A rippled, water-like surface effect on fabric, commonly produced by finishing a ribbed cloth.
Moiré is a finish, not a weave. A ribbed fabric is passed under heavy pressure between engraved rollers, or two layers of the same cloth are passed through a calender together. The ribs are crushed in some places and left standing in others, and the crushed and uncrushed areas reflect light differently, which gives the rippled, watered look. The Académie française describes the result as a changing luster, wavy and shimmering, in small or large waves.
The finish needs a ribbed ground, such as faille or taffeta; the SILKNOW thesaurus lists ribbed cotton, acetate, rayon and silk among the fabrics treated. On cotton, a calendered effect needs a resin finish to last. In couture it can serve as an accent: a 1954 Givenchy ensemble made for the stage, now at the V&A, sets panels of moiré silk among the wool pleats of its skirt.
In job listings
The word is rare in current listings. Finishes such as moiré belong to a mill’s finishing department, where operators process fabrics on automated machines to change their color, hand and appearance, and to the textile designers who work with production teams. See current textile roles.
