tessile

Tessile is a term used primarily in Italian to denote textiles or fabrics. In English the closest common term is textile. The word covers materials made from fibers and the industries and activities involved in their production, processing, and finishing.

Textiles originate from natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk, linen, and hemp, as well as synthetic or regenerated fibers like polyester, nylon, viscose, and acrylic. Production typically involves fiber preparation, spinning into yarn, and forming fabric by weaving, knitting, or nonwoven bonding, followed by finishing such as dyeing, printing, coating, or heat treatment to achieve final properties.

Fabric types are classified by structure—woven, knitted, and nonwoven—and by end use, including apparel, home textiles, and technical textiles for automotive, medical, and industrial applications. Key material properties include strength, elasticity, absorbency, thermal behavior, and flame resistance, which determine suitability for specific tasks and environments.

The tessile sector is global and highly integrated, with standards and sustainability practices varying by region. Ongoing innovation focuses on new fibers, recycled materials, and environmentally friendly finishing technologies, as well as improvements in traceability and circular economy approaches within supply chains.

Historically, textile production has driven economic development from ancient loom-based crafts to modern automated mills and digital design workflows, shaping norms of labor, trade, and industrial organization.