Broadcloth

a fine quality of smooth, lustrous woolen cloth. It is plain woven, fulled, slightly napped, and sheared close. The best broadcloth is that intended for men's wear. Men's broadcloth is black. The wool is dyed usually in the raw state, or fiber. After weaving, the cloth is fulled until the fiber-ends of warp and weft are felted. This makes raveling impossible and hemming unnecessary. In finishing, the broadcloth is wetted, steamed, calendered, and hot-pressed until it is smooth and glossy. Broadcloth designed for women's wear is made of high grade wool which, as in all broadcloth, is carded and not combed. After weaving, the cloth is fulled carefully. It is then napped, steamed, and plunged into cold water, dried, sheared, and brushed. This process of napping, steaming. etc, is repeated from three to six times, the object being to produce an even, nappy, lustrous surface. The alternate steaming and cold water plunge are said to "fasten the bloom," or preserve the luster. After finishing in this way, the cloth is dyed, sheared a second time, hot-pressed, rolled and put up for market. The finest grades of broadcloth are light in weight, pliable, smooth, and lustrous. The threads of the weave are invisible.