Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles

The revised and expanded edition features over 14,000 definitions of fibers, fabrics, laws, and regulations affecting textile materials and processing, inventors of textile technology, and business and trade terms relevant to textiles. Key terms are comprehensively defined and include details about historic background, geographic references, and uses both past and present. Extensive cross-referencing and listings of synonyms help the user to gain a broader understanding of the specific term being defined. Names of governmental entities relevant to the textile field and their acronyms are also included in the text including U.S. and multinational trade, educational, and professional associations, together with a description of their purposes and/or functions. This dictionary is an invaluable reference for students and those working in the textile industry.

Phyllis G. Tortora is Professor Emerita at Queens College, where she was department chair for 17 years, teaching historic costume and furnishings, and textiles. Among the textbooks of which she is the author or co-author are Survey of Historic Costume and Fairchilds Dictionary of Textiles, 7th Edition. She also serves as a consultant to the Historic Costume Collection of the Huntington Historical Society in Huntington, New York.

Robert S. Merkel has taught apparel studies at Florida International University.