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caddis  worsted yarn specifically a worsted ribbon or binding formerly used for garters and girdles.

café au lait the color of coffee w/ milk.

caftan  a usually cotton or silk ankle-length garment with long sleeves

calico  cotton cloth from India; a plain white cotton fabric that is heavier than muslin; any of various cheap cotton fabrics with figured patterns ; is one of the oldest cottons.  Rather coarse and light in weight.  Pattern is printed on one side by discharge or resist printing.  

calotte  skullcap, especially zucchetto

calpac  a high-crowned cap worn in Turkey, Iran, and neighboring countries

calyptra a Greek veil 

cambric  soft, closely woven, light. Either bleached or piece dyed.  Highly mercerized, lint free.  Calendered on the right side with a slight gloss. 

camise  a light loose long-sleeved shirt, gown, or tunic

camisole  a short negligee jacket for women; a short sleeveless garment for women

camel  a light yellowish brown.

camel hair  hair from the camel. Sometimes blended with wool or imitated in wool.  Twill or plain weave. 

camlet a medieval Asian fabric of camel hair or angora wool; a European fabric of silk and wool; a fine lustrous woolen. 

camp shirt  a woman's shirt having a notched collar and often patch pockets

canary yellow  a light to a moderate or vivid yellow.

candlewick  a soft cotton embroidery yarn.

candlewick fabric  an unbleached muslin bed sheeting (also called Kraft muslin) used as a base fabric on which a chenille effect is formed by application of canlewick (heavy plied yarn) loops, which are then cut to give the fuzzy effect and cut yarn appearance of true chenille yarn. 

canton flannel  made of Cotton.   Four harness warp-faced twill weave.  The filling yarn is a very loosely twisted and soft and later brushed to produced a soft nap on the back, the warp is medium in size.  The face is a twill. Used in interlinings, sleeping garments, linings, coverings, work gloves.

canvas  a firm closely woven cloth usually of linen, hemp, or cotton used for clothing and formerly much used for tents and sails.  Plain weave. 

cap  a head covering especially with a visor and no brim; a distinctive head covering emblematic of a position or office.

cape  a cloth that fits closely at the neck and hangs loosely over the shoulders by itself or as part of a garment

capelet  a small cape usually covering the shoulders

capote  a usually long and hooded cloak or overcoat

capri pants  close-fitting women's pants that end above the ankle [Also called capris]

capuche  hood, especially the cowl of a Capuchin friar

capuchin  a hooded cloak for women

carbonising      the removal of vegetable matter, such as burrs and seeds, from wool and wool fabrics by chemical treatment. Also used to remove vegetable fibre in recovering the wool in union and mixture fabrics.

carcanet  [Archaic] an ornamental necklace, chain, collar, or headband

car coat  a three-quarter-length overcoat.

cardigan  a usually collarless sweater or jacket that opens the full length of the center front

cardinal  a woman's short hooded cloak originally of scarlet cloth

carmine  vivid red.

carnation  a pale to grayish yellow; a moderate red.

carpet  a heavy, often tufted fabric used a floor covering.

carroty  having the color of carrots.

cartridge belt  a belt worn around the waist for attaching various equipment, as a cartridge case, canteen, or compass

cashmere (Kashmir)  from the Kashmir goat, a hair fibre found in Kashmir India, Tibet, Iran, Iraq, and South west China.   Often mixed with wool or synthetics to cut costs and improve the wear.  All weaves but mostly plain or twill.  All knits. 

casque  a piece of armor for the head, helmet

cassimere a closely woven smooth twilled usually wool fabric (as for suits).

cassock  a close-fitting ankle-length garment worn especially in Roman Catholic and Anglican churches by the clergy and by laymen assisting in services

castor  a beaver hat

category (relevance to customs clearance) means a grouping of textile or apparel goods defined in the Correlation: Textile and Apparel Categories with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, 1992.

cavalry twill  woolen or worsted.  63 twill weave; right hand twill.  Pronounced narrow and wide wale, in groups of 2.    Strong rugged cloth.   Quite elastic. 

ceinture  a belt or sash for the waist

celadon  a grayish yellow green.

cerecloth cloth treated with melted wax or gummy matter and formerly used especially for wrapping a dead body.

cerise  moderate red.

cerulean  resembling the blue of the sky.

cestus  a hand covering of leather bands often loaded with lead or iron and used by boxers in ancient Rome

chador  a large cloth worn as a combination head covering, veil, and shawl by Muslim women especially in Iran

challis (chalys)  wool-also made in cotton, hair fibre, rayon, and a silk warp and worsted filling.

chambray  made of Cotton. Weave: Plain weave or dobby designs on a plain-weave ground.  Made with a dyed warp and a white or unbleached filling.  Both carded and combed yarns used.  Has a white selvedge. 

chamois cloth  a cotton fabric.   Fabric is napped, sheared, and dyed to simulate chamois leather. Used in dusters, interlining, storage bags for articles to prevent scratching.

chamoisette  cotton, also rayon and nylon.  Double knit construction.  A fine, firmly knit fabric. Has a very short soft nap.  Nylon chamoisette is more often called "glove silk".  Used for gloves.

champagne  a pale orange yellow to light grayish yellowish brown.

chantilly lace  a delicate silk, linen, or synthetic lace having a six-sided mesh ground and a floral or scrolled design.

chapeau hat

chaplet  a wreath to be worn on the head

chaps  leather leggings joined by a belt or lacing often with flared outer flaps and worn over the trousers, as by western ranch hands

charcoal  a dark gray.

charmeuse  a lightweight silk, cotton or man-made fiber dress fabric which is soft and drapes well.  It is smooth, has a semi-lustrous satin face and dull back. 

chartreuse  a variable color averaging a brilliant yellow green.

chased  a calendared finish for cotton fabrics that imparts beetled "bright-and-dim" surface effects.

chastity belt a belt device, as of medieval times, designed to prevent sexual intercourse on the part of the woman wearing it

chasuble  a sleeveless outer vestment worn by the officiating priest at mass

chaussure  footgear; [Plural] shoes.

check  a fabric woven or printed with a pattern in squares that resembles a checkerboard.

cheesecloth cotton, plain weave.   Originally used as a wrapping material for pressing cheese. Loosely woven, thin, light in weight, open in construction, and soft.  Carded yarns are always used.   It is also called gauze weave. 

chemise  a woman's one-piece undergarment; a loose straight-hanging dress

chemisette  a woman's garment, especially one, as of lace, to fill the open front of a dress

chenille fabric  warp yarn of any major textile fibre. Filling of chenille yarns (has a pile protruding all around at right angles).  A fuzzy yarn whose pile resembles a caterpillar.   

cheongsam  an oriental dress with a slip skirt and a mandarin collar

cherry  a variable color averaging a moderate red.

chesterfield  a single-breasted or double-breasted semi fitted overcoat with velvet collar

chestnut  a grayish to reddish brown.

cheviot  wool originally and mostly made from wool from the Cheviot sheep but today also made of blends, spun synthetics, crossbred and reused wools.  Twill weave (modern version sometimes plain).   Also sold as a tweed.

chiffon  (French for "rag")  Silk, rayon, cotton, synthetics.  Plain weave.  Lightweight, sheer, transparent.   Made with very fine, tightly twisted yarns.  The tightly twisted yarns could be either in the filling or the warp or both.  It is very strong, despite filmy look.  

chimere  a loose sleeveless robe worn by Anglican bishops over the rochet

china silk originally hand woven in China of silk from the Bonabyx mori.  Very soft and extremely lightweight but fairly strong. 

chinchilla  cotton or wool, and some manmade and synthetics.  Sateen or twill construction with extra fillings for long floats.

chino  cotton , twill (left hand) weave.  Combined two-ply warp and filling.  Has a sheen that remains.   Fabric was purchased in China (thus the name) by the U.S. Army for uniforms.  

chinos  casual men's trousers made from chino fabric (British), called "khakis" in America.

chintz  cotton cloth, usually printed with flowery patterns, that has a slightly shiny appearance.  Cotton plain weave.  Has bright printed gay figures, large flower designs, birds and other designs. Also comes in plain colors. 

chiton  the basic garment of ancient Greece worn usually knee-length by men and full-length by women

chlamys  a short oblong mantle worn by young men of ancient Greece

chocolate a brownish gray.

choli  a short blouse usually worn with a saree or a lengha. You can vary the collar, sleeve and length.  A traditional garment worn in India.

choker  something, as a collar or a necklace, worn closely about the throat or neck

chopine  a shoe with a very high sole designed to increase stature and protect the feet from mud and dirt worn by women in the 16th and 17th centuries

chrisom  a white cloth or robe put on a person at baptism as a symbol of innocence

chukka  a usually ankle-length leather boot with two or three pairs of eyelets or a buckle and strap

chunni or dupatta  a scarf or wrap worn with most Indian garments. The item can be plain or embellished with embroidery.  Traditional garment from India.

churidhar  fitted pants with deliberate snugness around the calf and ankle with gatherings and hooks for fastening.  Traditional garment from India.

cincture  girdle, belt; especially, a cord or sash worn around an ecclesiastical vestment, as an alb or religious habit

cinereous  gray tinged w/ black.

cinnamon  a light yellowish brown.

circular knitting or knitting in the round, is a form of knitting that creates a seamless tube. The circular needle looks like two standard knitting needles connected by a cable between them. Machines also do circular knitting; these use individual latch-hook needles to make each stitch in a round frame.

ciré  a fabric with a ciré finish, namely a highly glazed finish usually achieved by applying wax to the fabric.  A garment with a ciré finish, namely a highly glazed finish usually achieved by applying wax to the fabric

claret  a dark purplish red.

clerical collar  a narrow upright white collar worn buttoned at the back of the neck by members of the clergy

cloak  a loose outer garment

cloche  a woman's small close-fitting hat usually with deep rounded crown and very narrow brim

clodhopper  a large heavy work shoe or boot.

clog  a shoe, sandal, or overshoe having a thick typically wooden sole

cloque a fabric with an embossed design; a fabric especially of piqué with small woven figures.

closeout  merchandise that is being sold below original wholesale cost. Can be Overstock, Shelf Pull or Discontinued merchandise.

cloth  the word cloth is sometimes used as a generic term for "fabric".  The word cloth also considered a unit of length for measuring cloth

cloth yard  a yard esp. for measuring cloth; specific: a unit of 37 inches equal to the Scottish ell and used also as a length for arrows

clothes  clothing; all the cloth articles of personal and household use that can be washed

clothes-horse  a frame on which to hang clothes (or a conspicuously dressy person)

clothes-line  a line (as of cord or rope) on which clothes may be hung to dry.

clothes moth  any of several small yellowish or buff-colored moths whose larvae eat wool, fur or feathers.

clothes-pin   a forked piece of wood or plastic or a small spring clamp used for fastening clothes on a clothesline.

clothier  one who makes or sells clothing. 

clothing  garments, in general; covering.

clutch bag  a woman's small usually strapless handbag

CMYK   Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black; the colors used when printing process color (often referred to as 4-color process).  These are special pigment colors of ink that are very transparent.  

coat  an outer garment worn on the upper body and varying in length and style according to fashion and use

coatdress  a dress styled like a cost usually with a front buttoning from neckline to hemline

coating  coat, covering.   Cloth for coats.

coat of mail  a garment of metal scales or chain mail worn as armor

cobalt  cobalt blue.

cobalt blue  a strong greenish blue.

cocoa  a medium brown.

coif  a close-fitting cap; a hood-like cap worn under a veil by nuns; a protective usually metal skullcap formerly worn under a hood of mail; a white cap formerly worn by English lawyers.

Coir (from Malayalam kayaru - cord) is a coarse fibre extracted from husk, the fibrous outer shell of a coconut.

coldcut (label) processing can be employed only when using coated fabrics that will naturally resist fray.  It is used only for printed large format poster labels as it allows very large scale labels to be processed.

color  a person’s recognition of an object’s color is the result of a complex process involving the response of the brain to the interaction of light with the object. Numerical descriptions of these three components ( 1. light source, 2. object, 3. observer) are all that is required to calculate the description of any color with an objective set of numbers.

Colorfastness to Crocking (AATCC Test Method 8-2001): This test is designed to determine the amount of color transferred from the surface of colored textile materials to other surfaces by rubbing. It is applicable to textiles made from all fibers in the form of yarn or fabric whether dyed, printed or otherwise colored. Testing procedures employ white test cloth squares. Testing is usually done for both wet and dry crocking (wet is cloth that is wet with water). Color transferred to the white test cloth after rubbing, is assessed by a comparison with the Gray Scale for Staining or the Chromatic Transference Scale and a grade is assigned.

collar  a band, strip, or chain worn around the neck; a short necklace; clerical collar

combed cotton Cotton that has had the short fibers and impurities removed.  It is a superior process to the more common treatment called 'carding' because the yarns have less fibers projecting from them.

combing wool long-staple strong-fibered wool found suitable for combing and used especially in the manufacture of worsteds.

comforter  a long narrow usually knitted neck scarf

commode  a woman's ornate cap popular in the late 17th and early 18th centuries

compaction / compacting A technique utilized to control shrinkage in fabric

cool  of a hue in the range violet through blue to green.

coolie hat  a conical-shaped usually straw hat worn especially to protect the head from the heat of the sun

coonskin  an article, as a cap or coat, made of coonskin

cope  a long enveloping ecclesiastical vestment

coppery having the reddish to brownish orange color of copper.

coral  a deep pink.

cord   a fabric made with ribs.  A garment made of cord fabric, namely a fabric with ribs; trousers made of cord fabric

corduroy  cotton, rayon, and other textile fibers.  Filling Pile with both plain and twill back. Made with an extra filling yarn.

corduroys  trousers of corduroy fabric.

cornflower blue a moderate purplish blue.

coronal  a circlet for the head usually implying rank or dignity

coronet  an ornamental wreath or band for the head usually for wear by women on formal occasions

corselet  a piece of armor covering the trunk but usually not the arms or the legs; a combination girdle and brassiere

corselette  an undergarment combining girdle and brassiere

corset  a usually close-fitting and often laced medieval jacket; a woman's close-fitting boned supporting undergarment that is often hooked and laced and extends from the torso to below the hips and has garters attached

costume  an outfit worn to create the appearance characteristic of a particular period, person, place, or thing; a person's ensemble of outer garments, especially a woman's ensemble of dress with coat or jacket

cothurnus  a high thick-soled laced boot worn by actors in Greek and Roman tragic drama [Also called, cothurn]

cotta  a waist-length surplice

cotton  a plant of the Genus Gossypium, which yields fiber for the manufacture of durable and permanent fine papers and cellulose derivatives. The boll of the cotton plant is a capsule that bursts open when ripe, allowing the seed and attached lint (hairs) to be easily picked. The cotton fiber is removed from the seed by the ginning process. 
American Upland Cotton: Representing the bulk of the world crop, American Upland fiber runs between 3/4" and 1 1/4" .  
Egyptian Cotton : Long staple variety from Egypt with fiber length averaging 1 3/8".  
Pima Cotton: an excellent long staple variety grown in Arizona , New Mexico, Texas and California.  It is a cross between Sea Island Cotton and Egyptian Cotton with fiber length averaging 1 1/2". 
Sea Island Cotton : The very finest and most expensive cotton, in very limited supply, with a fiber length greater than 1 1/2".

cotton linters   the short fibers adhering to cotton seed after the operation of ginning (seed removal and cleaning). These fibers are cut from the seed in a series of passes through cutting blades, and are therefore referred to as, "first - cut linters," "second - cut linters," "mill run," etc.

course  the horizontal row of loops in knit fabric.

couture house  fashion designer house

coverall  a one-piece outer garment worn to protect other garments [Usually used in plural]

covert  a firm durable twilled sometimes waterproofed cloth usually of mixed-color yarns.  woolen or worsted, also cotton and spun rayon.  Twill weave.  Made with two shades of color e.g. (Medium and light brown).  The warp is 2 ply (1 light; 1 dark) and filling 1 ply (dark or same as warp).  Very rugged and closely woven.

cover-up  a loose outer garment

cowboy boot  a boot made with a high arch, a high Cuban heel, and usually fancy stitching

cowboy hat a wide-brimmed hat with a large soft crown [Also called, ten-gallon hat]

cowl  a hood or long hooded cloak especially of a monk

coxcomb  [obsolete] a jester's cap adorned with a strip of red

cramoisie  crimson cloth.

crape crêpe. a soft thin light fabric with crinkled texture surface.

crash  a coarse fabric used for draperies, toweling, and clothing and for strengthening joints of cased-in books.  Plain weave. Generally linen.

crash helmet  a helmet that is worn, as by motorcyclists, as protection for the head in the event of an accident

cravat  a band or scarf worn around the neck; necktie

cream  a pale yellow.

creepere  a usually one-piece garment for a child at the crawling age.

crêpe  worsted cotton, wool, silk, man-made synthetics.  Mostly plain, but various weaves.  Has a crinkled, puckered surface or soft mossy finish.  Comes in different weights and degrees of sheerness. 

crepe-back satin (satin-back crepe, crepe-satin, or satin-crepe)  satin weave on the face and a crepe effect on the back obtained with twisted crepe yarns in the filling - 2 or 3 times as many ends as picks per inch.  It is a soft fabric which is reversible.  It is usually piece dyed.  

crepe de chine  silk warp and crepe twist silk filling 25 x 22. More ends than picks per inch.  Has a soft hand and considerable luster.  Made of raw silk or rayon.  It is easy to manipulate and handle.   

crepon  crepe effect appears in direction of the warp and achieved by alternate S and Z, or slack, tension, or different degrees of twist.   Originally a wool crepe but now made of silk and rayon. 

cretonne  cotton, linen, rayon.  Plain or twill weave.  Characteristics: Finished in widths from 30 to 50 inches.  The warp counts are finer than the filling counts which are spun rather loose.  Strong substantial and gives good wear.  Printed cretonne often has very bright colors and patterns.  Used ; bedspreads, chairs, draperies, pillows, slipcovers, coverings of all kinds, beach wear, sportswear.

crewel  a fine, loosely-twisted, two-ply worsted yarn. Common applications are embroidery [typically worsted wool on a plain weave fabric] and crewel lace (narrow edging).

crewels twisted worsted yarn used for embroidery.

crew neck  a sweater with a crew neck, namely a round collarless neckline

crew sock  a short bulky usually ribbed sock.

crimp  natural waviness of wool fibers.

crinoline  an open-weave fabric or horsehair or cotton that is usually stiffened and used especially for interlinings and millinery.  A full stiff skirt or underskirt made of crinoline fabric, namely stiffened open-weave horsehair or cotton

crimson  any of several deep purplish reds.

crop top  a very short women's top ending just below the breasts; a tank-style brassiere cropped to midriff length.

crown  a royal or imperial headdress of cap of sovereignty, diadem

crystalina plastisol  printing process where specialty inks are used to give prints a multi-color pearlescent appearance when printed directly on light colored garments or over a flashed color. Crystalina can also be used for producing cold peel transfers.

cuff  hem of shirt sleeve

cuirass  a piece of armor covering the body from neck to waist; also, the breastplate of such a piece

cuisse  a piece of plate armor for the front of the thigh

culet  plate armor covering the buttocks

culotte  a divided skirt; also, a garment having a divided skirt [Often used in plural]

cummerbund  a broad waistband usually worn in place of a vest with men's dress clothes and adapted in various styles of women's clothes

cup  an athletic supporter reinforced usually with plastic to provide added protection for the wearer

curch  [Scottish] kerchief

customer return  Merchandise that has been purchased at a retail level and then returned to the original store for various reasons. Some returns are defective, broken or simply returned for no apparent reason at all.

cutaway  a coat with skirts tapering from the front waistline to form tails at the back

cutoff  [plural] shorts originally made from jeans with the legs cut off at the knees or higher

cutty sark  [chiefly Scottish] a short garment, especially a woman's short undergarment

cyan  greenish blue. One of the four primary colors.