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Fashion & Textiles vocabulary · Textile Production

Pilling

Meaning in fashion & textiles, with examples

/ˈpɪlɪŋ/nounCommon term

In fashion & textiles, pilling means: The forming of small balls of fibre on the surface of a fabric when it is rubbed during wear or washing.

In Turkish: boncuklanma, tüylenme

How it is used

A frequent customer complaint on knitwear, fleece and blends with polyester. Labs test pilling resistance and give a grade from 1 (severe pilling) to 5 (no pilling). Single balls are called pills, and the verb is pill: this fabric pills easily.

Example sentences

  1. We've had a lot of returns because of pilling under the arms.

  2. An anti-pilling finish raised the grade from 2 to 4.

Common collocations

  • pilling test
  • pilling resistance
  • anti-pilling finish
  • pilling grade
  • polyesterA strong synthetic fibre made from oil-based chemicals; it dries quickly, resists creasing and is the most produced textile fibre in the world.
  • finishingTreatments given to fabric after weaving, knitting or dyeing to improve its look, feel or performance, such as softening, brushing or anti-shrink processes.
  • quality controlChecking materials and products at different stages of production to find defects and make sure they meet the agreed standards.
  • woolThe natural fibre from the coat of sheep, and the yarn or fabric made from it, valued for warmth, elasticity and comfort.

More terms: Textile Production

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