 |
B |
 |
|
 |
| |
Baby
Alpacer |
|
See
Alpaca Fibre
 |
|
| |
Backtanning |
An
After-treatment To Improve The Wet Fastness Of Dyed Or Printed Silk Or
Nylon, Using Either Natural Or Synthetic Tanning Agents.

|
| |
Badla |
Flat
Metallic Wire, Often Silver-gilt, Used In Brocading And Embroidery.
 |
| |
Baghal
Bandi |
A
Kind Of Tunic Or Jacket, Worn Shorts And Fastened Under The Armpits.
 |
| |
Balabar |
An
Outer Garment, Worn By Men, Related In Shape To The Coat-like Ashcan
 |
| |
Balagny
Cloak |
First
Half Of 17th Century, Cloak Or Cape With Wide Collar, In France Named
After A Military Hero.
 |
| |
Balanced
Stripes |
A
Design Of Stripes That Are Even In Width And Spacing.
 |
| |
Baldrick |
(french
Bandelier) Sword Hanger, Usually Decorated With Exquisite Embroidery,
(often Metal Thread Embroidery) And Worn From The Right Shoulder To The
Left Hip, Usually Over The Waistcoat Or Earlier Bolero-style Doublet,
But Under The Coat Or Justaucorps. Frequently Worn Over The Coat To Show
Off The Embroidery, When The Baldrick Had Become Very Broad And Long.
The Sword (rapier, Later Also Dress-sword) Hangs Very Low At The Knees.

|
| |
Bale
Breaker |
A
Machine Used For Opening Cotton Direct From A Bale. Layers Of Compressed
Cotton Are Taken From A Bale And Fed Into A Machine Where The Tearing
Action Of Two Coarse Spiked Rollers Moving In Opposite Directions,
Produces A More Open Mass Of Tufts.

|
| |
Bale
Dyeing |
(1)
Dyeing Of Loose Stock ( Usually Synthetic-polymer Fibre ) In The Form Of
An Unpacked Bale.,(2) In The USA, A Low Cost Process For Dyeing Cotton
Fabric To Produce A Coloured Warp And White Weft.

|
| |
Bandanna |
A
Print Design Characterized By White Or Brightly Colored Motifs On A Dark
Or Bright Ground, Most Often Red Or Navy. Done By Discharge Or Resist
Printing But Originally Done In India By Tie Dyeing. 2. A Fabric,
Usually Cotton With Such A Design.

|
| |
Bandelier |
See
Baldrick.
 |
| |
Bandhani |
A
Process Of Patterning Cloth By Tie-dyeing In Which The Design Is
Reserved On The Undyed Cloth By Tying Small Spots Very Tightly With
Thread To Protect Them From The Dye. Especially Popular In Rajasthan And
Gujarat.

|
| |
Banyan |
Name
Given In England To Men's Jacket In Indian Cloth. The Term Is Mostly
Used For Indoor Garments 'dressing Gowns'.
 |
| |
Barathea |
An
Indistinct Twill Or Broken Rib- Usually A Twilled Hopsack Weave- With A
Fine Textured ,slightly Pebbled Surface . Often Of Silk Or Silk Blended
With Wool, Used For Neckties, Women's Fine Suits And Coats Men's And
Women's Evening Wear.

|
| |
Bare
Pychon Ka Pyjama
 |
A
Pyjama (q. V) With Wide, Flared Legs. |
| |
Bark
Cloth |
Originally
Referred To Fabric Made From The Bark Of Trees. Now The Term Is Used To
Describe Fabric With A Surface Texture Resembling Tree Bark.

|
| |
Barras |
A
Coarse Linen Fabric Similar To Sackcloth; Originally Produced In
Holland.
 |
| |
Barrier
Fabric |
Fabrics
That Are Barriers To Dust , Dust Mites And Associated Allergens.
 |
| |
Bas
De Cotte / De Jupe / De Robe
 |
In
The Second Half Of The 17th Century This Term Was Used For The Lower
Part Of The Petticoat Or Skirt, Which Went With The Petticoat Or Skirt
Body, Covered By The Gown Body.
|
| |
Basic
Dye |
A
Cationic Dye Characterized By Its Substantivity For Basic-dyeable
Acrylic And Basic-dyeable Polyester Fibres, Especially The Former. The
Term Was Originally Applied To Tannin-mordant Cotton Dyes.

|
| |
Basin
Waste; Basineés |
The
Silk Waste Consisting Of Cocoons That Could Not Be Completely Reeled
Because Of Too Frequent Breaks In The Thread.

|
| |
Basket
Stitch |
A
Knit Construction With Mostly Purl Loops In The Pattern Courses To Give
A Basket Weave Look
 |
| |
Basket
Weave/hopsack |
A
Variation Of Plain Weave In Which 2 Or More Yarns In Both The Warp And
Weft Are Woven Side By Side To Resemble A Basket.

|
| |
Basques |
Mid-17th
Century. French Word For Short Tabs At Bodices And Male Doublets That
Extended Below The Waist. Those Jackets With Basques Were Worn In
Combination With Skirts Instead Of Gowns.

|
| |
Bast
Fibre |
Fibre
Obtained From The Stems Of Various Plants.
 |
| |
Batik |
A
Traditional Indonesian Dyeing Process In Which Portions Of Fabric Are
Coated With Wax And Therefore Resist The Dye. The Process Can Be
Repeated To Achieve Multi-color Designs. Fabric Usually Has A Veined
Appearance Where The Dye Has Gone Through The Cracks In The Wax.

|
| |
Batiste |
1. A
Sheer, Fine, Soft, Light Weight, Plain Weave Fabric Usually Of Combed
Cotton Or Polyester/cotton. It Often Has Lengthwise Streaks Due To The
Use Of 2 Ply Yarns. Used For Shirts Blouses Dresses Nightwear And
Lingerie. 2. A Lightweight Smooth All Wool Fabric. 3.a Sheer Silk
Fabric.

|
| |
Batt;
Batting (u.s.a.)
 |
See
Web |
| |
Bave |
The
Silk Fibre Complete With Its Natural Gum ( Sericin ) As It Is Withdrawn
From A Cocoon. It Is Composed Of Two Brins.

|
| |
Beaded |
Referring
To A Fabric Embellished With Beads.
 |
| |
Beading
Lace |
A
Machine Made Lace With A Row Of Openwork Holes Designed For The
Insertion Of A Decorative Ribbon.
 |
| |
Beaver
Cloth |
A
High Quality, Heavy, Soft Wool Cloth With A Deep, Smooth Nap. Used In
Overcoats.
 |
| |
Bedford
Cord |
A
Woven Fabric Constructed To Show Pronounced Rounded Cords In The Warp
Direction With Sunken Lines Between Them. Used In Trousers, Uniforms,
Hats, Upholstery.

|
| |
Beet |
A
Bundle Or Sheaf Of Tied Flax Crop Or Straw.
 |
| |
Beetled |
A
Finishing Process In Which A Fabric Usually Linen Or Cotton Is Pounded
To Produce A Hard Flat Surface With A Sheen.

|
| |
Bellies
(wool) |
The
Coarser Quality Of Wool From The Underside Of Sheep.
 |
| |
Bemberg |
Brand
Of Cupramonium Rayon.
 |
| |
Bengaline |
A
Durable Plain Weave Fabric Characterized By Widthwise Cords Formed By
Using Fine Warp Yarns And Course Weft Yarns, Used In Dresses, Coats,
Suits, Ribbons, Draperies.

|
| |
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 Degree Across The Length And
Width Of A Fabric, Fabric Cut On A Bias Has Maximum Stretch.

|
| |
Bicomponent
Fibre |
A
Man-made Fibre Having Two Distinct Polymer Components. Both Components
Are Themselves Usually Fibre Forming. Wool And Some Other Animal Fibres
Are Sometimes Considered To Be Bicomponent Since They Possess A
Side-by-side Configuration Of The Ortho- And Para-cortex Which Results
In Crimp In The Fibre.

|
| |
Binche
Lace |
A
Lace In Which The Lace Motifs Are Appliquéd To A Machine Made Net
Ground. Originally Made In Binche Belgium.

|
| |
Birdseye |
1. A
General Term For A Fabric With A Surface Texture Of Small, Uniform Spots
That Suggest Bird's Eyes. Can Be Woven Or Knit. 2 A Design That Suggests
A Bird's Eyes.

|
|
|
Birefringence
|
The
Difference Between The Refractive Index Of A Fibre Measured Parallel To
The Fibre Axis Nii And That Measured Perpendicular To The Fibre Axis Nl:,
Dn = Nii - Nl, Birefringence Is Frequently Used As A Measure Of The
Orientation Of The Macromolecules Within The Fibre.

|
| |
Biscuit |
One
Of Several Narrow Cylindrical Cheeses Of Yarn Wound As A Composite
Package On A Single Former Side By Side But Not Touching. Biscuit
Packages Are Used As The Take-up In Some Synthetic-fibre Extrusion
Systems.

|
| |
Bisu |
See
Husks
 |
| |
Blanket
Plaid |
A
Large Vividly Colored Plaid Design Such As Those Often Found On
Blankets.
 |
| |
Blaze |
See
Cocoon Strippings, Also Termed Keba.
 |
| |
Bleached |
Chemical
Treatment To Remove Impurities And Whiten The Fabric. It Can Be Done
Either In Preparation For Dyeing And Finishing Or To Obtain Clean Whites
In Finished Fabric.

|
| |
Bleaching |
The
Procedure Of Improving The Whiteness Of Textile Material, With Or
Without The Removal Of Natural Colouring Matter And/or Extraneous
Substances, By A Bleaching Agent.

|
| |
Bleaching
Agent |
A
Chemical Reagent Capable Of Destroying Partly Or Completely The Natural
Colouring Matter Of Textile Fibres, Yarns And Fabrics, And Leaving Them
White Or Considerably Lighter In Colour. Examples Are Oxidizing And
Reducing Agents. Amongst The Former, Hydrogen Peroxide Is Widely Used.

|
| |
Blending |
A
Process Or Processes Concerned Primarily With Efficient Mixing Of
Various Lots Of Fibres. Blending Is Normally Carried Out To Mix Fibres,
Which May Be Of Different Physical Properties, Market Values, Or Colours.

|
| |
Blinding |
A
Marked And Undesirable Loss Of Lustre Of Fibres Caused By Wet
Processing.
 |
| |
Blister
Fabric |
See
Cloque/ Blister Fabric
 |
| |
Blitz |
A
Light To Medium Weight Woven Fabric With A Filament Warp And Spun Weft.
Often Has A Very Fine Crosswise Rib. Common Blends Are Acetate/rayon And
Polyester/rayon.

|
| |
Block
Copolymer |
A
Copolymer In Which The Repeating Units In The Main Chain Occur In
Blocks, E.g.,-(a)m-(b)n-(a)p-(b)q- ,where A And B Represent The
Repeating Units.

|
| |
Block
Printed |
A
Hand Printing Method Using Wood, Metal, Or Linoleum Blocks. The Design
Is Carved On The Blocks , One Block For Each Color. The Dye Is Applied
To The Block Which Is Pressed Or Hammered Against The Fabric.

|
| |
Blotch
Print |
Refers
To A Print In Which A Large Area Of Uniform Color Is Printed. The
Printed Ground Is Referred To As The Blotch.

|
| |
Blowing
Room |
The
Room In A Cotton Spinning Mill Where The Preparatory Processes Of
Opening, Cleaning And Blending Are Carried Out.

|
| |
Bobbin
Lace |
A
Handmade Lace Using A Pillow To Hold Pins Around Which Thread Is
Intertwined. Bobbins Are Used To Hold And Feed The Thread. Also Called
Pillow Lace Or Bobbinet.

|
| |
Boiled
Wool |
A
Wool Or Wool Blend Fabric, Woven Or Knitted Which Has Been Given A
Course, Crepey Texture By Heavy Felting Or By Putting It In A High
Temperature Bath.

|
| |
Boiling
Off |
See
Degumming.
 |
| |
Boll |
A
Seed Case And Its Contents, As Of Cotton Or Flax.
 |
| |
Bolt |
See
Piece
 |
| |
Bonded |
A
Fabric Composed Of 2 Or More Layers Joined Together With An Adhesive
,resin, Foam, Or Fusible Membrane.
 |
| |
Bonnet |
Ladies'
Headdress Covering The Back Of The Head And Having The Brim In Funnel
Form To Shade The Face.
 |
| |
Book |
A
Parcel Of Hanks Of Raw Silk Whose Total Mass Is Usually 2 Kg.
 |
| |
Boot-hose |
In
The First Half Of The 17th Century, Stockings Usually Without Feet Worn
In The Soft Fashionable Boots With Turned Cup-shaped Tops
("bucket"-tops). The Lace-edge Of The Boot-hose Is Turned Over
The Boot-tops. ("cavalier"-style). They Were Worn Over The
Silk Stockings To Protect Them In The Long Boots.

|
| |
Border |
A
Design Placed Along The Edge Of The Fabric Or Engineered In Such A Way
That It Will Fall On The Edge Of The Finished Product. Border Designs
Are Frequently Used In Skirts And Dresses.

|
| |
Botanical |
Referring
To Designs Dominated By Motifs Depicting Plant Life.
 |
| |
Botany
Wool |
A
Term Applied To Tops, Yarns And Fabrics Made From Merino Wool. The Term
Originated From Botany Bay In Australia.

|
| |
Boucle |
1.a
Fancy Yarn With An Irregular Pattern Of Curls And Loops 2. A Fabric Made
From Boucle Yarn.
 |
| |
Bourdalou |
Hat-ribbon,
Finer Than Grosgrain, Round The Foot Of The Crown Of Hats. This Trimming
Is Sometimes Finished Off With A Buckle And Has Been In Use Since The
17th Century.

|
| |
Bourdon
Lace |
A
Machine Made Lace On A Mesh Ground Usually In A Scroll Design Outlined
With A Heavy Cord.
 |
| |
Bourette |
A
Fancy Plied Yarn With Nubs And Knots Of Another Color.
 |
| |
Bourette |
See
Noil
 |
| |
Bourrelet |
A
Double Knit Fabric With A Rippled , Corded Texture Running Horizontally.
 |
| |
Bow-string
Hemp |
See
Sansevieria
 |
| |
Brandenburg
Coat |
Fourth
Quarter Of 17th Century, A Loose Overcoat With Turned-back Cuffs. The
Sleeves Are Made In One With The Rest Of The Garment.

|
| |
Breaking
(bast Fibres) |
The
Deformation Of The Plant Structure 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. Breaking By Means Of Rollers Is Often Referred To As Rolling.

|
| |
Breaking
Elongation; Breaking Extension
 |
The
Elongation, Or Extension, Of A Substance At Its Breaking Load. |
| |
Breaking
Length |
The
Length Of A Specimen Whose Weight Is Equal To The Breaking Load.
 |
| |
Breaking
Load; Breaking Force
 |
The
Load That Develops The Breaking Tension. The Recommended Unit Of
Measurement Is The Newton. |
| |
Breaking
Stress |
The
Maximum Stress Developed In A Specimen 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.

|
| |
Breaking
Tension |
The
Maximum Tension Developed In A Specimen Stretched To Rupture. It Is
Correctly Expressed In Newton's.
 |
| |
Breathable
Coated |
Refers
To A Coating That Repels Water But Allows Water Vapor (thus
Perspiration) To Pass Through, Allowing Garments To Be Comfortable And
Waterproof . Used In Garments For Active Wear And Winter Sports.

|
| |
Breton
Lace |
Lace
Embroidered On An Open Net With Heavy Often Brightly Colored Yarn. May
Be Made By Hand Or Machine. Said To Have Originated In The Breton Region
Of France.

|
| |
Bright |
Descriptive
Of Textile Materials, Particularly Man-made Fibres, The Natural Lustre
Of Which Has Not Been Substantially Reduced. Bright May Denote The
Presence Of A Very Small Amount Of Delustrant, Insufficient To Reduce
The Lustre Of The Fibre Significantly.

|
| |
Brightening
Agent
 |
See
Optical Brightner |
| |
Brin |
A
Single Filament Of Silk Resulting From The Degumming Of The Bave
Withdrawn From The Cocoon.
 |
| |
Broadcloth |
A
Fine Tightly Woven Plain Weave Fabric With A Faint Rib . Usually Of
Cotton Or Cotton Blend But Can Be Of Any Fiber. Frequently Used In Men's
Shirts. 2. A Fine Soft Woven Wool Fabric, Plain Or Twill Weave, With A
Smooth Napped Face.

|
| |
Brocade |
A
Heavy Rich- Looking Jacquard Fabric With Contrasting Surfaces Or A
Multicolor Design . Used In Upholstery , Draperies Evening Wear.

|
| |
Brocatelle |
A
Jacquard Fabric Similar To Brocade With The Design In A Raised
Appearance From Being Formed With A Satin Or Twill Weave. Used In
Draperies And Upholstery.

|
| |
Broken
Twill |
A
General Term For Twill Weave Fabrics In Which The Twill Line Changes
Direction.
 |
| |
Brushed/napped |
A
Finishing Process To Raise A Nap On Surface Of The Fabric Using Wire
Brushes Or Other Abrasive Materials.
 |
| |
Brushstroke |
Refers
To A Print Style In Which Color Looks As If It Had Been Applied With A
Brush.
 |
| |
Brussels
Lace |
May
Be A Bobbin Or Needlepoint Lace Usually On A Machine Made Ground.
Sometimes Designs Are Appliquéd On The Ground. As Brussels Belgium Is
Important In The History Of Lace-making, Many Different Types Of Lace
Are Called Brussels Lace.

|
| |
Buckram |
A
Stiff , Open Weave, Coarse Fabric Often Used As An Interlining To Give A
Garment Shape. Also Used In Hats, Bookbinding.

|
| |
Buckskin |
A
Heavy Satin Weave Fabric, Often Of Fine Merino Wool, With A Smooth Face
 |
| |
Buffalo
Check |
A
Bold Check Pattern With Blocks Of 2 Or 3 Contrasting Colors. Often Red
And Black In A Twill Weave.
 |
| |
Bulked
Yarn |
A
Yarn That Has Been Treated Mechanically, Physically Or Chemically So As
To Have A Noticeably Greater Voluminosity Or Bulk.

|
| |
Bunch
(flax) |
The
Aggregate Of Pieces, Which Are Tied Up With Two Or More Ties Preparatory
To Baling.
 |
| |
Bunting |
A
Plain, Drapey, Loosely Woven Fabric Most Often Used For Flags And
Decoration. Also Called Banner Cloth.
 |
| |
Burl |
A
Wool Trade Term For An Imperfection.
 |
| |
Burlap/hessian |
A
Coarse Open Fabric Made Of Jute Used For Upholstery Lining And Bagging .
When Dyed Or Printed It Is Used In Drapery, Wall Coverings, Upholstery.

|
| |
Burn
Out |
A
Fabric Made Of 2 Fibers Then Printed With A Chemical That Dissolves One
Of The Fibers Thus Creating A Design .often Done On Velvet.

|
| |
Burry
Wool |
Wool
Contaminated With Vegetable Impurities Adhering To The Fleece.
 |
| |
Buta |
Literally,
"a Plant". A Floral Motif, Derived Generally From Persian
Sources, Much Used In Indian Textile Design, 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's
Linen |
A
Strong, Heavy, Plain Weave Linen Fabric With Uneven, Thick And Thin
Yarns In Both Warp And Weft - Often Used In Tablecloths And Aprons.

|
| |
Buti |
A
Diminutive Of Buta (q.v.), Very Commonly Used In Indian Textile Design.
 |
| |
Butt |
To
Level The Root Ends Of Flax Straw At Any Stage Of Processing By
Vibrating It Upright On A Flat Surface, Either By Hand Or Mechanically.

|
| |
Butter
Muslin |
See
Muslin
 |