A woven fabric whose raised decorative pattern is formed with additional patterning threads.
Brocade has raised decorative figures formed during weaving. Brocading is a weft-patterning technique, so the decoration belongs to the woven construction of the cloth. Contrasting surfaces or colours help make the figures visible. This separates brocade from embroidery, where decorative designs are stitched into a material. It also provides a useful comparison with damask, whose pattern comes from contrasting weave structures and appears in reverse on the back. A jacquard loom can produce both brocade and damask, so knowing the loom type alone does not identify which fabric has been made.
In job listings
Brocade belongs to design, fabric development and eveningwear. A developer would discuss it with mills, and an advisor may need to distinguish it from a printed pattern or from damask, which forms its pattern differently. Search local jobs for “fabric”.
