https://mariannecaroline.com/tags/guides/Recent content in Guides on Marianne CarolineHugoen-usWed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://mariannecaroline.com/articles/fabric-glossary/Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://mariannecaroline.com/articles/fabric-glossary/<p>Knowing a few fabric terms makes shopping — especially online — far easier. The name of a fabric tells you how it&rsquo;s constructed, and construction tells you how it will feel, drape and age.</p> <h2 id="fibres-versus-fabrics">Fibres versus fabrics</h2> <p>First, a useful distinction. A <strong>fibre</strong> is the raw material: cotton, wool, linen, silk, polyester, viscose. A <strong>fabric</strong> is what&rsquo;s made from it by weaving or knitting. &ldquo;Cotton&rdquo; tells you the fibre; &ldquo;poplin&rdquo; tells you the fabric. You can have wool twill, cotton twill and polyester twill.</p>