In my 15+ years as a fashion designer, I’ve collected a ton of fashion books that have been game-changers for my career. But fashion books can be expensive AF, especially when you’re a freelance fashion designer footing the bill yourself. Those costs add up fast.
These reviews are unsponsored, so I hope my unbiased opinion helps you figure out if they’re worth the investment.
In this review, I’ll talk about Textilepedia by Fashionary, which they like to call “The Ultimate Textile Bible.”
Textilepedia by Fashionary Book Review
I already reviewed another book from Fashionary before (Fashionpedia), so I knew to expect nothing less than the best quality design and content-wise.
If I have to sum up the book in a sentence, Textilepedia covers everything you need to know about textiles – from fibers to finishing techniques, complete with detailed processes, comparison graphs, and clear photos.
Let’s go through that in more detail.
Textilepedia is a visual delight.
No Fashionary book review would be complete without me gushing over the craftsmanship of the book, so let’s get that out of the way.
Textilepedia is simply stunning – it’s one of those books where photos just don’t do it justice. The book is tactile, featuring a textured woven fabric cover with an embroidered book title and heat-pressed print details. Inside, the pages are lined with a striking blue color that runs throughout the book.
As a visually oriented person, I appreciate how every page of Textilepedia has photos and illustrations, which not only makes it visually appealing but also easier to understand and remember.
I was pleasantly surprised by the final chapter of Textilepedia – it covers different prints and colors (with photos, too!). It’s super handy when I forget the name of a specific print or color and don’t feel like searching on Google. Plus, seeing the colors printed on paper instead of on a screen is a real treat!
It shows how fabrics go from fiber to finishing.
Textilepedia is more than just a textile library – it walks you through the complete textile production process, starting from raw fibers and up until finishing options.
Here’s a chapter breakdown of the book.
Chapter 1 – Fibers
Chapter 2 – Yarn
Chapter 3 – Weave
Chapter 4 – Knits
Chapter 5 – Lace & Netting
Chapter 6 – Non-Woven & Felting
Chapter 7 – Hides
Chapter 8 – Finishings
Chapter 9 – Patterns, Motifs, & Colors
While this seems like a lot of info, don’t be overwhelmed as Fashionary doesn’t mess around when it comes to organization.
There’s bite-sized info in every chapter.
Each chapter zooms in on its topic, exploring different types and how they’re made. For example, the fibers chapter dedicates a page to each type, offering bite-sized info like descriptions, historical tidbits, and key characteristics, accompanied by HD photos.
What I found especially helpful are the small details tucked away at the bottom of the pages of the fiber and fabric pages: alternative recommendations. The book suggests substitutes with similar traits, which is invaluable for designers. Plus, you’ll find practical wash and care instructions that you can use when creating care labels.
Another thing I appreciate about Textilepedia as a fashion designer is that it provides common applications for each fabric type. In the photo above, you can see how they list down gowns, jackets, sportswear, lingerie, etc. as common garments made using Taffeta fabric. This is insanely helpful, especially if you’re trying to source fabrics for a specific garment.
Complete with comparison graphs & charts.
Each chapter in Textilepedia has comparison charts and graphs that are great to use for a quick overview. For example, at the end of each chapter, there’s a comprehensive table comparing the characteristics of different fibers, fabrics, etc. that were discussed individually in the earlier pages.
Despite the book being loaded with so much helpful information, they offer a quick overview when needed, making it incredibly practical for understanding and comparing key information.
Final Thoughts on Textilepedia
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the entire textile process complete with helpful pictures and graphics.
It’s packed with more information than I initially expected, but it’s incredibly well-organized. I’ve had Textilepedia on my bookshelf for two years now, and I’ve only read a portion of it. And I don’t mean that as a bad thing.
Personally, I don’t see it as a book you’d sit down and read in one go – it’s quite extensive. I recommend familiarizing yourself with its features so you can easily revisit specific topics as needed. I often find myself turning back to Textilepedia whenever I need to quickly check something about textiles.
I think this book might appeal more to textile designers or technical designers interested in fabric characteristics and features rather than solely fashion designers. It dives really deep into details that may not be necessary for everyone, for example, the size of fiber seeds. While it’s cool to know, I don’t really know where to use that info.
Nonetheless, because it’s thorough but highly organized, I found it to be suitable for both beginners and advanced learners in fashion.
One thing to note is that Textilepedia does NOT include actual fabric swatches – I did not expect it to, but I saw this question popping up many times as I was researching about this book before buying.
If you’re looking for a book with physical swatches, you may check the book Fabric for Fashion: The Swatch Book. I don’t have it (yet!) so I can’t give you my word for it, but I heard it’s the best one out there. Regardless, Textilepedia’s photos are as HD as it gets, though I have to agree that nothing compares to touching fabrics IRL. (Textilepedia Part 2, maybe?)
To conclude this review, if you’re considering just one book from Fashionary, I still recommend starting with Fashionpedia. Don’t get me wrong, I love Textilepedia and would recommend it to anyone working with fabrics, but it’s niche and might not be a ‘must-have’ for everyone.
But if you’re a book geek like me who wants a portable textile library (and wants to collect all the Fashionary books), I’m sure you’ll love this one too!
Other Top Fashion Design Book Reviews
Looking for more? I have a handful of other book reviews (and more coming!) that you can check out:
- Top 10 Books Recommended by Technical Fashion Designers
- Fashionpedia by Fashionary
- The Spec Manual by Michele Wesen Bryant and Diane DeMers
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