Specialty Outdoors

Sewing and Repair for Outdoors Enthusiasts

Outdoors Fabric Terminology

Sometimes it seems like outdoor fabrics have a language all of their own. Terminology can be technical and confusing. If you are looking for technical information on a specific fabric, a diligent search can bring up all sorts of data. Beware false claims and obfuscation by even the most well intentioned manufacturer!! Let's take a look at some common fabric names and terms you might run across.

Ballistics Cloth: refers to a weave; (2x2). This is a very abrasion resistant fabric, typically made with Cordura® fibers. Typically around 2000 denier.

  • Coated: Fabrics that are coated with urethane for water resistance or water proofness.
  • Cordura®: is a high tenacity air-textured nylon manufactured exclusively by Dupont. Cordura actually refers to the fiber,and not the fabric. It is typically found as a plain weave, in deniers 300-2000, and is used where strength and abrasion resistance is important. Visit Dupont for more fibers information.
  • DWR: stands for Durable Water Repellent, typically refers to water repellent coatings that force the water to bead up on fabrics, preventing saturation.
  • Denier: A unit of yarn number equal to the weight in grams of 9000m of yarn. The thicker the thread, the higher the denier, the heavier the fabric.
  • Fleece
  • Laminate: fabric constructed of layers laminated together, as in a waterproof-breathable laminate, or windblock fleece.
  • Microfiber: refers to fabric made of synthetic yarns of less than one denier per filament
  • Oxford: has a small basket weave(2 x 1); fine warp and and coarse fill.
  • Polyester: is a man made fiber, made of synthetic polymers.
  • Polypropelene: is a synthetic Olefin fiber; made from propylene
  • Ply: typically refers to how many yarns make up a thread; a fabric made of 3-ply thread will be stronger than one made of 2-ply thread. Ply is sometimes used to refer to how many layers are in laminated or waterproof/breathable fabrics.
  • Supplex: is a Dupont trademark for one of several textured nylons; not Taslan though. It is a very high filament yarn (66 filaments per yarn) that is "air-dried" to give it a very soft texture.
  • Taffeta: is a plain weave (1 x 1) that is smooth on both sides. Nylon taffeta commonly used for linings and windbreakers.
  • Taslan: is a fiber process, used generically to describe a type of texture. The Taslan process of "air-drying" nylon filaments is applied to heavier yarns to create a soft fabric.
  • Waterproof/Breathable Fabrics

      Many thanks to Wayne Shufelt and the Cordura Team at Dupont for all their assistance.

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