TextileGlossary.com

A blouse most commonly refers to a woman's shirt, although the term is also used for some men's military uniform shirts. Blouses are often made of cotton or silk cloth and may or may not include a collar and sleeves. They are generally more tailored than simple knit tops, and may contain "feminine" details such as ruffles or embroidered decorations. Blouses have buttons reversed from that of a men's shirts. That is, the buttons are normally on the wearer's left-hand and the buttonholes are on the right. The reasons for this are unclear, however. Some suggest this custom was introduced by launderers so they could distinguish between women's and men's shirts, and could thus charge more for women's blouses, supposing women are more gullible and submissive. Another theory purports that the tradition arose in the middle ages when one manner of manifesting wealth was by the number of buttons one wore. Female servants were in charge of buttonning their mistresse's gowns (since the buttons were usually in the back). Tiring of attempting to button the buttons backwards, they started reversing the direction of the buttons, therefore, easing their jobs considerably.

Silk, rayon, or cotton in a plain or crosswise rib weave. It has a watermarked finish that is fairly stiff with body in most cases. It is produced by passing the fabric between engraved cylinders...

White cloudiness of a wood finish due to entrapped moisture. The common causes are applying finish in humid conditions or exposure to moisture, usually accompanied by heat, such as hot food or drink....

A petticoat is an article of clothing for women; specifically an undergarment to be worn under a skirt (also known as underskirt) or dress. The petticoat is a separate garment hanging from the waist...

A fine, closely woven, lustrous cotton or cotton/poly blend made in plain weave with a fine rib in the direction of the filling (across). The filling yarn is heavier and has less twist than the warp...

This lace has a net background, and the pattern is created by embroidering with thread and ribbon to create floral designs. The pattern has areas of design that are very dense, and the pattern is...