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Textile Composition Abbreviations March 23, 2010

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Manufacturers, Organizations and Associations, SCAD, Sewing and Workroom Supplies, Textile Resources , trackback

Now that the SCAD-Atlanta Fashion Department has it’s own resource room, we have lots and lots of fabric samples for you to sift through when you are working on your class project.  The only problem is that many of these fabrics have composition labels that look something like “52% PC   26% PL   18% CO   4% PA” or “58% SE    21% PC    11% PA    9% WV   1% EL”.

What does it all mean?  Well, the first example means that the fiber content is 52% Acrylic, 26% Polyester, 18% Cotton, and 4% Nylon.  The second example is 58% Silk, 21% Acrylic, 11% Nylon, 9% Virgin Wool, and 1% Spandex.

The FTC (Ooh! Another Acronym! This one means the United States Federal Trade Commission)  has prohibited the use of abbreviations or acronyms for American-made products. However, if you buy your fabrics from overseas or have a look at any of the hundreds of textiles available in our resource room, you’ll see these labels on many of the headers – especially those from Italy and France.

So, here is your handy-dandy guide to textile abbreviations (courtesy of fabricstockexchange.com.)  If you come across anything that’s not on the list, please let me know so I can add it for the rest of us!

- Tiffany Teague

Abbreviation

Fabric Content

AC

Acetate

AF

Other Fibers

CA

Acetate

CLY

Lyocell

CMD

Modal

CO

Cotton

CTA

Triacetate

CU

Cupro

CUP

Cupro

CV

Viscose

EA

Elastane

EL

Elastane

HA

Hemp

HL

Cotton/Linen

JU

Jute

LI

Flax/Linen

MA

Modacrylic

MAC

Modacrylic

ME

Metal

MO

Modal

PA

Nylon

PAN

Acrylic

PC

Acrylic

PES

Polyester

PL

Polyester

PM

Metallicized Polyester

PU

Polyurethaneelastomere

RA

Ramie

SE

Silk

SI

Sisal

TA

Triacetate

TR

Textile Residues/Unspecified Composition

VI

Viscose

VY

Vinyl

WA

Angora

WB

Beaver

WG

Vicuna

WK

Camel Hair

WL

Llama

WM

Mohair

WO

Wool

WP

Alpaca

WS

Cashmere

WV

Virgin Wool

WY

Yak

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