Acrylic:
The generic name of a synthetic textile fiber made with acrylic acid. Often blended with wool. Noted for loft and bulk. Great for socks and sweaters.

Alpaca:
The long woolly hair of the Peruvian alpaca mammal, which makes up into cloth noted for its soft feel and resilience.

Brocade:
Rich Jacquard woven fabric with all over interwoven design of raised figures of leaves. From the French word for "to ornament". Used in neckwear.

Camel Hair:
Undercoat hair from the Bactrian (two-hump) camel. It is not clipped or shaved, but gathered from the ground as the camel's skin expands seasonally and hair loosens. Usually used in natural colors. Great for custom sports coats or custom made overcoats.

Cashmere:
Fibers from the undercoat of the kashmir goat. Used in pure and blended forms in soft-twilled fabrics. This is a very delicate fabric, and therefore is not appropriate for custom pants. It is mostly used for custom overcoats as well as custom made sports coats.

Corduroy:
A durable cut-pile fabric with narrow or wide vertical ribs or wales. Great for custom made pants or even custom sports coats.

Flannel:
A soft-twilled fabric with a loose texture and a slightly napped surface. Can have plain or ribbed weave. Used mostly for custom suits, custom pants as well as custom blazers.

Gabardine:
Tightly woven fabric with a twill surface weave and a fine diagonal rib effect. Favored by pilgrims in the Middle Ages for protection against wind and rain. Does not wrinkle easily. Very good for custom made pants as well as custom made suits.

Glen Plaid:
An American corruption of Glen Urquhart (a district in England) Check, a design chosen in the 19th century by the Countess of Seafield to be the distinctive uniform of her tenants, factors and gamekeepers. Pattern lends itself best for mens custom suits and sports coats.

Herringbone:
Classic zigzag effect resembling the backbone of a herring. Achieved by altering the direction of a twill. Looks great in custom made suits and overcoats.

Hopsacking:
Fabric with a coarse, loose basket weave. Named for the sacks used in the 19th century for the gathering of hops for the making of beer. Great for heavier men.

Houndstooth check:
A small, broken check pattern with hook, resembling a dog's incisor. Works well with custom trousers as well as custom suits.

Lamb's wool:
Wool from young sheep after first shearing. Noted for its soft hand. Perfect for a custom sports coat.

Linen:
A rough fabric woven of flax, an herb annual blooming plant with blue flowers, cultivated for its bast (woody) fiber. Light fabric that makes up nicely in custom made suits for the summer.

Mohair:
The fiber of the Angora goat. Characterized by crispness, luster, lightness and durability. Usually blended with wool. Amazing custom overcoat or even custom suit fabric. Has a tendency to wrinkle less than other fabrics.

Poplin:
Tightly woven, durable cotton made with a plain weave and a more pronounced rib than broadcloth. Great for summer weight custom suits.

Reverse twist:
A plain weave worsted fabric using yarns twisted to the right and yarns twisted to the left. Has somewhat more bulk than regular twists. Tailors well.

Saxony:
Soft, pliable, lightly napped wool or worsted fabric of high quality with a clear, concise, finish. Derived from the sheep-growing province of Germany.

Seersucker:
A crinkly, lightweight cotton fabric. Alternates stripes of plain flat weave with crinkle effects. Originally from India. Great for summer weight custom suits or pants.

Serge:
Hand finished fabric with smooth, clear face and a diagonal rib. Usually worsted wool.

Shetland:
A soft, light, tweed-like, very nappy fabric made only from the fine undercoat of sheep raised on the Shetland Islands of Scotland. Word is also used (incorrectly) to refer to soft fabric closely related to tweed. Great fabric for winter sports coats.

Tweed:
A rough, wiry wool with hairy, nappy surface that permits bright yarns to mingle shades.

Twist:
A yarn formed by twisting two or more strands together. Different colored yarns are often used for unusual color effects. Wrinkle resistant.

Vicuna:
Wool from the fine, lustrous undercoat of the wild vicuna goats of the Andes in South America. Very fine, very soft, and very expensive.

Woolen:
As used in the textile industry, fabric using wool fibers of varying lengths. Fabrics are generally softer and bulkier than worsteds. Used in tweeds.

Worsted:
A smooth compact yarn from long wool fibers. Used for smooth, firm compact fibers.

For more information on Alan David Custom Suits' selection of fabrics and other materials, please contact Alan or Arnold at 212.227.4040.