Every industry has its own language. But in textiles, that language is tactile.
It doesn’t just describe function — it describes feel.
To know the right word for something is to know how to work with it, tend to it, elevate it.
A fabric isn’t just “shiny” — it has luster.
A raw cloth isn’t just “unfinished” — it’s greige.
A good cotton doesn’t just feel soft — it is supple, breathable, long-stapled.
The language of textiles is a mirror of the elegance embedded in the craft.
🌾 Words That Shape the World of Fabric
Here are just a few of the words that live inside the world of cloth — words we return to again and again as we create:
Greige
/gray·zh/
Raw, untreated fabric straight from the loom or knitting machine — unbleached, undyed, full of potential.
Skein
A loosely coiled length of yarn or thread. A word that feels like a whisper, often used in dyeing and handwork.
Luster
The soft, light-reflective quality of a fabric’s surface. Silk has it. So does sateen. It’s what makes fabric glow without glitter.
Supple
The gentle drape and flexibility of a fabric — often used to describe high-quality, wearable cloth that moves with the body.
Sheen
Like luster, but subtler. It’s the gleam on the surface of a well-finished fabric, often created through weave or finishing processes.
Scouring
The process of cleansing fabric of oils, waxes, or impurities before dyeing — essential for even colour absorption, especially in natural dyes.
Selvage
The clean, finished edge of woven fabric. In high-end design, selvage can be a mark of intention — respected, not trimmed.
Warp & Weft
The foundational axes of woven cloth. The warp is the vertical thread held under tension; the weft is what moves across it — like the past and present weaving a future.
🪡 The Elegance of Technicality
In the hands of artisans, technical terms become tools of reverence.
Knowing how a fabric moves, breathes, takes dye, or frays — is as much about vocabulary as it is about instinct.
Language gives clarity. And clarity allows respect.
To say “This fabric has memory” or “This weave resists drape” is to enter a conversation not just with material — but with history, with ecology, with emotion.
🌿 Language as Legacy
At The Kora Edit, we hold these words with care.
Because this is a project not just about making garments — but about remembering. Remembering the depth of the cloth, the lineage of the process, the intimacy of creation.
Whether it’s a white greige gown waiting to be dyed, or a skein of yarn soaking in indigo, each part of the journey has a name — and that name holds power.
✍🏽 Let’s Keep Naming
This blog is an invitation to slow down — not just in making, but in naming.
To replace “rough” with “raw.”
“Nice” with “supple.”
“Unfinished” with “greige.”
“Beautiful” with “well-made.”
“Fashion” with “textile art.”
Because how we speak about cloth is how we speak about care.