textile

The word 'textile' comes from the Latin adjective {{lang|la|textilis}}, meaning 'woven', which itself stems from {{lang|la|textus}}, the past participle of the verb {{lang|la|texere}}, 'to weave'.{{cite web |title=Textile |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/textile |access-date=2012-05-25 |publisher=The Free Dictionary By Farlex |archive-date=2020-05-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200527165616/https://www.thefreedictionary.com/textile |url-status=live }} Originally applied to woven fabrics, the term "textiles" is now used to encompass a diverse range of materials, including fibers, yarns, and fabrics, as well as other related items.{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}{{sfn|Joseph|1977|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}

{{Redirect|Fabric}}

A "fabric" is defined as any thin, flexible material made from yarn, directly from fibers, polymeric film, foam, or any combination of these techniques. Fabric has a broader application than cloth.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p=207}}{{Cite book |last=Kadolph |first=Sara J. |url=http://archive.org/details/textiles0010kado |title=Textiles |date=2007 |location=Upper Saddle River, N.J. |publisher= Pearson Prentice Hall |isbn=978-0-13-118769-6 |pages=469}} Fabric is synonymous with cloth, material, goods, or piece goods.{{sfn|Elsasser|2005|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}} The word 'fabric' also derives from Latin, with roots in the Proto-Indo-European language. Stemming most recently from the Middle French {{lang|fr|fabrique}}, or "building," and earlier from the Latin {{lang|la|fabrica}} ('workshop; an art, trade; a skillful production, structure, fabric'), the noun {{lang|la|fabrica}} stems from the Latin {{lang|la|faber}}" artisan who works in hard materials', which itself is derived from the Proto-Indo-European dhabh-, meaning 'to fit together'.{{OEtymD|fabric|access-date=2012-12-11}}

File:Brooklyn Museum - Cloth Merchant's Shop - Basarat.jpg

File:Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Lincoln, England - DSCF1759.JPG at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Lincoln, England]]

Cloth is a flexible substance typically created through the processes of weaving, felting, or knitting using natural or synthetic materials.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Cloth |dictionary=Merriam-Webster |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloth |access-date=2012-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606071507/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloth |archive-date=2012-06-06 |url-status=live}} The word 'cloth' derives from the Old English {{lang|ang|clað}}, meaning "a cloth, woven, or felted material to wrap around one's body', from the Proto-Germanic {{lang|gem|klaithaz}}, similar to the Old Frisian {{lang|ofs|klath}}, the Middle Dutch {{lang|dum|cleet}}, the Middle High German {{lang|gmh|kleit}} and the German {{lang|de|kleid}}, all meaning 'garment'.{{OEtymD|cloth|access-date=2012-12-11}}

Although cloth is a type of fabric, not all fabrics can be classified as cloth due to differences in their manufacturing processes, physical properties, and intended uses. Materials that are woven, knitted, tufted, or knotted from yarns are referred to as cloth, while wallpaper, plastic upholstery products, carpets, and nonwoven materials are examples of fabrics.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p=207}}

{{Main|History of clothing and textiles}}

Textiles themselves are too fragile to survive across millennia; the tools used for spinning and weaving make up most of the prehistoric evidence for textile work. The earliest tool for spinning was the spindle, to which a whorl was eventually added. The weight of the whorl improved the thickness and twist of the spun thread. Later, the spinning wheel was invented. Historians are unsure where; some say China, others India.{{cite book |last=Beaudry |first=Mary C. |title=Findings: The Material Culture of Needlework and Sewing |publisher=Yale University Press |date=2006 |page=137}}

The precursors of today's textiles include leaves, barks, fur pelts, and felted cloths.{{sfn|Weibel|1952|p=27}}

The Banton Burial Cloth, the oldest existing example of warp ikat in Southeast Asia, is displayed at the National Museum of the Philippines. The cloth was most likely made by the native Asian people of northwest Romblon.

The first clothes, worn at least 70,000 years ago and perhaps much earlier, were probably made of animal skins and helped protect early humans from the elements. At some point, people learned to weave plant fibers into textiles.

The discovery of dyed flax fibers in a cave in the Republic of Georgia dated to 34,000 BCE suggests that textile-like materials were made as early as the Paleolithic era.{{cite journal |doi=10.1126/science.325_1329a |pmid=19745126 |title=Clothes Make the (Hu) Man |year=2009 |last1=Balter |first1=M. |journal=Science |volume=325 |issue=5946 |pages=1329}}{{cite journal |doi=10.1126/science.1175404 |pmid=19745144 |title=30,000-Year-Old Wild Flax Fibers |year=2009 |last1=Kvavadze |first1=E. |last2=Bar-Yosef |first2=O. |last3=Belfer-Cohen |first3=A. |last4=Boaretto |first4=E. |last5=Jakeli |first5=N. |last6=Matskevich |first6=Z. |last7=Meshveliani |first7=T. |journal=Science |volume=325 |issue=5946 |pages=1359 |url=http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:4270521 |bibcode=2009Sci...325.1359K |access-date=2018-11-30 |archive-date=2020-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304052409/https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/4270521 |url-status=live }} [http://worldtextile.aimoo.com/ Supporting Online Material] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091127065045/http://worldtextile.aimoo.com/ |date=27 November 2009 }}

The speed and scale of textile production have been altered almost beyond recognition by industrialization and the introduction of modern manufacturing techniques.{{Cite book|url= https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Advanced+Textile+Engineering+Materials-p-9781119487852|title= Advanced Textile Engineering Materials|publisher= Wiley|editor1-first= Shahid|editor1-last= Ul-Islam|editor2-first= B. S.|editor2-last= Butola|isbn= 978-1-119-48785-2|date= 2018|access-date= 4 September 2020|archive-date= 2020-11-09|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201109034146/https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Advanced+Textile+Engineering+Materials-p-9781119487852|url-status= live}}

{{main|textile industry}}

The textile industry grew out of art and craft and was kept going by guilds. In the 18th and 19th centuries, during the Industrial Revolution, it became increasingly mechanized. In 1765, when a machine for spinning wool or cotton called the spinning jenny was invented in the United Kingdom, textile production became the first economic activity to be industrialised. In the 20th century, science and technology were driving forces.{{Cite book |last1=Hollen |first1=Norma R. |url=http://archive.org/details/isbn_9780023675300 |title=Textiles |last2=Hollen |first2=Norma R. Textiles |date=1988 |location=New York |publisher= Macmillan |isbn=978-0-02-367530-0 |pages=1, 2, 3}}{{cite book |title=States and Power in Africa: Comparative Lessons in Authority and Control, 2nd ed. |doi=10.23943/princeton/9780691164137.003.0010 |date=2017 |last1=Herbst |first1=Jeffrey |volume=1 }}

The textile industry exhibits inherent dynamism, influenced by a multitude of transformative changes and innovations within the domain. Textile operations can experience ramifications arising from shifts in international trade policies, evolving fashion trends, evolving customer preferences, variations in production costs and methodologies, adherence to safety and environmental regulations, as well as advancements in research and development.{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|p=4}}

The textile and garment industries exert a significant impact on the economic systems of numerous countries engaged in textile production.{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-1-78242-232-7.00001-1 |chapter=Introduction |title=Garment Manufacturing Technology |date=2015 |last1=Nayak |first1=R. |last2=Padhye |first2=R. |pages=1–17 |isbn=978-1-78242-232-7 }}

File:Calico sample Crum & Co..jpg, Dyeing and Calico Printing (1878)]]

Most textiles were called by their base fibre generic names, their place of origin, or were put into groups based loosely on manufacturing techniques, characteristics, and designs.{{Cite book |last=Malekandathil |first=Pius |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-WEPDQAAQBAJ&dq=Textiles+and+origin+of+their+names&pg=PT359 |title=The Indian Ocean in the Making of Early Modern India |date=13 September 2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-351-99745-4 |pages=359 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-25 |archive-date=2022-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602045837/https://books.google.com/books?id=-WEPDQAAQBAJ&dq=Textiles+and+origin+of+their+names&pg=PT359 |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last=Peck |first=Amelia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BYjh82N63IQC&dq=Textiles+and+origin+of+their+names&pg=PA60 |title=Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500–1800 |date=2013 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |isbn=978-1-58839-496-5 |pages=60 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-25 |archive-date=2022-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602055305/https://books.google.com/books?id=BYjh82N63IQC&dq=Textiles+and+origin+of+their+names&pg=PA60 |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last=Corbman |first=Bernard P. |url=http://archive.org/details/textilesfibertof0006corb |title=Textiles: fiber to fabric |date=1983 |location=New York |publisher=Gregg Division, McGraw-Hill |isbn=978-0-07-013137-8 |pages=2 to 8}}{{Cite book |last1=Cerchia |first1=Rossella Esther |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=37UTEAAAQBAJ&dq=Textiles+and+origin+of+their+names&pg=PA3 |title=The New Frontiers of Fashion Law |last2=Pozzo |first2=Barbara |date=13 January 2021 |publisher=MDPI |isbn=978-3-03943-707-8 |pages=2, 3 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-25 |archive-date=2023-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405081520/https://books.google.com/books?id=37UTEAAAQBAJ&dq=Textiles+and+origin+of+their+names&pg=PA3 |url-status=live }} Nylon, olefin, and acrylic are generic names for some of the more commonly used synthetic fibres.{{sfn|Elsasser|2005|p=219}}

The related words "fabric" and "cloth" and "material" are often used in textile assembly trades (such as tailoring and dressmaking) as synonyms for textile. However, there are subtle differences in these terms in specialized usage. Material is an extremely broad term basically meaning consisting of matter, and requires context to be useful. A textile is any material made of interlacing fibers, including carpeting and geotextiles, which may not necessarily be used in the production of further goods, such as clothing and upholstery. A fabric is a material made through weaving, knitting, spreading, felting, stitching, crocheting or bonding that may be used in the production of further products, such as clothing and upholstery, thus requiring a further step of the production. Cloth may also be used synonymously with fabric, but often specifically refers to a piece of fabric that has been processed or cut.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

• Greige goods: Textiles that are raw and unfinished are referred to as greige goods. After manufacturing, the materials are processed and finished.{{Cite book |last=MATHEWS |first=KOLANJIKOMBIL |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XkqoDwAAQBAJ |title=Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Textile Terms: Four Volume Set |date=2017 |publisher=Woodhead Publishing India PVT. Limited |isbn=978-93-85059-66-7 |pages=690 |language=en}}
• Piece goods: Piece goods were textile materials sold in cut pieces as specified by the buyer. Piece goods were either cut from a fabric roll or made to a specific length, also known as yard goods.{{Cite book |last=Wingate |first=Isabel Barnum |url=http://archive.org/details/fairchildsdictio00wing |title=Fairchild's dictionary of textiles |date=1979 |location=New York |publisher= Fairchild Publications |isbn=978-0-87005-198-2 |pages=455}}{{Cite book |last=Blanco |first=A. E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WsbCDwAAQBAJ&q=wool+piecegoods+length&pg=PT14 |title=Piece Goods Manual: Fabrics described; textile, knit goods, weaving terms, etc., explained; with notes on the classification of samples |date=19 May 2021 |publisher=Good Press |language=en |access-date=2022-05-27 |archive-date=2023-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405094437/https://books.google.com/books?id=WsbCDwAAQBAJ&q=wool+piecegoods+length&pg=PT14 |url-status=live }}

File:Well-clothed baby.jpg]]

Textiles are various materials made from fibers and yarns. The term "textile" was originally only used to refer to woven fabrics, but today it covers a broad range of subjects.{{sfn|Joseph|1977|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}} Textiles are classified at various levels, such as according to fiber origin (natural or synthetic), structure (woven, knitted, nonwoven), finish, etc. However, there are primarily two types of textiles:

Textiles have an assortment of uses, the most common of which are for clothing and for containers such as bags and baskets. In the household, textiles are used in carpeting, upholstered furnishings, window shades, towels, coverings for tables, beds, and other flat surfaces, and in art. Textiles are used in many traditional hand crafts such as sewing, quilting, and embroidery.{{sfn|Elsasser|2005|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}

File:Übung Northern Coast.jpg.]]

File:Nonwoven geotextile containers.jpg bags are much more robust than woven bags of the same thickness.]]

Textiles produced for industrial purposes, and designed and chosen for technical characteristics beyond their appearance, are commonly referred to as technical textiles. Technical textiles include textile structures for automotive applications, medical textiles (such as implants), geotextile (reinforcement of embankments), agrotextiles (textiles for crop protection), protective clothing (such as clothing resistant to heat and radiation for fire fighter clothing, against molten metals for welders, stab protection, and bullet proof vests).

In the workplace, textiles can be used in industrial and scientific processes such as filtering. Miscellaneous uses include flags, backpacks, tents, nets, cleaning rags, transportation devices such as balloons, kites, sails, and parachutes; textiles are also used to provide strengthening in composite materials such as fibreglass and industrial geotextiles.{{sfn|Elsasser|2005|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}

Due to the often highly technical and legal requirements of these products, these textiles are typically tested to ensure they meet stringent performance requirements. Other forms of technical textiles may be produced to experiment with their scientific qualities and to explore the possible benefits they may have in the future. Threads coated with zinc oxide nanowires, when woven into fabric, have been shown capable of "self-powering nanosystems", using vibrations created by everyday actions like wind or body movements to generate energy.{{cite news |author=Keim, Brandon |title=Piezoelectric Nanowires Turn Fabric Into Power Source |url=http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/02/piezoelectric-n.html |date=13 February 2008 |work=Wired News |publisher=CondéNet |access-date=2008-02-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215001128/http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/02/piezoelectric-n.html |archive-date=15 February 2008}}{{cite journal |author=Yong Qin, Xudong Wang & Zhong Lin Wang |title=Letter/abstract: Microfibre–nanowire hybrid structure for energy scavenging |journal=Nature |volume=451 |pages=809–813 |doi=10.1038/nature06601 |date=10 October 2007 |pmid=18273015 |issue=7180 |bibcode=2008Natur.451..809Q }} cited in {{cite web |title=Editor's summary: Nanomaterial: power dresser |url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7180/edsumm/e080214-06.html |work=Nature |publisher=Nature Publishing Group |date=14 February 2008 |access-date=2008-02-13 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215185507/http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v451/n7180/edsumm/e080214-06.html |archive-date=15 February 2008 |volume=451 |issue=7180}}

Textiles are all around us. The textile is a component of basic needs like food and shelter. Textiles are everywhere in our lives, from bath towels to space suits. Textiles help humans by comforting, protecting, and extending their lives. Textiles meet our clothing needs, keeping us warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There are several applications for textiles, such as medical textiles, intelligent textiles, and automotive textiles. All of them contribute to the well-being of humans.{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}

The term "serviceability" refers to a textile product's ability to meet the needs of consumers. The emphasis is on knowing the target market and matching the needs of the target market to the product's serviceability. Serviceability or performance in textiles is the ability of textile materials to withstand various conditions, environments, and hazards. Aesthetics, durability, comfort and safety, appearance retention, care, environmental impact, and cost are the serviceability concepts employed in structuring the material.{{clarify|'structuring' the material?|date=September 2023}}{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|pp=1–12}}

Fibers, yarns, fabric construction, finishes and design are components of a textile product. The selection of specific components varies with the intended use, therefore the fibers, yarns, and fabric manufacturing systems are selected with consideration of the required performance.{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|pp=1–12}}

Textiles, textile production, and clothing were necessities of life in prehistory, intertwined with the social, economic, and religious systems. Other than clothing, textile crafts produced utilitarian, symbolic, and opulent items. Archaeological artifacts from the Stone Age and the Iron Age in Central Europe are used to examine prehistoric clothing and its role in forming individual and group identities.{{cite book |doi=10.26530/oapen_604250 |title=The Art of Prehistoric Textile Making. : The development of craft traditions and clothing in Central Europe |date=2016 |last1=Grömer |first1=Karina |isbn=978-3-902421-94-4 }}

Artifacts unearthed in various archaeological excavations informs us about the remains of past human life and their activities.{{Cite web |title=archaeology {{!}} Definition, History, Types, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/archaeology |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=2021-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704002834/https://www.britannica.com/science/archaeology |url-status=live }} Dyed flax fibers discovered in the Republic of Georgia indicate that textile-like materials were developed during the Paleolithic period. Radiocarbon dates the microscopic fibers to 36,000 years ago, when modern humans migrated from Africa.

Several textile remnants, such as the Inca Empire's textile arts remnants, which embody the Incas' aesthetics and social ideals, serve as a means for disseminating information about numerous civilizations, customs, and cultures.{{Cite book |last1=Phipps |first1=Elena |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A6nutjzmxvkC&q=The+yacolla+was+basically+a+blanket |title=The Colonial Andes: Tapestries and Silverwork, 1530–1830 |last2=Hecht |first2=Johanna |last3=Martín |first3=Cristina Esteras |last4=Martin |first4=Cristina Esteras |last5=N.Y.) |first5=Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York |date=2004 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |isbn=978-1-58839-131-5 |pages=17 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-22 |archive-date=2022-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531105603/https://books.google.com/books?id=A6nutjzmxvkC&q=The+yacolla+was+basically+a+blanket |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last=D.C.) |first=Textile Museum (Washington |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4ovWAAAAMAAJ&q=textile+remains+tell+us+history |title=Textile Museum Journal |date=2003 |publisher=Textile Museum |pages=123 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-22 |archive-date=2022-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531233553/https://books.google.com/books?id=4ovWAAAAMAAJ&q=textile+remains+tell+us+history |url-status=live }}

There are textile museums that display history related to many aspects of textiles. A textile museum raises public awareness and appreciation of the artistic merits and cultural significance of the world's textiles on a local, national, and international scale. The George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum in Washington, D.C., was established in 1925.{{Cite web |date=28 April 2012 |title=The Textile Museum {{!}} Mission & History |url=http://www.textilemuseum.org/about/history.htm |access-date=2022-05-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428185646/http://www.textilemuseum.org/about/history.htm |archive-date=2012-04-28 }}

The Bayeux Tapestry is a rare example of secular Romanesque art. The art work depicts the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.{{Cite book |last=Bernstein |first=David J. |url=http://archive.org/details/mysteryofbayeuxt0000bern |title=The mystery of the Bayeux tapestry |date=1986 |location=London |publisher= Weidenfeld and Nicolson |isbn=978-0-297-78928-4 |pages=1–10}}{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/kingharoldiibaye0000unse |title=King Harold II and the Bayeux Tapestry |date=2005 |location=Woodbridge, Suffolk; Rochester, NY |publisher= Boydell Press |isbn=978-1-84383-124-2}}

{{main|Textile arts}}

Textiles are also used for decorative art. Appliqué work of pipili is decorative art of Odisha, a state in eastern India, used for umbrellas, wall hangings, lamp shades, and bags. To make a range of decorative products, colored cloth in the shapes of animals, birds, flowers, are sewn onto a base cloth.{{Cite web |date=27 April 2015 |title=Facilitation of IPR Protection through Geographical Indications {{!}} Services {{!}} Textiles Committee (Ministry of Textiles, Government of India) |url=http://textilescommittee.nic.in/services/geographical-indications#Pipli |access-date=2022-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427132918/http://textilescommittee.nic.in/services/geographical-indications#Pipli |archive-date=2015-04-27 }}

{{expand section|summarize article Textile arts to give indication of the range of textile arts. |date=September 2023}}

Architextiles, a combination of the words architecture and textile, are textile-based assemblages. Awnings are a basic type of architectural textile.{{Cite book |last=Garcia |first=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WNM3AQAAIAAJ |title=Architextiles |date=2006 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-470-02634-2 |pages=5 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-24 |archive-date=2022-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602154540/https://books.google.com/books?id=WNM3AQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }} Mughal Shahi Lal Dera Tent, which was a movable palace, is an example of the architextiles of the Mughal period.{{Cite web |last=Willem |title=Mughal Shahi Lal Dera Tent |url=https://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/com-k2/individual-textiles-and-textile-types/furnishings/tent-of-shah-jahan |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=trc-leiden.nl |language=en-gb |archive-date=2022-08-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811211625/https://www.trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/com-k2/individual-textiles-and-textile-types/furnishings/tent-of-shah-jahan |url-status=live }}

Textiles had been used as currency as well. In Africa, textiles were used as currency in addition to being used for clothing, headwear, swaddling, tents, sails, bags, sacks, carpets, rugs, curtains, etc.{{cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=Marion |title=Cloth as Money: the Cloth Strip Currencies of Africa |journal=Textile History |date=October 1980 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=193–202 |doi=10.1179/004049680793691185 }} Along the east–west axis in sub-Saharan Africa, cloth strip, which was typically produced in the savannah, was used as a form of currency.{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-18675-3_3 |chapter=Guinées in the Lower Senegal River: A Consumer-Led Trade in the Early Nineteenth Century |title=Indian Cotton Textiles in West Africa |date=2019 |last1=Kobayashi |first1=Kazuo |pages=81–125 |isbn=978-3-030-18674-6 }}

Textiles were among the objects offered to the gods [votive offering] in ancient Greece for religious purposes.{{Cite book |last=Br¿ns |first=Cecilie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aXm7DQAAQBAJ&dq=gods+and+garments&pg=PR23 |title=Gods and Garments: Textiles in Greek Sanctuaries in the 7th to the 1st Centuries BC |date=30 November 2016 |publisher=Oxbow Books |isbn=978-1-78570-358-4 |pages=51 |language=en |access-date=2022-12-03 |archive-date=2023-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409133722/https://books.google.com/books?id=aXm7DQAAQBAJ&dq=gods+and+garments&pg=PR23 |url-status=live }}

{{main|Fiber}}

The smallest component of a fabric is fiber; fibers are typically spun into yarn, and yarns are used to make fabrics. Fibers are very thin and hair-like structures. The sources of fibers may be natural, synthetic, or both.{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}{{sfn|Smith|1982|pp=64, 69}}

Global fiber production per person has increased from 8.4 kilograms in 1975 to 14.3 kilograms in 2021.{{clarify|Is this per person per year?|date=September 2023}} After a modest drop due to COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, global fiber output rebounded to 113 million tons in 2021. Global fiber output roughly doubled from 58 million tons in 2000 to 113 million tons in 2021 and is anticipated to reach 149 million tons in 2030.{{Cite web |title=Preferred Fiber and Materials |url=https://textileexchange.org/knowledge-center/reports/preferred-fiber-and-materials/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=Textile Exchange |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119081806/https://textileexchange.org/knowledge-center/reports/preferred-fiber-and-materials/ |url-status=live }}

The demand for synthetic fibers is increasing rapidly. This has numerous causes. Reasons include its low price, the demand-supply imbalance of cotton, and its [Synthetic fibers'] versatility in design and application. Synthetic fibers accounts for 70% of global fiber use, mainly polyester.{{Cite web |author= |date=26 September 2022 |title=Manmade Fibre Industry Outlook 2022 |url=https://textilevaluechain.in/in-depth-analysis/manmade-fibre-industry-outlook-2022/ |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=Textile Magazine, Textile News, Apparel News, Fashion News |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119075442/https://textilevaluechain.in/in-depth-analysis/manmade-fibre-industry-outlook-2022/ |url-status=live }} By 2030, the synthetic fiber market will reach 98.21 billion US dollars. From 2022 to 2030, the market is anticipated to increase by 5.1% per year.{{Cite press release |last=Markets |first=Research and |date=21 September 2022 |title=Global Synthetic Fiber Market Report 2022: Shifting Fashion Trends Coupled With the Rising Urban Population Creates Opportunities |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/09/21/2519999/28124/en/Global-Synthetic-Fiber-Market-Report-2022-Shifting-Fashion-Trends-Coupled-With-the-Rising-Urban-Population-Creates-Opportunities.html |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=GlobeNewswire News Room |language=en |archive-date=2022-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119080046/https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/09/21/2519999/28124/en/Global-Synthetic-Fiber-Market-Report-2022-Shifting-Fashion-Trends-Coupled-With-the-Rising-Urban-Population-Creates-Opportunities.html |url-status=live }}

• Natural fibers are obtained from plants, animals and minerals.{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|p=18}} Since prehistoric times, textiles have been made from natural fibers. Natural fibers are further categorized as cellulosic, protein, and mineral.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p=70}}
• Synthetic or manmade fibers are manufactured with chemical synthesis.{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|p=18}}
• Semi-synthetic: A subset of synthetic or manmade fibers is semi-synthetic fiber. Rayon is a classified as a semi-synthetic fiber, made with natural polymers.

Monomers are the building blocks of polymers. Polymers in fibers are of two types: additive or condensation. Natural fibers, such as cotton and wool, have a condensation polymer type, whereas synthetic fibers can have either an additive or a condensation polymer type. For example, acrylic fiber and olefin fibers have additive polymers, and nylon and polyester are condensation polymers.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}

Fiber properties influence textile characteristics such as aesthetics, durability, comfort, and cost.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p=69}}

Fineness is one of the important characteristics of the fibers. They have a greater length-to-width ratio [100 times the diameter]. Fibers need to be strong, cohesive, and flexible. The usefulness of fibers are characterized on the basis of certain parameters such as strength, flexibility, and length to diameter ratio, and spinnability. Natural fibers are relatively short [staple] in length. Synthetic fibers are produced in longer lengths called filaments. Silk is the only natural fiber that is a filament. The classification of fibers is based on their origin, derivation, and generic types.{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}{{sfn|Smith|1982|pp=64, 69}}

Certain properties of synthetic fibers, such as their diameter, cross section, and color, can be altered during production.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p=66}}

Cotton: Cotton has a long history of use in the clothing due to its favorable properties. This fiber is soft, moisture-absorbent, breathable, and is renowned for its long durability.

Fabric or yarn produced with a combination of two or more types of different fibers, or yarns to obtain desired traits. Blending is possible at various stages of textile manufacturing. Final composition is liable for the properties of the resultant product. Natural and synthetic fibers are blended to overcome disadvantage of single fiber properties and to achieve better performance characteristics and aesthetic effects such as devoré, heather effect, cross dyeing and stripes pattern etc. Clothing woven from a blend of cotton and polyester can be more durable and easier to maintain than material woven solely from cotton. Other than sharing functional properties, blending makes the products more economical.{{Cite book |last=Barnett |first=Anne |title=Examining Textiles Technology |publisher=Heinemann Educational |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-435-42104-5 |pages=51}}{{Cite book |last=Gulrajani |first=M. L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JrgwAAAAMAAJ&q=blended+textiles+advantages |title=Blended Textiles: Papers of the 38th All India Textile Conference, an International Conference, November 18–20th ... Bombay |date=1981 |publisher=Textile Association |language=en |access-date=2020-11-22 |archive-date=2022-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127041052/https://books.google.com/books?id=JrgwAAAAMAAJ&q=blended+textiles+advantages |url-status=live }}

Union or Union fabrics is the 19th century term for blended fabrics. While it is no longer in use.{{Cite book |last=Montgomery |first=Florence M. |url=http://archive.org/details/textilesinameric00mont |title=Textiles in America 1650–1870 : a dictionary based on original documents, prints and paintings, commercial records, American merchants' papers, shopkeepers' advertisements, and pattern books with original swatches of cloth |date=1984 |location=New York; London |publisher= Norton |isbn=978-0-393-01703-8 |pages=369}} Mixture or mixed cloth is another term used for blended cloths when different types of yarns are used in warp and weft sides.{{sfn|Kadolph|1998|p=402}}{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/fairchildsdictio0000unse |title=Fairchild's dictionary of textiles |date=1959 |location=New York |publisher= Fairchild Publications |pages=355}}

Blended textiles are not new.

• Mashru was a 16th-century fabric, is one of the earliest forms of "mixed cloth", a material composed of silk and cotton.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O8gnAQAAIAAJ&q=Mashru,+a+16th-century+fabric |title=Indian Journal of History of Science |date=1982 |publisher=National Institute of Sciences of India |pages=120 |language=en}}
• Siamoise was a 17th-century cotton and linen material.{{Cite book |last=Montgomery |first=Florence M. |url=http://archive.org/details/textilesinameric00mont |title=Textiles in America 1650–1870 : a dictionary based on original documents, prints and paintings, commercial records, American merchants' papers, shopkeepers' advertisements, and pattern books with original swatches of cloth |date=1984 |location=New York; London |publisher= Norton |isbn=978-0-393-01703-8 |pages=347}}

Fiber composition{{cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Raj |last2=Srivastava |first2=H.C. |title=Analysis of Fiber Blends. Part II. Determination of Blend Composition by Moisture Regain |journal=Textile Research Journal |date=June 1980 |volume=50 |issue=6 |pages=359–362 |doi=10.1177/004051758005000607 }} the fiber blend composition of mixtures of the fibers,{{Cite web |title=ASTM D629 - 15 Standard Test Methods for Quantitative Analysis of Textiles |url=https://www.astm.org/Standards/D629.htm |access-date=2021-05-24 |website=www.astm.org |archive-date=2021-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518084425/https://www.astm.org/Standards/D629.htm |url-status=live }} is an important criterion to analyze the behavior, properties such as functional aspects, and commercial classification of the merchandise.{{cite book |doi=10.1533/9780857097385.2.803 |chapter=The use of biomass to produce bio-based composites and building materials |title=Advances in Biorefineries |date=2014 |last1=Rowell |first1=R.M. |pages=803–818 |isbn=978-0-85709-521-3 }}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xhArAQAAMAAJ |title=Mechanical Engineering |date=1956 |publisher=American Society of Mechanical Engineers |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Franck |first=R. R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GbejAgAAQBAJ&q=Fiber+properties+is+an+important+criteria+to+analyze+in+blends&pg=PA230 |title=Silk, Mohair, Cashmere and Other Luxury Fibres |date=29 October 2001 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-1-85573-759-4 |pages=230 |language=en |access-date=2021-05-23 |archive-date=2022-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127041049/https://books.google.com/books?id=GbejAgAAQBAJ&q=Fiber+properties+is+an+important+criteria+to+analyze+in+blends&pg=PA230 |url-status=live }}

The most common blend is cotton and polyester. Regular blended fabric is 65% polyester and 35% cotton. It is called a reverse blend if the ratio of cotton predominates—the percentage of the fibers changes with the price and required properties.

Blending adds value to the textiles; it helps in reducing the cost (artificial fibers are less expensive than natural fibers) and adding advantage in properties of the final product.{{Cite book |last=Joseph |first=Marjory L. |url=http://archive.org/details/josephsintroduct06edjose |title=Joseph's introductory textile science |date=1992 |location=Fort Worth |publisher= Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers |isbn=978-0-03-050723-6 |pages=58}}{{Cite book |last1=Langan |first1=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=20gN3AousRAC&q=frontcover |title=Improving Reading Comprehension Skills |last2=Anton |first2=Harley F. |last3=Bader |first3=Carol H. |date=1992 |publisher=Townsend Press |isbn=978-0-944210-54-3 |language=en}} For instance, a small amount of spandex adds stretch to the fabrics.{{Cite book |last=Stauffer |first=Jeanne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8_-NkR8TEyEC&q=blend+spandex+adds+elasticity&pg=PA139 |title=Sewing Smart with Fabric |date=2004 |publisher=DRG Wholesale |isbn=978-1-59217-018-0 |pages=139 |language=en |access-date=2021-05-23 |archive-date=2022-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127041047/https://books.google.com/books?id=8_-NkR8TEyEC&q=blend+spandex+adds+elasticity&pg=PA139 |url-status=live }} Wool can add warmth.{{Cite book |last=Mendelson |first=Cheryl |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xfB99Kf38MwC&q=blend+spandex+adds+elasticity&pg=PA264 |title=Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House |date=17 May 2005 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-7432-7286-5 |pages=264 |language=en |access-date=2021-05-23 |archive-date=2022-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127041051/https://books.google.com/books?id=xfB99Kf38MwC&q=blend+spandex+adds+elasticity&pg=PA264 |url-status=live }}

File:Brudekjole, 1797.jpg, Hvedholm Castle. National Museum of Denmark.]]

• Grass, rush, hemp, and sisal are all used in making rope.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=URbaUVdk1NwC&dq=Grass,+rush,+hemp,+and+sisal+are+all+used+in+making+rope.&pg=PR41 |title=The Atlas of the World Commerce Maps, Text and Diagrams |date=1907 |publisher=Newnes |pages=xli |language=en |access-date=2023-05-28 |archive-date=2023-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528130716/https://books.google.com/books?id=URbaUVdk1NwC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PR41&dq=Grass,+rush,+hemp,+and+sisal+are+all+used+in+making+rope.&hl=en |url-status=live }} In the first two, the entire plant is used for this purpose, while in the last two, only fibers from the plant are used. Coir (coconut fiber) is used in making twine, and also in floormats, doormats, brushes, mattresses, floor tiles, and sacking.
• Straw and bamboo are both used to make hats. Straw, a dried form of grass, is also used for stuffing, as is kapok.
• Fibers from pulpwood trees, cotton, rice, hemp, and nettle are used in making paper.
• Cotton, flax, jute, hemp, modal, banana, bamboo, lotus, eucalyptus, mulberry, and sugarcane are all used in clothing.{{cite web| title=Tiare Hawai'i Is Making Ultra-Cute Dresses from Pineapple, Banana and Eucalyptus| author=Thalmann, B.|

url=https://www.honolulumagazine.com/tiare-hawaii-is-making-ultra-cute-dresses-from-pineapple-banana-and-eucalyptus| website=Honolulu Magazine| date=30 August 2022| access-date=1 February 2024}}{{cite book |last1=Hendrickx |first1=Katrien |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=ULyu8dNqS1sC|page=188}} |title=The Origins of Banana-fibre Cloth in the Ryukyus, Japan |publisher=Leuven University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-90-5867-614-6 |page=188 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327155254/https://books.google.com/books?id=ULyu8dNqS1sC&pg=PA188&dq=banana%20textile#v=onepage&q=banana%20textile |archive-date=27 March 2018 |url-status=live}}{{cite web| title=Banana Saris, Lotus Shawls, Bamboo Jeans: How Desi Fashion Is Going Green!| author=Kadapa-Bose, S.| url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/262318/sustainable-fashion-designers-clothes-plant-fabric-banana-bamboo-cloth| website=the better india| date=15 September 2021| access-date=1 February 2024}} Piña (pineapple fiber) and ramie are also fibers used in clothing, generally with a blend of other fibers such as cotton. Nettles have also been used to make a fiber and fabric very similar to hemp or flax. The use of milkweed stalk fiber has also been reported, but it tends to be somewhat weaker than other fibers like hemp or flax.

• The inner bark of the lacebark tree is a fine netting that has been used to make clothing and accessories as well as utilitarian articles such as rope.
• Acetate is used to increase the shininess of certain fabrics such as silks, velvets, and taffetas.
• Seaweed is used in the production of textiles: a water-soluble fiber known as alginate is produced and is used as a holding fiber; when the cloth is finished, the alginate is dissolved, leaving an open area.
• Rayon is a manufactured fiber derived from plant pulp.{{Cite book |last=Anstey |first=H. (Helen) |url=http://archive.org/details/ansteywestonguid0000anst |title=The Anstey Weston guide to textile terms |date=1997 |location=Great Britain |publisher= Weston |isbn=978-0-9530130-0-5}} Different types of rayon can imitate feel and texture of silk, cotton, wool, or linen.

Fibers from the stalks of plants, such as hemp, flax, and nettles, are also known as 'bast' fibers. Hemp fiber is yellowish-brown fiber made from the hemp plant. The fiber characteristics are coarser, harsher,{{clarify|coarser and harsher than what?|date=September 2023}} strong and lightweight. Hemp fiber is used primary to make twine, rope and cordage.{{cite book |last1=Cohen |first1=Allen |title=J.J. Pizzuto's Fabric Science |date=11 November 2011 |publisher=Fairchild Books |isbn=978-1-60901-380-6 |edition=tenth |page=41}}

Animal textiles are commonly made from hair, fur, skin, or silk (in the case of silkworms).{{clarify|Use of skin in textiles|date=September 2023}}

• Wool refers to the hair of the domestic sheep or goat, which is distinguished from other types of animal hair in that the individual strands are coated with scales and tightly crimped, and the wool as a whole is coated with a wax mixture known as lanolin (sometimes called wool grease), which is waterproof and dirtproof.{{Cite book |last=Vatin Nikolai Ivanovich |first=Alexandr A. Berlin, Roman Joswik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mt6YCgAAQBAJ&dq=lanolin++is+waterproof+and+dirtproof&pg=PA142 |title=Engineering Textiles |publisher=Apple Academic Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-4987-0603-2 |pages=142 |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405081531/https://books.google.com/books?id=Mt6YCgAAQBAJ&dq=lanolin++is+waterproof+and+dirtproof&pg=PA142 |url-status=live }} The lanolin and other contaminants are removed from the raw wool before further processing.{{Cite book |last=Arno Cahn |first=Edward C. Leonard, Edward George Perkins |title=Proceedings of the World Conference on Palm and Coconut Oils for the 21st Century |publisher=AOCS Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-935315-99-8 |pages=115}} Woolen refers to a yarn produced from carded, non-parallel fibre, while worsted refers to a finer yarn spun from longer fibers which have been combed to be parallel.
• Other animal textiles which are made from hair or fur are alpaca wool, vicuña wool, llama wool, chiengora, shatoosh, yak fiber and camel hair, generally used in the production of coats, jackets, ponchos, blankets, and other warm coverings.
• Cashmere, the hair of the Indian cashmere goat, and mohair, the hair of the North African angora goat, are types of wool known for their softness. Pashmina is a type of very fine cashmere wool. Used in the production of sweaters and scarfs.
• Angora refers to the long, thick, soft hair of the angora rabbit. Qiviut is the fine inner wool of the muskox.
• Silk is an animal textile made from the fibres of the cocoon of the Chinese silkworm which is spun into a smooth fabric prized for its softness. There are two main types of the silk: 'mulberry silk' produced by the Bombyx mori, and 'wild silk' such as Tussah silk (wild silk). Silkworm larvae produce the first type if cultivated in habitats with fresh mulberry leaves for consumption, while Tussah silk is produced by silkworms feeding purely on oak leaves. Around four-fifths of the world's silk production consists of cultivated silk.{{cite web |last=Trevisan |first=Adrian |title=Cocoon Silk: A Natural Silk Architecture |url=http://www.senature.com/research/publications/cocoon-silk-a-natural-architecture |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507085636/http://www.senature.com/research/publications/cocoon-silk-a-natural-architecture |archive-date=2012-05-07 |publisher=Sense of Nature}} Silk products include pillow covers, dresses, tops, skirts, bed sheets, curtains.

Bacterial cellulose can be made from industrial organic and agricultural waste, and used as material for textiles and clothing.{{Cite web |url=https://stockhead.com.au/health/why-nanollose-is-on-the-verge-of-a-major-market-opportunity-with-its-fibre-conversion-technology-as-global-fashion-brands-come-knocking/ |title=Why Nanollose is on the verge of a major market opportunity with its fibre conversion technology, as global fashion brands come knocking |date=14 February 2022 |access-date=2022-09-26 |archive-date=2022-12-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215183949/https://stockhead.com.au/health/why-nanollose-is-on-the-verge-of-a-major-market-opportunity-with-its-fibre-conversion-technology-as-global-fashion-brands-come-knocking/ |url-status=live }}

• Asbestos and basalt fibre are used for vinyl tiles, sheeting and adhesives, "transite" panels and siding, acoustical ceilings, stage curtains, and fire blankets.
• Glass fibre is used in the production of ironing board and mattress covers, ropes and cables, reinforcement fibre for composite materials, insect netting, flame-retardant and protective fabric, soundproof, fireproof, and insulating fibres. Glass fibres are woven and coated with Teflon to produce beta cloth, a virtually fireproof fabric which replaced nylon in the outer layer of United States space suits since 1968.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=toeN-glF_nsC&dq=beta+cloth,+a+virtually+fireproof+fabric+which+replaced+nylon+in+the+outer+layer+of+United+States+space+suits+since+1968&pg=PA469-IA2 |title=Apollo Accident, Hearing .... |date=1968 |pages=469, 557 |language=en |access-date=2023-05-28 |archive-date=2023-05-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528133641/https://books.google.com/books?id=toeN-glF_nsC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA469-IA2&dq=beta+cloth,+a+virtually+fireproof+fabric+which+replaced+nylon+in+the+outer+layer+of+United+States+space+suits+since+1968&hl=en |url-status=live }}
• Metal fibre, metal foil, and metal wire have a variety of uses, including the production of cloth-of-gold and jewellery. Hardware cloth (US term only) is a coarse woven mesh of steel wire, used in construction. It is much like standard window screening, but heavier and with a more open weave.

Minerals and natural and synthetic fabrics may be combined, as in emery cloth, a layer of emery abrasive glued to a cloth backing. Also, "sand cloth" is a US term for fine wire mesh with abrasive glued to it, employed like emery cloth or coarse sandpaper.

In the 20th century, they were supplemented by artificial fibers made from petroleum. Textiles are made in various strengths and degrees of durability, from the finest microfibre made of strands thinner than one denier to the sturdiest canvas.

Synthetic textiles are used primarily in the production of clothing, as well as the manufacture of geotextiles. Synthetic fibers are those that are constructed by humans through chemical synthesis.

• Polyester fibre is used in all types of clothing, either alone or blended with fibres such as cotton.
• Aramid fibre (e.g. Twaron) is used for flame-retardant clothing, cut-protection, and armour.
• Acrylic is a fibre used to imitate wools,{{Cite book |last1=Hammerskog |first1=Paula |url=https://archive.org/details/swedishknitsclas0000hamm |title=Swedish Knits: Classic and Modern Designs in the Scandinavian Tradition |last2=Wincent |first2=Eva |date=2009 |publisher=Skyhorse Publishing Inc. |isbn=978-1-60239-724-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/swedishknitsclas0000hamm/page/32 32] |language=en |quote=acrylic fiber used to imitate wools. |url-access=registration}} including cashmere, and is often used in replacement of them.
• Nylon is a fibre used to imitate silk; it is used in the production of pantyhose. Thicker nylon fibres are used in rope and outdoor clothing.
• Spandex (trade name Lycra) is a polyurethane product that can be made tight-fitting without impeding movement. It is used to make activewear, bras, and swimsuits.
• Olefin fibre is a fibre used in activewear, linings, and warm clothing. Olefins are hydrophobic, allowing them to dry quickly. A sintered felt of olefin fibres is sold under the trade name Tyvek.
• Ingeo is a polylactide fibre blended with other fibres such as cotton and used in clothing. It is more hydrophilic than most other synthetics, allowing it to wick away perspiration.
• Lurex is a metallic fibre used in clothing embellishment.
• Milk proteins have also been used to create synthetic fabric. Milk or casein fibre cloth was developed during World War I in Germany, and further developed in Italy and America during the 1930s.Euroflax Industries Ltd. [http://euroflax.com/products_imports%20of_textiles.htm "Euroflaxx Industries (Import of Textiles)"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113023858/http://euroflax.com/products_imports%20of_textiles.htm|date=13 January 2010}} Milk fibre fabric is not very durable and wrinkles easily, but has a pH similar to human skin and possesses anti-bacterial properties. It is marketed as a biodegradable, renewable synthetic fibre.{{cite news |author=Fonte, Diwata |date=23 August 2005 |title=Milk-fabric clothing raises a few eyebrows |work=The Orange County Register |url=http://www.textile-technology.com/2010/04/milk-fabric-clothing-raises-a-few-eyebrows/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2009-10-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501074855/http://www.textile-technology.com/2010/04/milk-fabric-clothing-raises-a-few-eyebrows/ |archive-date=1 May 2015}}
• Carbon fibre is mostly used in composite materials, together with resin, such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic. The fibres are made from polymer fibres through carbonization.

{{Main|Textile manufacturing|Textile industry}}

Textile manufacturing has progressed from prehistoric crafts to a fully automated industry.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}} Over the years, there have been continuous improvements in fabric structure and design.{{sfn|Birrell|1973|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}

Important parameters in fabric selection:

The primary consideration in fabric selection is the end use. The fabric needs vary greatly depending on the application. Similar types of fabric may not be suitable for all applications.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p=18}}

Fabric weight is an important criteria while producing different fabrics. A carpet requires a fabric with 1300 GSM, but a robe may be made with 160 GSM. Certainly, fabrics for clothes and carpets have distinct weights.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p=18}}

Stretchable fabrics have greater movability and are thus more comfortable than fabrics with no stretch or less stretch.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p=23}}

{{See also|List of countries by textile exports}}

According to the UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database, the global textiles and apparel export market reached $772 billion in 2013.{{Cite news |title=India world's second largest textiles exporter: UN Comtrade |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/garments-/-textiles/india-worlds-second-largest-textiles-exporter-un-comtrade/articleshow/35958852.cms |access-date=2022-05-31 |archive-date=2022-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531035900/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/garments-/-textiles/india-worlds-second-largest-textiles-exporter-un-comtrade/articleshow/35958852.cms |url-status=live }}

China is the largest exporter of textile goods. Most of China's exports consist of apparel, apparel accessories, textile yarns, and textile products. The competitive advantages of the China are low prices and abundant labor, lowered commercial obstacles, and a ready supply of raw materials. China, along with the United States and India, is a major producer of cotton.{{Cite web |title=Largest textile exporting countries in 2019 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/236397/value-of-the-leading-global-textile-exporters-by-country/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=Statista |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531042947/https://www.statista.com/statistics/236397/value-of-the-leading-global-textile-exporters-by-country/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=World cotton production by country 2019 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/263055/cotton-production-worldwide-by-top-countries/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=Statista |language=en |archive-date=2020-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417213314/https://www.statista.com/statistics/263055/cotton-production-worldwide-by-top-countries/ |url-status=live }}

China's apparel market share has declined in recent years due to various reasons and a shift toward high-end, sophisticated products. Additionally, the investors from China made stakes in Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Last year, its market share was 36.7%, or $161 billion, a decline of 8% year-over-year. In other words, China lost $14 billion in garment work orders to other countries in a single year. In 2016, Bangladesh's apparel market share was valued at $28 billion, increasing 7.69 percent from the previous year.

In 2016 the leading exporters of apparel were China ($161 billion), Bangladesh ($28 billion), Vietnam ($25 billion), India ($18 billion), Hong Kong ($16 billion), Turkey ($15 billion), and Indonesia ($7 billion).{{Cite web |last=Mirdha |first=Refayet Ullah |date=11 August 2017 |title=Exporters hardly grab orders diverted from China |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/business/exporters-hardly-grab-orders-diverted-china-1446907 |access-date=2022-05-31 |website=The Daily Star |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523144220/https://www.thedailystar.net/business/exporters-hardly-grab-orders-diverted-china-1446907 |url-status=live }}

Garment exports from Bangladesh reached record high in the 2021–2022 fiscal year; China ($220,302 billion), Bangladesh ($38.70 billion), India ($8.127 billion), Pakistan ($19.33 billion).{{Cite web |last=Yusuf |first=Anik |date=12 March 2023 |title=Garment Exports in Bangladesh Reached Record High in 2021–2022 Fiscal Year |url=https://textiletuts.com/garment-exports-in-bangladesh-reached-record-high-in-2021-2022-fiscal-year/ |access-date=2023-03-15 |website=TextileTuts |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315141526/https://textiletuts.com/garment-exports-in-bangladesh-reached-record-high-in-2021-2022-fiscal-year/ |url-status=live }}

File:Old method of Bleaching Figure 20 Appleton 1884.tif

The fabric, when it leaves a loom or knitting machine, is not readily usable. It may be rough, uneven, or have flaws like skewing. Hence, it is necessary to finish the fabric. Finishing techniques enhance the value of the treated fabrics.{{sfn|Smith|1982|p=6}} After manufacturing, textiles undergo a range of finishing procedures, including bleaching, dyeing, printing, as well as mechanical and chemical finishing.

Textiles are often dyed, with fabrics available in almost every colour. The dyeing process often requires several dozen gallons of water for each pound of clothing.Green Inc. Blog [http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/cutting-water-use-in-the-textile-industry/ "Cutting Water Use in the Textile Industry."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724170857/http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/cutting-water-use-in-the-textile-industry/ |date=24 July 2009 }} The New York Times. 21 July 2009. 28 July 2009. Coloured designs in textiles can be created by weaving together fibres of different colours (tartan or Uzbek Ikat), adding coloured stitches to finished fabric (embroidery), creating patterns by resist dyeing methods, tying off areas of cloth and dyeing the rest (tie-dyeing), drawing wax designs on cloth and dyeing in between them (batik), or using various printing processes on finished fabric. Woodblock printing, still used in India and elsewhere today, is the oldest of these dating back to at least 220 CE in China. Textiles are also sometimes bleached, making the textile pale or white.

In textiles, color matching extends beyond selecting the appropriate dyestuffs or pigments and combining them in precise proportions to achieve the desired end product color.{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-0-323-39395-9.00038-4 |chapter=Color Matching |title=Color Trends and Selection for Product Design |date=2016 |last1=Becker |first1=Doreen |pages=183–184 |isbn=978-0-323-39395-9 }} Meeting criteria for fastness, cost, and quality is also essential. This process plays a critical role in materializing a designer's concept into an actual product.

Textile finishing is the process of converting the loomstate or raw goods into a useful product, which can be done mechanically or chemically. Finishing is a broad term that refers to a variety of physical and chemical techniques and treatments that finish one stage of textile production while also preparing for the next. Textile finishing can include aspects like improving surface feel, aesthetical enhancement, and adding advanced chemical finishes. A finish is any process that transforms unfinished products into finished products.{{Cite book |last1=Hollen |first1=Norma R. |url=http://archive.org/details/isbn_9780023675300 |title=Textiles |last2=Hollen |first2=Norma R. Textiles |date=1988 |location=New York |publisher= Macmillan |isbn=978-0-02-367530-0 |pages=2}} This includes mechanical finishing and chemical applications which alter the composition of treated textiles (fiber, yarn or fabric.)

Since the 1990s, with advances in technologies such as permanent press process, finishing agents have been used to strengthen fabrics and make them wrinkle free.{{cite web |url=http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20010315.html |title=What makes fabric "wrinkle-free"? Is it the weave or a special type of fiber? |publisher=Ask.yahoo.com |date=15 March 2001 |access-date=2011-12-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117025006/http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20010315.html |archive-date=2012-01-17}} More recently, nanomaterials research has led to additional advancements, with companies such as Nano-Tex and NanoHorizons developing permanent treatments based on metallic nanoparticles for making textiles more resistant to things such as water, stains, wrinkles, and pathogens such as bacteria and fungi.{{cite web |url=http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/jom/0507/byko-0507.html |title=The Materials Science and Engineering of Clothing |publisher=Tms.org |access-date=2011-12-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121161232/http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/jom/0507/byko-0507.html |archive-date=2012-01-21}}

Textiles receive a range of treatments before they reach the end-user. From formaldehyde finishes (to improve crease-resistance) to biocidic finishes and from flame retardants to dyeing of many types of fabric, the possibilities are almost endless. However, many of these finishes may also have detrimental effects on the end user. A number of disperse, acid and reactive dyes, for example, have been shown to be allergenic to sensitive individuals.{{cite journal |doi=10.1111/j.1468-3083.2004.00967.x |title=Textile dermatitis in patients with contact sensitization in Israel: A 4-year prospective study |year=2004 |last1=Lazarov |first1=A |journal=Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=531–7b |pmid=15324387 }} Further to this, specific dyes within this group have also been shown to induce purpuric contact dermatitis.{{cite journal |pmid=12952748 |year=2003 |last1=Lazarov |first1=A |last2=Cordoba |first2=M |last3=Plosk |first3=N |last4=Abraham |first4=D |title=Atypical and unusual clinical manifestations of contact dermatitis to clothing (textile contact dermatitis): Case presentation and review of the literature |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=1 |journal=Dermatology Online Journal|doi=10.5070/D30KD1D259 }}

{{lang|de|Eisengarn}}, meaning "iron yarn" in English, is a light-reflecting, strong material invented in Germany in the 19th century. It is made by soaking cotton threads in a starch and paraffin wax solution. The threads are then stretched and polished by steel rollers and brushes. The result of the process is a lustrous, tear-resistant yarn which is extremely hardwearing.[http://www.wuppertal.ihk24.de/servicemarken/branchen_neu/industrie/industrie_im_bs/902782/Textilstandort_Wuppertal.html Industriegeschichte aus dem Bergischen land] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814102306/http://www.wuppertal.ihk24.de/servicemarken/branchen_neu/industrie/industrie_im_bs/902782/Textilstandort_Wuppertal.html |date=14 August 2017 }} (in German). (Accessed: 27 November 2016)[http://digit.wdr.de/entries/5900?index=69&q=eyJ7aH0iOlsiezE2fSIsInsxYX0iXSwie2t9IjpbInsyMn0iXSwiezF9IjpbeyJmaWVsZCI6IiJ9XX0%3D&qt=search WDR digit project. Eisengarnfabrikation in Barmen.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128050159/http://digit.wdr.de/entries/5900?index=69&q=eyJ7aH0iOlsiezE2fSIsInsxYX0iXSwie2t9IjpbInsyMn0iXSwiezF9IjpbeyJmaWVsZCI6IiJ9XX0%3D&qt=search|date=28 November 2016}} (Video (16 min) in German). (Accessed: 27 November 2016).

After the oil industry, the fashion industry is the second biggest polluter of agricultural land, which has several harmful impacts on the environment. As the industry grows, the effect on the environment is worsening.{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-0-323-85403-0.00004-9 |chapter=Waste management in fashion and textile industry: Recent advances and trends, life-cycle assessment, and circular economy |title=Emerging Trends to Approaching Zero Waste |date=2022 |last1=Gupta |first1=Richa |last2=Kushwaha |first2=Anamika |last3=Dave |first3=Dushyant |last4=Mahanta |first4=Niva Rana |pages=215–242 |isbn=978-0-323-85403-0 }} Textile manufacturing is one of the oldest and most technologically complicated industries. This industry's fundamental strength stems from its solid manufacturing base of a diverse range of fibers/yarns ranging from natural fibers such as jute, silk, wool, and cotton, to synthetic or manufactured fibers that include polyester, viscose, nylon, and acrylic.

Textile mills and their wastewater have grown in proportion to the increase in demand for textile products, generating a severe pollution concern around the world. Numerous textile industry chemicals pose environmental and health risks. Among the compounds in textile effluent, dyes are considered significant contaminants. Water pollution generated by the discharge of untreated wastewater and the use of toxic chemicals, particularly during processing, account for the majority of the global environmental concerns linked with the textile industry.{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-94-007-7890-0_4 |chapter=Environmental and Health Effects of Textile Industry Wastewater |title=Environmental Deterioration and Human Health |date=2014 |last1=Khan |first1=Sana |last2=Malik |first2=Abdul |pages=55–71 |isbn=978-94-007-7889-4 }}

Clothing is necessary to meet the fundamental needs of humans. Increased population and living standards have increased the need for clothing, enhancing the demand for textile manufacturing; wet processing needs more water consumption.{{Cite book |last=Muthu |first=Subramanian Senthilkannan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pvx7DwAAQBAJ&q=water+in+textile+and+fashion |title=Water in Textiles and Fashion: Consumption, Footprint, and Life Cycle Assessment |date=26 November 2018 |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |isbn=978-0-08-102654-0 |language=en |access-date=2023-01-07 |archive-date=2023-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405094439/https://books.google.com/books?id=Pvx7DwAAQBAJ&q=water+in+textile+and+fashion |url-status=live }} Conventional machinery and treatment procedures use enormous quantities of water, especially for natural fibers, which require up to 150 kg of water per kg of material.{{cite journal |last1=van der Walt |first1=G. H. J. |last2=van Rensburg |first2=N. J. J. |title=Low-Liquor Dyeing and Finishing |journal=Textile Progress |date=March 1986 |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=1–50 |doi=10.1080/00405168608688900 }}

The textile sector is accountable for a substantial number of environmental impacts. However, the discharge of untreated effluents into water bodies is responsible for the majority of environmental harm produced by the textile sector.{{cite book |doi=10.1201/9781315148588 |title=Pollution Control in Textile Industry |date=2017 |last1=Bhatia |first1=S.C. |isbn=978-1-351-37306-7 |editor-first1=Sarvesh |editor-last1=Devraj }}{{pn|date=January 2025}}

The textile sector is believed to use 79 trillion litres of water per year and to discharge around 20% of all industrial effluent into the environment.{{Cite journal |last1=Zhu |first1=Lisha |last2=Chen |first2=Bilin |last3=Liu |first3=Junran |last4=Chen |first4=Shuang |last5=Zhang |first5=Ying |last6=Wang |first6=Xiaopeng |last7=Wang |first7=Laili |date=19 October 2022 |title=Assessing baseline water footprints of natural fiber textile products in China |journal=Journal of Cleaner Production |volume=379 |language=en |pages=134747 |doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134747 |bibcode=2022JCPro.37934747Z }} Reportedly, aromatic and heterocyclic compounds with color-display and polar groups make up most of the dyes used in textile coloration processes. The structure is more complex and stable, making it more difficult to degrade printing and dyeing wastewater.{{cite book |last1=Körlü |first1=Ayşegül |title=Textile Industry and Environment |date=2019 |publisher=BoD – Books on Demand |isbn=978-1-83880-027-7 }}{{self-published inline|date=January 2025}}{{pn|date=January 2025}}

In addition, textiles constitute a significant percentage of landfill waste. In 2023, North Carolina State University researchers used enzymes to separate cotton from polyester in an early step towards reducing textile waste, allowing each material to be recycled.{{cite web |last1=Oleniacz |first1=Laura |title=Researchers Separate Cotton From Polyester in Blended Fabric |date=20 March 2023 |url=https://news.ncsu.edu/2023/03/researchers-separate-cotton-from-polyester-in-blended-fabric/ |publisher=North Carolina State University |access-date=12 April 2023 |archive-date=12 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412014949/https://news.ncsu.edu/2023/03/researchers-separate-cotton-from-polyester-in-blended-fabric/ |url-status=live }}

Many kinds of respiratory diseases, skin problems, and allergies may be caused by dyes and pigments discharged into the water.

Although formaldehyde levels in clothing are unlikely to be at levels high enough to cause an allergic reaction,{{cite journal |last1=Scheman |first1=AJ |last2=Carroll |first2=PA |last3=Brown |first3=KH |last4=Osburn |first4=AH |year=1998 |title=Formaldehyde-related textile allergy: An update |journal=Contact Dermatitis |volume=38 |issue=6 |pages=332–6 |doi=10.1111/j.1600-0536.1998.tb05769.x |pmid=9687033 |doi-access=free }} due to the presence of such a chemical, quality control and testing are of utmost importance. Flame retardants (mainly in the brominated form) are also of concern where the environment, and their potential toxicity, are concerned.{{cite journal |last1=Alaee |first1=M |title=An overview of commercially used brominated flame retardants, their applications, their use patterns in different countries/regions and possible modes of release |journal=Environment International |date=September 2003 |volume=29 |issue=6 |pages=683–689 |doi=10.1016/S0160-4120(03)00121-1 |pmid=12850087 |bibcode=2003EnInt..29..683A }}

Certain chemical finishes contain potential hazards to health and the environment. Perfluorinated acids are considered to be hazardous to human health by the US Environmental Protection Agency.{{Cite web|last=US EPA|first=OCSPP|date=29 April 2015|title=Chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)|url=https://www.epa.gov/chemicals-under-tsca|access-date=2021-07-24|website=www.epa.gov|language=en|archive-date=2010-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118092730/http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/actionplans/deccadbe.html|url-status=live}}

Testing for these additives is possible at a number of commercial laboratories. It is also possible to have textiles tested according to the Oeko-tex certification standard, which contains limits levels for the use of certain chemicals in textiles products.

Different countries have certain laws and regulations to protect consumers' interests. The Textile Fiber Products Identification Act is a law that protects consumers in the United States. The act protects producer and consumer interests by implementing labelling (required content disclosure) and advertising requirements on textile products. The Textile Fiber Products Identification Act applies to all textile fiber products besides wool, which is governed by the Wool Product Label Number. The law prohibits misinformation about the fiber content, misbranding, and any unfair advertising practice, as well as requires businesses to operate in a particular manner.{{Cite book |last=Kadolph |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gIzOkQXARpsC&q=Textile+Fiber+Products+Identification+Act+(TFPIA)&pg=PA433 |title=Textiles |date=2009 |publisher=Pearson Education |isbn=978-81-317-2570-2 |pages=433 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-22 |archive-date=2022-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522115921/https://books.google.com/books?id=gIzOkQXARpsC&q=Textile+Fiber+Products+Identification+Act+(TFPIA)&pg=PA433 |url-status=live }}{{sfn|Elsasser|2005|p={{pn|date=January 2025}}}}

Testing occurs at various stages of the textile manufacturing process, from raw material to finished product. The purpose of testing is to evaluate and analyze the regulatory compliance, the product's quality and performance, as well as to measure its specifications. Textile testing encompasses a wide range of methodologies, procedures, equipment, and sophisticated laboratories. Local governments and authorized organization's such as ASTM International, International Organization for Standardization, and American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists establish standards for testing of textiles.{{Cite book |last=Saville |first=B. P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4-uiAgAAQBAJ&q=testing+of+textiles |title=Physical Testing of Textiles |date=8 January 1999 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-1-84569-015-1 |pages=1 to 24 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-27 |archive-date=2023-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409133727/https://books.google.com/books?id=4-uiAgAAQBAJ&q=testing+of+textiles |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last=Hu |first=J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ybekAgAAQBAJ&q=testing+of+textiles |title=Fabric Testing |date=9 September 2008 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-1-84569-506-4 |pages=1 to 15 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-27 |archive-date=2023-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405081538/https://books.google.com/books?id=ybekAgAAQBAJ&q=testing+of+textiles |url-status=live }}

Some examples of tests at different stages:

For fiber: Fiber identification is a necessary test for determining fiber content and classifying products. The labelling of items with their fiber content percentage is a regulatory requirement. Using microscopy, solubility, and burn tests, fibers are distinguished from one another.{{Cite book |last=Kadolph |first=Sara J. |url=http://archive.org/details/textiles0010kado |title=Textiles |date=2007 |location=Upper Saddle River, N.J. |publisher= Pearson Prentice Hall |isbn=978-0-13-118769-6 |pages=33, 34}} More fiber relating tests include fiber length, diameter, Micronaire.{{cite book |doi=10.1533/9781845690151.44 |chapter=Fibre dimensions |title=Physical Testing of Textiles |date=1999 |last1=Saville |first1=B.P. |pages=44–76 |isbn=978-1-85573-367-1 }}

For yarn: Yarn count, Denier, Strength, evenness.

For fabric: Dimensional stability, color fastness, thread count, G.S.M, pilling, flammability.{{Cite book |last=Houck |first=M. M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xQmkAgAAQBAJ |title=Identification of Textile Fibers |date=30 January 2009 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-1-84569-565-1 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-27 |archive-date=2023-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305221621/https://books.google.com/books?id=xQmkAgAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}

File:Karachi - Pakistan-market.jpg|Textile market on the sidewalks of Karachi, Pakistan

File:Simple-textile-magnified.jpg|Magnified view of a plain or tabby weave textile

File:P1080828.JPG|Fabric shop in canal town Mukalla, Yemen

File:DumbartonOaksTextileEuropa.jpg|Late antique textile, Egyptian, now in the Dumbarton Oaks collection

File:Conde nast fortuny.jpg|Mrs. Condé Nast wearing a silk Fortuny tea gown

File:Tablecloth romanian 1full view.jpg|Traditional tablecloth, Maramureș, Romania

File:Otavalo Artisan Market - Andes Mountains - South America - photograph 001.JPG|Textiles made from Alpaca wool at the Otavalo Artisan Market in the Andes Mountains, Ecuador

File:Banton Burial Cloth.JPG|The Banton Burial Cloth, the oldest existing example of warp ikat in Southeast Asia, displayed at the National Museum of the Philippines. The cloth was most likely made by the native Asia people of northwest Romblon.

File:Double ikat weaving from Sulu, Philippines, East-West Center.JPG|A double ikat weaving made by the Tausug people from Sulu, made of banana leaf stalk fiber (Abacá)

File:1963 Zepel advertisement.jpg|Advertisement for Zepel, the trade name used to market Teflon as a fabric treatment

File:Plevna-sali 1932.jpg|A weaving shed of the Finlayson & Co factory in Tampere, Finland, in 1932Doria-archive of the Finnish National Library{{full citation needed|date=October 2021}}

File:Textile machinery at Cambrian Factory, Llanwrtyd (1293828).jpg|Textile machinery at the Cambrian Factory, Llanwrtyd, Wales, in the 1940s

File:BALLS OF COTTON (ANDHRA -SOUTH INDIA) READY FOR HARVEST.jpg|Cotton fiber

File:Nylon6 and Nylon 66.png|Nylon

File:Cloth 800.jpg|A variety of contemporary fabrics. From the left: evenweave cotton, velvet, printed cotton, calico, felt, satin, silk, hessian, polycotton.

File:Dan Hadani collection (990044401360205171).jpg|A textile factory in Israel, 1969

File:Tartan Clan Campbell.png|Woven tartan of Clan Campbell, Scotland

File:Embroidery-flowers-Alfaro-Nunez.jpg|Embroidered skirts by the Alfaro-Nùñez family of Cochas, Peru, using traditional Peruvian embroidery methods[http://art-gourds.com/the_craft_embroideries/en Art-Gourds.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013043017/http://art-gourds.com/the_craft_embroideries/en|date=2008-10-13}} Traditional Peruvian embroidery production methods

File:M0354 000727-005 1.jpg|alt=|A modern umbrella fabric has specific requirements for colour fastness to light, water and wet rubbing, and permeability.

File:Borduurtechnieken-applique kruis-gelegde draad.jpg|Appliqué cross. The edges are covered and stitches are hidden. It is overlaid with decorative gold thread.

File:Chiang Mai, Thailand, Colorful clothing.jpg|Clothing made of textiles, Thailand

File:Barong Up Close.jpg|Close-up view of a barong tagalog made with piña fiber in the Philippines

File:Scene with Fabric Tunnel - Srimangal - Sylhet Division - Bangladesh (12904860703).jpg|A fabric tunnel in Moulvibazar District, Bangladesh

File:49-QWSTION-BANANATEX-FABRIC.jpg|A modern Manila hemp made on industrial weaving machines

File:Chancay - Textile Doll - Walters 83768.jpg|Textile doll (11th century), Chancay culture, found near Lima, Walters Art Museum. Of their small size, dolls are frequently found in ancient Peruvian tombs.{{cite web|title=Textile Doll|url=https://art.thewalters.org/detail/79394/textile-doll/|website=Walters Art Museum site}}

{{div col}}

• {{annotated link|Bamboo textile}}
• {{annotated link|Clothing in the ancient world}}
• {{annotated link|Green textile}}
• {{annotated link|International Down and Feather Testing Laboratory}}
• {{annotated link|List of textile fibres}}
• {{annotated link|Sustainable fashion}}
• {{annotated link|Technical textile}}
• {{annotated link|Textile arts}}
• {{annotated link|Textile manufacturing}}
• {{annotated link|Glossary of textile manufacturing }}
• {{annotated link|Textile printing}}
• {{annotated link|Textile recycling}}
• {{annotated link|Timeline of clothing and textiles technology}}

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book |last=Birrell |first=Verla Leone |url=http://archive.org/details/textileartshandb0000birr |title=The textile arts : a handbook of weaving, braiding, printing, and other textile techniques |date=1973 |location=New York |publisher= Schocken Books |isbn=978-0-8052-0390-5 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Chapman |first1=R. |title=Applications of Nonwovens in Technical Textiles |date=2010 |publisher=Elsevier Science |isbn=978-1-84569-437-1 }}
• {{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Betty F. |url=http://archive.org/details/textilesinperspe0002smit |title=Textiles in perspective |date=1982 |location=Englewood Cliffs, N.J. |publisher= Prentice-Hall |isbn=978-0-13-912808-0 }}
• {{Cite book |last=Joseph |first=Marjory L. |url=http://archive.org/details/introductorytext00jose |title=Introductory textile science |date=1977 |location=New York : Holt |publisher= Rinehart and Winston |isbn=978-0-03-089970-6 }}
• {{Cite book |last=Kadolph |first=Sara J. |url=http://archive.org/details/textiles0000kado |title=Textiles |date=1998 |location=Upper Saddle River, N.J. |publisher= Merrill |isbn=978-0-13-494592-7 }}
• {{Cite book |last=Elsasser |first=Virginia Hencken |url=http://archive.org/details/textiles00virg |title=Textiles: concepts and principles |date=2005 |location=New York, NY |publisher= Fairchild Publications |isbn=978-1-56367-300-9 }}
• {{Cite book|last=Weibel|first=Adèle Coulin|url=http://archive.org/details/twothousandyears0000unse_s3q7|title=Two thousand years of textiles; the figured textiles of Europe and the Near East|date=1952|location=New York |publisher= Pantheon Books}}
• {{Cite book |last=Humphries |first=Mary |url=http://archive.org/details/fabricreference0000hump |title=Fabric reference |date=1996 |location=Upper Saddle River, N.J. |publisher= Prentice Hall |isbn=978-0-13-349671-0 }}

• Boucher, François. 20,000 Years of Fashion: The history of costume and personal adornment. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1987 {{ISBN|0-8109-1693-2}}.
• Conrad, James L. "'Drive That Branch': Samuel Slater, the Power Loom, and the Writing of America's Textile History". Technology and culture 36.1 (1995): 1–28. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3106339 online].
• Jenkins, David, ed.: The Cambridge History of Western Textiles, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003, {{ISBN|0-521-34107-8}}.
• Payne, Blanche; Winakor, Geitel; Farrell-Beck Jane (1992) The History of Costume, from the Ancient Mesopotamia to the Twentieth Century, 2nd Edn, HarperCollins {{ISBN|0-06-047141-7}}.
• Piponnier, Françoise; Perrine Mane (1997), Dress in the Middle Ages. Yale UP. {{ISBN|0-300-06906-5}}.
• {{ cite book |first= Virginia |last= Postrel |author-link=Virginia Postrel |title=The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World |date= 10 November 2020 |location= New York, NY |publisher= Basic Books |isbn= 978-1-5416-1760-5 |edition= Hardcover}}
• {{Cite book | last=Fisher | first=Nora | title=Rio Grande Textiles | publisher=Museum of New Mexico Press | edition=Paperbound |date=1994 |isbn= 0-89013-266-6}} Introduction by Teresa Archuleta-Sagel. 196 pages with 125 black and white as well as colour plates. Fisher is Curator Emirta, Textiles & Costumes of the Museum of International Folk Art.
• {{cite book |doi=10.1515/9780824841676-010 |chapter=Textiles as a Medium of Exchange in Third Millennium B.C.E. Western Asia |title=Contact and Exchange in the Ancient World |date=2017 |last1=Good |first1=Irene |pages=191–214 |isbn=978-0-8248-4167-6 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Arai |first1=Masanao |title=From Kitsch to Art Moderne: Popular Textiles for Women in theFirst Half of Twentieth-Century Japan |journal=Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings |date=1998 |url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/143/ }}

{{Wikiquote}}

{{Wiktionary|cloth}}

{{Commons category|Textiles}}

{{Textile arts}}

{{Fabric}}

{{Clothing materials and parts}}

{{sewing}}

{{weaving}}

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Category:Clothing industry