Waffle Knit
A technique employed in knit goods to produce a series of square, waffle-like designs.
Wales
They are a series of ribs or ridges usually running lengthwise on woven fabrics. They describe the pile ribs found on corduroy fabrics.
Warp
The lengthwise, vertical yarns carried over and under the weft. Warp yarns generally have more twist than weft yarns because they are subjected to more strain in the weaving process and therefore require more strength.
Wash
After manufacturing, some jeans are put through a “wash” to create a desired look. All are specifically designed to distress, fade or darken colour or soften the fabric.
Washed Linen (also known as delavé linen)
A lightweight linen that is specially dyed for a high-low effect and then woven. Light and dark colour variations appear within the finished fabric.
Washer Nylon
A nylon garment treated with a special finish to produce a crinkled effect.
Washfastness
The ability to resist color change after laundering.
Water Resistant
This type of fabric will act as a shell and keep light moisture at bay. It differs from waterproof because it cannot withstand total immersion.
Weathered Twill
A special dye process resulting in a softer fabric with a weathered appearance that will continue to enhance with each wash.
Weave
A system or pattern of intersecting warp or filling yarns. There are three basic weaves: plain, twill, and satin.
Weaving
The method or process of interlacing two yarns of similar materials so that they cross each other at right angles to produce woven fabric. The warp yarns, or ends, run lengthwise in the fabric, and the filling threads (weft) or picks, run from side to side.
Weft
In a woven fabric, the yarn running from selvage to selvage at right angles to the warp. Each crosswise length is called a pick. In the weaving process the filling yarn is carried by the shuttle or other type of yarn carrier.
Welt Collar and/or Cuffs
A single ply fabric with a finished edge that is used for collars and cuffs on sport shirts and short sleeve garments.
Welt Cuffs
Cuffs on short sleeve garments formed from a single ply of ribbed fabric with a finished edge. Fabric for welt cuffs is knit in a bolder stitch construction than the standard 1 x 1 ribs.
Wet Process
Procedure that adds a chemical finish.
Whipcord
A compact woven fabric having a very steep twill on the face of the goods. Whipcord is used in dress woolens, worsteds, or woolen blends and in many types of uniforms.
Whiskering
A technique applied to denim that mimics the subtle creases around the upper thigh that takes years of wearing to achieve. The hand-done detailing helps create a slimming effect on the hips and thighs by drawing the eye downward. It also adds to a garments cost.
Whisper Crepe
An ultralight rayon yarn specially twisted for a soft crinkled texture.
White Out
See Frost.
Wicking
A problem with moisture passing through thread by capillary action.
Wood Tone Buttons
Buttons that simulate a wood appearance.
Wool
The term is usually used for the fleece of sheep. Wool is defined for the purposes of labeling “The fiber from the fleece of the sheep or lamb or hair of the Angora or Cashmere goat (and may include the so-called specialty fibres from the hair of the camel, alpaca, llama, and vicuna) which has never been reclaimed from any woven or felted wool product.”
Worsted
A general term applied to fabrics and yarns from combed wool and wool blends. Worsted yarn is smooth-surfaced, and spun from evenly combed long staple. Worsted fabric is made from worsted yarns and is tightly woven with a “smooth” hard surface. Gabardine and serge are examples of worsted fabrics.
Woven Fabric
A fabric composed of two sets of yarns, warp and filling, and formed by weaving, which is the interlacing of these sets of yarns to form a fabric. Wovens have a tighter more rigid construction than knits and are susceptible to seam puckering. The length of the fabric is referred to as the “warp”, the width is referred to as the “fill”, and any angle across the fabric is referred to as the “bias”. On most woven fabrics, the warp direction has the least amount of stretch.
Wrangler
This name celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1997. The jeans were manufactured by a company called Blue Bell (Blue Bell Overall established in North Carolina in 1904, changed its name to Blue Bell Company in 1925. Blue Bell became eventually the biggest work wear company in the world.) After the war, in 1947, Blue Bell started manufacturing jeans for cowboys. The first model was No. 11MW.
Wrinkle Free
The basic process for imparting the wrinkle free finish into fabric involves applying a resin into the fabric, drying and curing at extremely high temperatures.