Tricot Lining
Fabric — one of 56 in the glossary
A warp-knitted lining fabric, smooth on the face and slightly textured on the back, used inside jackets, shorts and outerwear. Warp knitting runs the yarn along the fabric rather than across it, which gives tricot its distinctive combination of light weight, run resistance and stretch in one direction but not the other — the properties a lining needs to slide over other clothing without stretching out of shape.
Warp-knitted, not woven
Tricot is knitted, but along the length of the fabric rather than across it — each yarn zigzags down its own column instead of one yarn looping across a row.
That construction is why it does not ladder the way a weft knit does. Cut or snag a tricot and the damage stays local.
It also gives a smooth face and a slightly textured back, with stretch across the width and very little along the length.
What a lining has to do
Slide. A lining's main job is letting the garment move over whatever is underneath it, which needs a smooth, low-friction face.
Stay put. A lining that stretches out of shape bags inside the shell, so lengthwise stability matters.
Weigh nothing, and not fray at the edges. Tricot does all four, which is why it is the default lining in sportswear and outerwear.
For a decorator
It is a lining, so it is rarely decorated, but it is often the second layer behind a panel that is.
A heat press bearing on a lined panel presses through two fabrics with an air gap between, which gives uneven results — press the shell before assembly where possible, or accept the compromise.
It is usually polyester or nylon, so heat limits apply even though it never shows.
Common questions
- What is tricot lining?
- A warp-knitted lining fabric, smooth on the face and lightly textured on the back, used in jackets, shorts and outerwear. It is light, run-resistant and slides easily over other clothing.
- Is tricot knitted or woven?
- Knitted — warp-knitted, meaning the yarn runs along the fabric's length rather than across it. That is why it resists running when cut or snagged.
- Why is tricot used for linings?
- It is smooth enough to slide over other clothing, stable enough not to bag inside the shell, very light, and it does not fray at cut edges.
See also
Last reviewed