Which fabric is 100% cotton, spun, balanced plain weave, bleached, with sizing (starch)?

• A. Plisse
• B. Crinoline
• C. Embossed seersucker
• D. Organdy

Answer: (B)

Understanding a fabric description means seeing how fiber, yarn form, weave, finish, and sizing come together to name the fabric. If a fabric is 100% cotton, spun, woven in a balanced plain weave, bleached, and finished with sizing (starch), it points to a stiff, crisp cotton fabric whose warp and weft are evenly interlaced and then treated to hold shape.

Crinoline is the fabric that matches this combination best. It’s a stiffened cotton fabric, usually woven in a plain, balanced structure, and bleached white. The sizing (starch) is applied to give the fabric body and stiffness, which is exactly what crinoline is known for—a crisp, holds-its-shape hand used historically for voluminous skirts.

Plisse emphasizes a puckered, crinkled surface produced by chemical sizing along the warp, so its defining feature isn’t a plain, balanced weave with starch finish. Embossed seersucker involves textured, embossed patterns and a puckered effect rather than a strictly balanced plain weave. Organdy can be a 100% cotton plain-weave fabric that’s bleached and sized, but it’s typically very sheer and crisp, not the heavier stiffened feel described by sizing for body, which is characteristic of crinoline.