Jacquard: A fabric with a complicated pattern woven or knit into it as part of its structure. For wovens a jacquard loom is used which controls each warp yarn separately, raising or lowering it as needed during weaving to create the design. For knits a jacquard knitting machine creates the design by controlling whether individual needles knit, tuck, or miss.

Jaspe: A woven fabric with a series of faint stripes formed by the arrangement of light, medium, and dark warp yarns or by twisting together 2 yarns of different colors . Used for drapery, upholstery, suitings.

Jersey: 1. Single knit fabric with an intermeshing of stitches in the same direction on the face and a series of semicircular loops on the back. Thus the 2 sides appear different. 2. a general term referring to any knit fabric without a distinct rib.

Kersey: A fulled, woven fabric, generally of wool or a wool blend, with a fine lustrous nap. Used for overcoats.

Kodel: a brand of polyester, trademark of the Eastman Chemical Company.

Lame: A fabric woven or knit with metallic yarns . It is usually gold or silver in color . Used in evening wear.

Laminated: a compound fabric usually comprised of a continuous sheet of thermoplastic film such as polyurethane or PVC bonded to a base fabric with heat or adhesive.

Laser cut: The process of cutting a design into the fabric by using a narrow beam laser to vaporize the fabric.

Lawn: a thin, light, crisp, plain weave fabric usually of cotton, cotton bends or linen. More firm than batiste or voile but less firm than organdy.

Leno: refers to an open weave fabric. In a leno weave the warp yarns are arranged in pairs, twisting or interlocking around the filling yarn to prevent slippage and make the open weave stronger and more firm.

Lever lace: Lace made on a Leavers machine. The machine uses mechanically controlled bobbins and is controlled by a jacquard mechanism. They can produce fine delicate patterns that resemble handmade laces.

Limp: refers to a fabric that is very drapey and lacking in body.

Loose: refers to a fabric that is not tightly constructed and shifts easily.

Lurex brand: brand of metallic fiber and yarn of The Lurex Co.

Lycra brand: Dupont brand of spandex yarn.