Description

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More than 600 fabrics and 700 color illustrations: an authoritative, accessible, and definitive guide to all the textiles available today.

From the earliest weaves uncovered by archaeologists to today’s machine-produced, scientifically advanced fabrics, textiles have had a profound influence on civilization. As technologies change and world economics influence the direction that fashion and textiles take, it is vital that both skills and our textile vocabulary should be kept alive.



This encyclopaedia is a definitive reference guide to all the major types of fabric in circulation today, from abbot cloth to zibeline. In clear and engaging language, the author describes and illustrates more than 600 of the most important examples, from classic tweeds to state-of-the-art nano fabrics.



Each entry includes a brief definition, informative notes on structure, and a list of uses. More than 700 color illustrations show a fabric’s weave, texture, and other defining characteristics at a glance, and helpful diagrams demonstrate the structure of the most important types of textiles. The book concentrates on textiles in current use, but it also covers obscure or obsolete terms that one might come across—and that might still have something to teach today’s designers, manufacturers, and textile historians.



Each entry is carefully cross-referenced, and the book includes an extensive glossary and bibliography.

About the Author

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Janet Wilson is an associate lecturer at the London College of Fashion. She has worked as a textile designer and continues to design fabrics on a freelance basis.

Praise For…

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A showstoppingly beautiful annotated compendium of all textiles in use today
— Entertainment Weekly

Excellent reference for academic fashion and
textile collections
— Library Journal

Authoritative. An ideal reference guide
— Threads