Piece dyeing is a process in which a continuous length of dry, pre-constructed fabric is passed through a trough of hot-dye solution, and then passed through a pair of padded rollers to squeeze the …
Denier, Tex, and DTex
Denier is a unit of measurement for the mass-per-length, or linear mass density, of a fiber. Specifically, denier measures the grams per 9,000 meters of a fiber. This value can also be interpreted as …
Trilobal and Multi-lobal
The term lobal refers to the number of “lobes” or sides of a circular cross-section. Here, we refer to a trilobal yarn as one whose cross section has three distinct sides and, in practice, slightly …
Microfiber
Microfibers are fibers that are of an extremely small diameter. In popular culture, “microfiber” typically refers to two things that we discuss below: Microfiber fabrics and microfiber …
Staple Fiber, Monofilament, and Multifilament
Staple fiber is a fiber of a discrete length. It can be natural or synthetic. Staple fibers are collected, aligned, and then twisted into a yarn, a process we typically refer to as spinning. Staple …
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Haptics
When we touch and feel something, that material’s tactile properties may present an experience or insight that we would’ve never expected by just looking at, smelling, listening to, or tasting it. …
Technical Textiles
Technical textiles are different from conventional textiles, in that their primary end-use goal is functional in nature, rather than aesthetic or tactile. Whereas conventional textiles are typically …
E-Textiles
An e-textile, or electronic textile, is a fabric that has or enables the use of embedded electronic components. Namely, an e-textile leverages electrical conductivity to act as live electrical circuit …
Color Material Finish (CMF)
CMF — which stands for "color, material, finish" — refers to the design of the tactile, visual, and decorative qualities of products. CMF design touches on many aspects of the product …
Outdoor Fabrics
Fabrics used in outdoor applications must meet a breadth of performance requirements that exceed the needs of casual apparel and sportwear. Namely, beyond garment-specific requirements such as …
Wicking and Breathability
To understand wicking, breathability, and really anything related to thermal regulation in clothing, we first need to understand how our bodies regulate temperature. Humans are homeothermic …
DWR Coating
Durable water repellent, or DWR, refers to a coating applied to a fabric that makes it water-resistant, or hydrophobic. Gore-Tex is an example of this type of coating. The purpose of a water repellent …
