qualities and weaves)
Barchent
Brushed, soft cotton fabric. Warm, for underwear and shirts.
Batiste
Very fine, light cotton fabric. Delicate and airy, ideal for blouses and summer items.
Cotton satin
Cotton fabric in satin weave with a smooth, slightly shiny surface.
Biber
Double-sided brushed, very soft and warm cotton fabric, often for bed linen.
Canvas
Firm, dense cotton fabric. Robust and dimensionally stable, for bags and outerwear.
Chambray
Lightweight fabric with colored warp and white weft. Denim-like look, but softer and lighter.
Chintz
Finely finished, shiny cotton fabric, often printed.
Corduroy (cord velvet)
Cotton fabric with longitudinal velvet ribs. Warm and durable, from fine to wide corduroy.
Cretonne
Dense, smooth cotton fabric in plain weave, often printed.
Damask
Glossy patterned fabric whose pattern is created by weave changes. Luxurious, for festive fashion and table linen.
Denim
Robust cotton twill fabric (classic denim). Durable and long-lasting.
Drell (drill)
Firm, tightly woven twill fabric. Very durable.
Herringbone
Twill fabric with a v-shaped, herringbone pattern.
Flannel
Soft brushed fabric made of cotton or wool. Warm and soft to the touch.
Terrycloth
Cotton fabric with loops. Absorbent, for towels and swimwear.
Gabardine
Densely woven twill with a smooth, shape-retaining surface. Good for trousers, skirts and coats.
Glencheck
Classic check pattern (also Prince of Wales check), typical for wool fabrics and elegant jackets or suits.
Calico
Lightweight, smooth cotton fabric in plain weave, often printed.
Cross twill (twill)
Weave type with visible diagonal ridge (twill). Durable and with good drape; base for fabrics like denim or gabardine.
Molton
Soft, double-sided brushed cotton fabric. Opaque and also widely used as stage fabric.
Muslin
Light, loosely woven cotton fabric. Airy, soft and flowing.
Nessel
Unfinished, unbleached cotton fabric. Raw, often used for sample models (mockups).
Oxford
Cotton fabric with basket weave, classic for shirts.
Piqué
Cotton fabric with a honeycomb, slightly relief-like structure. Typical for polos and shirts.
Poplin
Densely woven, smooth cotton fabric in plain weave with a fine transverse rib. Popular for shirts and blouses.
Renforcé
Densely woven, smooth cotton fabric in plain weave, classic for bed linen.
Seersucker
Cotton fabric with permanent crinkled stripes. Light, airy and non-iron.
Voile
Very fine, light and transparent fabric made from cotton or blended fibers.
Wool and coat fabrics
Bouclé
Fabric or knit made from looped yarn with a bumpy, characterful surface. Popular for jackets and suits.
Cheviot
Textured, robust wool fabric with a slightly rough surface.
Doubleface
Double-sided usable fabric made of two bonded layers, often wool. Ideal for coats without visible lining.
Felt
Non-woven, compacted material made from felted wool fibers. Shape-retaining and cut-resistant at the edges.
Fresco
Airily woven worsted wool fabric. Light and shape-retaining, for summer suits.
Worsted yarn
Made from long, parallel combed wool fibers. Smooth and fine, for high-quality suits.
Loden
Dense, fulled wool fabric, wind and water repellent. Classic for coats.
Coat fleece
Soft, voluminous and brushed coat fabric with warming character.
Coat wool
Heavy wool quality for coats, giving shape, structure and substance.
Melton
Dense, fulled, felt-like wool fabric. Warm and wind-repellent, for coats.
Woolen yarn
Made from shorter, uncombed wool fibers. More voluminous and rougher than worsted yarn.
Tweed
Melange, textured wool fabric with tradition. Ideal for jackets, coats and suits.
Fulling wool (fulling)
Fulled, compacted wool fabric with felt-like surface. Warm and shape-retaining.
Whipcord
Firm, steeply ribbed twill fabric. Very durable.
Wool crêpe
Wool fabric with a granular crêpe surface. Good drape and crease-resistant.
Silk and light fabrics
Burnout
Fabric in which one fiber component is chemically dissolved out, leaving a transparent textured pattern.
Charmeuse
Light, flowing satin fabric with a shiny front and matte back.
Chiffon
Very light, transparent fabric. Airy and floating, for flowing dresses and blouses.
Cloqué
Fabric with bubbly, relief-like, embossed surface.
Crêpe / Crêpe de Chine
Fabric with a grainy, matte surface due to highly twisted crepe yarns. Flowing and comparatively crease-resistant.
Duchess
Heavy, shiny silk satin with body. Luxurious and festive, often for evening wear.
Dupion (dupion silk)
Silk fabric with irregular thickening and slight sheen. Has body.
Faille
Fabric with fine cross ribs and subtle sheen. Luxurious and with body.
Georgette
Light, matte shimmering crepe fabric with fine transparency. Flowing and with a lot of movement.
Habotai
Very light, smooth silk fabric, often for linings and blouses.
Matelassé
Double-layered fabric with quilted, three-dimensional relief effect.
Moire
Fabric with shimmering, cloud-like wavy surface effect.
Mousseline
Very fine, light and softly draping fabric.
Organza
Thin, stiff and transparent fabric. Holds shape and ideal for creating volume.
Ottoman
Fabric with pronounced cross ribs. Firm and with body.
Plissé
Fabric permanently pleated into fine folds.
Pongee
Light, smooth silk fabric, frequently for blouses and fine linings.
Satin
Satin weave with a shiny front and matte back. Flowing and elegant, available in silk, cotton or polyester.
Shantung
Silk fabric with irregular, lightly nubby surface texture.
Lace
Openwork, patterned fabric or knit. Decorative and transparent.
Taffeta
Densely woven fabric with body and slight rustle. Festive, maintains shape and volume.
Tulle
Fine, net-like, transparent fabric. For volume as well as bridal and evening wear.
Structured and patterned fabrics
Brocade
Heavy, often metallic patterned jacquard. Opulent and festive.
Jacquard
Pattern woven directly into the fabric on the jacquard loom, giving structure and relief.
Lamé
Fabric with woven-in metal threads. Shiny and festive.
Lurex
Brand name for metallic-effect threads and the fabrics woven from them.
Sequin fabric
Fabric covered with sequins. Highly shiny, for evening and stage wear.
Velvet
Fabric with pile and a dense, soft surface. Gives depth and special light effects, popular on stage.
Patterns and designs
Houndstooth (pied-de-poule)
Small-scale, broken check pattern.
Pinstripes
Narrow, longitudinal stripes, classic for suits.
Paisley
Curved, teardrop-shaped ornamental pattern.
Pepita
Very small houndstooth or check pattern.
Tartan (Scottish check)
Multicolored, traditional Scottish check pattern.
Vichy check (Gingham)
Even, two-tone check pattern.
Elastic and synthetic fabrics
Bengaline
Firm, cross-ribbed and slightly elastic fabric. Shape-retaining, for trousers and skirts.
Elastane
Highly elastic man-made fiber which gives fabrics stretch and recovery. Mostly used as a blend.
Functional fabrics / functional textiles
Technically finished fabrics with properties like breathability, elasticity or weather resistance.
Lycra
Well-known brand name for elastane; stands for stretch and good recovery.
Mesh / net fabric
Air-permeable net fabric. Popular for sportswear, layering and costumes.
Microfiber
Very fine synthetic fiber made from polyester or polyamide. Light, soft, quick-drying and pleasant to the touch.
Neoprene
Stretchable, foamed composite material. Holds its shape and used for the scuba-look.
Polyamide
Durable synthetic fiber (nylon). Light and elastic, frequently in functional and sportswear.
Polyester
Versatile synthetic fiber. Tear-resistant, shape-retaining, crease-resistant and easy-care.
Ripstop
Tear-resistant fabric with reinforcing grid. Light and robust.
Scuba
Dense, elastic double-knit with neoprene-like character. Shape-retaining and modern.
Softshell
Multi-layer functional textile, windproof, water-repellent and elastic.
Specialty, effect and coated fabrics
Fleece
Soft, brushed knit fabric made from polyester. Light, warm and quick-drying.
Imitation leather
Textile substrate with leather-like coating of PU or PVC.
Imitation fur (faux fur)
Textile fabric with long pile to imitate fur.
Patent fabric
Fabric with a shiny, patent-like coating.
Nicki
Soft, velvety velour from cotton knit. For children's and leisurewear.
Oilskin (waxed fabric)
Waxed, water-repellent cotton fabric. Robust, for jackets and bags.
Waxed cotton
Cotton coated with wax. Water-repellent and hard-wearing.
Knitted fabrics (knitted and warp-knitted)
Knitted fabric
Umbrella term for fabrics made from interconnected loops (knitted or warp-knitted). Mostly elastic and soft.
Cuff fabric
Elastic rib knit for cuffs on sleeves and hem.
Fine rib
Fine ribbed knit, classic for underwear and shirts.
Fine knit
Fine knitwear for pullovers and cardigans.
French terry
Knit fabric with smooth front and looped back. Classic sweatshirt fabric.
Chunky knit
Chunkily knitted, voluminous knit for pullovers and cardigans.
Interlock
Double-faced, smooth jersey on both sides. More stable and closed than single jersey.
Jacquard knit
Knitted fabric with incorporated patterns.
Jersey
Fine, soft knitted fabric. Fitted, elastic and pleasant to wear.
Piqué (knit)
Structured knit with relief surface, typical for polos.
Pointelle (ajour knit)
Fine knit with small, regular openwork patterns.
Rib jersey
Ribbed, especially elastic knit fabric. Ideal for cuffs and close-fitting parts.
Romanit (Punto)
Firm, shape-retaining double knit. Very good for dresses and blazers.
Single jersey
Single-faced, light jersey which tends to curl at cut edges.
Sweat
Brushed, warm knit for sporty styles.
Techno jersey
Smooth, shape-retaining jersey for modern, clean silhouettes.
Waffle jersey
Knit fabric with honeycomb waffle structure.
Wool jersey
Soft, elastic knit made from wool.